Day 31

The Sovereignty of God

Vs. The Free Choice of Man

Roger and Eileen Himes

www.ThePracticalGospel.com

The sovereignty of God vs. the free will of man is important in the gospel. This is the eternity security issue. Much of the debate over this comes from Romans 9-11, which is what we are going to look at. I see everything through the finished work of Christ’s cross, as explained in the New Covenant gospel. Some call this narrow-minded. I accept this label. To me there is NO other plumb-line than the gospel. Instructors in Christ marry the Old and New Testaments, and mingle so many diverse doctrines that they sound like The Second Tower of Babel.

To me, with a lawyer’s mind, and viewing New Testament gospel truth, these issues are NOT confusing at all! But here’s the way I feel about modern preaching: the MORE I hear something preached, the more SUSPECT I am. I feel like I’m getting the combined wisdom of MAN, not GOD’S revelation. Most things are NOT confusing in light of gospel truth. If seen through the wisdom of man’s theology, they can be extremely confusing. The gospel should be the FILTER!

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GOSPEL TRUTH #61

I will state what I think the gospel is saying right up front from Romans 9-11. If this differs from your theology, please hear me out before you tune me out. But I feel these issues must be discussed because of the bondage some believers, and teachers are held in.

(1) The sovereignty of God is ABSOLUTE! There is no compromise.
(2) The free will of man is ABSOLUTE! We have free choice.
(3) Eternal security is ABSOLUTE! If someone is born again, and is in relationship with his Creator, he is in God’s Kingdom forever. There is no regard to what he may do bad, or what he may not do good.

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Because this is already argumentative, I won’t discuss the Jews, and their place in end times because of the covenants of God in the Old Testament (Rom 9:4). A lot is said about the Jews in Romans 9-11. Suffice it to say we have a New Covenant that has replaced the Old, and it has new and better promises in it. These include the Jews, but ONLY in the same manner it includes anyone else.

I see the Jews as having no special place in the New Covenant, and no national salvation in the end times. Also, I see no ‘replacement theology’ in the gospel — this says the church has ‘replaced’ the Jews as being favored by God. This is the extent I will discuss these issues.

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Many argue that the sovereignty of God, and the free will of man, cannot co-exist because they are distinctly opposite. I do not agree. I think they work together in harmony.

Vines Dictionary talks of predestination vs. the foreknowledge of God, saying these terms must be distinguished. The foreknowing of God has to do with people, and predestination has to do with events. It says that people (whether they will be born again), is foreknown by God, but what they are subject to in the world is a matter of predestination (i.e., the Red Sea, the cross, end times, etc.)

Predestination is talked about in Romans 9, but without using the term. It is used in Romans 8 in talking about us being predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus, and he uses it in Ephesians to talk about us being predestined to according to the will of God, and for adoption into his Kingdom. This chapter talks more about ‘election’ by God, and being ‘prepared before unto glory.’

Chapter nine talks a lot about God’s sovereignty in life’s affairs, his use of Pharaoh, God having mercy on those he chooses, vessels of honor vs. dishonor, vessels of wrath vs. vessels of mercy, loving Jacob and hating Esau, children of flesh vs. children of promise, and the fact that a remnant will be saved. It sounds like God is busy deciding everyone’s FATE long in advance.

These comparative terms describe the difference between the Old and New Covenants. People were children of flesh, vessels of wrath and dishonor, etc. under the OLD. Paul says, “None are righteous, not one.” Romans 11:32 says they were all in unbelief. Ephesians says they were children of disobedience. Then the alternative is talked about: vessels of mercy and honor, children of promise, etc. These are referring to people in the NEW Covenant, where we are all perfect, righteous and sanctified because of the cross. See this: these describe CLASSES of people, — not the way individual people are CLASSIFIED!

In Romans 8 and 11 Paul talks about the ‘foreknowledge’ of God in knowing his people. This is the way the sovereignty of God — and his election works with us. If God is eternal and is the same yesterday, today and forever, then he KNOWS who agrees with him, and comes into fellowship with him, — and he also knows those who will not. According to Ephesians, before the foundations of the world, God knew I would be born again in October, 1975.

To repent and believe the gospel, — the first command of Jesus, — means to change your mind from what you believe, and believe what God says. Period. It’s very simple. Thus, Jesus says our job as Christians is to believe (John 6:29). If someone believes you, and agrees with what you say, don’t you know it? YES! If they disagree with you, and don’t believe what you say, don’t you know that? YES! Lawyers refer to this as ‘a meeting of the minds’ vs. conflict.

How much more does God know than we know? A bunch! How can he even know things about us, and if we’re going to believe him, thousands of years in advance? Because he’s GOD! Thus, he knows who is going to believe, and be saved, and who isn’t. He doesn’t chooses someone over someone else — because one is pretty or white vs. ugly or black. “God is no respecter of persons.” God simply knows because he is sovereign: he is God.

Because of foreknowledge, he CHOOSES us. We are ELECTED in his grace. Foreknowing and predestination work together. It’s not that God simply chooses one person over another. The fact is he knows ALL future things, and thus predestines us to adoption as sons since before worlds began (Eph 1:4-5).

God knows whose spirits are going to attach to his. He invented unity and oneness and spiritual fellowship. It either exists, or it doesn’t, and God isn’t so dumb that he doesn’t know it. This is foreknowledge, while predestination is about what happens in major life events, like the cross and end times. It’s like we have a spiritual umbilical cord, and God knows if it’s attached to him, or cut. It may exist our whole lives, or like the thief on the cross, it may not spiritually take place until we’re on our deathbed. But God knows. This is due to his sovereignty.

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Now, moving on to Romans 10, we see the free choice, and free will of man in operation. This speaks to our ‘responsibility’ to repent about what we think, and believe God. This is the event of salvation: we accept the fact that Jesus became sin for us, died on the cross for us, and gave us his righteousness. It is having ‘a meeting of the minds’ with God. Jesus says we must be born again — ‘born of the Spirit.’

Recall we talked about ‘response-ability.’ We must respond. God knows if we want to know WHOM we believe (I Tim 1:12). He knows if we desire to truly come to know him, the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, and that we are conformed to his death.

This chapter tells us that everyone knows. The gospel is available to all, and offered to all, and we’re all equal and all included. But it also says not everyone will accept it (vs. 16), but that it’s still offered when we don’t (vs. 21). Because of this, we must respond. It is our responsibility to decide if we want to be part of God’s Kingdom. What about people who never have the gospel preached to them? ANGELS will preach it to them (see Rev. 14:6). WHOEVER believes on him, and calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (vs. 11, 13). It’s available to whomever, and God knows every ‘whomever.’ If we don’t respond, this is human free will.

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GOSPEL TRUTH #62

The sovereignty of God, and our free will are NOT in conflict. The sovereignty of God is by means of election OF GRACE (vs 5). This means that we respond to his grace and say, ‘Thank you.’ But it’s a choice we must make. It’s human free will. God desires all to be saved, and to come into a knowledge of his whole gospel truth (I Tim 2:4). This is his sovereignty, and he knows who will, and who won’t — whether it be salvation, or coming into gospel revelation. Our free will merely responds to God positively or negatively, and God knows in advance who will.

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Romans 11 is part of all this, and a very vital part. But as I said, I will not comment on it anymore than I already have because it is about the Jews: their rejection vs. their individual or collective acceptance by God.

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Now, what about the third part in gospel truth #61, talked about on page 8? What about eternal security? Some say ‘once saved, always saved.’ Is this fact or fiction? Can we loose our salvation?

It’s beyond the scope of today, but here’s a secret: I don’t view Hebrews 10 being about losing our salvation. In gospel truth, it talks about something deeper than salvation. Remember: as necessary as salvation is, it is only ‘entry level Christianity’.

Are we once saved, always saved? YES! If you have gotten this far in A 40 DAY GOSPEL FAST, I’m convinced you are saved, born again, and going to heaven. If you were NOT, your spirit would have forced you to put this down long ago. You have a seeking heart. You have a field that is being planted with gospel seed.

You see, we think it depends on us. In Romans 10 and 11, Paul talks about things we do and don’t do. But this is not the issue. The issue is not US, and what we do. The issue GOD, and what he has done. God is in the spotlight. Ephesians 1:4-5 says that God has CHOSEN us who are saved and born again — since before the foundation of the world. He has predestined us to adoption as children.

Western adoption says you adopt someone else’s child and make them yours legally. This was NOT eastern adoption. Here, a family had a ceremony when their son reached maturity, and they ‘adopted him into manhood.’ They adopted their own child! We saw this earlier. The child had always been in the family, and will always be in the family. There is no LOSING the status of sonship. “Once a son, always a son.” Adoption just solidifies maturity.

All God asks is that you TRUST him enough to BELIEVE him. If you believe him, you are IN his Kingdom. You may have a lot of work that needs to be done, like most of us, but you are IN his Kingdom. We have many glories yet to see, because we see through a glass dimly. But we are in the PROCESS of the gospel of God. As weak as our faith may be, and as many struggles as we have, we know if we believe God. We have connected with him. We’ve entered into ‘a meeting of the minds.’