Theology Proper - Who is God? Lesson 21
Review:
4. The Problem: The
Sovereignty of God and the Volition of Man
Sovereignty:
Isa. 46:9-10; 43:13;
Volition:
all the “whosoever wills” all the commands;
all the 3rd class conditions
As we search out the
solutions to such mysteries of God’s Word, a couple of dangers must carefully
be avoided:
1. The
danger of imposing human reason over divine revelation.
2. The danger of going to one extreme or the other.
The way men have typically approached God’s
sovereignty and human responsibility has caused no little debate and perplexity
among students of the Bible.
But these truths which are clearly taught in
Scripture must be accepted without trying to divorce one from the other or to
force one over the other.
5. Are a number of False
conclusions from little minds
a. If God controls then God
condones. [sounds
logical]
1. They sinned in putting Him on the
cross!
2. It was the execution of the purpose
of God!
3. Is He not saying that He controlled
the events there?
4. Therefore God must condone the sin!
Sounds reasonable - doesn't
it?
b. Let's look at this human logic
1. Crucifying Christ is sin!
Did He get what He deserved?
- Acts 2:36;
2. His death was part of God's plan.
- who
planned the cross?
3. Can't you say therefore that God
condones sin and is therefore
not righteous?
** Prin: Something may be crystal
clear, sound logical and yet be pure heresy?
Our human logic many times is going to have to give way to
Scripture; the faith principle. Heb. 11:1
So what have we established?
- God does control. Acts 4:26-28
- Does He condone sin NO!> Yet He controls!
- Can we rationally and logically put
this together? NO!
- Its a false conclusion coming form a
little mind!
Another faulty conclusion! Commonly heard!
c. Since God is Sovereign -
man has no volition and therefore no responsibility - no culpability at all.
- after all
since He is in control - man has no responsibility
- God is going to work it
all out anyway, therefore we have no volition, no
responsibility since God is the supreme ruler of the universe. (sounds logical)
- He works all things after
the council of His own will, He does all things He pleases.
- Therefore I conclude that
since He does what He pleases, I have no volition at all and without volition,
I have no responsibility. (logical?)
Sovereignty does not reject human volition
or responsibility.
Must remember there are primary and
secondary causes.
Mt
27:35 Did the guys sit down and
decide?
- > John 19:24; prophecy Psa. 27:18
Acts 27:24f This
one ties both the Sov of God and human responsibility
together.
- 27:31 = human responsibility
- result =
27:44 all safely land.
Some say that Sovereignty = fatalism
i.e. things are directed by chance. [slime plus time = life]
Sovereignty does not mean that, it means
that all things are directed by an all wise God who is supreme over all. What is wrong with that?
Is that not relaxing?
Things are in God's hands! (or do you think that they would be better off in yours?)
That's really the encouragement that
flows from understanding of the sovereignty, the ruler ship of God.
He is the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords and He is forever.