Unfinished Faith: Relearning God.

Week 31:

The bit where I introduce:

This devotion goes a little deeper than I normally do, but I needed a challenge!

This topic might be something you’ve considered in our relearning of faith, whether you have preexisting beliefs or not, consider this week a re-examination.

One of the biggest questions Christians sometimes wrestle with is this: If God is completely sovereign, why do my choices matter? Or, turning the question around: If my choices genuinely matter, is God really in control?

Our instinct is often to choose one side. We either become fatalistic, “Whatever God wants will happen anyway”, or we place the weight of everything on ourselves, believing God’s plans rise and fall with our decisions.

But what if the Bible refuses to choose?

The bit where I refer to the Bible and ask a few questions:

Here are just a few examples of this tension:

• God declares, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” (Isaiah 46:10)
• Moses tells Israel, “Choose life.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
• Jesus weeps over Jerusalem because they were “not willing.” (Matthew 23:37)
• Peter proclaims that Jesus’ crucifixion happened according to God’s deliberate plan, yet those who carried it out were still responsible for their actions (Acts 2:23): “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.”

So, here’s the dilemma:

God is sovereign, verses human beings are genuinely responsible.

Our minds naturally want these ideas to fit neatly into logical categories. We tend to ask, which one is true? Yet, the bible seems to hold both together.

If God already knows and ordains everything, we might wonder: Why pray? Why evangelise?

On the other hand, if our choices ultimately determine everything, we might ask: Can I frustrate God’s plans?

Neither extreme seems to reflect the whole picture presented in the bible.

Instead, the bible holds these truths side by side.

God’s sovereignty gives us confidence that our failures cannot derail His purposes.

Human responsibility reminds us that our obedience, prayers, repentance, and daily choices matter.

We are called to live as though our choices matter deeply because they do, while resting in the assurance that God’s purposes are ultimately secure.

The beauty of this tension is that our faithfulness is significant, but our hope does not rest in our faithfulness.

Our hope rests in God’s.

Perhaps that is exactly where God intends us to remain, not with every question answered, but with hearts that trust Him. The bible doesn’t ask us to choose between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility; it simply calls us to live faithfully in light of both. We may never fully understand how they fit together this side of eternity, but perhaps understanding isn’t the goal. Trust is.

Because God is sovereign, our obedience is never meaningless. Because we are responsible, our choices are never insignificant.

I also wanted to add something…

I know not all Christians understand or believe God’s sovereignty in the same way. Christians have wrestled with this question for centuries. It is one of the Church’s oldest theological debates.

Some Christians believe God is sovereign over every detail of life. Others believe God has granted people genuine freedom, allowing choices that are not determined in the same way. They still affirm that God is all-powerful, all-wise, and completely faithful, but they understand His sovereignty as His ability to accomplish His purposes while allowing people to freely choose. Rather than controlling every event, they believe God works within human choices to bring about His good purposes.

Although these views differ, both seek to take the bible seriously and point people towards trusting God.

Perhaps the purpose of this tension is not simply to stretch our minds, but to shape our hearts. If we could fully explain God’s sovereignty, we might become proud. If everything depended on us, we would become anxious. Instead, God leaves us with enough mystery to keep us humble, enough responsibility to keep us faithful, and enough assurance to keep us at peace.

The bit where you get to think about stuff: Questions for the week.

 Which truth do you tend to lean towards more, God’s sovereignty or human responsibility, and how might that shape the way you pray, make decisions, or respond to difficult circumstances?

If you truly believed that both your choices matter and God’s purposes are secure, what might change about the way you live your faith this week?

Where is God inviting you to trust Him more deeply, not by having every theological question answered, but by faithfully taking the next step of obedience?