Does God's sovereignty mean people have no choice about salvation? Calvinist creeds say God determined to save individuals eternally or to condemn them regardless of their choice, conduct, or character. Is this what the Bible says or does God choose to give people the free will power to choose to meet the conditions of salvation? Did Jesus die to offer forgiveness to all people and then invite us to choose to accept that salvation by obeying His teaching?
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Introduction:
Is God sovereign? It depends on what you mean.
Some denominational people can hardly mention God without calling Him “sovereign.” Note:
KJV – 0 times
ASV – 0 times (1 – earthly king – Daniel 2:47)
NKJV – 0 times (1 – earthly king – 1 Samuel 14:47)
NASB – 1 time (Psalm 103:19) (6 – earthly kings or people)
ESV – 0 times
(Newer translations may use the term slightly more often.)
If people repeatedly emphasize a word the Bible rarely uses, they might misunderstand.
Denominational teaching about God’s sovereignty
“Sovereign” means a supreme ruler, especially a monarch. Some tie this to predestination:
Westminster Confession of Faith
Chapter III. Of God’s Eternal Decree:
God from all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures, nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established. …
III. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained to everlasting death. …
VII. The rest of mankind, God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth, for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures, to pass by, and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin, to the praise of his glorious justice.
Chapter X, pages 1-4
“All those whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, he is pleased, in his appointed and accepted time, effectually to call, by his Word and Spirit, out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ … This effectual call is of God’s free and special grace alone, not from any thing at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein … Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, … yet they never truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved …”
(Philadelphia Confession (Baptist), Chapter 3, is much the same.)
Many people think God’s sovereignty means, before the world began, He unalterably decreed everything that would happen. In particular, God has unalterably decreed which individuals would be saved and which would be lost entirely by His own choice regardless of man’s choice or will or conduct. This has the effect of denying man’s free will or power to choose in salvation.
What does the Bible teach?
God’s Sovereignty and God’s Purpose
God Is the Absolute Ruler of the Universe.
God is the supreme ruler over all creation because He created it all including the people.
Job 42:2 – The Lord can do everything and no purpose of His can be withheld from Him.
Acts 17:24,25,28 – God made the world and everything in it; He is Lord of heaven and earth.
1 Chronicles 29:11,12 – Everything in heaven and earth belongs to God. He reigns as Head over all.
God possesses all authority over all that He created. Because He made it, it belongs to Him, and He has the right to do whatever He chooses with it.
(See also Psalm 24:1,2;50:10-12; 97:9; 83:18; 115:3; 135:6; Deuteronomy 10:14; Matthew 11:25; 19:26; Jeremiah 32:17; Mark 14:36; Genesis 18:14; Revelation 19:4-6; Isaiah 43:13; Daniel 4:35; 1 Timothy 6:15)
God’s Conduct Is Limited by His Character
God has supreme power, but some things He cannot do because they violate His character.
* God does not sin or repent (He is always righteous) – 2 Chronicles 19:7; Numbers 23:19
* God does not lie – Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; Numbers 23:19
* God does not deny Himself – 2 Timothy 2:13
* God does not change His character (always the same) – Hebrews 13:8
* God does not tempt people to sin – James 1:13
God’s Conduct Is Limited by His Will/Purpose.
God has supreme power, but some things He will not do because He has chosen not to.
Isaiah 46:10 – My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.
Ephesians 1:5-11 – Having predestined us … according to the good pleasure of His will … according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself … being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will…
2 Timothy 1:9,10 – God saved us and called us according to His own purpose and grace given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
People cannot limit God, but He limits Himself by His character and His purposes.
God does not always do what He could do. He does what He purposes to. Regarding salvation, His will and purpose are revealed in Scripture. So His sovereignty acts according to His word.
(Job 23:13; Psalm 115:3; 33:11)
God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Power to Choose
Calvinists assume what they must prove: God’s sovereignty necessarily means He chooses unconditionally whether each individual will be saved or lost. When other people teach that man has free will power to choose, they accuse us of denying God’s sovereignty!
We have seen that God has the right to do whatever He wills or purposes to do. The question is: What has God willed to do? Has God chosen to unconditionally determine the eternal destiny of each individual, or has He chosen to offer salvation to all men and give each person the choice of whether or not to receive salvation by meeting conditions?
Has God Granted Anyone the Right to Choose Anything?
If God has ever granted anyone the right to choose anything, then giving man the right to choose does not violate His sovereignty.
* Calvinists admit Adam had the right to choose whether or not to obey God (Genesis 2 & 3). So giving people power to choose does not necessarily violate God’s sovereignty.
* God does not tempt man to sin (James 1:13). Yet man faces temptation. Why? Because God allows Satan (within limits) to tempt man (Job 1). So the fact God gives Satan the power to choose to tempt us does not violate His sovereignty. (Note 2 Corinthians 4:4; John 12:31.)
If giving Adam and Satan the power to choose did not violate God’s sovereignty, why would it violate His sovereignty to give us the right to choose regarding salvation?
If Man Has No Power to Choose, God Must Be Responsible for Our Sins!
If God’s sovereignty means He makes all the choices and we have no choice about obeying Him, then we must sin because He decreed it. This means God is responsible for the fact we sin. We have no choice, so God must have chosen for us to become sinners.
Illustration: Calvinism makes God like a father who tells his son he will spank him if he goes into the street. Then the father carries the son into the street and spanks him for going there!
But God is not the source of sin for that would violate His righteousness and justice. God’s sovereignty does not violate His character. God hates sin and commands men not to sin (Proverbs 15:9; 6:16,17; etc.). So the consequence of Calvinism is that God decreed that man must do the very thing God hates and commands us not to do. It follows that we must have power to choose.
(Matthew 12:25; 1 Corinthians 1:13; 14:33)
If God Is Truly Sovereign, Could He Purpose to Give People the Power to Choose?
If God is truly sovereign, then He can decree whatever He chooses. If so, then He can decree that man has the power to choose! Anyone who denies this is denying the sovereignty of God!
The question is not whether or not God is sovereign. The question is: What did the sovereign God purpose to do?
God’s Word Says the Sovereign God Chose to Create People with the Power to Choose.
Genesis 1:26-28 – God made man “in the image of God” to have “dominion” over the earth.
“Dominion” involves the power to rule, which includes the power to make choices. Man’s choices are limited to those areas where God allows us to choose, but we do have choices. This does not deny God’s sovereignty since He is the one who delegated to us the power to choose.
“In His image” includes the ability to reason and to make rational decisions based on evidence – i.e., to make choices.
God wanted a creature that would serve Him because we choose to serve Him out of love and devotion. He did not want mere robots like rocks and trees that have no choice but to obey.
To do this, God had to give us the power to choose to disobey as well as the power to choose to obey. He then reasons with people, shows us the consequences of our choices, and calls on us to obey. Otherwise, there is no real choice.
Having decreed that people have the power to choose, God respects His decree and permits His creatures to choose, even when those choices displease God. This does not violate God’s sovereignty since He is the one who granted people the power to choose!
If God can do whatever He chooses to do, then He can choose to grant people the power of free will! To deny that He could give us free will is to deny His sovereignty!
God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Power to Choose Regarding Salvation
Strict Calvinism teaches that people have absolutely no choice about their salvation. If God chooses to save an individual, he will be saved regardless of his choice or character or conduct. But if God does not choose to save a person, he will be lost regardless of his choice. So, a person’s choice is irrelevant to his salvation. He is “altogether passive.”
But the Bible teaches man does have a choice in whether or not He will be saved.
God Grants Each Person Power to Choose.
If people have no power to choose whether or not to meet the conditions necessary to please Him, why would God make the following statements?
Joshua 24:15 – Joshua exhorted Israel to choose what god they would serve . (Exodus 32:26; 1 Kings 18:21)
Isaiah 1:18-20 – God reasons with people; He does not compel them against their will. If men were willing to be obedient, God would bless them. If they refused and rebelled, He would punish them.
Matthew 13:14,15 – Some people would not turn (“be converted” – KJV) and be (spiritually) healed by Jesus because they closed their eyes and did not accept His teachings. Jesus was willing to heal them if they were converted, but they resisted His teaching by their own choice.
Matthew 23:37 – Jesus wanted to gather Jerusalem under His wings, but they were not willing! So Jesus wanted the people to come, but they chose to refuse.
Hebrews 11:24,25 – Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter but chose to share ill-treatment with God’s people, rather than to enjoy sin. (Luke 10:42)
Revelation 3:20 – Jesus stands at the door and knocks. Anyone who hears His voice may open the door and Jesus will come in unto him.
Revelation 22:17 – Whosoever will (KJV) may freely take of the water of life. Each person may determine his own will.
So, God does not unconditionally choose each person who will be saved and then compel him to accept salvation. He wants all to be saved and invites them to accept His will, but He allows them to choose whether or not they will respond to His invitation.
(Deuteronomy 30:15-19; Psalm 119:30,173; Isaiah 55:3; 56:4; Hebrews 2:17 & 4:15 with Isaiah 7:14,15 and Matthew 26:53 and John 10:18; John 7:17; 5:34,40; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Luke 7:30; Proverbs 1:29; 3:31; Matthew 5:6; 16:24; 19:17,21; 21:29; 26:41; Acts 17:11; Romans 7:15-21; Galatians 5:17; James 4:8)
Each Person Has a Choice in Determining His Own Destiny.
Calvinism says that nothing a person does or chooses can influence whether or not God saves him. Yet note passages that show that a person’s destiny will be determined by what he does.
Romans 6:13,16-18 – Present yourself to God and your members as instruments of righteousness. To whom you present yourself as a servant to obey, that is your master: either sin or obedience. You were freed from sin because you became obedient to the teaching.
2 Corinthians 5:20 – Through His ambassadors God pleads with men to be reconciled to God. God wants people to come to Him; but He does not compel, He pleads. Men must then take the step that determines the final outcome.
2 Corinthians 8:5 – The Macedonians gave their own selves to the Lord.
Philippians 2:12 – Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
1 Timothy 4:16 – Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine … for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
1 Peter 1:22 – You have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth.
All these passages show that people do have the power to choose and that our choices will determine whether or not God chooses to give us eternal life. So how can it be true that a person is “altogether passive” in salvation or that nothing he does influences whether or not God chooses to save him?
(Acts 2:40; Luke 18:14; 14:11; Matthew 18:4; 11:28-30; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 John 3:3; 5:18,21; 1 Timothy 5:22; 6:19; James 4:8,17; 1:27; Jude 21; Acts 13:46; 1 Thessalonians 4:4; 2 Timothy 2:1,5,21,26; 2 John 8,9; Titus 2:7)
God Is No Respecter of Persons.
Romans 2:6-11 – God’s word says that He will grant eternal life to those who have personally chosen to obey His requirements. He will punish those who do not meet the conditions. Otherwise, He would be guilty of respect of persons.
If God chooses to save some but not others, either the choice must be based on the people’s conduct (hence, conditional), or else God is a respecter of persons. (Compare Acts 10:34,35.)
Calvinism is a system inherently based on partiality, favoritism, and injustice! Worse yet, it makes God guilty of all of these! God would violate His character.
(Calvinists respond that this simply means God will save people of all nations. But that is not all the passage says. It says He gives eternal life to those who continue doing good and gives tribulation to those who are disobedient. It follows that He is not a respecter of persons because His choice of who to save or condemn is based on man’s conduct!)
(Compare Leviticus 19:15 and Deuteronomy 1:17 to Matthew 19:23,24; James 2:5-7; 5:1ff; Deuteronomy 10:17; 1 Peter 1:17; Galatians 2:6; Colossians 3:25)
Conclusion
The sovereign God purposed to devise a plan to make salvation available to everyone. He invites all through the gospel to accept that salvation by meeting the conditions He has chosen to require. Then He grants all people the power to choose whether or not to obey.
If we choose to obey, we can receive eternal life, not because we are the source of salvation, but because the sovereign God granted us the power to choose. If we choose to disobey, He permits us to make that choice but punishes us if we do not repent. If we choose to repent and obey, then He forgives our sins and gives us eternal life.
This is the decree that the sovereign God purposed to make. Having so decreed, He respects His decree and allows people to choose how they will act. What choice will you make?
(c) Copyright David E. Pratte, 2024; gospelway.com
