God's Sovereignty and Man's Reponsibility

For those who say that man has the final say in everything, for those who champion human autonomy apart from God’s sovereignty – and even for Christians who seem to major on human responsibility over against God’s sovereignty; I want to take a good look at things Biblically. It seems to me, and this is my opinion, that the Bible teaches that God's sovereignty, Him being in control; expects or requires man's responsibility. That God’s sovereignty without man’s responsibility is monopoly and man’s responsibility without God’s sovereignty is anarchy.

What are we responsible for and what is God responsible for? 1st there is God – He is responsible for salvation, sanctification and glorification – all the God-stuff. Then there is man - we are responsible for responding appropriately to God in His strength – all the mankind-stuff. God’s sovereignty anticipates or expects man’s responsibility for his own actions. God is in control. Man has responsibility to respond appropriately to God. We are held responsible for our own sin – can’t blame God or any human for it. We must own it. If we are saved it is because salvation is a sovereign act of God, not a choice of man. Man chooses to respond to God who has worked previously in his heart to give him the ability to respond by faith. Faith and grace are gifts of God Eph. 2:8-9.

Think about the Biblical Christmas story. Did Mary choose to be the mother of Jesus? Did she choose to be chosen? Or did she choose to cooperate? Choose to praise? Choose to go in God’s way and therefore be blessed and experience His peace? I firmly believe it is the most Biblical position to say the latter, not the former. The former puts her in the driver’s seat, where she could drive the plan, and even foil the plan. God is always previous. His grace is prevenient, going before to prepare the hearts of those He has chosen so that they would be able to respond appropriately to His leadership. We are not puppets, nor are we independent contractors. The answer, as is almost always the case, lies somewhere in between, in a quandary of how to humanly explain the unexplainable. God is so high above us, higher than anyone, and His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts than our thoughts (Is. 55) – of course we cannot adequately explain it. But God is good and He is over all and He will one day explain all things to us.