The sovereignty of God may be defined as the purposeful and all-pervading superintendence of His creation. In that, nothing is left to random chance or happenstance. Nothing goes out of control. Nothing devolves into chaos – beyond His control. He is in charge, without exclusion or exception. There are no maverick molecules in His universe.
Of course, that does not take into consideration the sovereign, free-will choices of human beings, which, in the minds of some, trump the sovereignty of God. It must be noted, however, that such a perspective renders God’s choices and intentions, in, with, and for His finite creatures, utterly null and void. It creates a god of the possible, whose autonomous power and purposes are made subject to the arbitrary whims and decisions of ‘mere mortals’. The God of infinite power becomes a god of contingent possibilities - contingent upon the whims and foibles of finite, fallen, humans.
The concept of unfettered human free-will fails at it’s most critical point. It fails to consider the implications of two distinct and differing categories. The primary misrepresentation that the idea of unfettered free-will produces is a fundamental lack of recognition of the dire consequences of the fall. In the fall, man (mankind) was plummeted into an abyss that dictated that the decisions and choices that he would, henceforth, be able to make would be in complete keeping and concert with his fallen nature. He would no longer be able to make decisions, and perform deeds, that were not consistent with this recently acquired spiritual depravity. He could no longer be spiritually alive and free to please God – in perfect obedience to God’s will and purposes. He became spiritually dead, not having the life of God within him. Rather, he would serve his master, his sin nature. He was no longer capable of not sinning. He could not not sin.
What might it mean, if one were to coin the phrase, redeemed from the fall? Was there really a fall, and, if so, was it radical, or was it simply a mildly debilitating condition? What, in the case of a "mildly debilitating condition" is the purpose, and the benefits to mankind, of a Redeemer? Redeemer from what? Savior of whom? Without a radical fall, would there be such a necessity? Might it be that we take far too lightly the notion that we are, or have been, “dead in sins and trespasses”? Would God have provided, at so great a cost to Himself, a Redeemer, if the fall was no big deal?
Okay, so that represents the first category. What is the second category?
I am so glad you asked! The second category addresses the issue of free-will as it relates to the choices and decisions of redeemed, or regenerated individuals. The freedom of the will, as it relates to true Christians - those who have been made alive by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit - might by explained in this manner: It is, according to the biblical model, impossible for an unregenerate sinner to not sin. However, to state it in a succinct manner, it is not only possible for a regenerate person to not sin, it is a violation of that person's new (regenerate) nature, to sin. It is possible, therefore, for a regenerate person to sin, or to not sin. Gloriously, progressive cessation of sinning is represented as sanctification in the life of the believer. The possibility of sinning remains, and, though entire sanctification is, in the minds of a significant number of people, entirely possible, that is only a temporal illusion. Notwithstanding those people's pious pronouncements, it will be fully achieved only in the ultimate salvific state: glorification. Ultimately it must be seen that regeneration by the Holy Spirit, unto repentance toward God, and faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, is the cloth of which right standing before God is woven. Right standing before God [rightly termed: justification] is based upon the merit of another, that is, Jesus Christ. He bore the wrath that my rebellion, pride, and disobedience deserves. I am convinced that Christ's redemption is full and free. He has bought me, in the sense of his redeeming work, and He has brought me back, in the sense of His sending forth His Holy Spirit, to enliven me, to regenerate me, to translate me out of death into life. Spiritual death, no more. Death in Adam. Life in Christ, the new Adam. "Redeeming Love Has Been My Theme, and shall be til I die." Oh, not only until death - into, and throughout, the eons of eternity. GRACE, amazing. Reconciled [brought back - brought near] to God - by the blood of the cross!
Of course, that does not take into consideration the sovereign, free-will choices of human beings, which, in the minds of some, trump the sovereignty of God. It must be noted, however, that such a perspective renders God’s choices and intentions, in, with, and for His finite creatures, utterly null and void. It creates a god of the possible, whose autonomous power and purposes are made subject to the arbitrary whims and decisions of ‘mere mortals’. The God of infinite power becomes a god of contingent possibilities - contingent upon the whims and foibles of finite, fallen, humans.
The concept of unfettered human free-will fails at it’s most critical point. It fails to consider the implications of two distinct and differing categories. The primary misrepresentation that the idea of unfettered free-will produces is a fundamental lack of recognition of the dire consequences of the fall. In the fall, man (mankind) was plummeted into an abyss that dictated that the decisions and choices that he would, henceforth, be able to make would be in complete keeping and concert with his fallen nature. He would no longer be able to make decisions, and perform deeds, that were not consistent with this recently acquired spiritual depravity. He could no longer be spiritually alive and free to please God – in perfect obedience to God’s will and purposes. He became spiritually dead, not having the life of God within him. Rather, he would serve his master, his sin nature. He was no longer capable of not sinning. He could not not sin.
What might it mean, if one were to coin the phrase, redeemed from the fall? Was there really a fall, and, if so, was it radical, or was it simply a mildly debilitating condition? What, in the case of a "mildly debilitating condition" is the purpose, and the benefits to mankind, of a Redeemer? Redeemer from what? Savior of whom? Without a radical fall, would there be such a necessity? Might it be that we take far too lightly the notion that we are, or have been, “dead in sins and trespasses”? Would God have provided, at so great a cost to Himself, a Redeemer, if the fall was no big deal?
Okay, so that represents the first category. What is the second category?
I am so glad you asked! The second category addresses the issue of free-will as it relates to the choices and decisions of redeemed, or regenerated individuals. The freedom of the will, as it relates to true Christians - those who have been made alive by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit - might by explained in this manner: It is, according to the biblical model, impossible for an unregenerate sinner to not sin. However, to state it in a succinct manner, it is not only possible for a regenerate person to not sin, it is a violation of that person's new (regenerate) nature, to sin. It is possible, therefore, for a regenerate person to sin, or to not sin. Gloriously, progressive cessation of sinning is represented as sanctification in the life of the believer. The possibility of sinning remains, and, though entire sanctification is, in the minds of a significant number of people, entirely possible, that is only a temporal illusion. Notwithstanding those people's pious pronouncements, it will be fully achieved only in the ultimate salvific state: glorification. Ultimately it must be seen that regeneration by the Holy Spirit, unto repentance toward God, and faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, is the cloth of which right standing before God is woven. Right standing before God [rightly termed: justification] is based upon the merit of another, that is, Jesus Christ. He bore the wrath that my rebellion, pride, and disobedience deserves. I am convinced that Christ's redemption is full and free. He has bought me, in the sense of his redeeming work, and He has brought me back, in the sense of His sending forth His Holy Spirit, to enliven me, to regenerate me, to translate me out of death into life. Spiritual death, no more. Death in Adam. Life in Christ, the new Adam. "Redeeming Love Has Been My Theme, and shall be til I die." Oh, not only until death - into, and throughout, the eons of eternity. GRACE, amazing. Reconciled [brought back - brought near] to God - by the blood of the cross!
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