Scriptural Examples of Human Free Will in God's Sovereignty
The relationship between human free will and God's sovereignty is a longstanding theological debate, with various Christian traditions offering distinct perspectives. At its core, the discussion revolves around the extent to which human decisions are free and the degree to which God's sovereignty influences or determines those decisions.
Scriptural Foundations
Several biblical passages are central to this discussion. Psalm 119:108, for instance, speaks of "Free-will-offerings of my mouth" [3], suggesting a human capacity for voluntary action. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul writes about the liberty conferred by Christ (Galatians 5:1) [4]. Conversely, passages like Romans 9:15-23 and 1 Timothy 6:15 underscore God's sovereignty, highlighting His absolute authority and control over all things [1].
Perspectives on Free Will and Sovereignty
Reformed Perspective: The Reformed tradition, as represented by John Calvin, emphasizes God's sovereignty in all things, including human decisions. Calvin notes that God's will is the primary cause of all that occurs, and human decisions are encompassed within His sovereign plan [6]. This view is grounded in scriptures that highlight God's control over human affairs (Romans 9:15-23; Proverbs 21:1) [1, 2].
Catholic Perspective: The Catholic Church, through the Catechism and theologians like Thomas Aquinas, affirms both human free will and God's sovereignty. According to Aquinas, human beings have the capacity for free will, which is a gift from God. However, this free will operates within the context of God's providence, which encompasses all human decisions [5, 9].
Lutheran Perspective: The Lutheran tradition, as expressed in the Augsburg Confession, teaches that human will has some liberty in choosing "civil righteousness" but lacks the power to achieve "spiritual righteousness" without the Holy Spirit. This view underscores the limitations of human free will in spiritual matters [8].
Patristic Perspective: Early Church Fathers, such as Augustine, also grappled with the balance between free will and sovereignty. Augustine argued that God's precepts imply human free will, as they would be meaningless without the capacity to choose. He also emphasized God's role in shaping human wills towards good [7].
Shared Ground and Divergence
Despite their differences, Christian traditions agree that both human free will and God's sovereignty are affirmed in Scripture. The divergence lies in how these concepts are balanced and understood. Reformed traditions tend to emphasize God's sovereignty more strongly, while Catholic and some Lutheran perspectives stress the reality of human free will alongside divine providence.
The hermeneutical commitment to either prioritizing God's sovereignty or emphasizing human responsibility drives much of the divergence. Historical and doctrinal contexts also play a significant role, as different traditions have developed their understandings within specific theological and philosophical frameworks.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sovereignty — Of God, his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure (Dan. 4:25, 35; Rom. 9:15-23; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 4:11).”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Resignation — Christ set and example of -- Mt 26:39-44; Joh 12:27; 18:11. Commanded -- Ps 37:7; 46:10. Should be exhibited in Submission to the will of God. -- 2Sa 15:26; Ps 42:5,11; Mt 6:10. Submission to the sovereignty of God in his purposes. -- Ro 9:20,21. The prospect of death. -- Ac 21:13; 2Co 4:16-5:1. Loss of goods. -- Job 1:15,16,21. Loss of children. -- Job 1:18,19,21. Chastisements. -- Heb 12:9. Bodily suffering. -- Job 2:8-10. The wicked are devoid of -- Pr 19:3. Exhortation to -- Ps 37:1-11. Motives to God's greatness. -- Ps 46:10. God's love. -- Heb 12:”
- Psalms “Psalms 119:108 (YLT) — Free-will-offerings of my mouth, Accept, I pray Thee, O Jehovah, And Thy judgments teach Thou me.”
- Galatians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Galatians 5:1: Stand fast therefore in the liberty,.... There is the liberty of grace, and the liberty of glory; the former of these is here meant, and lies in a freedom from sin; not from the indwelling of it, but from the dominion, guilt, and damning power of it; from the captivity and tyranny of Satan, though not from his temptations and insults; from the law, the ceremonial law, as an handwriting of ordinances, a rigid severe schoolmaster, and a middle wall of partition, and from all its burdensome rites and institutions; from the moral law as a covenant of works, and as admin”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Will of God, Art. 12: Article: Whether five expressions of will are rightly assigned to the divine will? I answer that, By these signs we name the expression of will by which we are accustomed to show that we will something. A man may show that he wills something, either by himself or by means of another. He may show it by himself, by doing something either directly, or indirectly and accidentally. He shows it directly when he works in his own person; in that way the expression of his will is his own working. He shows it indirectly, by no”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 40: a manner exercising dominion over other wills. But if it is under the hand of God, ours surely cannot be exempt from it. On this subject there is an admirable sentiment of Augustine, “Scripture, if it be carefully examined, will show not only that the good wills of men are made good by God out of evil, and when so made, are directed to good acts, even to eternal life, but those which retain the elements of the world are in the power of God, to turn them whither he pleases, and when he pleases, either to perform acts of kindness, or”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 2 [II]--PROVES THE EXISTENCE OF FREE WILL IN MAN FROM THE PRECEPTS ADDRESSED TO HIM BY GOD.: Now He has revealed to us, through His Holy Scriptures, that there is in a man a free choice of will. But how He has revealed this I do not recount in human language, but in divine. There is, to begin with, the fact that God's precepts themselves would be of no use to a man unless he had free choice of will, so that by performing them he might obtain the promised rewards. For they are given that no one might be able to plead the excuse of ignorance, as the”
- Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), 1 Of Free Will they teach that man’s will has some liberty to: 1 Of Free Will they teach that man’s will has some liberty to choose civil righteousness, and to work 2 things subject to reason. But it has no power, without the Holy Ghost, to work the righteousness of God, that is, spiritual righteousness; since the natural man 3 receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, 1 Cor. 2:14; but this righteousness is wrought in the heart when the Holy Ghost is received 4 through the Word. These things are said in as many words by Augustine in his Hypognosticon,”
- Catechism of the Catholic Church (Catholic) “Catechism of the Catholic Church, 3. the anagogical sense (Greek: anagoge, "leading"). We can view (part 2): 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zachariah and Malachi. The New Testament: the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Acts of the Apostles, the Letters of St. Paul to the Romans, ”