Through a series of seeming “coincidences” which have God’s fingerprints all over them, I recently found myself in a discussion with about a dozen pastors about our free will and the sovereignty of God.
The topic first came up when I was on a mission trip to Guatemala in March, then again in May when I felt compelled to write about it here. And now here I am in August with the subject having invited itself to come in and sit right beside me on the couch like this big, smiling elephant in the room.
To recap, what I wrote back in May was that I had come to believe that God had granted total, absolute free will to human beings while simultaneously retaining absolute sovereignty (and thereby control) over every aspect of life in the world as we know it.
While this seems to be a logical impossibility, I maintain that God is God and He is absolutely able to make all things work for the good of those who love Him and is more than capable of achieving His goals and plans no matter what we do.
That’s all fine and well, but if that’s true –if God is going to achieve His purposes and goals no matter what we do– then why not just kick back on the couch next to the elephant with a large bag of dill pickle flavored potato chips, hide under the pillows, and watch reruns of Gilligan’s Island for the rest of our lives?
I mean, why do anything at all? God wins in the end, right? Why does He need me? The more I do, the more I’m bound to mess it up anyway, right?
First of all, sitting on the couch watching TV and eating junk will kill you. (Not to mention you’re now stuck with an uninvited elephant on your couch for the rest of your very short life.)
Second of all, we were made for a purpose. God did not put Adam in the Garden of Eden with a couch and a bag of potato chips.
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2:15 (NIV)
Adam had a job. He had a purpose. God had a plan for him from the moment He created him.
None of that changes when Jesus arrives. In fact, He says that He came that we would have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Jesus says no one lights a lamp and hides it:
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
Doing good works is the natural result of having an actual, real relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are not saved by good works, as other religions teach –we are designed and built for them.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
That word “workmanship,” suggests a hands-on, special craftsmanship in our design. Other translations use the word “masterpiece” and that certainly fits in this context, especially given that we were designed in His image.
But that verse also says that we, His masterpieces, were created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of doing works, which God prepared in advance for us to do as a way of life!
We were designed and built for a purpose!
We are not some accident of the primordial ooze. God had a plan for each and everyone of us from the very moment He spoke the universe into being.
That’s why anything we put in place of God as an idol, be it money, sex, power, drugs, alcohol, food, television, or whatever just doesn’t work out for us. Those things elevated to the status of idol will tear us down and tear us apart. Walking in the works He made for us to do builds up our souls and knits us together in love.
Of all the apostles, I think I most identify with Peter. Yes, impetuous (and often stupid) Peter is my guy. The first guy to speak up and say something, even if it’s stupid.
“Hey Jesus, you want we should build some shelters for you and Elijah and Moses up here on the mount of transfiguration?”
Peter is the first guy to swing the sword and lop off some other guy’s ear, the first guy to think he can walk on water, the first guy to tell Jesus not to wash his feet, and the first guy to tell Jesus He absolutely cannot go off and die on a cross.
And yes, he was the first guy to tell Jesus he would never deny him.
But he did.
And after all that was said and done, Jesus restored stupid, impulsive, loud-mouthed Peter over a meal of fish on the beach and Peter used those gifts to spread the Good News so far and so wide that it’s still growing and saving souls 2000 years later.
His fellow apostles likewise would not just sit down and shut up about Jesus even to the point of being stabbed, stoned, beaten with rods, clubbed, imprisoned, crucified, beheaded, or boiled in oil.
And, I think I can say without fear of contradiction, none of those guys ever sat on a couch eating potato chips because they were afraid they might mess up God’s plan. Likewise, Kinship Christian Radio is not brought to you by people who spend all of their time watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island. (Note use of the word “all.”)
It’s true that God doesn’t need any of us to accomplish His plans. I believe He involves us in His plans because He loves us and wants us to experience the glorious, wonderful, abundant, and glorious life He planned for us from the beginning!
HALLELUJAH!
Today’s Praise
For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time–to show us his grace through Christ Jesus
2 Timothy 1:9 (NLT)
Written by Dan Jones