How do we reconcile God's sovereignty and human free will?
Countless words have been written about God's sovereignty. And probably the same has been written about human free will. Most seem to agree that God is sovereign, at least to some extent. And most seem to agree that humans have, or at least appear to have, some form of free will. But there is a lot of debate about the extent of sovereignty and free will, as well as the compatibility of these two.
This article will attempt to articulate God's sovereignty and human free will in a way that is both faithful to Scripture and in harmony with each other.
What is sovereignty?
The dictionary defines sovereignty as "supreme power or authority". A king who rules a nation would be considered ruler of that nation, one who is unresponsive to any other person. While few countries today are ruled by sovereigns, it was common in ancient times.
A ruler is ultimately responsible for defining and enforcing the laws governing life within their specific nation. Laws can be implemented at the lower levels of government, but the law imposed by the ruler is supreme and prevails over any other. Law enforcement and punishment will also likely be delegated in most cases. But the authority for such execution rests with the sovereign.
Repeatedly, Scripture identifies God as sovereign. In particular you find him in Ezekiel where he is identified as the "Sovereign Lord" 210 times. While Scripture sometimes represents heavenly counsel, it is only God who governs its creation.
In the books from Exodus to Deuteronomy we find the code of law given by God to Israel through Moses. But God's moral law is also written in the hearts of all people (Romans 2: 14-15). Deuteronomy, together with all the prophets, makes it clear that God holds us accountable for obedience to his law. Likewise, there are consequences if we do not obey his revelation. Even though God has delegated some responsibilities to human government (Romans 13: 1-7), he is still ultimately sovereign.
Does sovereignty require absolute control?
One question that divides those who otherwise adhere to God's sovereignty concerns the amount of control it requires. Is it possible that God is sovereign if people are able to act in ways contrary to his will?
On the one hand, there are those who would deny this possibility. They would say that God's sovereignty is somewhat diminished if he doesn't have total control over everything that happens. Everything has to happen the way he planned.
On the other hand, they are those who would understand that God, in his sovereignty, has granted a certain autonomy to humanity. This “free will” allows mankind to act in ways contrary to how God might want them to act. It is not that God is unable to stop them. Rather, he gave us permission to act like us. However, even if we could act contrary to God's will, his purpose in creation will be fulfilled. There is nothing we can do to hinder its purpose.
Which view is correct? Throughout the Bible, we find people who have acted contrary to the instruction God had given them. The Bible even goes so far as to claim that there is no one but Jesus who is good, who does what God wills (Romans 3: 10-20). The Bible describes a world that is in rebellion against their creator. This seems in contrast to a God who is in total control of everything that happens. Unless those who rebel against him do so because it is God's will for them.
Consider the sovereignty that is most familiar to us: the sovereignty of an earthly king. This ruler is responsible for establishing and enforcing the rules of the kingdom. The fact that people sometimes violate its sovereignly established rules does not make it any less sovereign. Nor can his subjects break those rules with impunity. There are consequences if one acts in ways contrary to the wishes of the ruler.
Three views of human free will
Free will implies the ability to make choices within certain constraints. For example, I can choose from a limited number of options what I will have for dinner. And I can choose whether I will obey the speed limit. But I cannot choose to act contrary to the physical laws of nature. I have no choice as to whether gravity will drag me to the ground when I jump out of a window. Nor can I choose to sprout wings and fly.
A group of people will deny that we actually have free will. That free will is just an illusion. This position is determinism, that every moment of my history is controlled by the laws that govern the universe, my genetics and my environment. Divine determinism would identify God as the one who determines my every choice and action.
A second view holds that free will exists, in a sense. This view holds that God works in the circumstances of my life to ensure that I freely make the choices God wants me to make. This view is often labeled compatibilism because it is compatible with a rigorous view of sovereignty. Yet it really appears to be little different from divine determinism as ultimately people always make the choices God wants from them.
The third point of view is generally called libertarian free will. This position is sometimes defined as the ability to have chosen something other than what you ultimately did. This view is often criticized as incompatible with God's sovereignty because it allows a person to act in ways contrary to God's will.
As noted above, however, Scripture makes it clear that humans are sinners, acting in ways contrary to God's revealed will. It is difficult to read the Old Testament without seeing it repeatedly. At least from Scripture it appears that humans have libertarian free will.
Two views on sovereignty and free will
There are two ways in which God's sovereignty and human free will can be reconciled. The first argues that God is in complete control. That nothing happens apart from its direction. In this view, free will is an illusion or what is identified as compatibilist free will - a free will in which we freely make the choices that God has made for us.
The second way they reconcile is to see God's sovereignty by including a permissive element. In God's sovereignty, it allows us to make free choices (at least within certain limits). This view of sovereignty is compatible with libertarian free will.
So which of these two is correct? It seems to me that a main plot of the Bible is humanity's rebellion against God and his work to bring us redemption. Nowhere is God pictured as less than sovereign.
But throughout the world, humanity is portrayed as being contrary to God's revealed will. Time and again we are called to act in a certain way. Yet in general we choose to go our own way. I find it difficult to reconcile the biblical image of humanity with any form of divine determinism. Doing so would seem to make God ultimately responsible for our disobedience to his revealed will. It would require a secret will of God that is contrary to his revealed will.
Reconciling sovereignty and free will
It is not possible for us to fully understand the sovereignty of the infinite God. It is too high above us for anything like complete understanding. Yet we are made in his image, bearing his likeness. So, when we seek to understand God's love, goodness, righteousness, mercy, and sovereignty, our human understanding of those concepts should be a reliable, if limited, guide.
So while human sovereignty is more limited than God's sovereignty, I believe we can use one to understand the other. In other words, what we know about human sovereignty is the best guide we have for understanding God's sovereignty.
Remember that a human ruler is responsible for creating and enforcing the rules that govern his kingdom. This is equally true of God. In God's creation, he makes the rules. And it enforces and judges any violation of those laws.
Under a human ruler, subjects are free to follow or disobey the rules imposed by the ruler. But disobeying the laws comes at a cost. With a human ruler it is possible that you can break a law without getting caught and pay the penalty. But this would not be true with a ruler who is omniscient and just. Any violation would be known and punished.
The fact that subjects are free to violate the king's laws does not diminish his sovereignty. Likewise, the fact that we as humans are free to violate God's laws does not diminish his sovereignty. With a finite human ruler, my disobedience could derail some of the ruler's plans. But this would not be true for an omniscient and omnipotent ruler. He would have known my disobedience before it occurred and would have planned around it to be able to fulfill his purpose in spite of me.
And this seems to be the pattern described in the scriptures. God is sovereign and is the source of our moral code. And we, as his subjects, follow or disobey. There is a reward for obedience. For disobedience there is punishment. But his willingness to allow us to disobey does not diminish his sovereignty.
While there are some individual passages that would seem to support a deterministic approach to free will, Scripture as a whole teaches that, while God is sovereign, humans have free will that allows us to choose to act in ways contrary to the will to God for us.