One of the mysteries about God is how God maintains sovereignty over everything in the universe and still allows for human free will and responsibility. For example, God inspired the writing of the scriptures, but he allowed people to be involved in the process. This is what the apostle Peter wrote.
2 Peter 1:20-21
20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. NASU
This passage teaches that the Holy Spirit guided human beings in writing the Bible. Peter and other prophets and apostles affirm that they spoke or wrote the word of God. So although more than forty different writers wrote the Bible over a period of about 1500 years, there is actually just one author of the Bible, God. The mystery is that God specifically chose certain people to write the parts of the Bible that they wrote. God directed what would be written, but he did it in such a way that used the gifts, education, experiences, and personalities of the various writers to get the job done. Jesus called the apostle Paul, “a chosen instrument of Mine”. Jesus chose Paul to be a messenger to the gentiles and to write a large portion of the New Testament.
King Solomon wrote most of Proverbs, but he was only able to write what he wrote after many years of personal experience and observation of human behavior. King David composed most of the Psalms; David’s final psalm included these words, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2 NASU).David was not only a shepherd, a warrior, and a king; he was also a poet, musician, and a prophet. God used all these aspects of David’s life in producing the Psalms.
God could have simply appointed a scribe and dictated what he wanted recorded, but God does not usually operate that way. God is too great and generous to operate in a way that overwhelms human beings or cuts our personal gifts out of the process. God allows humans to partner with him to bring about his will.
So how does God work in our lives today? We cannot claim that God has inspired us in the same way he inspired the words of his apostles and prophets, because we are prone to make mistakes. Yet there is something miraculous that occurs within those who have obeyed Christ. According to Acts 2:38, when penitent believers in Jesus Christ are baptized, they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes us spiritually alive and God works in us. Examine this passage from Philippians; it describes Christians and God work together.
Philippians 2:12-13
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. NASU
Verse 12 tells us to work out our own salvation and verse 13 tells us that God is working in us with the expectation that we would accomplish what God wants us to accomplish, “His good pleasure.” So like the apostles and prophets of the past, if we are willing to give ourselves to the effort, we can be part of the work God is doing in the world today.
What are your thoughts about God’s sovereignty and human free will? Let me know in the comments.