Who's In Charge Here?

Is God sovereign or not? Do you have free will or not? These great questions have been debated down through the church age by people more scholarly than I am. But I have a few thoughts.

Think mathematical sets. Which would be larger? God’s sovereignty or our free will? Obviously, sovereignty by definition must be larger. Moreover, how would the two sets appear? Side by side or one inside the other? Again, the smaller must reside within the larger. If our free will is outside the boundaries of God’s sovereignty, then by nature he is not sovereign.

Sovereign is defined as “having supreme authority or power.” God is omnipotent. We cannot overrule him. And although he gave—he gave— us free will, he will at times overrule us.

Scripture tell us that God turns the heart of a ruler like a river, whichever way he wishes. We also know that our sins are like ropes and chains that tie and bind us. We are slaves to sin. Therefore, we are not completely free. And while we are told in the book of Joshua to choose who we will serve and to choose between good and evil, our free will still resides within the sphere of God’s sovereignty.

Free will is often thought of as “doing whatever we want.” But in fact our “free” will isn’t without limitations or boundaries. And that idea pertains to pruning.

Pruning is good. It’s for our benefit. It’s not a punishment. Grapevines are pruned to produce more fruit, better fruit. Healthier. Heartier. They yield more fruit and that fruit is of higher quality. Pruning is deliberate and by design. But we must consent to it. We must surrender. That is, we must exercise our free will.

What’s true in the physical realm is much more so spiritually. If we are not pruned, we will bear less fruit, perhaps only 30% of what someone else’s life might produce. Furthermore, our fruit might be only 60% as valuable as someone else’s if we are not pruned.

But when we present ourselves to God and permit him to trim away those things that draw down our energy and consume our time, we redeem the time and make the most of the talents we are given. When our resources are best used, we reach our maximum potential. And what better way to fulfill God's will?