There’s this divide amongst Christians when it comes to God’s soverignty. Group one characterises the group two’s view as we’re robots and God has scripted everything and we’re just moving through the motions, and group two considers group one’s perspective as we’re entirely free agents and God is basically watching to see what we’ll do, crossing his cosmic fingers and maybe dropping a few incentives or putting up a few roadblocks along the way.
But, we won’t find either of these extremes in the bible, and anyway, the reality is far more beautiful.
Quick note about complex topics
While this post isn’t about election, it is about God’s will and ours, so a helpful metaphor I’ve often used when discussing topics of this nature is this:
Think of a beautiful, mechanical watch, one with a glass window on the back so that you can see all of its intricate workings. There will be people who carry this watch for only it’s core purpose: to know the time. Then there are people who not only want to know the time, but also want to look at the back and view the movement to understand how it functions, see the rubies, marvel at the gears and finely calibrated springs.
I find the bible can be like this, we need it to know the time, and to be clear: it’s time to make disciples of all nations, it’s time to repent for the kingdom of God is here! But when it comes to more intricate parts of scripture, there are those, like me, who are keen to understand how it works, not to change the time, not to be able to make repairs, simply to praise the craftmanship and marvel at the one who made it.
If all you want is the time, you already know it! Go and do that, you have no need to continue reading.
But, if you want to marvel with me at the gears, please continue reading.
Note: the danger with my metaphor is that people might associate it with another watch related metaphor: “the watchmaker God” who created the world, wound it up and let it go. This is NOT a biblical view, while God certainly is the creator, we don’t have to look far into scripture to see that he also actively upholds and sustains all of creation. He even came down into his creation to bring about our salvation.
Paul’s journey to Jerusalem
For the last few days I have been reading the last few chapters of Acts, and this week I’ve moved on to Paul’s letter to Rome. Here’s a few things that stood out to me:
Firstly Paul heads to Jerusalem. Along the way many Christians have visions about what will happen to Paul in Jerusalem and tell him not to go. Paul too knew that imprisonment was on the horizon.
“And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.”
Acts 20:22-23
Imprisonment and afflictions. The Holy Spirit is giving him the heads up. And Paul goes anyway.
I find this both encouraging and confronting. Think about the last time you got a warning about something ahead. A forecast of a bad storm, a doctor’s heads up, a literal warning from an officer who has pulled you over. Your instinct is to read it as a rather clear sign to stop.
Paul however reads it as a briefing, a heads up. The warning doesn’t cancel the calling; it tells him what the road will cost. He’s not a robot, because he’s weighing it and choosing. But he’s not a free agent drifting wherever he likes, because he’s “constrained by the Spirit.”
Both things are true.
Onward to Rome
Continue reading Acts and you’ll see that, just as prophesied, Paul is arrested in Jerusalem. After his arrest God provides an update: you’ll testify my name in Rome.
Then, almost straight away, forty men take an oath not to eat or drink until they’ve killed him. Their plot is entirely human, their own and entirely different to God’s plan of Paul being alive in Rome. But, spoiler alert, they don’t succeed.
Paul makes a choice of his own, a choice trusting in what God has told him. He appeals to Caesar. Nobody forces his hand; he exercises a legal right, and that appeal is exactly what puts him on a ship bound for Rome.
Less-than smooth sailing
Paul begins his long voyage to Rome accompanied by his captors and companions (at least Luke). But the journey isn’t without incident. At one point, off the coast of Malta they are caught in a storm and they all feared for their lives. But God was still at work:
“For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’”
Acts 27:23-24
For 14 days this storm battered the men on the boat. When they finally saw land - how good that must have felt - the soliders, for fear of escaping, planned to kill the prisoners.
“But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their purpose.”
Acts 27:43
This is the part I love. The centurion wanted to save Paul. That was his own desire, his own decision. And in doing it he got Paul to Rome, which is exactly where God said Paul needed to go, and he also saved the lives of every single person on that boat, which is exactly what God said would happen.
Then finally, a deadly snake bites Paul… and nothing happens.
People, storms and deadly animals all seemingly tried to prevent Paul from getting to Rome, yet for each there was an answer. None of them could ultimately get in the way of God’s plan.
But doesn’t that just make God the puppeteer?
If the outcome was guaranteed, why did anyone’s choice matter? If God was always going to get Paul to Rome, are the centurion and the sailors just props?
Look at how Acts tells it, though. Nobody is treated as a prop. The soldiers are responsible for their plan. The centurion is credited with his motive. Paul acts, argues, appeals, warns. The text holds God’s purpose and human responsibility together and refuses to trade one for the other.
So where does that leave us?
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”"
Philippians 2:12-13
Our salvation is something we need to work out, but look who is at work in us: God.