Right away, however, I'm going to cheat by narrowing my focus in this essay to discuss how God's sovereignty relates to the will of individual human beings. It is important to consider that what knowledge we have, of God's character and will, comes to us from the Bible. It is the Bible, which identifies God as the Creator. That same Bible tells us that God is good: he is love, he is truth and light, and in him, there is no darkness at all. Scripture also assures us that it is impossible for God to lie or to deny himself; which is a supremely important revelation of an aspect of God's character. For, in giving his Word to mankind, God has thereby bound himself by his own Word. "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips," says the Lord (Psalm 89:34). It is imperative then to understand that God, by his own sovereign will, and in the act of decreeing what his will is (in his Word), has thus constrained himself for ever to act in keeping with his own Word. Therefore, Scripture says that God has "magnified his word above all his name" (Psalm 138:2).
Scripture furthermore reveals that God made man in the very image and likeness of God. Meaning, that man is a rational being: he can think and reason. Man is also a moral being: he is capable ~ by virtue of his God-given conscience, not only to discern between right and wrong but, then, to choose whether or not he will act in accordance with what is right. The Bible plainly teaches that each and every person is vested with his or her own will. The Bible furthermore teaches that each person is responsible to God, regarding every action of the will.
The fact, that man (individually) has a will, means that God's own will entails that some measure of freedom has been given to man. If that were not true, then man would be robot-like. And if man were nothing else but a robot, then concepts such as "judgment" and "justice" would be devoid of all meaning, with respect to man's actions. It is by God's will that man has a will. Of course, God is profoundly interested that all men should live within the bounds of righteousness, that is to say, in accordance with God's express will.
But God has not stipulated an exhaustive set of rules whereby to effect every possible decision and action of mankind. God does not dictate every thought and word and deed of men. That which God vested in the nature of man, that is, his will, enables man not only to freedom of action but, foremost, to freedom of choice. If one supposes that everything that men do is strictly according to God's will, then, logically and practically, that were no different than if man were, after all, nothing else but a robot. Such a supposition also would make God to be guilty of all the wickedness that is done, everywhere and at all times.
Is it God's will that men do murder? or rape? or blaspheme God? Is it God's will that devils should move men to commit the most heinous acts of perversion and violence imaginable? Anyone who may suppose that God is responsible for such deeds, of men and of devils, cannot possibly understand the nature of God. God is not schizophrenic. God is not light and darkness, good and evil, truth and falsehood. Those pairs of terms are mutually exclusive.
The Bible plainly declares that "God is not willing that any should perish" (2Peter 3:9). Yet, multitudes do, in fact, "perish" (which Scripture also defines). The fact that God is not willing that any should perish; and, yet, because multitudes actually do perish: gives clear evidence that not everything that happens amongst men is according to God's will.
God did not make the devil. God made a magnificent being, an archangel, which God named, Lucifer (which means, "light bearer"). God made Lucifer with a will. At some point in time, Lucifer, by his own will, chose to go his own way. In so doing, Lucifer corrupted himself and was then separated from the holy God. Importantly, Satan did not separate himself from God. In fact, Lucifer's design was to subjugate God: "thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit [as King] also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High" (Isaiah 14:13-14). But God cast Lucifer out, saying: "[T]hou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit" (Isaiah 14:15). Henceforth, that angel was never again referred to, in Scripture, as "light bearer," but always as "Satan" ~ which means, adversary, enemy.
Ever since that time, Satan has continued as God's enemy. Yet, we find in Scripture that God has not yet been willing to confine Satan in the bottomless pit nor, yet, in the lake of fire; although, that is Satan's ultimate destiny. Meanwhile, God, by his infinite wisdom and power, sometimes uses Satan's devices (unwittingly to Satan) against him, in the accomplishment of other of God's purposes. Nevertheless, the fact that God may at times be willing to use Satan's devices, in the accomplishment of God's own plan, does not mean that everything the devil does is according to the will of God.
We also see, in Scripture, that God is still in the process of building his everlasting kingdom; which, God created man to have a most important role not only in governing God's kingdom but, moreover, even in building up that kingdom. God's will (and promise), in fact, is that redeemed man shall be a joint-heir and co-regnant with Christ. As man is "the image and glory of God" (1 Corinthians 11:7), therefore, man is a creator like unto his Creator. God made man to have both the ability and the freedom to imagine, to create, to build.
Now, Calvinism claims that man's will is thoroughly and irrevocably corrupted by sin, so that man is utterly incapable of seeking unto God, much less is man at all able to love and obey God. But that cannot be actually the case. For, man is commanded by God, not only to seek but also to love and obey the Lord. Calvinists, of course, perceive the insoluble and hopeless situation that entails for man. Nevertheless, Calvinism insists that God is still righteous to require man's love and obedience ~ notwithstanding man's utter inability to that. But a god who requires of his own creatures something which he himself made them (according to Calvinism) utterly incapable to do, is not the God of the Bible.
Charles Finney, in my opinion, correctly described the reality involving the effect of sin to corrupt man's nature, through temptation. As best I understand Finney's meaning, he argued that unregenerate persons naturally enjoy sinning (so says Scripture). Thus, their will is more or less strongly inclined to sin, because that is what they love to do. The work of the Holy Spirit is to "reprove [sinners] of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8). In other words, the Holy Ghost reveals to men their true (sinful) condition, while also pointing them to what is the (right) thing that they must instead do, in any given situation. Not least, the Holy Ghost testifies, in men's conscience, that God will one day judge their every word and deed.
The work of conversion, Finney said, is not anything physical, but it is by moral persuasion that the Holy Ghost leads men to repentance and to submit themselves to Christ's authority. Finney further argued that if God required of men something which they were utterly incapable of doing, then God ~ as a faithful Creator ~ were then obligated to do that thing for them, which they could not themselves do. Although, Finney said, if God were thus obligated, then it would not be "grace" by which God acts, on the behalf of men; but it would be God's duty to his impotent creatures. But Scripture testifies that God's ministry to mankind is the expression of God's grace and not his duty. Wherefore, we are led to understand that man, though he is not naturally willing, yet he must be capable of obeying God. And being capable but not willing, man is nevertheless responsible to God.
Finney (who was a lawyer before he came, at age 29, to Christ) rightly divides the Word of God: so that those Scriptures, which condemn man's sinfulness while at the same time they exhort man to his duty to God, make good sense ~ without making God to be the brutal, though supposedly ineffable, god of Calvinism. Calvinists feebly attempt to justify their god, by alluding to his "transcendence." None ~ including Calvinists themselves ~ can understand the mind or ways of their 'transcendent' god. Whereas, the God of the Bible invites men to "come now, and let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18). And, as the Spirit of God said, in Jeremiah (9:24): "[L]et him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD."
God did not create man to be a puppet on a string. Nor did God (who is love) create souls for inexorable destruction! (The very suggestion infuriates me!) God creates every soul with all good will. The Bible says that God "hath wrought us for [eternal life]" (2Corinthians 5). What sort of mind do Calvinists possess, which limits the suffering of Christ to atone not for the sins of the whole world (as the Bible plainly declares he did), but only for some? Surely, it is not the mind of Christ that Calvinists possess.
God created man to be in partnership and in communion with God; man's own body being the temple which God desires to indwell. Throughout his Word, God appeals to man's will. "Choose you this day whom ye will serve," etc. While Calvinism (effectually) denies that man even has a will: a will that is utterly, irredeemably, and, therefore, hopelessly bound by sin, thus has nothing in it of "volition."
God is sovereign; he can do whatever he wants. Only, now that he has spoken his Word, he himself is bound by that same Word. But that's O.K., because, God has spoken according to his own will; he meant to tell us just what it is that he wants: he wants a kingdom of men; a holy nation of men; a family of men; sons and daughters to love him. Not pawns to his will, nor mountains of burning flesh to display his awful power...and his despicable nature (as Calvinists worship).
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