Three objections to the sovereignty of God in the actions of men have been addressed Biblically and removed:
1.
God's sovereignty violates man's free will.
(Part II,
here).
2.
It is unjust to hold unregenerate mankind responsible for sin when they are unable to obey God.
(Part III,
here)
3.
It is unjust to hold mankind guilty of Adam's sin when mankind did not incur that sin.
(Part IV,
here)
The last objection may be the most difficult with which to reckon.
V. Sovereignty of God in the Actions of Men: (
strong meat for the mature--Heb 5:11-14)
This will be taking us into God's eternal counsels regarding his justice.
God's justice is a much-neglected stepchild in many Christians' faith and understanding, and something they prefer not to deal with.
We like the good stuff about God, and prefer to have an incomplete view of him.
Therefore,
the Scripture references should be diligently studied if one's mind is to be renewed (transformed) by these Scriptures,
for
it takes more than just the logic of this to overcome fallen man's strong disposition against it (Mt 20:12; Ro 3:5, 7, 8, 9:14, 19).
One question still remains regarding God operating within the dispositions of men (Ex 12:36, 14:17; 2Sa 24:1; 1Kgs 22:23; 2Kgs 19:7; 1Chr 5:26; Is 13:17; Eze 14:9). How then can God justly hold unregenerate man responsible for what he does when, because of God's operation within his disposition, he voluntarily does as God determines (Ro 9:19)?
That question is resolved in God's choice of election (Ro 9:14-21). As we saw previously in this (Part IV), all men are born
justly condemned to damnation (Jn 3:18b-19, 36), because of their guilt of Adam's sin which is imputed to them (Ro 5:12-21).
God elects to save some
from their just condemnation (Mt 24:31; Ro 11:7; 2Tim 2:10; Tit 1:1; 1Pe 1:1; cf Ac 13:48) while leaving the remainder
in their just condemnation,
and all to serve his own purposes, among them being the glory of his justice (Ex 14:17-18; Eze 28:22-23), which is a foil setting off the glory of his mercy (Ro 9:22-23).
Since he has left them in their just condemnation for the sake of his own purposes, he also operates within their dispositions to effect various of those purposes.
But because his operation within their disposition
does not alter their eternal destiny, God does them no injustice in causing them to voluntarily do as he determines, because
they suffer no eternal loss thereby.
Also by definition, God can do the reprobate no injustice in causing him to glorify his justice, because it is
just that the unjust should glorify the justice of God.
For glory is a debt the reprobate justly owes God (Ro 1:20-21) and, as shown previously (Part III), a debt which God will exact of him to the last penny (Mt 5:26, 18:34), for God is loser to no man.
Therefore, it is just that God should collect (foreclose on) the debt of glory owed to him by the unjust reprobate;
thereby
removing any injustice in the sovereignty of God
(operating within the unjust reprobate's disposition in accordance with his
Biblical free will, and
causing him to
voluntarily do as God determines),
holding the unjust reprobate accountable for his debt, because
by definition
it is just that the unjust reprobate should glorify the justice of God.
And thus, all mankind is shut up in sin (Ro 3:19; Gal 3:22) and without excuse (Ro 1:20),
so that Christ may be his only hope, source and remedy (Ro 5:20-21; Gal 3:22; Col 1:16-20).
God has decreed that all things shall come to all men (Gentile as well as Jew) in Christ alone (2Co 1:20; Mt 11:27; Jn 14:6; Ro 15:8; Gal 3:16) and,
therefore, God has shut up all men (Jew as well as Gentile) in guilt and sin (Ro 3:9-12, 19, 5:19-20, 11:30-32),
not leaving even the possibility that man can have anything outside Christ, except a promise to perish (Jn 3:16; 18, 36).
And in this way the wisdom of God (1Co 2:7, 1:24-25) accomplishes his eternal decree (Ps 2:7; Lk 22:22; Jn 6:40, 10:18, 14:31; Ac 2:23)
regarding the glory and exaltation of his Christ, for the sake of God's pleasure in his own glory (Eph 1:9-11; Col 1:17-20, 26-38, 2:2-3; Rev 4:11).
God glorifies his mercy by saving only some men, because the glory of his justice is more important than the salvation of all men.
Oh, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowlege of God!
How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?" (that he may instruct God--Isa 40:13)
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" (Job 41:11; Lk 17:9)**
For from him and through him and to him are all things,
To him be the glory forever! Amen!
---Ro 11:33-36---
**There is nothing in us that can make God a debtor to us, which he would be if he chose us because he knew we would choose him.
