One of the most famous objections to God’s sovereignty is the supposed logical inconsistency of accepting that the Lord prefers every detail of the universe, and yet men remain responsible agents. It is interesting to note, first of all, that this is not a theological but philosophical critique, that is, it presents a lack of commitment to the biblical texts that defend the Absolute Sovereignty of God above all and adhere to the considerations that arise from theological analysis, so this topic is not the center of the discussion (which are the biblical texts) , but a secondary point.
It is sad to see that some people reject certain teachings, either because they do not like them or because they find them intellectually confused, when in reality the only point that should influence the acceptance of a doctrine should be their coherence with the scriptures. To see someone reject the sovereignty of our God because he seems paradoxical, I can only believe that such a man does not really believe in Sola Scriptura.
- Let me give you an example.
- If we consider the “witnesses of the Lord.
- ” we will see that they subject the scriptures to their logic.
- Not the other way around.
- They claim that it is logically incoherent for a loving God to send people to suffer eternally in hell.
- Basis of his interpretation.
- Therefore.
- Instead of the scriptures dictating what makes sense or not.
- It is this weak analysis that guides the reading of the Bible.
- Therefore.
- Every verse that speaks of the hell of fire is distorted.
- Shattered.
- And ignored.
- It is true that most people reformed concepts dictate the understanding of sacred letters.
- Instead of submitting what we think is logical to the Light of Scripture.
- We want the Bible to follow our poor and inferior standards of reasoning.
- With this.
- We not only minimize God.
- But we also distort His Word.
Turning to the original question, we must respond to the assertion that it is contradictory that God foreseordains every detail of the universe, including the designs of men, and that human beings remain responsible for their attitudes. define what are a paradox, a contradiction and a mystery.
In short, the paradox is an apparent contradiction that, with deeper analysis, can be discovered as a contradiction or not. For example, when Jesus said that whoever lost his life for him would find it (Mt 10:39), It is a true paradox. How do I find my life loses it? With a deeper study, we see that what Jesus was saying was that anyone who loses his life on this earth will find life in heaven. Therefore, this paradox has proven to be consistent and not contradictory.
What a contradiction means, R. C. Sproul defines it very well in his book Essential Truths of the Christian Faith:
The term paradox is often misunderstood as synonymous with contradiction; it now even appears in some dictionaries as a secondary meaning of this term. A contradiction is a statement that violates the classical law of non-contradiction. The law of non-contradiction states that A cannot be A and not A at the same time and In the same context, that is, something cannot be what it is and not be what it is at the same time and in the same context, this is the most fundamental of all the laws of logic, no one can understand a contradiction , because a contradiction is inherently incomprehensible. Even God cannot comprehend contradictions; however, you can certainly recognize them for what they are: lies.
The term mystery, on the other hand, refers to something that has not yet been revealed to us by the scriptures, something we cannot understand on this earth, but which we will understand when Christ reveals it to us in heaven.
So, after considering these terms, what about God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility?First, we need to analyze what the scriptures say about it, and at this point, we can clearly see that the Lord is sovereign over man while he is responsible for his decisions. :
1. God deceives the prophet and punishes him for being deceived;
2. Pharaoh hardens his own heart, and God is responsible for such an attitude;
3. Men killed Jesus, but God had predetermined such an act;
4. Satan urged David to do a census, which was a punishment from God Himself.
How can we deny such texts? God himself, whom no one can resist the will, deceives the prophet into prophesying and condemns him for prophesying; Does Pharaoh harden his heart?Are you convicted of it? At the same time as God is the one who hardens his heart. He committed the sin of killing Jesus, but God had foretermined such an act before the foundation of the world. Was it Satan who incited David, or did God?There are several considerations that must accompany these texts, but for now, enough The answer is: God is Sovereign above all so that, incomprehensibly, beings remain free and responsible agents.
Many will be able to stand up and say, “It’s contradictory!”In fact, it is paradoxical, we do not find that the rule of non-contradiction is broken anywhere, that is, we need a deeper analysis to know whether this paradox is consistent or not.
Although this is not unanimous, I think this paradox is actually a mystery. The scriptures do not reveal how God acts to hold man accountable for his actions while prefering all human attitudes. Others may question the fact that, because we have not been revealed, we cannot be taught or believed, but is it really coherent?For many, electrons behaving simultaneously as waves and particles is paradoxical, but this is still taught in schools, because they believe that in the future, when men with a higher mind appear, studies will advance and we will be able to understand this mystery.
The real question is: what defines a doctrine as illogical?I believe that your inconsistency with the scriptures, not your ease of understanding. I know we will have a logical answer from God in heaven when our minds are restored and raised, but today I can only hope that men will be satisfied with the information we have: “Does the Bible teach it?”In this way, we will rely more on what God reveals through His Word, not on our poor ignorance. commandment of Deuteronomy: “Do the things covered belong to the Lord?(29:29).
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