Acts 2:22-24 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”
How much does God actually rule in the affairs of our life? How many of our daily decisions affect God’s will for our life?
Many people have a hard time with the fact that God has “Chosen” certain people for eternal life from before the foundation of the world. Particularly when it comes to certain verses in the Bible such as Romans chapter 8 where Paul makes the assertion that those who will inherit eternal life were “Predestined” to have eternal life:
Romans 8:29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Is Paul saying that man has no say in whether or not he obtains eternal life? Is the decision to give a person heaven, totally under the control of the Lord?
First of all, notice that God’s decision to predestine certain people for eternal life comes from His foreknowledge of all the events of human history. If you had the ability to know ahead of time, all the events of every person that will be born on the earth, then you have the right to make statements based upon that advanced knowledge.
God knew who would accept Jesus’ sacrifice for their sins, even before the first human being walked the earth. He knew ahead of time those who would be saved and those who would not. It is natural then for God to speak of things in the present tense. When God describes all those who will make it to heaven, He does so in the context of His advanced knowledge. Therefore He can state that “Those whom He foreknew, He predestined…“
A second important point is that in the first verse of this study in Acts 2, notice the text: “Him (Jesus), being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death…”
When Jesus was arrested, tried, and put to death, this was all a part of God’s plan for the salvation of man. God chose the time when Jesus would come as a man to the earth, and the manner of His death. All the circumstance of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection were planned by God before the foundation of the world.
However, man also had a responsibility in the death of Jesus. It was men exercising their free will in making the decision to unfairly try Jesus six times throughout the night. It was men who took Jesus and allowed Him to be crucified. They did this willingly and with full consent. They therefore play a role and a responsibility for their actions. The men who knowingly put Jesus to death will be held accountable for their actions even though God knew in advance that they would commit the acts they carried out.
Notice that Paul states in Acts chapter 2, verses 23, that it was both the sovereignty of God and the Free will of men that acted together to put Jesus to death. God knowing in advance that these men would take Jesus and kill Him, permitted them to exercise their free will. In allowing the death of Jesus by these men, God was exercising His power over the affairs of all men while still allowing them to make their own decisions.
We should never think that God is not in control of every situation in our life and this world. He does, however, allow you and I the privilege of making our own decisions and then bearing the consequences for our actions.
It is God’s will that all men are saved and have eternal life, but it is up to each individual person to make that decision. God will not over rule you if you reject Jesus as your Savior. He loves and respects all people so much that He allows them to make their own choices, even if it means they will be lost forever.
In your daily walk, remember that there is a will of God for your life today. You have the choice to trust Him throughout the day, or to take matters into your own hands and do what you want.
