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NASB | Galatians 2:17 "But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Galatians 2:17 "But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ [by faith], we ourselves are found to be sinners, does that make Christ an advocate or promoter of our sin? Certainly not! |
Subject: But isn't that a contradiction |
Bible Note: Greetings Justin! I think that part of the struggle people face concerning human events and God's sovereignty is that many operate under a definition of sovereignty that is philosphical not necessarily biblical. What I mean is simply this: Where in the Bible does it say that Sovereignty means that every act and every decision must be a direct result of God's determinitive will? A. W. Tozer used an example years ago that explains both sovereignty and free will very well. Imagine that God has placed us upon an ocean liner. We have no way to steer the liner. We have no way to change the speed. We have no way to determine the destination of the liner. All of this has been determined by God. However, within the confines of our limitations, we have a multitude of choices. We can choose what we will eat. We can choose with whom we will fellowship. We can choose the attitude with which we will approach our journey. This is an excellent illustration of the tension between God's sovereignty and our freedom. God doesn't determine what we will eat for breakfast. We freely choose our food. God doesn't force us to obey His commands. We freely choose to obey or disobey. However, we suffer the consequences of our choices. Thus, I don't see any contradiction between God's sovereignty and our free will. The things that God has determined will come to pass and there is nothing that we can do about those things. However, God does not and does not need to determine every single detail. For instance, look at the Garden of Eden. If you take the approach that God determines every event and decision, than God is the Author of sin, since Adam and Eve had no choice. However, if God sovereignly put Adam and Eve in a situation where they could freely choose to obey or disobey, than God is not the Author of sin. We bear full responsiblity for our choice. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |