How should someone think about the twin realities that (1) God is sovereign over all his creation( everything that has come into existence) and that (2) human beings (a significant and unique member of that creation) are responsible for what they do?

One option, no doubt, is to elevate one of those two twin realities over the other.

If God is sovereign to such a degree that human beings ultimately have no free choice, then they are seen merely as puppets, but God’s rule and reign is protected above all—he remains supremely sovereign.

God is God after all.

Do human beings really tell God what to do? Of course they don’t. God created us and, therefore, he can do with us whatever he wishes (Pr. 16:9; Dan. 4:35).

On the other hand, if human beings are ultimately making choices apart from the sovereign work of God, then God is merely watching his creation move forward in whatever direction it chooses, but at least the freedom of mankind is protected above all—uncoerced human choice remains intact.

People have minds of their own, of course.

Does God really direct the steps of each person in everything they do? We were created by God as people, not as puppets, and therefore, we make choices on our own and are responsible for those choices (Dt. 30:19; Rev. 14:9-12).

After a while, it becomes clear what happens when one of the two twin realities are elevated over the other: a war between human freedom and the sovereignty of God begins.

When we start using different parts of the Bible to overpower other parts of the Bible we know the road we’re going down is neither profitable nor helpful. If anything is true about the Bible, it’s true that it is harmonious with itself.

Now, this is not the same thing as saying there are no tensions to be dealt with. It is simply saying that the Bible doesn’t say one thing on page 6 and then something totally contradictory on page 106. It’s not as if we get the creation stories of Genesis 1 and 2 and then discover in 1 Samuel that God had nothing to do with creation. Any contradictions we come across must lie with us, not the text.

This must be be our starting point in any discussion on the sovereignty of God and the freedom and responsibility of mankind.