Prepare for Worship | God's Sovereignty and My Responsibility
Last Sunday, Pastor Jeremy Chasteen continued our series: “Acts: Christ’s Reign and the Church’s Birth.” Jeremy preached from Acts 1:6-11 and showed us that God empowers His Church to accomplish His mission.
Read: Acts 1:12-26
This Sunday, Pastor Jason Finley will preach from Acts 1:12-26 and will remind us that because Jesus reigns, we should trust his unstoppable plans. As you prepare for our Sunday gathering, be encouraged by this devotional from Jerry Bridges.
Reflect: “God’s Sovereignty and My Responsibility”
“Trust in the LORD, and do good.” - Psalm 37:3
As we recognize what the Scriptures teach about God’s sovereignty, we need to be cautious not to misuse or abuse this doctrine.
God’s sovereignty does not negate our responsibility to pray but rather makes it possible to pray with confidence. Prayer assumes God’s sovereignty. Otherwise, we have no assurance that He’s able to answer those prayers; they would become nothing more than wishes. God’s sovereignty (along with His wisdom and love) remains the foundation of our trust in Him, while prayer represents the expression of that trust.
Nor does God’s sovereignty set aside our responsibility to act prudently—to use all legitimate means at our disposal to avoid harming ourselves or others and to bring about what is good and right. God usually works through means, and He intends that we use them as He makes them available. Of course, unless God prospers those means, all our plans, efforts, and prudence are of no avail.
In Psalm 127:1, we find a memorable illustration of this truth:
“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”
In a sense, the verse sums up all our responsibilities in life. Whether in the physical, the mental, or the spiritual realm, we should always be building and watching, always recognizing that none of these efforts will prosper unless God intervenes.
At the same time, we remain responsible. The Bible never allows us to use our utter dependence on God as an excuse for indolence. “Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing” (Proverbs 20:4, NIV). We’re absolutely dependent upon God yet simultaneously responsible to diligently use whatever means are appropriate for the occasion.
So does failure on our part to act prudently frustrate the sovereign plan of God?
The Scriptures never indicate that God is frustrated to any degree by our failure to act as wisely as we should. In His own infinite wisdom, God’s sovereign plan includes our failures and even our sins.
When Mordecai asked Queen Esther to intercede with King Xerxes on behalf of the Jews, she demurred, explaining that she could enter the king’s presence unbidden only on the threat of death (see Esther 4:10-11). However, Mordecai sent word back to her: “If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (verse 14). The key phrase here is this: Relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place.
The options available to God to bring about deliverance for the Jews were as infinite as His wisdom and power. He literally did not need Esther’s cooperation. But in this instance, He chose to use her. Mordecai’s words assume that God uses people and means to accomplish His sovereign purpose. As subsequent events proved, God had indeed raised up Esther to accomplish His purpose. But He could just as easily have raised up someone else or used an altogether different means.
God usually works through ordinary events (as opposed to miracles) and the voluntary actions of people. But He always provides the means necessary and guides them by His unseen hand. He is sovereign, and He cannot be frustrated by our failure to act or by any of our actions that in themselves are sinful. We must always remember, however, that God still holds us accountable for the very sins He uses to accomplish His purpose.
There’s no conflict in the Bible between His sovereignty and our responsibility. Both are taught with equal force and with no attempt to “reconcile” them. Let us hold equally to both, doing our duty as revealed in Scripture and trusting God to sovereignly work out His purpose in and through us.
“God’s Sovereignty and My Responsibility,” Day 8 Devotional, in 31 Days toward Trusting God, by Jerry Bridges.
Sing: Song List for Sunday
1. “God Is for Us,” by CityAlight
2. “The Cup Was Not Removed,” Arr. Shane and Shane
3. “Speak O Lord,” by Keith and Kristyn Getty
4. “Your Will Be Done,” by CityAlight