Articles
Who's In Control?
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"For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’" . . . Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” (Act 27:23-24, 31)
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The story of Paul's shipwreck is a gripping account of the providence of God in action. No spectacular miracle was performed, yet the deliverance of all 276 souls on board through this catastrophe--by swimming or floating on debris or whatever--cannot be attributed to random chance. A divine hand was at work in the outcome.
Paul's remarks to the passengers and crew prior to the shipwreck, however, raise a perplexing question. First, Paul shared a promise from an angel who appeared to him: "God has granted you all those who sail with you." Then, when the sailors tried to abandon ship on a small skiff, Paul warned the soldiers that they must not be allowed to leave the ship, or else "you cannot be saved."
So here's the question: Who was responsible for the salvation of the people on the ship? Was deliverance the work of God, or was it through the efforts of the people on the ship? If God had already promised that everyone would be saved, then what difference would it make what anyone did? But if the people bore responsibility for performing their duties, then shouldn't they get the credit rather than God?
This conundrum highlights the tension between God's sovereignty and human responsibility that shows up throughout the Bible story. There can be no doubt that God is in charge and moves the chess pieces of history according to His plan. But there can also be no doubt that each one of us is responsible for our behavior, and must bear the consequences of our choices.
The Bible describes a delicate balance between these two forces, with God as the senior agent in determining outcomes. He created us as free moral agents, having the power to make our own decisions in response to His instructions; but He retains ultimate control over how our choices play out. In the end, God's purpose will be done--often using even human rebellion to achieve it. But that does not absolve us of the responsibility to contribute our own effort to the end result.
God is in control, and I must choose whether or not I will cooperate with His agenda. In the end, I own the consequences of my decision.
--David
