{"id":62227,"date":"2023-02-08T10:53:41","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T10:53:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=62227"},"modified":"2023-02-08T10:53:41","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T10:53:41","slug":"gods-sovereignty-doesnt-cancel-mans-responsibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=62227","title":{"rendered":"God’s sovereignty doesn\u2019t cancel man\u2019s responsibility"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Tope Banso<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThen the word of the LORD came to me, saying: \u2018O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?\u2019 says the LORD. \u2018Look, as the clay is in the potter\u2019s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!\u2019\u201d (Jeremiah 18:3-6 New King James Version)<\/p>\n

God\u2019s sovereignty is His \u201cabsolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure\u201d (Easton\u2019s Bible Dictionary). But God\u2019s sovereignty doesn\u2019t cancel man\u2019s responsibility. Everyone must understand this.<\/p>\n

God is sovereign. He owns and controls the earth. Telling Nebuchadnezzar the interpretation of his dream, Daniel said, among other things,\u00a0\u201cThey shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses\u201d (Daniel 4:25 New King James Version).<\/p>\n

Later, after the dream had come to pass and Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s sanity was restored, he said,\u00a0\u201cAnd at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, \u2018What have You done?\u2019\u201d (verses 34-35 New King James Version).\u00a0However, God\u2019s sovereignty does not cancel human responsibility.<\/p>\n

If Nebuchadnezzar had heeded the advice of Daniel, he could have averted what happened to him. In\u00a0verse 27, Daniel told him,\u00a0\u201cTherefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity\u201d (New King James Version).\u00a0But twelve months later, Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s dream came to pass\u00a0(verse 29).\u00a0This was because he didn\u2019t follow Daniel\u2019s advice.<\/p>\n

God created human beings as free moral agents and has given the earth to man.\u00a0Psalm 115:16\u00a0says,\u00a0\u201cThe heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD\u2019s; but the earth He has given to the children of men\u201d (New King James Version).\u00a0God has also given man the power to choose. God will not impose His will on anyone.<\/p>\n

Joshua told the Israelites in\u00a0Joshua 24:15,\u00a0\u201cAnd if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD\u201d (New King James Version).<\/p>\n

The potter has control over the clay that he molds and determines what he shapes it into\u00a0(Romans 9:21; Jeremiah 18:6). God is the supreme ruler; He determines what He makes out of you. However, you must cooperate with God to become all He wants you to be. He is sovereign but not arbitrary. You cannot blame God for the choices you have made.<\/p>\n

Although God does everything according to His good pleasure, it is for your good\u00a0(Deuteronomy 8:16; 10:13).\u00a0He is omnipotent but He needs your willing cooperation. God\u2019s sovereignty does not cancel human responsibility. God\u2019s sovereignty is no excuse for anyone not to do what He should do to fulfil God\u2019s purpose for his life.<\/p>\n

The Bible tells us that God is omniscient \u2013 He knows all things; He knows the end from the beginning. He has all the facts, which are not available to you. David said,\u00a0\u201cI praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be\u201d (Psalm 139:14-16 New International Version).<\/p>\n

God told Jeremiah His purpose for creating him. He said,\u00a0\u201cBefore I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations\u201d (Jeremiah 1:5 New King James Version).\u00a0God went further in that chapter to outline the detail of Jeremiah\u2019s assignment. There is a reason God created you. He has a purpose for you to fulfil on earth. And as much as God will do everything to help you fulfil that purpose, He requires your participation. He will not force His will on you.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Isaiah 49:5, Isaiah said the Lord formed him in his mother\u2019s womb to be his servant and commissioned him to bring His people, the Israelites, back to Him. But Isaiah would have frustrated God\u2019s purpose for his life if he didn\u2019t cooperate with Him.\u00a0Ephesians 2:10\u00a0says, \u201cFor we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them\u201d (New King James Version).<\/p>\n

While it is true that God is sovereign and, thus, has the absolute right to do all things according to His good pleasure, it doesn\u2019t free you from your responsibility or exonerate you from the consequences of your actions. Nobody can justify his evil deeds based on the truth that God has control over everything that happens. Even when what happens was predestined by God, each person is responsible for his decisions or choices.<\/p>\n

For example, God planned ahead of time the death of Jesus for the sins of the world but the Jews were guilty of His crucifixion. They decided to kill Him. Peter, in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, said,\u00a0\u201cMen of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God\u2019s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross\u201d (Acts 2:22-23 New International Version).<\/p>\n

Not only the Jews were guilty, but all others who conspired to do what God had planned were also.\u00a0Acts 4:27-28\u00a0says,\u00a0\u201cIndeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.\u00a0They did what your power and will had decided beforehand\u00a0should happen\u201d (New International Version).\u00a0Although God decided beforehand on Christ\u2019s crucifixion, He didn\u2019t compel these conspirators to kill him. Therefore, they were responsible for their action.<\/p>\n

In God\u2019s sovereignty, He chose Assyria as the rod of His anger to punish Judah, a godless nation\u00a0(Isaiah 10:5-11).\u00a0But God didn\u2019t exonerate Assyria for the evil she did against Judah. Indeed, God said,\u00a0\u201cWoe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath\u201d (verse 5 New International Version).\u00a0Verse 12\u00a0says that when God had finished all His work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He would punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes\u00a0(verse 12).<\/p>\n

God used Assyria unknown to her, but she was guilty of pride and the haughty look in his eyes for which God eventually punished her.\u00a0Assyria said in her arrogance,\u00a0\u201cBy the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings. As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as men gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp\u201d (Isaiah 10:13-14 New International Version).<\/p>\n

God promised to punish Assyria for failing to acknowledge that she was an instrument in His hand\u00a0(verses 15-19).\u00a0God\u2019s sovereignty did not free Assyria from her responsibility for the evil against Judah that was motivated by arrogance. God punished Assyria for this. In\u00a02 Kings 19:35\u00a0and\u00a0Isaiah 37:36, the Bible records how an angel killed 185, 000 Assyrian soldiers in one night. Later, Babylon defeated the Assyrian empire.<\/p>\n

Also, regarding prayer, while it is important in life, and God answers prayer, prayer doesn\u2019t exempt you from your responsibility. You cannot transfer your responsibility to God. Prayer will never be a substitute for human responsibility. God\u2019s sovereignty doesn\u2019t cancel man\u2019s responsibility. Prayer doesn\u2019t free you from your responsibility. Work and pray!<\/p>\n

Acknowledge God\u2019s sovereignty but don\u2019t neglect your responsibility. Perform your responsibility. Accept your responsibility. Don\u2019t make excuses.<\/p>\n

TAKE ACTION!<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins.
\n*Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.
\n*Renounce your past way of life \u2013 your relationship with the devil and his works.
\n*Invite Jesus into your life.
\n*As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church.\u00a0There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n

Kindly say this prayer now:\u00a0O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.<\/p>\n

PRAYER POINTS<\/strong>: I shall not make excuses based on God\u2019s sovereignty but perform my responsibility. I shall perform my responsibility and not transfer it to God. Holy Spirit, help me to pray and do what I am supposed to do. I am God\u2019s workmanship; Holy Spirit, help me to do the good works that God prepared me beforehand to walk in.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re glad to welcome you to our Ministry\u2019s website. In case , you didn\u2019t even intend to visit this site, we believe it\u2019s not by accident that you\u2019re here; God ordained it. We therefore sincerely thank you for visiting our website and trust God that you\u2019re not going to regret the time you\u2019ll spend here.<\/p>\n

God has enabled us to prepare spiritually inspired, penetrating and refreshing messages cutting across different topics that will bless you. The powerful divine truths you\u2019ll read will definitely edify you and transform your life. You can read through and also download.<\/p>\n

We shall be glad to receive your feedback.<\/p>\n

You are blessed in Jesus\u2019 name.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Pastor Tope Banso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u25aa\ufe0e Pastor Banso, an Abuja-based minister, is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria, and can be reached at +2348155744752, +2348033113523; <\/strong>WhatsApp No: +2349081295947<\/strong>
\nEmail:cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,<\/strong>
\ncedarministryng@gmail.com<\/strong>
\nWebsite: www.cedarministry.org<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Tope Banso \u201cThen the word of the LORD came to me, saying: \u2018O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?\u2019 says the LORD. \u2018Look, as the clay is in the potter\u2019s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!\u2019\u201d (Jeremiah 18:3-6 New King James Version) God\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":61179,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5772],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-faith"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=62227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62227\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=62227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=62227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=62227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}