Both...And

One of the theological concepts I have always struggled to understand is the balance between God's sovereignty and man's responsibility--or in more simple terms, how much of my spiritual growth is up to God, and how much of it is up to me?

Both of these theological truths are found within the Scriptures.  Paul states that God will grow His children in Philippians chapter 1, verse 6:

"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

As we saw in the book of Ephesians, every bit of our standing with God is based on His grace and the work of Christ--our selection (election through predestination), redemption, reconciliation, and adoption.

And yet, man is fully responsible for his actions and will give account of all his words and deeds at the judgement seat of Christ (see Romans 14:10,12).

A verse that speaks to this relationship--this intertwining of God's work and our work, is Romans 8:13--

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

Did you catch that?

You put to death the deeds of the body, the flesh.

But you do it by the Spirit.

How about this passage from the book of Philippians, chapter 2, verses 12 and 13?

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

In this passage Paul exhorts believers to "work out" your own salvation but then in the next clause definitively states that it is "God who works in you" to change the desires of our hearts, our will, and to produce good works.

So...which is it?  Is God responsible for our Christian growth?  Yep.  He is faithful to forgive and sanctify His children.

But wait...aren't we responsible?  Yep.  We are commanded to confess our sins and follow hard after Him.

Confused?  You are not alone!

Well, let me share with you two illustrations that have helped me better understand this theological interplay. Think back for a minute to this past Thanksgiving, when your friends or family members asked you which dessert you would like--pumpkin pie or pecan pie.  If you are anything like me, the ONLY logical answer to this question is BOTH!  I want pumpkin pie AND pecan pie!! (and go heavy on the whipped topping!)

Photo source: saveur.com

Here's another illustration, courtesy of my pastor, Walt.  Take a moment to envision a pulley--a wheel with a rope thrown over the top.  Now picture that this pulley is up in the attic rafters and is concealed by the ceiling of the room you are in--you can only see two holes in the ceiling with two ropes hanging through them (of course, these ropes are just the two ends of the same rope).  If you grab hold of only one rope, and jump onto it with all of your weight, you will come crashing to the floor.  The same thing would happen if you were to grab hold of the other rope.  It is only if you were to grab BOTH ropes that you could be supported and not fall, because ultimately these ropes are connected--they are in fact, the same rope.

Photo source: legos-bridge.org

Do these illustrations help you to better understand, dear one?

These two theological concepts--God's sovereignty and man's responsibility--are not opposed to one another, but they ultimately complement each other and neither one can stand alone!

Is God sovereign and in control of all things?
Are we, as man, responsible for how we live?

Yes and Yes.  Both.  And.

(If you would like to dive deeper into these rich theological truths, I would whole-heartedly recommend Jerry Bridges' masterpiece, The Discipline of Grace: God's Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness.)