Is God Responsible and Man Responsible? Yes and Yes

As I wrote in last month’s article to our monthly champions, I wanted to go right at the heart of one of the doctrinal tensions found in good systematic theology. Did God create the fall of man? And, if He did, how can humans be responsible for their sinful nature passed down through their father, Adam?

In these two questions, the scripture gives us two clear categories to form our theology on this topic.

This article will define God’s decreed will and what God’s preceptive will is and show the scriptural references for both. Then, I will give a few personal application points to help harmonize the tension found in the true teaching of scripture. Stick with me if you have never thought through this topic. I promise it will be worth it.

1. The Meaning of God’s decreed will and preceptive will (along with scripture references)

God’s decreed will is when God has a desired eternal plan that his power and authority will carry out.

“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place.” (Acts 17:26). From God’s decreed will revealed in Scripture, we see he determines where we will live and how far we will travel. Here is another verse.  In this verse, we see God’s word (preceptive will), revealing his decreed will. “Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.” (Gen. 41:32)

The duplication of the dream showed Daniel that this was a part of God’s decreed plan; it was going to happen. But, there are still parts of God’s decreed will that will always be a mystery to us.

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” (Deut. 29:29)

In this context, God is renewing the covenant with Israel and sharing the blessings of obeying his word and the curses of rejecting his word (preceptive will). There is indeed an aspect of mystery found God’s decreed will versus man’s responsibility to obey God’s preceptive will found in the Bible. However, as said in the above text the mystery belongs to the Lord. Humans are responsible to obey the Bible.

God’s preceptive will is God’s word that is found in the Bible.

Israel was blessed in obedience to God’s word, and was cursed in their disobedience, as Deuteronomy chapter 28 and 29 explains. We always see Jesus driving home this theme of obedience. “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15). Your love for God is tied to how much you obey his preceptive will, given in the Bible. With the starting point being faith in what Jesus did on the cross.

So far, the Scriptures have established that God has a decreed will and a preceptive will.

Let’s reinsert the first question. Did God plan the fall of man? The short answer is in the broad sense of his decreed will: yes. We will hold off a bit to answer our second question to lay three pillars of God’s decreed will being revealed in his preceptive will the Scriptures.

These are the pillars of God’s decreed will that all human history launches. Creation, the fall of man, and redemption. Creation: “When he made a decree for the rain and a way for the lightning of the thunder” (Job 28:26). The fall of man: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Salvation: “even as he chose us in Him before the foundations of the world that we should be holy and blameless before” (Ephesians 1:4). These are the three big players that are guiding the whole of human history. Let’s ask our second question again. However, all people must remember not all of God’s word is prescriptive some of it is descriptive. God’s word is inerrant in dealing with every topic it addresses. This is another topic to discuss another day. Back to our second question.

If God decreed the fall, how can a man be responsible for his sinful nature passed down through his father, Adam? Man is accountable for obeying God’s word, but we have done a miserable job in doing such. Look at the above reference text. Whether it is Israel in the Old testament or people in the New Testament. Hence, this is why the center of all human history is focused like a laser on the cross.

“Christ came once for all the righteous for the unrighteous to beings us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Here is the tension in our theology and where all good theology will lead you to harmonize what may seem undoable. God gives us a peek under the rock at this divine mystery: God’s decree and man’s responsibility. It is found in several places. However, I cannot look at all of them in this article.

We have briefly spoken of one: the cross. It is on the cross that we see God’s decreed will carried out by man rejecting his messiah found in God’s preceptive will.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:3)

They rejected the one that they were supposed to be obeying.

“I will raise up for them a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them everything that I command him.” (Deuteronomy 18:18).

They were supposed to listen to the one that was better than Moses, but they rejected him.

“Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin” (Isa 53:10).

In God’s decreed will, he planned to crush his son to give us life. By allowing humans to reject his messiah revealed in his preceptive will. Jesus’ crucifixion was God’s decreed eternal plan at the hands of rebellious and disobedient men. We have one more story to cover that will help harmonize these two wills of God.

2. God’s decreed will in harmony with his preceptive will 

Where else is God’s decreed will seen in scripture? Not only do we see it in the New Testament death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We see it also in the second book of the Bible; you are confronted with these two friends, God’s decreed will and preceptive will. Take some time to read Exodus chapters eight and nine.

But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.” (Exodus 9:12)

Here we read God’s decreed will as seen in His preceptive will (Bible). However, a few verses before, we see God’s preceptive will being disobeyed by Pharoah.

“But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.” (Exodus 8:32)

Moses was instructing Pharaoh in God’s preceptive will; however, he willingly hardened his heart against it.

3. Personal application of the content:

     A. Tension is good

Tension is not bad. It is suitable for making finite man have to wrestle, contemplate, and connect what the whole of the Bible is truly teaching.

Wrestle

The tension is what humbles us to realize how limited human language and thoughts are. At the same time, it is sufficient for us to understand what God is revealing to us. Wrestle with this: Does God have a decreed will that some humans would find offensive? Yes, especially those who do not know God’s word, like sending his innocent Son to be crushed by sinful man for our sins and hardening a ruler’s heart like Pharoah.  Wrestling with God’s decreed will and man’s responsibility to obey God’s preceptive will give us respect for God and determination to properly understand God’s word.

Contemplate

At the same time, through God’s preceptive will (Bible), man will be responsible for crucifying an innocent man, and Pharaoh is responsible for not listening to Moses’s, as it was being explained to him in Exodus 8-9. Man is accountable to a just God. The issue is always with humans and their disobedience to God’s preceptive will.

Connect

The student of scripture has to honestly connect all they read in the Bible to get a full panoramic view of what God is doing in human history and not reject God’s word, because they do not like what is there. If you do not have some tension in your theology, you are not being honest with what you are reading in scripture.

     B. No tension may mean you may have a topic you are trying to avoid

Most of the Scripture is clear and straightforward, and a five-year-old could completely understand if explained rightly. Things like sin, God creating all things, etc. However, we have sticky spots like I have discussed in this article, God’s decreed will and preceptive will, and what the scriptures reveal. To avoid the complex topics  in the Scriptures can show people’s unwillingness to do extensive study, and it can also show laziness.

When it comes to doing an extensive study, do you know how to study Scriptures? If not, take the time to either read a few books on studying scripture or spend time learning from someone who is trained in hermeneutics and exegetical study of Scriptures. You can listen to our two-part podcast series Part 1 & Part 2  on the hermeneutical triangle that lays groundwork for processing what is in Scriptures. Push past the excuses of, “I don’t have time to study.” Make time to study the most essential book known to man- rightly. I used the word -rightly- you want to understand the authors original meaning.

The last reason I am going to cover is laziness. There may be no tension in some people’s theology because they are lazy. Do not be this person. It takes discipline to grow in the things of God. Commit today to study God’s word. We make time for what we think is essential. Do not be lazy when it comes to your relationship with God and learning his word.

     C. Yes in two categories are ok when it comes to an infinite omniscience God

When it comes to a finite creature, we must understand we are limited in resources, time, and capabilities. We only have a certain amount of money to give to study, buying commentaries, literature works, and bible software. We only have a limited number of trips around this old sun before we die. We are minimal creatures, but God is not – in respect to his authority, and power. When we see the tension in Scripture, we submit to his rule, sovereignty, and power with a humble heart of trust. We believe what he has revealed and submit willingly to what we do not understand.

Remember, he has decreed the creation, the fall, and redemption of his elect. He has given his preceptive will found in His Bible. Hold these two wills (Decreed and Preceptive) with great confidence in the one that gives them both.  Humanity will have to always reconcile two great realities; defining sin and how to deal with its implications.  God did both by giving us his decreed and preceptive will.  Neither hide from them nor be lazy in studying the Bible where they both are found. I am looking forward to writing for you next month. Now go out and proclaim the Gospel to see a life transformed.

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