This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
Acts 2:23 NIV
Scripture is clear that God is sovereign; that He has a plan for His creation; and that His plan will be fully executed. But the Scripture also seems clear that humans can choose for themselves whether they will be obedient to their creator or not, and that we are responsible for the choices that we make. But how can we reconcile these two seemingly contrary positions? How can humans make the choice to act in ways that are contrary to God’s sovereign plan?
This verse gives some help in this reconciliation. Jesus was handed over to the Jews by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge. God deliberately and purposefully handed Jesus over to His enemies. But were His enemies merely puppets on a string who played their part in God’s plan? Or were they willing participants?
Foreknowledge means to know beforehand. God knew beforehand what the Jews would do with Jesus. God did not decree that they would react the way they did. He simply knew that they would. And His plan took that into account. He delivered Jesus into the hands of those He foreknew would kill Jesus. That could well be part of what made the time right (Gal. 4:4). But those who condemned and killed Jesus still acted on their own initiative and bore the responsibility for their actions.
God Plans for My Choices
Today, God has a plan for your life. A plan that takes into account all of the choices you make. Some choices are for good, and some are for evil. But God knew them from creation and uses your choices to accomplish His purpose for your life. God is sovereign, and His purpose for His creation, and each of us, will be accomplished. Yet at the same time, He gives us the freedom to make our own choices and to live with the consequences of those choices.
