Alright, now, I had debated on whether or not to go on to this tonight or wait until next week, but I think we'll go on to it tonight and get this over with in one shot concerning this idea of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. I want to move on this afternoon to the free agency of man. And of course, this goes hand in hand with man's responsibility. And so I want to go on into this as we continue this thing. And it's along the same thought, it's along the same line as far as the seeming paradox that it is to the natural mind to know that God is the sovereign and yet man is responsible. in his side and will be judged for his responsibility for that matter. And so tonight I want us to, or this afternoon, I want us to go in, continue on in this subject in regards to the free agency of man. Now there are two things that we must understand, and we were looking at these in part this morning. First thing is, that God is the supreme sovereign of the universe. He is the supreme sovereign and He rules it by, again, by each detail and His will is accomplished. It will be done as He has said it in order to be done. That's the first thing. The second, and this again comes back to this the seeming paradox that it appears in the natural mind. But the second is man, at the same time God is the supreme sovereign of the universe, man is a free moral agent and capable of doing as he pleases according to his nature. According to his nature. J. M. Pendleton, he stated it like this. He said, there are no truths more plainly revealed in the Bible than that God is sovereign and man is free. Free agency as defined by Webster's is not determined by anything beyond its own nature or being. not necessitated by an external cause or agency choosing or capable of choosing for itself as a free agent. A free agent is an intelligent being who is at liberty to act according to his choice without compulsion or restraint. That's what a free agent is. Now we're going to look at how it applies upon man from a biblical context. Man cannot do otherwise than what his nature allows. That's what the Scripture teaches us. And it's what reality teaches us. Man cannot do otherwise than what his nature allows. Turn with me to Jeremiah 17, and look with me of course at verse number 9 of this passage. As long as he is in the natural state, man will act according to his nature. Jeremiah 17 verse 9, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it. Man cannot change that about himself. In fact, Jeremiah says in chapter 13, And verse number 23, I love this verse. Jeremiah, of course, the words of the Lord, but he uses the obvious here to explain the nature of man. But in Jeremiah chapter 13, verse 23, he says, Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil. When that can happen, God says, then you'll be able to act out of your nature. When an Ethiopian can change his skin and a leopard can change his spots, simply by saying, you know what, I don't want to be this color today, or you know what, I don't want these spots today, when they can change that by their own will, then maybe you can have an argument that you can do outside of your nature. But that doesn't happen. It's an impossibility. Just this week, Heather was pointing, well, last night Heather pointed out to me, and I'd heard about it before, they're touting on the news and on a lot of these different media organizations, touting that the first man is about to have a baby. And so this fellow, standing next to his partner, and he's pregnant, belly sticking out there, if you read into the article, ain't no man. It's a woman that looks like a man. Now, the reality is, there ain't nothing new about that. That's the way it's supposed to happen. A woman's supposed to have children, you know. She's the one to give birth. There ain't nothing new about that. But because this woman makes herself look like a man, the media is all, oh, the first man didn't know. That's still a woman. And it doesn't matter what changes a person makes outwardly. It doesn't matter whether they grows a beard, takes drugs to grow a beard, and whatever else that may... the different hormones that they take, even... and this one, of course, doesn't have the surgery yet, but even they can have the surgery, and in every way look like the opposite sex, they cannot change what is within them. The chromosome's still there. They can't get rid of that. Your DNA makeup that God has built you with You are either a male or a female. You cannot change that in your DNA. It's impossible. No matter what you do outwardly, you still are what you are. It doesn't matter what you may try to change and so on. And that's the reality of the spiritual as well. It doesn't matter how man may conform outwardly. It doesn't matter what changes he may make. He is what he is inwardly. And so his nature determines what he is, you see. And so even if he may look like he's outwardly conforming, his nature, he will always operate according to his nature inwardly. Romans chapter 8 verse number 7. Romans chapter 8 verse number 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Man in his natural state, man in his own nature, has no ability to please God because His state, His very nature that He is born in is enmity against God. There is a separation between Him and God. There is a hatred there between Him and God. That is the natural state of man. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians 2 verse number 14. 1 Corinthians 2 verse number 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness of him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Man's continuance in sin is not due to an outward compulsion or restraint, but it is a result of his own character. It is a result of his own inborn nature. Jesus said in John chapter 3 and verse number 19, and this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. That's the natural state of man. That is the nature of man. Man is a free moral agent. And like God, man cannot act contrary to his nature. He cannot act contrary to his nature. God is free to do as He pleases, but He cannot sin. It's against His nature. It's not who he is. It's just not who he is. It's not his nature. So he cannot do that. Likewise, man is free, but he cannot choose God. He cannot choose righteousness because it's contrary to who he is. It's contrary to his nature. It's contrary to his character. Just as God continues in holiness, just as the hog wallows in the mud, so man continues in sin. Everything goes by its nature. Everything goes by its nature. Now we see this free agency as well operating in the hardening and blinding of sinners. First, go to Romans 9. We were here this morning looking at these particular verses, and here we kind of skipped over a little bit in regards to Pharaoh there in verse number 18. When it's speaking of... Verse 17, rather, we're speaking of him. Notice with me here, and we'll get into this just a little bit as we consider this idea of the blinding and the hardening. It says, for the Scripture said, verse 17, unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might show my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth. John chapter 12 and verse number 40. John 12 and verse number 40. Both these verses are speaking of God blinding and God hardening. John 12 verse 40, He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." So we see here God is attributed to Him, Him hardening and blinding sinners. But then we go on to read in that same The same thing that is quoted here from Isaiah here in John chapter 12 and verse number 40. Go with me. Hold your place here just for this comparison. Go over to Isaiah chapter 6. Isaiah chapter 6 and verse number 10. This is the quote from John 12 and verse 40. He says, "...make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert and be healed." Here again, he's saying God to blind them, to make their ears heavy that they should not hear or see. Now, Matthew 13. Matthew 13, verses 14 and 15. Notice the subtle difference here. I want you to see both of these other verses. John 12, 40, quoting from Isaiah chapter 6, verse 10, is in reference to God blinding and God hardening. Jesus quoting here from the same context in Matthew 13, 14, and 15. And notice how he puts it as he's quoting from it. And then the enemy has fulfilled the prophecy of Athias which saith, By hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive. For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed. lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." Now is that a contradiction? No. Absolutely not. It's not a contradiction at all. God is described as being that sovereign, In these first two verses that we read, he is the sovereign. He is ruling over his universe in that sense, and man, being a free moral agent, blinds himself to the truth of God. That is his nature. He's blinded by his very nature. And so this by no means is a contradiction. We just see that in God's hardening and God's blinding, it works in conjunction with the very nature of man. It's how man is, you see. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, we're looking at this verse on Wednesday night, 2 Corinthians 4 verses 3 and 4. It says, But if rather our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. And so you have in these verses that we've looked at, you have the blinding of sinners attributed to God, attributed to the devil, to the prophet, to the sinner themselves. So what is the harmony in all of these passages? How is it that all of that fits together? It is attributed to God because God has decreed. His will is accomplished. His will is done. Whether permissively or efficiently, all the circumstances that render the sinner blind, God has set in order. It's attributed to the devil because he is the author of sin by which the sinner is blinded. It's attributed to the prophet because his preaching of God's Word brings out and makes the blindness of the sinner active in his rejection to the Word. And finally, it is attributed to the sinner because he is holy, depraved, spiritually dead, and loves the darkness and rejects the Word of God. You see, the responsibility of man and the free agency of man go hand in hand. That is for the blindness, the same thing we see for the hardening. If you look with me over in Exodus chapter 8, we see that worked out there. In chapter 9, Paul mentions Pharaoh and what was told to him there. In verse 17 of chapter 9, we read here in Exodus chapter 8 in regards to Pharaoh. It says there in chapter 8 verse 15, so that when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart and hearkened not unto them as the Lord had said. So we see God's sovereignty and we see Pharaoh hardening his own heart. Then you see in verse 32, chapter 8 verse 32, and Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go. Then notice chapter 9 and verse number 34, and when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants." Chapter 4 and verse 21, go back there. Here God is instructing Moses to go. It says, And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand, but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. Chapter 7 and verse number 3. Chapter 7, verse 3, And I will harden Pharaoh's heart and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. Verse 13, And he hardened Pharaoh's heart and he hearkened not unto them as the Lord had said. Chapter 9, Verse number 12, And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them, as the Lord had spoken unto Moses. Chapter 10, verse 1, And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these my signs. before him. Then in chapter verse 20, verse 27, chapter 11, verse number 10, we see all those things that God hardening his heart. And so we see these two in conjunction as we see the sovereignty of God working and at the same time Pharaoh choosing to harden his own heart. He's going by his nature. He's doing what his nature allows him to do, but his nature is allowing him only to continue to harden because that's what he is. He is a sinner. And so God's hardened his heart. Pharaoh's hardened his own heart. We see both of those working in conjunction there as this work of free agency is brought to bear here for us in the Scriptures. The same that it works in the hardening and the blinding that we see also in conversion as well. In the work of salvation, we see again that free agency of man. Notice John chapter 6. John chapter 6 and verse number 65. We looked at these several verses a couple of weeks ago in regards to that work of Christ's calling and drawing us unto Himself. And He says here in verse 65, He said, Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto Me except it were given unto him of My Father. Now He says in verse 37, All that follow ye of Me shall come to Me, and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out. Again, that's the same group. It's not two different groups. That's the same group. All that the Father gives to Him will be those that come to Him. Okay? Those that come to Him, come to Him because it was given to Him of my Father. As we read in verse 65, Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father. So the only way they can come is that the Father draws them unto Christ. It's impossible for man to turn from sin until he is quickened by God. Prior to repentance and faith, a new nature has to be put in man. Repentance and faith are inseparable. Grace is work. wrought in our souls by the regenerating power of the Spirit of God, and it is that new nature that is put in man that brings to the forefront that repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. Notice in Ephesians 1, Ephesians 1, verse 19 and verse 20, Ephesians 1 verse 19 and verse 20. And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe? According to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ when He raised Him up from the dead and set Him at His own right hand in heavenly places. That power, he says, is his exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe. Exceeding greatness is power to usward who believe according to the working of his mighty power. He's the one that puts that new nature in us. It is by the regenerating power of the Spirit of God. But when man turns to God in repentance and faith, he's not turning to God in repentance and faith as a robot. By far is he acting out as a robot. There is no one, I mean no one, in the time of man, since the time of creation, there is no one that has ever been saved forcefully. There is no one that has ever been saved against His will. Every last one of them have come to God willingly. Why? Because His nature has been changed. His nature has been changed. He is given the very nature of God, Him born Him, and He wants nothing but grace. He must have it at that point. And so there is that desire that comes as God works, as God puts that life in Him. Man must have it, you see. John chapter 3. In verse number 16 as we read this morning, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. I have no problem with that verse whatsoever. has always been and will continue to be a whosoever gospel. It's always been. Whosoever will. Whosoever will, let it come. Whosoever will. The whosoever wills are the elect of God. That's all the ones that's going to will to come. Because their nature has been changed in them. Their nature is desirous of that grace of God. Their nature is desirous of that relationship with Him. They want salvation. So those who have come are those that have been chosen by God. Notice Revelation 22 verse 17. Revelation 22 verse 17. This is the message that we are to preach. It's a message we declare whenever we declare the gospel. To lost sinners, this is what we leave them with. The Spirit and the bride say, come. Let him that hears say, come. And let him that is a thirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. He will not will it. The sinner will not will it until his nature is changed. He is simply acting. The sinner is simply acting according to his new nature. Man is a free agent in conversion, although God is the one that works it through him, because He changes that very nature of him. Paul says in Philippians chapter 2 and verse number 13, Philippians 2 and verse 13, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. You see, before salvation, before the work of the Spirit in man in that old nature, man is a bondservant to sin. That is his nature. He will not act apart from that. He might outwardly put up a facade that will appear righteous. He'll put up things on the outside that will appear religious. He will try to conform himself to those things to look like he is right with God. But inwardly, as the Lord said to the Jews, outwardly you are white as sepulchers, but inwardly you are full of dead men's bones. It may look good outwardly, but inside it's still dead and trespasses in sin. And so before the old nature and in the old nature, man is bondservant to sin. After salvation, in that work of the new birth, man is given a new nature, and in that new nature he is made a bondservant to righteousness. Romans chapter 6 and verse number 18, Romans 6 and verse 18, being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness. In both cases, man is bondservant to his nature. He can act freely within that nature, but that's all he's going to do is act within that nature. He cannot act outside of that nature. And so He will do whatever His nature is. We have seen, as we were studying this morning, we've looked before in God's sovereignty. We see very clearly as we've begun, the first thing we know is God is absolute sovereign over all of His creation. Isaiah 46 is one of my favorite verses that declares this. And I love the, if you can call it sarcasm, I guess it's sarcasm that he uses in the first part of this passage, Isaiah 46, a great chapter. As God describes the idolatry of Israel and how ignorant that idolatry is because they're making these gods, they're carving them out of wood, they're putting the gold and the silver on them, and then they lay them on their beast of burden and carry them to wherever they're going to carry them, and then they have to go under the under the rope, or put their beast under the rope to lift these idols up to particular places where they're going to worship them. And then they bring stuff to these gods that they have built, that they have put in place, that they've raised up, that they've made their beast burdened under to get to those particular places. And then they bring their sacrifices to those gods that they have built, that they have raised up, that they have dragged into place, and expect those gods to answer them. It's ridiculous. It's absolutely ridiculous. We modern men do the exact same thing when we put trust in ourselves. I didn't make me. The strength that I have is not mine. I didn't get it from me this morning. The breath I drew in this morning was not my breath. It was the breath that God gave me. So why in the world would I put any trust in me? Why in the world would I put any trust in my strength? It is all by the sovereignty of our God. It is all by His hand. And He declares in verse number 9 of this text, two of my favorite verses here in this scripture, Remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is none else. I am God and there is none like me. declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. That same God who rules absolutely has no problems with man's responsibility and man's free agency to choose his sin. As we read this morning in Acts chapter 2 again, and verse number 23 and 24, Peter describing the crucifixion of our Lord, And he describes the guiltiness of Israel, specifically of man in general, in this act. He said, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be beholden to it. And again in chapter 4 and verse number 27, For the truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate with, The Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. So what then are we to do? How then are we to approach this idea? God being sovereign, Man being a free moral agent within his nature, what then are we to do? Well, we are to proclaim the gospel, declare the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord, and we are to preach calm, repent, believe, be safe, And whosoever will, let it come, and take the water of life freely. Those that come will come because God brings them. We don't have to worry about that. We don't have to worry about sounding Armenian. We can say, come, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Those that are His will come in the day of their salvation. They will come. No one, no one is saved against their will, nor is anyone saved that's not God's will. Let's all stand, it will be just me.