Strange ramblings of the mind while walking one of the four legged beasties this morning.

We get so hung up on the whole question of whether man has any free will in light of God’s sovereignty. We ask, “If God knows everything and God directs everything, then where lies our freedom to choose whether or not to believe in Him?” As a 5 point Calvinist I believe that God is wholly sovereign over every aspect of my life. That means he knew right down to the very second every time I would run away from him and when I would finally fall down on my knees before him. Yet we still get so hung up about free will. I’ve come to believe that the real question for those coming from a reformed perspective is not whether or not we have free will but the extent to which we have it?

And so comes to mind the picture of a chess game. Like most people I have played chess but I’m by no means any good at it. Thinking ahead multiple moves simply gives me a roaring headache. So venture with me and ponder what the outcome would be for me to play a game of chess with the likes of Mikhail Botvinnik or Emanuel Lasker. If you don’t recognize the names then just imagine having lost before you even begin to play, for that would without question be the ultimate end. But even with knowing the outcome am I not left to play the game as I will? Am I not allowed to make the moves of my desire, whether good or bad?

Is our coming to God really any different? Once he has called us to himself we may dodge and weave. We may even try to run from him. Yet, ultimately there can be only one outcome. Just as I would lose in chess to either of these chess masters so I have lost to God. But in this, my loss is truly my gain.