God's sovereignty governs every human relationship through foreknowledge and grace, but it never cancels the free will of the people involved.
Les Feldick teaches that God is absolutely sovereign and has laid out the course of human history ahead of time, yet He never takes away the free will He gave to men and nations. Because God is never caught by surprise and is sovereign in grace, every Person He brings into our lives is part of His plan—even when we cannot fully understand how it works.
Romans 11:2 — Shows that God's sovereign foreknowledge governs His people and that nothing they do catches Him by surprise.
Romans 8:32 — Reveals that God's sovereignty never acts against His own holy and righteous character—He gave His Son to reconcile us to Himself.
Scripture presents God as sovereign over His people and His purposes. Paul writes, 'God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew' (Romans 11:2). God's foreknowledge means no human action catches Him by surprise, and His relationship with His people is never an accident. God's sovereignty is always consistent with His character. Because He is holy, righteous, and full of knowledge, He knew what was required to reconcile fallen man back to Himself: 'He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all' (Romans 8:32). The gospel invitation is also universal. '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' (John 3:16). Thus, Scripture places God's sovereign plan and a genuine human response side by side.
Les Feldick teaches that God is absolutely sovereign and has laid the whole of human history out ahead of time, yet He has never taken away the free will of men and nations. He says this is one of the hardest things to put together, but God is able, sovereign, omniscient, and absolutely in control of everything (Clips 1 and 2). The same principle applies to individual lives and relationships: human choices are real, but everything ultimately falls into God's foreknown plan. Les also emphasizes that God's sovereignty operates in grace. He uses the picture of prisoners receiving a governor's pardon—those who are set free are no more deserving than the ones who remain under sentence. Believers are hell-bound sinners who accepted God's pardon, and that pardon comes entirely by grace (Clip 0). God never goes against His own principles; because He is holy and righteous, the finished work of the cross was necessary to purchase mankind back to Himself (Clip 5). When it comes to how God's choice and human response fit together, Les says it is not either/or. From the front side, the invitation is 'whosoever will may come.' After a person responds, he can look back and see that God chose him before the world was ever created (Clip 6). God's sovereign grace is also what continues to hold back judgment and offer salvation to the human race today (Clip 7).
Les says there is a fine line between the sovereignty of God and the free will of man, and it is hard to define without crossing over. God is sovereign and has laid out the whole line of human history ahead of time, but He never takes away the free will He gave to people and nations. Even after nearly six thousand years of human history, everything has fallen into place according to God's timetable, and He has never made men or governments robots. Les concludes that we may not be able to comprehend how God does it, but He is sovereign and omniscient, and He is absolutely in control of everything.
Les explains that God could have done things any way He wanted because He is sovereign, but God never goes against His own principles. God is holy, righteous, omnipotent, and full of all knowledge, so He knows what has to be done to reconcile fallen man back to Himself. That is why the finished work of the cross was necessary, and why God did not spare His Son. God's sovereignty is always exercised in a way that is consistent with His character.
Les addresses this by saying it is not either/or. God has chosen certain ones long before the world was created, but that cannot cancel out the 'whosoever.' From the front side, it is 'whosoever will may come,' and nobody is left out. When a person decides to enter through that door and accept God's remedy for sin, he then sees that God chose him before he was ever born. The Holy Spirit is also moving among the human race, wooing people and presenting them with the plan of salvation, while God remains sovereign over the whole process.
Grace-Driven Pardon
Les uses a prisoner-pardon analogy to show that salvation is by sovereign grace—none deserve it, but some accept the pardon while others remain under judgment.
Sovereignty and Free Will
Les teaches that God is absolutely sovereign and laid out human history ahead of time, yet He never takes away the free will of men and nations.
Foreknowledge and Control
God's foreknowledge means nothing takes Him by surprise; everything men and nations choose still fits into His plan, and He is absolutely in control.
Timetable Without Robots
History has unfolded on God's timetable for nearly six thousand years, yet He has never made people or governments robots.
The Holy Spirit's Wooing
God the Father sent the Holy Spirit to move among the human race, wooing people with the plan of salvation while God remains sovereign.
The Necessity of the Cross
God's sovereignty never acts against His own holy, righteous nature; that is why the finished work of the cross was necessary to reconcile fallen man.
Whosoever Will and Election
From the front side the invitation is 'whosoever will,' and after a person responds he sees that God chose him before the world began.
Sovereign Grace Restrains Judgment
God's sovereign grace is what keeps Him offering salvation to the human race rather than pouring out judgment on it.
Romans 11:2: God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
Les uses this verse to show that God's foreknowledge means His people are never lost or forgotten, even when human choices seem to go astray.
Romans 8:32: He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
This shows that God's sovereign purposes are grounded in His character and in the cross of Christ.
John 3:16: 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.
This supports Les's teaching that the gospel invitation is open to 'whosoever,' even while God is sovereign in election.
Yes. Les teaches that God never makes human beings robots and never takes away the free will He gave to men and nations. Even though God is sovereign and knows the end from the beginning, the choices people make in their lives and relationships are real choices.
No. Les says from the front side it is 'whosoever will may come'—nobody is left out. When a person responds to that invitation, he can look back and see that God chose him before the world was created (Clip 6).
Because God never goes against His own principles. He is holy, righteous, and omniscient, so He knows that only the finished work of the cross could reconcile fallen man back to Himself (Clip 5).
Watch the Teaching: Does God Choose Who Gets Saved? Romans 9 & Election Explained