Ultimate and Secondary Choices.

Yesterday, August 23rd, as I preached on Psalm 119:33-40, I made this comment about verse 35 (“Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.” (Psalm 119:35, ESV)):

"The Hebrew here is "make me walk"; or "cause me to walk".  The songwriter shows us a couple things here.  First of all he reminds us who must ultimately work in our lives for us to be successful.  Yes, God uses our decisions and our choices.  But He holds the ultimate choice.  Our choices are necessary but it's His choice that gives them power.  And the greatest expression of Holy Spirit power is to happily obey."

Had I thought of this earlier I would have illustrated that point by taking the congregation to 2 Corinthians 8:16–17 (ESV) where we read:

¹⁶ But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. ¹⁷ For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord.

Notice 3 things:

1. The ultimate cause of Titus' concern and care was that "God put it into His heart."

2. The ultimate cause did not violate the will and the passion of Titus.  He went on "his own accord."

3. Not only did he go willing, he went with great passion and "earnest".

There is indeed a mystery here, but that does not negate its truthfulness.  Titus cared for the Corinthians because of his own will, neither coerced nor manipulated by anyone, including God; but he also went to them in compassion because God put it into his heart. One does not abrogate or negate the other.