Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Host: Greg Koukl
Episode: Man’s Free Will Doesn’t Determine the Course of the Universe
Release Date: September 5, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Greg Koukl explores the relationship between human free will and God’s sovereignty, particularly in the context of salvation, decision-making, and the nature of grace. Listeners call in with questions about free will, Proverbs’ wisdom literature, the practice of casting lots in the Bible, the role of grace in sanctification, and reconciling God’s goodness with the existence of bad things. Koukl emphasizes the biblical depiction of God's ultimate control over the universe, even as humans make meaningful, responsible choices.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Free Will vs. Divine Sovereignty

Timestamps: 03:52 – 06:50

• Koukl clarifies his view: Humans possess libertarian free will (the capacity to make genuine choices), but free will operates within the boundaries of God’s sovereignty.
• God’s purposes, not human choices, ultimately determine the course of the universe.
• The tension between God's control and man's choices is “an imponderable, to some degree” but Scripture consistently elevates God’s purposes above human will:

  “I do not think that man's free will determines the course of the universe. That's God's purposes… In any scenario, a person may construct... you can't leave out the question of the sovereignty of God, the omniscience of God and the sovereignty of God.”
  – Greg Koukl, 05:05

• Scriptural examples show that while people act freely (even with wrong motives), God’s plan prevails (e.g., those who crucified Christ).

2. Proverbs, Wisdom, Logic, and the Nature of Reason

Timestamps: 07:08 – 14:34

• Callers discuss Proverbs 21:30 (“There is no wisdom and no understanding or counsel against the Lord”) and its connection to logic and reason.
• Koukl distinguishes terms:
  • Reason is our rational capacity.
  • Logic is the tool used for reaching conclusions.
  • Deduction is the process of drawing those conclusions.
• He cautions against over-interpreting Scripture by importing philosophical ideas (like irreducible complexity) not intended by the author:

  “Sometimes we... overwork a passage. We make it work too hard and we find meaning in it that probably wasn't implied by the author himself.”
  – Greg Koukl, 14:01

• Proverbs 21:30-31 simply underscores God’s unmatched wisdom and sovereignty.

3. Casting Lots in Acts and Modern Decision-Making

Timestamps: 14:56 – 27:09

• Caller Tom asks about Acts 1’s casting of lots to replace Judas and modern “hearing God’s voice.”
• Koukl explains that casting lots was a descriptive, not prescriptive, act—unique to pre-Pentecost, transitional times before the Holy Spirit’s arrival.
• He warns against using “good example” status for biblical events that were never intended as universal practices:

  “I take this as descriptive, not prescriptive... there's no indication that either of them is prescriptive... I don't have any reason to think this should be repeated.”
  – Greg Koukl, 21:55

• Modern guidance should focus on biblical principles rather than seeking signs or casting lots.

4. Prevenient Grace, Sanctification, and the Ongoing Spiritual Battle

Timestamps: 29:31 – 44:23

• Caller Ryan inquires about the role of prevenient grace in sanctification.
• Definitions:
  • Prevenient grace is a grace that enables all people to respond to God, most often referenced in salvation contexts (especially in Arminianism).
  • Sanctification (the process of becoming more Christ-like) is not purely passive; it requires both God’s empowering grace and human participation.
• Koukl rubbishes the “deeper life” or “exchanged life” theology (that all progress is God’s work alone once we surrender fully). He stresses that sanctification is “a partnership. 100% God, 100% me.”
• He recommends The Enemy Within (a summary of John Owen’s work) for understanding the daily struggle of sanctification:

  “Sanctification is not a passive enterprise... It's all of God and all of me... the nature of it is a fight.”
  – Greg Koukl, 40:26

5. God, Goodness, and Natural Evil

Timestamps: 46:18 – 57:31

• Caller Cameron asks: “Why does God get the credit for good things, but not the blame for bad things like natural disasters?”
• Koukl’s response:
  • God is the source of all good (“every good and perfect gift...”), thus He deserves credit for good.
  • God is not culpable for evil; natural disasters often have morally neutral causes (e.g., tectonic plates), and harm results from human choices (where people live).
  • Sometimes, what initially appears evil (e.g., loss, disaster) is used by God for good or personal growth, echoing Hebrews 12:

    “All discipline for the moment is not joyful but sorrowful. Right? Just like Jesus, despising the shame, endured the cross... but afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
    – Greg Koukl, 54:37

• He challenges the assumption that pain or loss is automatically “evil” in a moral sense.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s sovereignty over free will:

  “Which one comes out on top? It's got to be God, because He's the one who's ultimately in control and there's a place for human freedom.”
  (05:09)

• On reading too much into Proverbs:

  “Sometimes we... overwork a passage... we find meaning in it that probably wasn't implied by the author himself.”
  (14:01)

• On descriptive vs. prescriptive biblical accounts:

  “I take this as descriptive, not prescriptive... I don't have any reason to think this should be repeated [casting lots].”
  (21:55)

• On sanctification:

  “Sanctification is not a passive enterprise... it's all of God and all of me. And that's the way the battle is fought.”
  (40:26)

• On discipline and suffering:

  “For those who have been trained by it, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
  (54:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:52: Main segment – Free will and God’s sovereignty
• 07:08: Proverbs and the nature of logic/reason
• 14:56: Casting lots in Acts 1 and hearing God’s voice
• 29:31: Prevenient grace and sanctification
• 46:18: Why does God get credit for good things, but not blame for bad?

Tone and Language

Greg Koukl’s tone is thoughtful, conversational, patient, and gently corrective — he models both clarity and graciousness in dialogue. He draws on Scripture, theology, and apologetic reasoning, aiming to help Christians think carefully and avoid common interpretative pitfalls.

For Listeners

This episode helps Christians:

• Understand the biblical relationship between human freedom and divine governance
• Avoid reading personal theories into Scripture
• Navigate questions about God’s will, providence, and the challenge of evil
• See Christian growth as an ongoing, grace-empowered battle rather than a one-sided transaction

Listeners seeking to defend or deepen classical Christian faith will find Koukl’s nuanced, charitable approach especially helpful.