Sometime ago, I preached to a village head somewhere in Ghana. He doubled as the Chief priest.   I shared the message of God's salvation plan with him. He listened with rapt attention and his mien was sober as I preached. I knew the Holy Spirit was working on his heart because that was the second time I preached to him in years.  

When I asked If he was ready to give his life to Christ, he said, "I believe everything you said but I can't give my life to Christ because I have gone too far. My wives and children will come to your church". True to his words, he allowed his household to attend the church but he didn't give his life to Christ. This he did willingly despite acknowledging what we said as the truth.

As a student of the bible, I have observed that God in his sovereign power has done a lot for humanity. In matters of salvation, God made provision for the redemption of mankind by sending Jesus Christ to die for our sins ( Mt1:21).

His death brought us justification and liberty from the guilt of sin( Rom 5:1). Our slate is wiped clean by the blood, we are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (Eph1:7). In addition, we have the hope of sharing in his glory because the deposit of eternal life is now in us ( Colossians 1:27).

In matters of victory over the enemy, it is a done deal ( Col 2:14-15). The price of blood was paid for our healing and deliverance. Man did not beg God to do all these, it was an act of God's sovereignty to help mankind out of the consequences of the Adamic fall.

However, If we are not careful, we may build doctrine around God's sovereign intervention for  mankind and leave out man's responsibility.

We must beware of a gospel that puts all responsibility on God's grace and sovereignty without a corresponding response from man.

This ideology is what is breeding the false grace messages that has made some to think the grace of God gives liberty to live anyhow.

Jude 1:4 says, "I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives..."( NLT).

Whereas God's grace in redemption teaches and empower us to live right. Right living is a choice made by man under grace. It is God's to give grace but it is man's response to grace to live right.

Titus 2:11-12 says, "For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. [12] And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God"( NLT).

The provisions made by God in redemption are not automatically conferred on man. Man's response is required. A man can walk away from God's marvelous grace and become apostate ( 1 Timothy 4:1, Heb 3:12-14;6:1-4, 2 Pet 1:10).

If God could force salvation on mankind, everyone on earth would be saved by now. If he could force healing&deliverance on mankind, every human on earth would be delivered by now.

Man is not a robot that can be controlled here and there. He is a free moral agent with the capacity to decide his own course of action. Once you take that away from man, he becomes a robot.