Compatibilism: issues arising from God's sovereignty and man's moral responsibility in making decisions

Scripture tells us that God sovereignly rules his universe by governing the laws and regularities of the natural order, orchestrating the events of history toward his desired end, and guiding the hearts of men for his glory. And yet, Scripture also tells us that man is held accountable for his actions and his decisions in this life by Him who judges all things according to his righteousness. Some of the most gruesome arguments in Church history have escalated from attempts to resolve this apparent contradiction within the Christian religion. This usually happens from people landing on one extreme of the spectrum or the other. For example, hyper Calvinists have made arguments that resemble fatalism and hard determinism, while semi-Pelagians would argue that the freedom of man's will is autonomous, with us making "free" decisions without any kind of imposition or coercion from God. And yet, Scripture seems to reveal a mystery that is much deeper. See the following examples below:

1. Joseph's brothers knew they had wronged him in their decision to cast him out for dead those many years ago, and yet, Joseph tells them there was a deeper plan involved from the outset that was beyond their comprehension - "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Genesis 50:20). Though the brothers were completely responsible for the free decisions they had made to kill Joseph, God had orchestrated the entire event to bring about the saving of many lives.
2. Another shocking moment is in a prayer for boldness from believers in Acts 4 that describes how the sovereign Lord used the Jews and the Gentiles to bring about the crucifixion of Jesus, "for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place" (Acts 4:27-28). Though it was in their rebellious outrage that the Romans and peoples of Israel put Christ on the cross, it was all apart of the foreordained plan of God.
3. In terms of the sanctification of believers (or the process by which Christians are made holy), the apostle Paul says that while we are to most certainly work this out with every ounce of effort in our beings, it is ultimately God who is making you into a son of righteousness - "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13).

This idea that man's free will is compatible and not logically inconsistent with determinism is called compatibilism. There is a difference between what seems to be logically inconsistent and that which goes far beyond the limits of our finite comprehension - between what we can fathom and that which remains within the confines of the secret counsels of God's will. And as such, we now greet this mystery in Scripture as the grounds for our adoration of Him who governs and orchestrates all things. No, we are not mere puppets masquerading around under the fatalistic schemes of God - but, in the same breath, we are not autonomous beings making choices outside the scope of God's plans. The deep mystery lies in this - that we freely choose that which we most desire at any given moment...and yet, in the most comprehensive and exhaustive sense of the word, God is still in complete control. May our wonder never cease as we ponder this eternal truth. Praise God from whom all blessings flow...