Sovereignty

A person who strives to control their life's environment does so out of fear. A controlling spirit is the direct result of fear. They pursue with diligence the paths and options to direct personal circumstances that will line up with their own mind's understanding and comfort, and to bring into conformity the people about them that may have a direct impact on consequences that will affect their lives.

On a larger scale they will engage with special interest groups to fight against events in their world that threaten their common peace and prosperity. Their perception of life is that it is randomly chaotic at the will of mankind. Trust only exists with those that come alongside and support their paranoia. They are people with an agenda. They are people without the full understanding of God's sovereignty.

By the nature of Adam, man's only will is an inclination to do evil. (Genesis 6:5) He finds himself free to manipulate his environment to suit himself. His selfish choices are limited only by his capacity and resourcefulness: however, all his choices are self serving.

Having then this depraved nature in a corrupt world, which is made inhabitable only by God's grace and protection, and by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, do we really think we could hold our lives together by mere choice without the supernatural, sovereign intervention and design by God? We would be utterly destroyed before our feet hit the floor!

"But the Lord is faithful and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one." (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

It is unbelief for a Christ follower to think they have control over their own destiny at any point in their life, but as God determines in His elect, this errant philosophy that is founded on fear will be replaced with faith and trust from God; that He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it; that while we are faithless, He is faithful; that it is God who works in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it is going: so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8)

PJR

"Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart." (Ephesians 4:17,18)

For an in depth study of free will vs.depravity go to:

http://www.enjoyinggodministries.com/article/freedom-and-depravity-part-i/

http://www.enjoyinggodministries.com/article/freedom-and-depravity-part-ii/