God is totally sovereign and man is totally responsible. Both of these truths are plainly revealed in Holy Scripture and must be believed by all who acknowledge the authority of the Word of God. God's sovereignty does not relieve man of responsibility. And man's responsibility does not negate God's sovereignty. Both of these blessed gospel truths are illustrated in the passage before us.

In verse 24, the angel of the Lord spoke to Paul, "Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee." Paul, believing God, said, "There shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship" (v. 22). That is God's sovereign decree, immutable, unalterable, and certain. God purposed it, and it must come to pass. Not all the power of hell could prevent it. God says, "I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it" (Isa. 46:11).

Did that sovereign decree relieve the men on board the ship of all responsibility? Did God's decree mean that they would be saved no matter what they might do? Did God's sure and certain purpose mean that these 276 men were no longer obliged to obey him? Not on your life! In verse 31, Paul shows us the place of human responsibility. Some of the shipmen panicked in the storm and were about to abandon the ship. Paul said, "Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved." God had ordained their safety and deliverance from the storm. So their safety and deliverance were matters of absolute certainty. Yet, they could only be saved if they remained in the ship; and they were responsible to do so. If they abandoned the ship, they would all have been lost. If they stayed in the ship, they would all be saved. The burden of responsibility lay squarely upon their shoulders. If they were saved, it would be God's work, and God's work alone. If they were lost, it would be their work, and their work alone.

In the end, God's purpose was accomplished. The ship was lost and the cargo was lost, but every man on board the ship was saved, according to God's unalterable purpose. When the ship was wrecked, "the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. But (God graciously intervened and) the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: and the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass (Exactly as God had ordained!) that they escaped all safe to land" (vv. 42-44).

THE EVENTS RECORDED IN ACTS 27:21-44 CLEARLY ILLUSTRATE GOD'S ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY AND MAN'S COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY IN THE MATTER OF SALVATION. Salvation is accomplished entirely by the sovereign, eternal purpose and work of the triune God (Eph. 1:3-14). Yet, every sinner is responsible to repent and believe the gospel, to trust the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 17:30; I John 3:23). All who do so shall be saved; and all who refuse to do so shall be justly damned forever (Mark 15:16). Here are eight, irrefutable facts, plainly revealed in the Word of God. Study them carefully. Ask God the Holy Spirit to give you an understanding of them.

1. God the Father has a people in this world whom he has sovereignly chosen and determined to save in eternal, electing love (Eph. 1:3-6; II Thess. 2:13-14; Rom. 9:11-18).

2. The Lord God eternally predestinated all things that come to pass in time to secure the salvation of his elect, for the gory of his own great name (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:5, 11).

3. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for and effectually redeemed all whom God the Father chose and purposed to save in eternity (Isa. 53:8; Matt. 1:21; Gal. 3:13; Heb. 9:12).

4. God the Holy Spirit regenerates all who were chosen in eternity and redeemed at Calvary, by the power of his irresistible grace, and causes them to trust Christ (Eph. 2:1-6; John 3:3-8; Psa. 65:4; 110:3).

5. God sovereignly rules all things in providence with the absolute power of omnipotence and the total wisdom of omniscience, according to his eternal purpose of grace, for the salvation of his elect (Rom. 8:28; John 17:2).

6. All God's elect, all true believers, are eternally and infallibly secure in Christ, preserved and kept in him by the power and grace of God (John 10:27-30; Phil. 1:6; I Pet. 1:5; Jude 24-25).

7. Every sinner who trusts the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved (John 3:14-16; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9-13).

8. All who despise God's free grace in Christ and refuse to trust him shall be justly damned forever (Prov. 1:23-33).

These are matters of divine revelation. They are things clearly stated in the Word of God. All who are saved are saved by God's work alone. All who are damned are damned by their own work alone. Read Acts 27:21-44 again and see how it illustrates these truths of Holy Scripture.

IT WAS THE PURPOSE OF GOD TO SAVE EVERY PERSON IN THE SHIP (vv. 21-25). God said he would save them. Therefore, he was honor bound to do so. If even one were to be lost, God's word would be broken, his honor would be lost, and the Almighty would be found a liar! So it is with his elect! IN ORDER FOR THOSE WHOM GOD PURPOSED TO SAVE TO ACTUALLY BE SAVED, THEY HAD TO OBEY HIS WORD (vv. 29-34). God required them to stay in the ship. Had they not done so, they would have perished. But once they committed themselves to the Lord God, they were given the cheering assurance of his saving purpose (vv. 34-35). Even so, God requires us to trust Christ alone for salvation. All who trust him are assured of God's grace (I John 5:10-13). All who refuse to obey the gospel shall perish by their unbelief (John 3:18). GOD GRACIOUSLY OVERRULES ALL OBSTACLES TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE OF GRACE TOWARD HIS ELECT (vv. 41-44). Carefully read Psalm 76:10 and Proverbs 16:1, 4, 9, and 33, and understand that nothing is a hindrance to God. All things are his servants, sovereignly used by him to accomplish his purpose of grace toward his elect. So it came to pass that ALL WHOM GOD PURPOSED TO SAVE WERE SAVED (v. 44). God said, "There shall be no loss of any man's life among you...So it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land." Even so, in the end all God's elect shall be saved (Rom. 11:25, 33-36). Believe God, and be of good cheer. His purpose is sure (Rom. 8:28-39).