Possibility of Reconciling God’s Sovereignty and Mans Responsibility in Salvation?

[Pilgrim Standard]

Is it at all possible to reconcile God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Responsibility in salvation without an apparent contradiction or paradox?
I am not trying to dig in the dirt here, just trying to flesh out the matter, and am quite curious as to responses.

 

[Bill The Baptist]

"Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"- Romans 11:33

 

[py3ak]

Certainly; the one is the ground for the other.

WCF 3.1

God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.

 

[Pilgrim Standard]

Yes, second causes are the seat of responsibility, God is sovereign, and in no way is responsibile for "working sin" in the will of a person, however this in no way leaves the sinner without responsibility for his actions, nor does it do injustice to the Sovereignty of God.
This is the position I have held.

I am trying to understand a controversy over this matter and am rather floored with it all.

 

[py3ak]

What is the controversy you have in mind?

God's sovereignty is the context for our responsibility. If God were not sovereign, we wouldn't be responsible.
And God works consistently with the nature of what he has created: the liberty and contingency of second causes, including our wills, is included under and established by God's sovereign decree. Therefore the fault is entirely ours.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

The heat around this discussion is rooted in man's desire to peek behind the curtain seeking to learn exactly how God pulls it off. As Spurgeon alluded, some do not mind God sitting on His throne, scepter in hand, they just don't want Him to rule.

AMR

 

[Pilgrim Standard]

What is the controversy you have in mind?

Clark / Van Til
I have checked other threads on the topic, but understanding it is akin to nailing down jello.

The heat around this discussion is rooted in man's desire to peek behind the curtain seeking to learn exactly how God pulls it off. As Spurgeon alluded, some do not mind God sitting on His throne, scepter in hand, they just don't want Him to rule.

I don't think of the issue as attempting to peek behind a curtain as much as understand the relationship between the two.
The relationship seems simple in my mind, (most likely because I am somewhat simple.) However, some of the contents of the arguements seems to allude my current capacity to understand.