For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Troy Davidson
Yes, humans were given the right by God to make their own decisions. In Genesis, God says, "Let Us make man in Our own image", and then immediately defines how we are made in His image by stating, "let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
Our right to dominion, and thus free will choice, does not, however, extend to overriding the sovereignty of God. Nothing happens in the universe unless God allows it to happen, and no one can change the Will of God. So how can we reconcile these two facts?
God's foreknowledge is perfect. Before the creation of the universe He foreknew every person ever to be born, and every choice that they might need to make. He foreknew every circumstance that might befall them, and He also foreknew every possible outcome of every possible decision that each person might make.
So, as freewill beings we can make whatever choice we want in any circumstance, with no restriction on our choices. If we choose within the will of God, we are blessed and our path is smooth. If we choose outside of the will of God, then we pay the penalty for that choice and our way is hard. Since God, in His foreknowledge, already knew what choice we would select, He has also been able to plan for that choice. We chose freely, but He knew ahead of time what we would choose.
Troy Davidson
He is never taken by surprise by our choices, and will make sure that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
How many times in your life have you offered a choice to someone knowing full well that their choice would be before they make it? Does now God also do this, but infinitely more so?
So, we as humans have been given the right by God to make our own choices. God chooses many times to honor our choices and all us to experience the outcomes, but good and bad, of those choices. But God already knew what we would choose, and has already planned His great purposes with that knowledge in mind, so that His perfect will is always completed and never thwarted.
Danny Hickman
Amen.. We have dominion, but He has sovereignty. We make our own decisions and so does He. Our dominion and rule is limited, His sovereignty is by definition, limitless. Yes, we have free will. Our free will doesn't cancel any of God's will or sovereign power.
But here is the crux of it all: we don't have any power of our own. Without Him we cease to live, have being or movement (Acts 17:28). That gives Him final say in all things.