A gap or a breach in a city’s wall was an opening that an enemy made in order to enter the city and destroy its inhabitants. The only way to prevent the enemy from entering the city through the breach was for a warrior to risk his life and literally stand in the wall’s opening and fight back the enemy. To “stand in the gap” means to intercede in prayer on someone’s behalf. The metaphor of standing in the gap on someone’s behalf in prayer comes from the experience of literally standing in a wall’s breach (Ps. 106:23; Ezek 13:5, 22:30). Our intercession for others means that we are joining them in fighting against spiritual enemies through prayer.

Yes. The classic Old Testament example is Moses. When Israel made a golden calf and worshiped it, their idolatry angered the Lord to the extent that He was going to destroy them as a people! Moses, however, stood in the breach for Israel when he implored God on their behalf (Ps. 106:23), reminding God of His reputation before the world and His covenant promises. As a result of Moses’ fervent pleading with God, the Lord did not destroy Israel (Ex. 32:7–14).

Yes, it does. Standing in the gap for someone shows a love and understanding of God Himself and His ways. God has made our intercessory prayers a part of His sovereign plan. Standing in the gap also demonstrates love and concern for other people. In Moses’ case, it was obvious that he had a deep love for unworthy and stubborn people and was concerned about them, instead of his own advancement (Ex. 32:10–11).

Your professor’s statement does not show the complexity and tension of the issue. Thoughtful Christians have tried to sort through the doctrines of election and predestination for the last two thousand years! It seems to me that the Scripture teaches three truths about this issue: (1) God the Father chose every follower of Christ in Christ before the foundation of the world, predestining them to salvation and full conformity to Christ (Rom. 8:28–30; Eph. 1:3–5). This is a choice and destiny of grace from all eternity, not dependent on any merit within the person chosen.

(2) Christ died on the cross for the entire human family (1 Tim. 2:3–6; 1 John 2:1–2), but each one of us is responsible to believe the gospel, receiving Christ in faith (John 3:16, 5:24; Acts 16:30–31; 2 Peter 3:9). The sovereignty of God in election and predestination does not eliminate our responsibility to trust Christ for salvation.

(3) God has chosen to allow some people to reject His Son and to experience the eternal consequence of that decision. People are in hell not so much because God sent them there, but because they chose to go there, rejecting Christ as their personal Lord and Savior (Matt. 25:41–46; John 3:3, 16–21; 2 Peter 3:9; Rev. 20:11–15).

Dear follower of Christ, the tension between God’s sovereignty and our responsibility to believe the gospel cannot be resolved in this life. We must hold on rigorously to both of these truths in order to be true to Scripture. We must not set aside one at the expense of the other. We must believe all that the Bible declares about God’s sovereignty (Rom. 9:19–33) and human responsibility (Rom. 10:5–21).

The fact that God by His grace and mercy actually saves sinful people like us is stunning! When we receive Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, God lavishes His grace and mercy on us (Eph. 1:8). In salvation God gives us a new nature: the Holy Spirit Himself takes up residence in us. The saving work of God in a person’s life is a stupendous reality, and this reality should be expressed in a person’s subsequent life. After salvation we live a life of good works to show the reality of what Christ has done in our lives (Eph. 2:8–10). Our good works cannot save us, but we do good works because we are saved (Titus 2:11–14).