Posted on 01/15/2018 4:42:14 PM PST by metmom
"[God] made known the mystery of His will according to His kind intention which He purposed in [Christ] with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth" (Eph. 1:9-10).
God is intimately involved in the flow of human history and is directing its course toward a specific, predetermined climax.
For centuries men of various philosophical schools have debated the cause, course, and climax of human history. Some deny God and therefore deny any divine involvement in history. Others believe that God set everything in motion, then withdrew to let it progress on its own. Still others believe that God is intimately involved in the flow of human history and is directing its course toward a specific, predetermined climax.
In Ephesians 1:9-10 Paul settles that debate by reminding us that Jesus Himself is the goal of human history. In Him all things will be summed up—all human history will be resolved and united to the Father through the work of the Son.
As Paul said elsewhere, "It was the Father's good pleasure for all the fulness [of deity] to dwell in [Christ], and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross" (Col. 1:19-20). The culmination of Christ's reconciling work will come during His millennial kingdom (Rev. 20). Following that, He will usher in the eternal state with a new heaven and earth (Rev. 21).
Despite the political uncertainty and military unrest in the world today, be assured that God is in control. He governs the world (Isa. 40:22-24), the nations (Isa. 40:15- 17), and individuals as well (Prov. 16:9). God's timetable is right on schedule. Nothing takes Him by surprise and nothing thwarts His purposes. Ultimately He will vanquish evil and make everything right in Christ.
Suggestions for Prayer
Thank God for the wisdom and insight He gives you to see beyond your temporal circumstances to His eternal purposes. Live today with that perspective in mind.
For Further Study
Read Revelation 20.
What happens to Satan prior to the millennial kingdom? How does Satan meet his final doom? What happens at the great white throne judgment?
Studying God’s Word ping
Do you believe that God is driving your car ? Do you believe that Cancer for a child is the sovereign will of God? I do not.
One of my kids was born with a chromosomal defect. The little one is missing some DNA.
When we found out about this we were devastated as most parents would be.
However, I will tell you this child has been a blessing in so many ways. I have really been able to see the hand of God at work through this situation.
Now to your question....did God intentionally cause this?
No, I don't think so. We live in a world that has been corrupted by sin. Not everything in this world is perfect. A lot of people question God or blame God for the imperfections in this world. In other words, the pot is criticizing the potter.
I know this...God is Sovereign. He is in control.
The verses below from Romans sum up how I view God...and how He is in all things.
26In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
27and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
30and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
32He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
33Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;
34who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”
37But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:26-39 NASB
Then we are both Deists. God didn’t order the Chromosomic defect for your child or the horrible genetic disaster in my grand son. He did not punish your child. He does not impose Cancer on anyone. Right? I understand he is “sovereign” but the definition is very important. It doesn’t mean he drives your car if you are texting at 80 MPH. Right?
If I sin...does God cause me to sin? No. God cannot cause someone to sin as it is against His nature.
I serve a loving and forgiving, but just, God. As I noted in the passage from Romans, He causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and called for His purpose.
Beautiful.... Let us never lose sight of who we are and whose we are....
May God receive all glory from this!
There is a difference between Gods permissive will and His perfect will. When God allowed free will and we sinned things haliened that God did not desire but permitted as the cost of our free will.
The other side of the coin is the little ones that suffer do so only for a short time. Paul says our light and momentary sufferings are nothing in comparison to the glory that awaits. God thinks this present suffering is worth the outcome. Who am I to argue with Him? Eternity with the Lord is so glorious that what seems overwhelming now will vanish the moment we see Him face to face.
God works in strange ways. I know He has in my life, but it has taken years, and hopefully still will, to see and understand that for as long as I’m alive.
I often disagree strongly with radio host Michael Medved, yet several years ago he developed a program (which I believe is still available) that follows the flow of God’s influence in human affairs, and particularly across American history, fairly convincingly.
Greater minds that yours or mine have wrestled with those kinds of questions for far longer than both of us have been alive, and you know what?
Nobody has an answer yet.
Either God is sovereign or He is not. Then you can get into the hair splitting of the sovereign will of God and His permissive will. But the long and short of it is, that it hardly matters whether He caused it or let it happen. It doesn’t change the situation or how either I or God are going to deal with it.
What to do with sickness and evil and suffering?
Instead of asking *Why?* ask *How can I best glorify You in this situation I find myself in?*
Then why do we keep telling ourselves that God is in charge? There are so many questions that we do not know the answer of. It is very easy to stop believing in a caring God.
We tell ourselves that God is in charge because HE told us He is in charge. From http://www.learnthebible.org/thoughts-meditations/god-governs-in-the-affairs-of-men.html:
I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided by our little partial local interests, our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a by-word down to future ages. And, what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance despair of establishing government by human wisdom, and leave it to chance, war and conquest.
"I therefore beg leave to move, that henceforth prayers, imploring the assistance of heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning and that one of more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service."
I concur with bb's answer.
I might add, though, that while God is sovereign, we are not robots. We have will and make choices. Also, God gave to man dominion over the earth, and I don't see yet that that has been revoked.
Someday Christ will set up His kingdom and rule with a rod of iron and things will be as we (believers at least) wish they would be, with truth, and justice.
In the meantime, God has given to us the provision of prayer to ask for divine intervention.
There are so many questions that we do not know the answer of.
That sure enough is true. I have plenty of my own.
It is very easy to stop believing in a caring God.
That is also true. It's a trap that is easy to fall into when we see the evil and suffering people can inflict on each other and that they have to endure.
I myself cannot wrap my mind around how God can see what's going on and not stop it and do something about it.
Habbakuk had the same questions.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Habakkuk+1&version=ESV
We all struggle with this. Every one of us.
And there are no easy answers and honestly, even if God gave us one I'm not sure we could understand it.
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