If this is absolutely true, then Mack cannot help but believe as he does, and you are wasting your time trying to convince him otherwise.
God is the sovereign ruler over all of the universe he made, including the hearts and will of men. That said, it is also true that God is good and not the author of sin. The two statements are not mutually exclusive and the Scriptures are not ashamed to proclaim both truths.
You cannot just declare them not to be mutually exclusive. If that is your position, then you need to explain how this can be so.
You cannot just declare them not to be mutually exclusive. If that is your position, then you need to explain how this can be so.
This is a fair question. The best answer that I can give is Joseph's comment to his brothers in Gen 50:20,
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
Sinful men always will their evil intentions to accomplish their own, selfish plans. God however, has His own sovereign motives that accomplish good. I should point out that as creator of the universe, God is the standard of goodness, because he declares himself to be so. There is no external standard of goodness by which to judge God. That is the folly of autonomous man, who wants to set himself up to judge God. We must always remember that we are finite, created beings with limited understanding. God is infinite and knows all things fully. Who are you or I to judge God?? I simply accept His revelation. There is adequate evidence, like the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to suggest that the revelation of God is completely trustworthy.