Let me ask an important question. Is it correct for us to interpret God’s actions, fairness, and His standard of justice by our standard of fairness and justice? We must not do so. It will lead to an unbiblical view of God. Let’s take the example of Job. After the Lord took away his family and possessions, Job did not charge God with wrongdoing, although Job did acknowledge that God did it when he said,
“The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."
In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrong doing” (Job 1:21-22).
We know that Satan was the doer of these events. And he used the Chaldeans and Sabeans, and a powerful storm. Job acknowledged God’s sovereignty and control over all these and said, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.” The LORD did it but Job didn’t sin by charging God with wrongdoing. Later Job said, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10)
By our standard of wrongdoing, fairness and justice, what happened to Job, his children, and possessions was evil, unjust and unfair. We would never do that to Job, or allow it. Was what God did evil? No. Job said, “No one can tell God what to do or accuse him of doing evil” (Job 36:23).
Was Job wrong to state that God took away his children and possessions? No. Job said, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;” Did God do wrong? Job said, “It is unthinkable that God would do wrong” (Job 34:12). “and he is always fair." (Job 37:23). Job knew that God is sovereign, and that God was not just a bystander when this tragedy happened to him and his family.
“The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."
In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrong doing” (Job 1:21-22).
We know that Satan was the doer of these events. And he used the Chaldeans and Sabeans, and a powerful storm. Job acknowledged God’s sovereignty and control over all these and said, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.” The LORD did it but Job didn’t sin by charging God with wrongdoing. Later Job said, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10)
By our standard of wrongdoing, fairness and justice, what happened to Job, his children, and possessions was evil, unjust and unfair. We would never do that to Job, or allow it. Was what God did evil? No. Job said, “No one can tell God what to do or accuse him of doing evil” (Job 36:23).
Was Job wrong to state that God took away his children and possessions? No. Job said, “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;” Did God do wrong? Job said, “It is unthinkable that God would do wrong” (Job 34:12). “and he is always fair." (Job 37:23). Job knew that God is sovereign, and that God was not just a bystander when this tragedy happened to him and his family.
The sovereignty of God means God’s rule and authority over all things. Erickson says, “God’s choices and decisions are in no way constrained by factors outside himself; also God’s right to choose without being answerable to anyone or anything outside himself.”
The following is a biblical study of who God is and what He does.
God causes calamity & disaster
Lamentations 3:38
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?
Amos 3:6
When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.
Micah 1:12
Those who live in Maroth writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the LORD,
Daniel 4:35
All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"
Ephesians 1:11
(God) works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will
God controls natural disaster
Psalms 135:6-7
The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Psalms 147:15-18
He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
Ps 148:8
lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,
Ps 105:16
He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;
God causes turmoil between nations
2 Chron 15:5-6
In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress.
Isa 37:26
"Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.
Isa 42:24
Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned?
Jer 34:21-22
"I will hand Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon, which has withdrawn from you. I am going to give the order, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take it and burn it down. And I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there."
Jer 47:6-7
"`Ah, sword of the LORD,' [ you cry,] `how long till you rest? Return to your scabbard; cease and be still.' 7 But how can it rest when the LORD has commanded it, when he has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?"
Jer 51:1-2 Judgment of Babylon
This is what the LORD says: "See, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon and the people of Leb Kamai. I will send foreigners to Babylon to winnow her and to devastate her land;
Ezek 28:7-8 Judgment of the King of Tyre
I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor. They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas.
Isa 14:24-27
The LORD Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand. I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders." This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
God controls disease and physical disabilities
Ex 4:11-12
The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
Job 2:7 Satan may cause it, but behind disease is the ultimate will of God.
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Job 2:9-10
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
James 5:11 God has an ultimate purpose
You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
God’s control of evil (spirits)
2 Cor 12:6-7
And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me-- to keep me from exalting myself!
Satan’s purpose in this affliction was not to bring humility to Paul. Therefore the purpose is God’s, which means Satan is being used by God to accomplish His good purposes in Paul’s life.
Job 1:11-12 Satan said to God
“But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Mark 1:27
He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."
God controls even “little things”
Matt 10:29
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground (die) apart from the will of your Father.
God is so sovereign that not even a little bird will die unless the Father wills it.
God controls “chance”
Prov 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
God owns all things
1 Chron 29:11-12
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
Ps 50:10-12
for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
God controls moral evil, free choice & man’s sin.
Acts 4:27-28
Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
Gen 50:20 God meant it (evil) for good, that is, the sin against Joseph by his brothers.
"And 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.
Deut 32:39
There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.
James 4:14-15 Life belongs to God
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
Jer 10:23
I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
Zech 8:10
Before that time there were no wages for man or beast. No one could go about his business safely because of his enemy, for I had turned every man against his neighbor.
Prov 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
Prov 20:24
A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?
Prov 21:1
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
Rom 9:19-21
One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, `Why did you make me like this?'"
At this point in our study we might ask an interesting question.
Q: Is God the author of sin?
If, by this question, we mean, God “be meant the sinner, the agent, or the actor of sin, or the doer of a wicked thing…it would be a reproach and blasphemy to suppose God to be the author of sin. Edwards says God is “the permitter…of sin; and at the same time, a disposer of the state of events, in such a manner, for wise, holy and most excellent ends and purposes, that sin, if it be permitted…will most certainly and infallibly follow.”
Quote by Jonathan Edwards, quoted from John Piper, Desiring God Ministries, (888/346-4700) www.desiringGOD.org
Another difficulty in our understanding of God's ways is when He actually wills that what He hates comes to pass. This is an area, especially, where God’s ways and thoughts are not ours.
Here are some of God’s ways that certainly are not our ways.
God opposes hatred, yet ordained that His people be hated in Egypt.
Ps 105:24-25
The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.
God hardens Pharaoh’s heart to not let His people go, but commands him to let His people go.
Ex 4:21
The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Ex 5:1
Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.'"
Ex 8:1-2
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, `This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
God states it's sin for David to take a military census of His people, but He ordains that he do it.
2 Sam 24:1
Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."
2 Sam 24:10
David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."
God opposes murder, but ordains the murder of His Son.
Acts 4:27-28
Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
But I think the following is the greatest mystery and difficulty in our knowledge of God’s ways. Scripture teaches God chooses men for salvation.
We begin in the Gospels and continue through the New Testament, examining the Scripture and mystery of God’s sovereignty over the salvation of the elect.
Mark 13:20
"And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect whom He chose, He shortened the days.
When Christ returns, the angels will gather His elect
Mark 13:27
"And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven.”
Justice will come to those elected, who cry out to Him
Luke 18:7
now shall not God bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night,
Christians are given to the Son by the Father
John 6:37
"All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
John 6:39
"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
John 10:27-29
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
Jesus gives “life” to whoever He pleases
John 5:21
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
No one comes to Christ unless the Father draws him
John 6:44
"No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him;
Jesus did not choose Judas
John 13:18
"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen.
He chose His apostles
John 15:16
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.
Acts 1:2
after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
The Lord was building His church
Acts 2:46-47
they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
He chose Paul
Acts 9:15-16
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;
He chose those who would see the risen Christ
Acts 10:40-41
"God raised Him up on the third day, and granted that He should become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God,
Those who God has appointed to eternal life believe in Jesus
Acts 13:48
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
God has chosen a remnant from Israel and hardened the rest
Rom 11:5
So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
Rom 11:7-8
What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written,
The “called” are according to God’s purpose
Rom 8:28
And 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.
Those He called, He predestined to grow into His image
Rom 8:29
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,
Those God predestined, He called in a point in time
Rom 8:30
and whom He predestined, these He also called;
God chooses individuals and justifies
Rom 8:33
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
God chose Jacob, not Esau (hated him) (yes, a mystery to us, but still a truth of God that we must not alter because we don’t understand it, or because it doesn’t fit into our system of fairness or justice)
Rom 9:11-13
for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
God’s choice was made before they were born. Before they did anything good or bad. Therefore, it wasn’t based on anything the twins did, “not because of works.” God’s choice is not based on His foreknowledge of what a person will do.
God chooses those He will have mercy on
Rom 9:15
For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
God’s salvation (mercy) is directed to those He chooses. It's not received by the will or choice of man
Rom 9:16
So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
Rom 9:18
So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
Here we have a truth about God that many of us have great difficulty embracing. My choice in believing in and receiving Jesus Christ was actually predetermined by God. God chose me. He gave me His grace, the gift of faith to believe in Him, resulting in eternal life. Although this was predetermined before creation, it took place in a point of time and I experienced it. At a point in time I believed in Jesus Christ. What was once foolish, “the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:18), was no longer foolishness. A miracle took place within my heart, and “with my heart I believed, resulting in righteousness” (Rom. 10:10). It felt as though I made the choice, that I made the decision to believe and receive Jesus Christ. That is what I was taught. But I learned from God’s Word that the decision, the miracle of new life did not come to me as a result of my choice, rather, any choice from my viewpoint was pre-determined by God’s choice.
God has (graciously) chosen a remnant
Rom 11:5
In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice.
God elects and hardens
Rom 11:7
What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened
God has chosen the foolish and weak
1 Cor 1:26-30
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus.
God predestined those He chose in Ephesus, according to His will
Eph 1:11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will
God “made” us alive, even when we were dead
Eph 2:4-5
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)
God chose those who were to be saved in Colosse
Col 3:12
And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
God chose the Thessalonians who would be saved
1 Thess 1:4
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you
2 Thess 2:13
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation
Paul’s ministry and endurance in his life is for the chosen
2 Tim 2:10
For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen,
Paul was an apostle for the faith of those chosen
Titus 1:1
Paul, a bond-servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God
James said God chooses the poor
James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
Peter was an apostle for those chosen
1 Peter 1:1-2
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
Many will interpret the words “chosen, elect, predestined” as meaning God, through His foreknowledge, saw who would freely choose Jesus. On that basis they are then called chosen. In other words, our choice determines God’s choice of us. Not only does the intent of each previous passage refute this, but the word “foreknowledge” also refutes it. It’s an action word. The word does not mean God is looking down at mankind, hoping they will be smart enough to choose His Son. Jesus was crucified by the foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23). Foreknowledge means God knows before hand what He is going to do. Which includes knowing before hand those He will have mercy on.
One might ask, "Isn’t it God’s will that none should perish but all come to repentance?"
2 Peter 3:9.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
We must not remove this passage from it’s context. The promise referred to in this passage is the promise of Christ’s coming. He’s patiently waiting for all those who will yet come to repentance. If He came today, those who would come to repentance tomorrow, and thereafter would be lost. Therefore, God is patient, not willing that any of these chosen ones should perish. But the day will come when the last person will be saved. And then He will come back. When He comes there will most likely be millions, if not billions, not saved.
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession,
Peter wanted Christians to know they were chosen
1 Peter 5:13
She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings,
John wanted Christians to know they were chosen
2 John 1
The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth
2 John 13
The children of your chosen sister greet you.
John calls Christians “chosen”
Rev 17:14
"These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."
The preceding verses, all speak to the doctrinal truth that those who believe in Jesus are all drawn, granted, enabled, chosen, elected, saved, appointed, called, predestined, given mercy, made alive, by God’s sovereign power. Some Christians have an emotional difficulty here, thinking it’s not fair that God would choose some for heaven and then thinking God chooses some for hell. I recently asked a young man why he thought people will be sent to hell. He told me, “because of their rejection of Jesus Christ.” Is this the reason? Let’s go back and look at man and sin in the beginning. Man was created by God, in His image and likeness. Man was created in innocence, free of sin and it's penalty. But then sin entered the world by one man. Through Adam’s sin of disobedience to God's revealed will, man lost his innocence. This included the sentence of spiritual and physical death. The result of this sin was man's total inability of choosing or doing anything acceptable to God apart from His divine grace. Because of Adams sin, sin and God's wrath have been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. Men are sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Ps. 14:1-3; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-11; Gal. 3:22). Therefore, man's judgment to the lake of fire is not because he rejects Jesus Christ, but because he was born in sin, separated from God, spiritually dead in Adam’s sin. He is now completely dead in trespasses and sins. In this state, fallen man does not have the ability to make himself alive. He naturally rejects Jesus Christ and the word of God. He is fully deserving of judgment and hell. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23) and “all” have sinned (Romans 3:23), therefore, the entire human race has fallen short of God’s glory and is rightly doomed for judgment. God doesn’t choose some for hell, but because of His justice, all stand condemned. God is now choosing a remnant from this group for heaven, just as He graciously chose one nation, Israel, in the Old Covenant.
It’s vitally important to see the fallen state of mankind through God’s eyes. For from that state comes the understanding why God has to “make us alive” (Eph. 2:4-5). The following passages speak of the fallen state, the depravity of unsaved mankind.
1 Cor 15:22
For as in Adam all die
Rom 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men,
Rom 5:16
for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation,
Gal 3:10
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
Rom 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Rom 6:23
For the wages of sin is death,
Rom 3:9-11
We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
Mark 10:18
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good-except God alone.
Eph 2:1
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
Eph 2:3
Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
Eph 2:5
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions
Titus 3:3-5
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
John 5:21
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
Col 1:21-22
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-
Here’s another action of God that is very difficult for us to understand. God actually hardens hearts.
John 12:39-41
For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, "He has blinded their eyes, and He hardened their heart; lest they see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and be converted, and I heal them."
Luke 8:10
He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, "though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'
Rom 11:7
What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
Rom 11:8-9
"God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day."
Rom 9:18
So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
Ex 4:21
The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Josh 11:20
For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Isa 63:17
Why, O LORD, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you?
Although I don’t understand all that God does, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8), I know “he doeth all things well,” and that He “causes all things to work together for good, for those who love Him, for those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Since He’s in control of “all” things, actually causing them to work for our good, we can trust Him. If there is anything, or any event that He is not in total control of, how then can we trust that kind of God? The God of the Bible is in control of all things, including those who receive eternal life. And nothing happens worldwide that He is not in control of. Even though we may not understand His ways, we can, and must trust Him.
The following is a biblical study of who God is and what He does.
God causes calamity & disaster
Lamentations 3:38
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?
Amos 3:6
When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.
Micah 1:12
Those who live in Maroth writhe in pain, waiting for relief, because disaster has come from the LORD,
Daniel 4:35
All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"
Ephesians 1:11
(God) works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will
God controls natural disaster
Psalms 135:6-7
The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Psalms 147:15-18
He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
Ps 148:8
lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,
Ps 105:16
He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;
God causes turmoil between nations
2 Chron 15:5-6
In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress.
Isa 37:26
"Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.
Isa 42:24
Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned?
Jer 34:21-22
"I will hand Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon, which has withdrawn from you. I am going to give the order, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take it and burn it down. And I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there."
Jer 47:6-7
"`Ah, sword of the LORD,' [ you cry,] `how long till you rest? Return to your scabbard; cease and be still.' 7 But how can it rest when the LORD has commanded it, when he has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?"
Jer 51:1-2 Judgment of Babylon
This is what the LORD says: "See, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon and the people of Leb Kamai. I will send foreigners to Babylon to winnow her and to devastate her land;
Ezek 28:7-8 Judgment of the King of Tyre
I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor. They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas.
Isa 14:24-27
The LORD Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand. I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders." This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?
God controls disease and physical disabilities
Ex 4:11-12
The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
Job 2:7 Satan may cause it, but behind disease is the ultimate will of God.
So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Job 2:9-10
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!" He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
James 5:11 God has an ultimate purpose
You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
God’s control of evil (spirits)
2 Cor 12:6-7
And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me-- to keep me from exalting myself!
Satan’s purpose in this affliction was not to bring humility to Paul. Therefore the purpose is God’s, which means Satan is being used by God to accomplish His good purposes in Paul’s life.
Job 1:11-12 Satan said to God
“But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Mark 1:27
He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."
God controls even “little things”
Matt 10:29
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground (die) apart from the will of your Father.
God is so sovereign that not even a little bird will die unless the Father wills it.
God controls “chance”
Prov 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
God owns all things
1 Chron 29:11-12
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
Ps 50:10-12
for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
God controls moral evil, free choice & man’s sin.
Acts 4:27-28
Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
Gen 50:20 God meant it (evil) for good, that is, the sin against Joseph by his brothers.
"And 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.
Deut 32:39
There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.
James 4:14-15 Life belongs to God
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
Jer 10:23
I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
Zech 8:10
Before that time there were no wages for man or beast. No one could go about his business safely because of his enemy, for I had turned every man against his neighbor.
Prov 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.
Prov 20:24
A man's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?
Prov 21:1
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
Rom 9:19-21
One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, `Why did you make me like this?'"
At this point in our study we might ask an interesting question.
Q: Is God the author of sin?
If, by this question, we mean, God “be meant the sinner, the agent, or the actor of sin, or the doer of a wicked thing…it would be a reproach and blasphemy to suppose God to be the author of sin. Edwards says God is “the permitter…of sin; and at the same time, a disposer of the state of events, in such a manner, for wise, holy and most excellent ends and purposes, that sin, if it be permitted…will most certainly and infallibly follow.”
Quote by Jonathan Edwards, quoted from John Piper, Desiring God Ministries, (888/346-4700) www.desiringGOD.org
Another difficulty in our understanding of God's ways is when He actually wills that what He hates comes to pass. This is an area, especially, where God’s ways and thoughts are not ours.
Here are some of God’s ways that certainly are not our ways.
God opposes hatred, yet ordained that His people be hated in Egypt.
Ps 105:24-25
The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.
God hardens Pharaoh’s heart to not let His people go, but commands him to let His people go.
Ex 4:21
The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Ex 5:1
Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.'"
Ex 8:1-2
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, `This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.
God states it's sin for David to take a military census of His people, but He ordains that he do it.
2 Sam 24:1
Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."
2 Sam 24:10
David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."
God opposes murder, but ordains the murder of His Son.
Acts 4:27-28
Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
But I think the following is the greatest mystery and difficulty in our knowledge of God’s ways. Scripture teaches God chooses men for salvation.
We begin in the Gospels and continue through the New Testament, examining the Scripture and mystery of God’s sovereignty over the salvation of the elect.
Mark 13:20
"And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect whom He chose, He shortened the days.
When Christ returns, the angels will gather His elect
Mark 13:27
"And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven.”
Justice will come to those elected, who cry out to Him
Luke 18:7
now shall not God bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night,
Christians are given to the Son by the Father
John 6:37
"All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
John 6:39
"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
John 10:27-29
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
Jesus gives “life” to whoever He pleases
John 5:21
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
No one comes to Christ unless the Father draws him
John 6:44
"No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him;
Jesus did not choose Judas
John 13:18
"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen.
He chose His apostles
John 15:16
"You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.
Acts 1:2
after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
The Lord was building His church
Acts 2:46-47
they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
He chose Paul
Acts 9:15-16
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;
He chose those who would see the risen Christ
Acts 10:40-41
"God raised Him up on the third day, and granted that He should become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God,
Those who God has appointed to eternal life believe in Jesus
Acts 13:48
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
God has chosen a remnant from Israel and hardened the rest
Rom 11:5
So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
Rom 11:7-8
What then? That which Israel is seeking for, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written,
The “called” are according to God’s purpose
Rom 8:28
And 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.
Those He called, He predestined to grow into His image
Rom 8:29
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,
Those God predestined, He called in a point in time
Rom 8:30
and whom He predestined, these He also called;
God chooses individuals and justifies
Rom 8:33
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
God chose Jacob, not Esau (hated him) (yes, a mystery to us, but still a truth of God that we must not alter because we don’t understand it, or because it doesn’t fit into our system of fairness or justice)
Rom 9:11-13
for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger." Just as it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
God’s choice was made before they were born. Before they did anything good or bad. Therefore, it wasn’t based on anything the twins did, “not because of works.” God’s choice is not based on His foreknowledge of what a person will do.
God chooses those He will have mercy on
Rom 9:15
For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
God’s salvation (mercy) is directed to those He chooses. It's not received by the will or choice of man
Rom 9:16
So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
Rom 9:18
So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
Here we have a truth about God that many of us have great difficulty embracing. My choice in believing in and receiving Jesus Christ was actually predetermined by God. God chose me. He gave me His grace, the gift of faith to believe in Him, resulting in eternal life. Although this was predetermined before creation, it took place in a point of time and I experienced it. At a point in time I believed in Jesus Christ. What was once foolish, “the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:18), was no longer foolishness. A miracle took place within my heart, and “with my heart I believed, resulting in righteousness” (Rom. 10:10). It felt as though I made the choice, that I made the decision to believe and receive Jesus Christ. That is what I was taught. But I learned from God’s Word that the decision, the miracle of new life did not come to me as a result of my choice, rather, any choice from my viewpoint was pre-determined by God’s choice.
God has (graciously) chosen a remnant
Rom 11:5
In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice.
God elects and hardens
Rom 11:7
What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened
God has chosen the foolish and weak
1 Cor 1:26-30
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus.
God predestined those He chose in Ephesus, according to His will
Eph 1:11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will
God “made” us alive, even when we were dead
Eph 2:4-5
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)
God chose those who were to be saved in Colosse
Col 3:12
And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
God chose the Thessalonians who would be saved
1 Thess 1:4
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you
2 Thess 2:13
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation
Paul’s ministry and endurance in his life is for the chosen
2 Tim 2:10
For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen,
Paul was an apostle for the faith of those chosen
Titus 1:1
Paul, a bond-servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God
James said God chooses the poor
James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
Peter was an apostle for those chosen
1 Peter 1:1-2
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
Many will interpret the words “chosen, elect, predestined” as meaning God, through His foreknowledge, saw who would freely choose Jesus. On that basis they are then called chosen. In other words, our choice determines God’s choice of us. Not only does the intent of each previous passage refute this, but the word “foreknowledge” also refutes it. It’s an action word. The word does not mean God is looking down at mankind, hoping they will be smart enough to choose His Son. Jesus was crucified by the foreknowledge of God (Acts 2:23). Foreknowledge means God knows before hand what He is going to do. Which includes knowing before hand those He will have mercy on.
One might ask, "Isn’t it God’s will that none should perish but all come to repentance?"
2 Peter 3:9.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
We must not remove this passage from it’s context. The promise referred to in this passage is the promise of Christ’s coming. He’s patiently waiting for all those who will yet come to repentance. If He came today, those who would come to repentance tomorrow, and thereafter would be lost. Therefore, God is patient, not willing that any of these chosen ones should perish. But the day will come when the last person will be saved. And then He will come back. When He comes there will most likely be millions, if not billions, not saved.
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession,
Peter wanted Christians to know they were chosen
1 Peter 5:13
She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings,
John wanted Christians to know they were chosen
2 John 1
The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth
2 John 13
The children of your chosen sister greet you.
John calls Christians “chosen”
Rev 17:14
"These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."
The preceding verses, all speak to the doctrinal truth that those who believe in Jesus are all drawn, granted, enabled, chosen, elected, saved, appointed, called, predestined, given mercy, made alive, by God’s sovereign power. Some Christians have an emotional difficulty here, thinking it’s not fair that God would choose some for heaven and then thinking God chooses some for hell. I recently asked a young man why he thought people will be sent to hell. He told me, “because of their rejection of Jesus Christ.” Is this the reason? Let’s go back and look at man and sin in the beginning. Man was created by God, in His image and likeness. Man was created in innocence, free of sin and it's penalty. But then sin entered the world by one man. Through Adam’s sin of disobedience to God's revealed will, man lost his innocence. This included the sentence of spiritual and physical death. The result of this sin was man's total inability of choosing or doing anything acceptable to God apart from His divine grace. Because of Adams sin, sin and God's wrath have been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. Men are sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Ps. 14:1-3; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-11; Gal. 3:22). Therefore, man's judgment to the lake of fire is not because he rejects Jesus Christ, but because he was born in sin, separated from God, spiritually dead in Adam’s sin. He is now completely dead in trespasses and sins. In this state, fallen man does not have the ability to make himself alive. He naturally rejects Jesus Christ and the word of God. He is fully deserving of judgment and hell. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23) and “all” have sinned (Romans 3:23), therefore, the entire human race has fallen short of God’s glory and is rightly doomed for judgment. God doesn’t choose some for hell, but because of His justice, all stand condemned. God is now choosing a remnant from this group for heaven, just as He graciously chose one nation, Israel, in the Old Covenant.
It’s vitally important to see the fallen state of mankind through God’s eyes. For from that state comes the understanding why God has to “make us alive” (Eph. 2:4-5). The following passages speak of the fallen state, the depravity of unsaved mankind.
1 Cor 15:22
For as in Adam all die
Rom 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men,
Rom 5:16
for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation,
Gal 3:10
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."
James 2:10
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
Rom 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Rom 6:23
For the wages of sin is death,
Rom 3:9-11
We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
Mark 10:18
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good-except God alone.
Eph 2:1
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
Eph 2:3
Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
Eph 2:5
made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions
Titus 3:3-5
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
John 5:21
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
Col 1:21-22
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-
Here’s another action of God that is very difficult for us to understand. God actually hardens hearts.
John 12:39-41
For this cause they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, "He has blinded their eyes, and He hardened their heart; lest they see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and be converted, and I heal them."
Luke 8:10
He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, "though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'
Rom 11:7
What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
Rom 11:8-9
"God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day."
Rom 9:18
So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
Ex 4:21
The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Josh 11:20
For it was the LORD himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Isa 63:17
Why, O LORD, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you?
Although I don’t understand all that God does, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8), I know “he doeth all things well,” and that He “causes all things to work together for good, for those who love Him, for those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Since He’s in control of “all” things, actually causing them to work for our good, we can trust Him. If there is anything, or any event that He is not in total control of, how then can we trust that kind of God? The God of the Bible is in control of all things, including those who receive eternal life. And nothing happens worldwide that He is not in control of. Even though we may not understand His ways, we can, and must trust Him.
2 comments:
Seems like I've heard all of this somewhere before.
Dave, this is good stuff! Your book is going to be an excellent treatise on "end times" doctrine (the correct doctrine!), I'd like to get all 8 chapters. As I read it, it was like hearing my inner voice saying: "See, I knew that this is what it is really going to be like (the Day of the Lord)!", thanks for writing it down in an easy to read/understand manner. Will
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