Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). The Bible also states that darkness cannot coincide with light (I John 1:5; John 8:12; John 12:46; 1 Thessalonians 5:5). We can’t fill our lives with darkness and expect the presence of God to be evident within us. We spend too much time pursuing our desires and counting on God to bail us out when things don’t go our way. If you’ve been following Jesus for any amount of time, you realize it doesn’t work that way. As creatures of freewill, we have the ability to limit the power and presence of God in our lives. The more we fill our lives with sin and things not of God, the less room we have for Him.
Open Theism
The Devil Made Me Do It
The more time we spend concerning ourselves with selfish pursuits, the less time we have to live the life God created us to live. Most of us would not consider ourselves selfish, but the truth is we spend far more time focused on ourselves than on Christ or anyone else. Our modern society attempts to dictate how we should live, feeding subtle – and not so subtle – messages into our minds at a dizzying rate. Satan has masterfully disguised his undermining of God’s character by manipulating the societal forces that play into our psyches every day. The tricks of the devil are as old as creation. He tempted Eve by questioning the trustworthiness of God, implying He had an ulterior motive to keep her from eating of the forbidden fruit. Today He slyly convinces us that we need more “stuff” and to look out for ourselves first, clearly calling into question God’s ability to provide for our needs.
When Tragedy Strikes
The bombings at the Boston Marathon again have people shaking their fists, pointing fingers, and asking, “Where was God?” The first instinct of many when something tragic occurs is to blame God for not preventing it or even to accuse Him of orchestrating it. Strip away everything else you know about God and you will be left with an incomprehensible love. Love does not maim; it does not kill. Love protects and heals. There is no part of the bombing that was part of God’s plan, despite what some seriously misguided individuals might have you believe. Sickness and hatred were behind the bombings. These traits are the antithesis of who God is.
Freewill and the Sovereignty of God, Part II
Understanding the concept of freewill (see “Freewill and the Sovereignty of God, Part I”) makes it easier to comprehend why evil occurs in our world and to interpret God’s plan for our lives. If we perceive God before the beginning of time planning out every detail of every life, we are left with no other choice but to think that God plans and thus approves every atrocity that has befallen man. It then becomes impossible to reconcile a God who loves us beyond measure with a God who would allow barbarities such as the attempted extinction of the Jews by Hitler, the genocides in Rwanda and Sudan or the everyday abductions of children around the world. The best way I know of determining truth in a given matter is to compare it to the character of God. Therefore, since the thought that God would plan and approve of evil is in direct contradiction with the God we see revealed in scripture, we can reason that the teaching that God has preordained evil and calamity is simply not true.
[Read more…] about Freewill and the Sovereignty of God, Part II
Freewill and the Sovereignty of God, Part I
I should have known when we embarked on our “Tough Topic Thursday’s” that there was no way a single blog post on any subject would be sufficient! Today we will dive into the topic of freewill. This might get a little heavy, but stick with me; we need to lay the groundwork for the next week or two on this issue.
So many have questioned why bad things happen to good people or why a loving God allows evil in our world. To understand the answers to questions like these, we first have to understand the concept of freewill. Let me state first and foremost that God is sovereign over the outcomes in our world(Psalm 103:19; Acts 2:22-23; Acts 4:27-28); He is in control and no matter what occurs on earth, He is able to bring His overarching plan to pass. God is all powerful (Jeremiah 32:27; Revelation 19:6 ) and can bring anything He desires into reality. However, He chooses to give humans freewill and to work with them in bringing about His plans.
[Read more…] about Freewill and the Sovereignty of God, Part I