what is a will, continued
Well I measured, and indeed, that is by far your longest comment. Congratulations! You win a great big smile :)))))
I appreciate what you have to say with this issue, and will start by saying that I don't wholly disagree with you. You're absolutely right, God's dealings and thoughts are way too complicated for us to fathom. This issue has taken me all over the map, from my beliefs about God's sovereignty, to an interesting, provocative discussion with Chris speculating the idea that God has no control over the situation. The nature of God is something that fascinates us (or at least me), and causes me to constantly prod and poke at the subject with different "sticks", so to speak. Essentially, this is the very core of theology, which is the study of God.
I can't claim to know what God is up to or what his plans are, but I do strongly believe that whatever comes to pass will happen because he decided it would happen. He's programmed us all to fulfill a certain purpose (again, that purpose is unknown to me), whether for good or for evil, all for the final glory that is to come. Somehow, every breath, every thought, every word spoken out of a person's mouth, every minute vibration and wavelength are pieces to an enormously complicated puzzle that, when finished, will bring about the final victory of God over Satan, or the victory of "Good" over "Evil", however you want to put it. God didn't take just take a handful of personality and sift it over a boiling pot of human just to "see what would come out." He specifically designed each of us for certain things. Our parents, our friends, our careers, our environments, our communities, even things such as faith and redemption are foreordained by God for a reason.
The entire book of Romans is heavily laden with this idea, most notably chapter nine. In verse 16, it says, "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy." In the context, Paul is talking about how God has reserved certain people for his service (such as Jacob, rather than Esau--this is referred to a couple of verses earlier). Later in verse 18, it says even more explicitly, "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." That entire chapter is wonderful, because Paul brings up all sorts of controversies that could arise from these statements (verse 19: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?") and duly addresses them. Later on, as far even as chapter 11, he is giving the example of the nation of Israel as a way to show the consistency of God's sovereign power. Starting in verse 2, Paul talks about how Elijah pleaded for his people, and asked God if he planned to finally wipe out the nation of Israel and himself for turning so far from his law. "And what was God's answer to him? 'I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace." All Christians should read the book of Romans--actually all Christians should just go ahead and read the entire Bible, it's jam-packed with depth and meaning. I'm preaching to myself here too...that's something I'm currently working on.
So what does this mean for me? How does my outlook change in light of these things? It means that I have absolute freedom from worry. I know that, no matter how badly I screw up (and that I will do quite often), God will bring about his plan for my life. Whatever he wants to happen, will happen, and there's nothing I can do or not do that will change that. Romans 8:28 tells me that God will work out all things for the good of those who love him. Does this mean that I neglect doing right and don't care about pleasing God because he'll bring about whatever he wants to happen? No! Rather, it intensifies my love for him and his amazing Grace in my life, and fills me with a deep desire to serve him however I can. God daily provides me with the strength and love I need to grow in him, and for that, I am eternally thankful. I truly have freedom live without worry, and with absolute confidence that God has everything under control, and that it's not up to me to make sure that things work out. It means that he is the only one who changes hearts, which gives me room to approach people in a comfortable manner and get to know them, and give them the time they need to process information about the gospel. I don't have to nag people or go door-to-door and try to processes converts like fast food. Rather, I can take the time to develop relationships with people who aren't quite sure what they believe, and are looking for a confiding, caring person to show them the way.
Trying to drive when you're in the passenger seat is something that is extremely frustrating (though sometimes you may feel like you're in control). When you realize that God has always had and will always have the steering wheel, you are free to "be the passenger", as it were, and pump up the volume on the radio station, knowing that God won't crash and knows exactly where he's going.
I'd love to hear what you guys think about this, whether you disagree or have something to add. In all of this, I pray that God gives me an attitude of open-mindedness and love. I seek truth because I believe it is an act of worship. Therefore, whatever truth God wants to teach me could very well come through what any number of you have to say. I hope I'm making sense, and that my posts aren't getting too long;) Thanks for being so involved in this, Mr. Q; it really shows me that you genuinely care for your students. May God daily fill you with the joy of his grace.
I appreciate what you have to say with this issue, and will start by saying that I don't wholly disagree with you. You're absolutely right, God's dealings and thoughts are way too complicated for us to fathom. This issue has taken me all over the map, from my beliefs about God's sovereignty, to an interesting, provocative discussion with Chris speculating the idea that God has no control over the situation. The nature of God is something that fascinates us (or at least me), and causes me to constantly prod and poke at the subject with different "sticks", so to speak. Essentially, this is the very core of theology, which is the study of God.
I can't claim to know what God is up to or what his plans are, but I do strongly believe that whatever comes to pass will happen because he decided it would happen. He's programmed us all to fulfill a certain purpose (again, that purpose is unknown to me), whether for good or for evil, all for the final glory that is to come. Somehow, every breath, every thought, every word spoken out of a person's mouth, every minute vibration and wavelength are pieces to an enormously complicated puzzle that, when finished, will bring about the final victory of God over Satan, or the victory of "Good" over "Evil", however you want to put it. God didn't take just take a handful of personality and sift it over a boiling pot of human just to "see what would come out." He specifically designed each of us for certain things. Our parents, our friends, our careers, our environments, our communities, even things such as faith and redemption are foreordained by God for a reason.
The entire book of Romans is heavily laden with this idea, most notably chapter nine. In verse 16, it says, "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy." In the context, Paul is talking about how God has reserved certain people for his service (such as Jacob, rather than Esau--this is referred to a couple of verses earlier). Later in verse 18, it says even more explicitly, "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." That entire chapter is wonderful, because Paul brings up all sorts of controversies that could arise from these statements (verse 19: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?") and duly addresses them. Later on, as far even as chapter 11, he is giving the example of the nation of Israel as a way to show the consistency of God's sovereign power. Starting in verse 2, Paul talks about how Elijah pleaded for his people, and asked God if he planned to finally wipe out the nation of Israel and himself for turning so far from his law. "And what was God's answer to him? 'I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace." All Christians should read the book of Romans--actually all Christians should just go ahead and read the entire Bible, it's jam-packed with depth and meaning. I'm preaching to myself here too...that's something I'm currently working on.
So what does this mean for me? How does my outlook change in light of these things? It means that I have absolute freedom from worry. I know that, no matter how badly I screw up (and that I will do quite often), God will bring about his plan for my life. Whatever he wants to happen, will happen, and there's nothing I can do or not do that will change that. Romans 8:28 tells me that God will work out all things for the good of those who love him. Does this mean that I neglect doing right and don't care about pleasing God because he'll bring about whatever he wants to happen? No! Rather, it intensifies my love for him and his amazing Grace in my life, and fills me with a deep desire to serve him however I can. God daily provides me with the strength and love I need to grow in him, and for that, I am eternally thankful. I truly have freedom live without worry, and with absolute confidence that God has everything under control, and that it's not up to me to make sure that things work out. It means that he is the only one who changes hearts, which gives me room to approach people in a comfortable manner and get to know them, and give them the time they need to process information about the gospel. I don't have to nag people or go door-to-door and try to processes converts like fast food. Rather, I can take the time to develop relationships with people who aren't quite sure what they believe, and are looking for a confiding, caring person to show them the way.
Trying to drive when you're in the passenger seat is something that is extremely frustrating (though sometimes you may feel like you're in control). When you realize that God has always had and will always have the steering wheel, you are free to "be the passenger", as it were, and pump up the volume on the radio station, knowing that God won't crash and knows exactly where he's going.
I'd love to hear what you guys think about this, whether you disagree or have something to add. In all of this, I pray that God gives me an attitude of open-mindedness and love. I seek truth because I believe it is an act of worship. Therefore, whatever truth God wants to teach me could very well come through what any number of you have to say. I hope I'm making sense, and that my posts aren't getting too long;) Thanks for being so involved in this, Mr. Q; it really shows me that you genuinely care for your students. May God daily fill you with the joy of his grace.
posted by John Mark at 8:32 PM
2 Comments:
I don't have time tonight to write a deep and involved response, but I think you may have mis-stated something.
"Whatever comes to pass will happen because he decided it would happen. He's programmed us all to fulfill a certain purpose (again, that purpose is unknown to me), whether for good or for evil."
God did not create evil, but He allows evil. If God had not allowed for the possibility of evil, both mankind and angels would be serving God out of obligation, not choice. (another part of that seeming paradox of our free-will).
Regarding theology: It's definitely good to study God to learn more about Him, but don't be surprised to have more questions than when you began (Romans 11:33-34). Here's my statement about theology that I've always used:
The more I know, the more I know that I don't know.
That's deep.
Forgive me, you're right. I greatly mis-worded that statement.
What I meant was, God has planned for us both the good things and allowed for the bad things at certain times.
As far as why God allows evil, I really don't know. Sometimes, I wish God could just stetch out his hand and purge all the evil that is among us and restore us all to glory. But he has decided to do it differently.
There's no denying that, while Scripture strongly confirms the sovereign nature of God, an equal emphasis is placed on the consequences of man's actions, and man's responsibility for his sins. How could the two coexist? I simply don't know, and niether does anyone, though it is often debated and argued amongst Christians. The only thing I know is that the Bible clearly teaches both, and somehow they are justified in the mind of God. That's where a certain aspect of faith is involved, were I just have to say, "God, this makes sense somehow, and maybe some day I'll know, but for now I'm going to trust you with it."
It's a very confusing topic indeed.
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