| Does God Ordain All Things? |
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| Written by David Lawrence |
| Monday, September 06 2010 00:00 |
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One of our young readers struggles with the above question. How can man make choices and be responsible if God ordains all things? Does God ordain only the “big” things like our salvation and leave the “little” things up to us? Let’s see if Scripture can supply an answer: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are numbered” (Matt. 10:29-30). “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28) “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Rom. 11:36) “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” (Eph. 1:11) “And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live…For in him we live and move and have our being…” (Acts 17:24-26, 28a). “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). “ intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen. 50:20). “To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue” (Prov. 16:1). “The Lord works out everything for his own ends - even the wicked for a day of disaster” (Prov. 16:4). “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps” (Prov. 16:9). “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” (Prov. 16:33). “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Cor. 4:7). Other passages could be cited, for the Bible is filled with them. I leave our readers to their own conclusions in this matter. May we give God the glory for his sovereignty! In one sense, how could God be God unless He controlled, ordained, planned, carried forth, and arranged every detail of life? The one little detail that he overlooked, relinquished control over, or lacked the power to control might grow into a force that would eventually challenge and overthrow God. Logical thinking demands that we see God and his work in this light. However, what of the responsibility of man and the choices he makes? How do they fit into this schema? To that we turn in our next devotional study. |
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