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NASB | Acts 4:24 And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, "O Lord, it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 4:24 And when they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, "O Sovereign Lord [having complete power and authority], it is You who MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THEM, [Ex 20:11; Ps 146:6] |
Subject: Is God in absolut contrl over all things |
Bible Note: Dear Sir Pent, Í will attempt to answer your first question I said: The POSSIBILITY of imperfection would exist because the final outcome would bear the mark of imperfect creatures. Your reply was: "You seem to be saying that allowing humans to have any impact in the universe contrary to the will of God could cause the possibility of an imperfect final outcome." Yes, and I wish to retract the term "possiblity" and replace it with "inevitably". My thinking on this is as follows: Perfection can be acheived only if all things involved are under the perfect control of the one who desires to reach that goal: Perfect in conception, design execution and fulfillment. The introduction of random, unpredictable or uncontrolable elements would result in a slight imperfection at best and at worst, chaos. If my reasoning is flawed, please tell me where I have erred. The analogy that you offered as a rational proof of why my inital statement is flawed is as follows" Now a parent could go to that store and lay a dollar bill on the counter and then tell their kid to go pick out any thing in the store and the money on the counter will pay for it. The kid then actually does have freedom to choose whatever they want, but the parent’s “prophecy” will still come true when they bring it up to be paid for and the dollar bill is already there. So it is the parent's will that the child pick up any one item and it will be paid for by the parent who has placed the money on the counter. And this you say is how God may allow "limited freedom within a system" and still have control. In order for your analogy to work we must assume that allparties involved (the parent, the child and the clerk all deire the same end result). How would it work if the child did not want anything in the store? The child has the liberty to choose, just as the unregenarate sinner has liberty to choose. But the child is unable to choose an appropriate item because nothing the parent has offered him is of the slightest interest to him. He wants a real machine gun or a bad magazine etc. The same is the case of the unregenrate man. He has no desire for God's gifts.The longings of his heart are wicked continually. Your analogy also pre-supposes a loving relationship of a father and a child. This just not the case. The child in the story represents unregenerate man. A "child of wrath". By definition a self-willed and wicked creature worthy of eternal damnation. But let us look into Scripture to see how God really operates. Acts 4:26 'THE KINGS OF THE EARTH TOOK THEIR STAND, AND THE RULERS WERE GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST HIS CHRIST.' Acts 4:27 "For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, Acts 4:28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur." What! God predestined! How could that be? Notwithstanding herein is contained a singular doctrine, that God doth so govern and guide all things by his secret counsel, that, he doth bring to pass those things which he hath determined, even by the wicked. Not that they are ready willingly to do him such service, but because he turneth their counsels and attempts backward; so that on the one side appeareth great equity and most great righteousness; on the other appeareth nought but wickedness and iniquity. Which matter we have handled more at large in the second chapter. Let us learn here, by the way, that we must so consider the providence of God, that we know that it is the chief and only guider of all things which are done in the world, that the devil and all the wicked are kept back with God's bridle, lest they should do us any harm; that when they rage fastest, yet are they not at liberty to do what they list, but have the bridle given them, yet so far forth as is expedient to exercise us. Those men which do acknowledge the foreknowledge of God alone, and yet confess not that all things are done as it pleaseth him, are easily convict by these words, That God hath appointed before that thing to be done which was done. Yea, Luke being not contented with the word counsel, addeth also hand, improperly, yet to the end he might the more plainly declare that the events of things are not only governed by the counsel of God, but that they are also ordered by his power and hand. (John Calvin) Your thoughts brother? John |