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NASB | Romans 1:18 ¶ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 1:18 ¶ For [God does not overlook sin and] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, |
Subject: God's plan |
Bible Note: Looking at your first paragraph, I don't see how you could consider that not a decree. God's decree in the Bible isn't "I will personally do everything," but rather, "I declare from the beginning everything that is going to happen." That is how we see all of God's purposes coming to pass as well as the free agency of beings within his creation. We will act freely in accordance with our own nature and our external freedom and ability to act and largely in accordance with the life situation in which we were raised. I would recommend that you go back and re-read the story of Joseph being sold into slavery. At first they had purposed to kill him. I wonder who put the idea into Reuben's head just to throw him into the well? The sinfulness is ours, but God directs in in the way He wants it to go to glorify himself. Again, in Genesis, we see Joseph specifically declaring that God had purpose in Joseph's life going the way it did. Go back and re-read the story of Joseph's life. See how many times he is placed in misfortune against his will, and see how blessed a story it is because God strategically placed every trial in his life to get the outcome that he wanted. There are few places in the Bible where God's sovereignty in one man's life is so clearly displayed. As far as 9/11, I pose the same question to you that I did to Johnny: if God knew about it from eternity past, and was omnipresent and omniscient at all of the planning meetings to know the minds and hearts of the terrorists and their plans, and had the power at any point to foil the plans of the hijackers, how can you say that God did not intend for it to happen? Yes, the sin was the terrorists', but God knew about it all along, knew what the results would be, had the power to stop it, and didn't (in the case of the two that hit their targets). You wrote: "He knew their hearts and allowed them to act from their own evil natures, unwittingly advancing God's plan." Of course. That is what I have been saying all along. God's decree doesn't mean God does it. However, in God's sovereignty, nothing escapes Him. Part of the crucifixion scenario was that God fully intended that Judas betray Jesus. He directed Judas' innate sinfulness in such a way that His purposes were accomplished. --Joe! |