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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, |
Bible Question:
I am just answering your question, "How can I say to a person that God has a wonderful plan for their life?" It is simple...If they bow their knee to the Lordship of Christ, God will unfold a wonderful plan for their life--Salvation! I agree with every passage you qouted, but yet none of the above passages prove the micr-management of God's creation. Lets look at each of them in context. Matt 10:29...Sure God knows when 2 sparrows are sold for a cent, but that doesn't mean God decreed the selling of those sparrows from the beginning of eternity or controlled/bartered the price of them. This whole passage, in context, is Jesus instructing us that God knows what we are going through--he is not ambivous to our troubles. Luke 12:6,7 Same point as above different book. God cares for his children and is worried about their welfare--John Calvin would say that this passage is "Anthropormorphic". This is a passage of how God cares for his children! This does not mean that God has pre-determined the catastrophes that have fallen upon man from the beginning of time! That we are acting out the great cosmic script created from the beginning of eternity. As far as your O.T. reference goes, Sure, if a nation willingly chooses to reject God's plan, in the O.T. judgement will follow! Look at the prophetic passages Jeremiah, Hosea, Jonah etc., the sole responsibility of judgemnt and judgement sustained is placed on the offenders not some eternal script the nationis acting out hiding under the mis-understood doctrine of Soveriegnty (God did not pre determine that Israel would sin and be dispersed in 7xx bc. They of their own free will chose to reject God, therefore God acted upon what he told them would happent in Dt. 28 and 29). The passages you used above have nothing to do with soverignty as you understand it. It has everything to do with God's knowledge--and I will dare to say affection--for his children. It does not mean he will magically remove us from the situation and get us out of the probelm--although he has done that--but it does mean that he will be there with us emphathizing with us through the problems we face in life. Finally, I would agree with you that God can have a specific plan for a particular individual--Judas Iscariot comes to mind. But that does not mean that God dictated every event of Judas' life and neither does he dictate every event of our life. I know poeple who have felt that God had called them to the mission field. I believe that is a divine plan from God. However, God has not dictated how they perform ministry in that Country. I don't think in God's cosmic script in the sky created before time that he said "on Dec 24, 1999 they are going to do this skit and...Yeah! lets only have 2 families show up. That should teach them a valuable lesson on humilty." End scene 54 act 2. |
Bible Answer: "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." --Proverbs 16:9 "Many plans are in a man's heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand." --Proverbs 19:21 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'MY PURPOSE SHALL BE ESTABLISHED, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'" --Isaiah 46:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND so that we would walk in them." --Ephesians 2:10 "As for you, you meant evil against me, but GOD MEANT IT for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." --Genesis 50:20 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations" --Jeremiah 1:5 "Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." --Exodus 3:10 The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. --Exodus 4:21 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. --Exodus 7:3 [Do a Bible search for the words "harden" and "heart" and see how many times Pharoahs heart was hardened BY God or hardened, "as the LORD had said."] "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing WHAT I DESIRE, And without SUCEEDING IN THE MATTER FOR WHICH I SENT IT." --Isaiah 55:11 "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." --Romans 9:18 Whatever succeeds is part of God's sovereign plan. Even our sin. The sin is ours and we are guilty of it, but it is part of God's purpose as well. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." --Romans 8:28 I would assume that all things includes the sins of men as well. HIS purpose, not ours. Unless, of course, we share in God's purpose. Then it is our purpose as well. Even the sin we commit is part of God's decree and what we intend for evil God has already planned to use for His glory. Even two families showing up... --Joe! |