Bible Question:
Hank and the rest of this forum, I looked up this old thread dealing with God's sovereignty because someone recently said that "God is in control of every single atom." Then they used that reasoning to say that it follows that God chose His Elect before the foundation of the world, so free will is an illusion. They then further implied that He purposely made some to dishonor. If God purposely made some to dishonor then why would he say this: Ezek 33: 7"So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8When I say to the wicked, "O wicked man, you shall surely die!' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, THAT WICKED MAN SHALL DIE IN HIS INIQUITY; BUT HIS BLOOD I WILL REQUIRE AT YOUR HAND. 9Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. 10"Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: "Thus you say, "If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?"' 11Say to them: "As I live,' says the Lord GOD, "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?' If God is in control of every atom then why would He say ”… THAT WICKED MAN SHALL DIE IN HIS INIQUITY; BUT HIS BLOOD I WILL REQUIRE AT YOUR HAND…”? This reasoning would then lead right back to this thread: "Is God responsible for evil?". I have had past experience in a different forum, of atheists, where this exact same thread of "Is God responsible for evil?" was debated. In that forum some of the participants would sign up as a different person and start threads from the opposing view point. After a while, they would pull off their sheep’s clothing and revert back to their original view point to frustrate the Christians. I don't know who may be wolfs in disguise. I am not accusing others who have posted here. You can't really know if I am not one either. But we should be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves." We are warned to "beware of false prophets in sheep’s clothing". "Be not weary in well doing. In due season we will reap if we faint not." God bless, Pastor Glenn |
Bible Answer: Part One- -I hope this will help. 1. Inability does not rule out responsibility The Scripture asserts unmistakably man's total inability to transform his character by his own unassisted wit and energy, so making himself Christlike. This is beyond his capacity. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil" (Jeremiah 13:23). "No man can come unto me except the Father who sent me draw him," says the Lord Christ (John 6:44). The act of true and simple faith in the Lord is impossible apart from the drawing and gracious gift of the Father. Jesus again tells us that except a man be born again he cannot see or enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:3,5). Yet, there are commands with which God confronts every single person. For example, "You must be born again" (John 3:7); "God commands all people everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30); and "Love the Lord your God with all your heart." Are they sincere commands? Absolutely. All creatures are responsible to their Creator. Do not such commands presuppose a modicum of ability? No. Not since the fall of our father Adam. God deals with people according to the standards of responsibility and obligation, not according to the measure of ability. John Murray says, "If obligation presupposes ability then we shall have to go the whole way and predicate the total ability of man." Why are the commands given? They are a revelation of the will of almighty God, and they also make men realize their helplessness. One result of the inability of man being preached is that people are forced to stop trusting in themselves. This shuts them up to rely upon God's grace. It is not the conviction of helplessness that keeps men away from Christ; it is the opposite: "I cannot come to him, but I must come to him. What fearful inability! What high responsibility! Who shall deliver me from this dilemma? I thank God for Jesus Christ the enabling Saviour." 2. Certainty does not rule out necessity All that God has determined to do will most certainly be achieved: "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please" (Isaiah 46:10). The plan of God is unchangeable, because God is faithful and true (Job 23:13-14). It is unconditional, that is, its execution does not depend on any action of man but even renders such action certain (Acts 2:23; Ephesians 2:8). Moreover, it is all-inclusive, embracing the good and the wicked actions of men (Ephesians 2:10; Acts 2:23), contingent events (Genesis 50:20), the duration of a man's life (Job 14:5) and the place where a man will live (Acts 17:26). It ensures the certain salvation of a vast number of favoured sinners. Yet the certainty of God's secret will being accomplished does not rule out the necessity of men doing all that God has commanded in the Bible. When Paul was told that the Lord had many people in Corinth he did not sit on a chair on his veranda waiting for Corinthians to drop decision cards in his lap. For eighteen months he taught the Word of God to all in Corinth who would hear him (Acts 18:11). He did it beseeching them to believe, stretching forth his hands to them, entreating them to repent. He wept for them. He prayed for them all, and he asked others to pray. He visited them privately, debated with his opponents publicly, and apologized if he offended them by harsh words. He sought to live a Christlike life before them so that in nothing would his message be maligned through sin. He knew God's chosen people in Corinth would most certainly confess Christ, but that knowledge in no way ruled out the necessity of his living a God-fearing and fervently evangelistic life. |