8/7/14
If you would like to reread Parts 1, 2, and 3 of this series here are the links...Please copy and paste them into your browser
- http://paintgodintoyourday.blogspot.com/2014/07/free-willpart-1-of-4.html
- http://paintgodintoyourday.blogspot.com/2014/07/free-willpart-2-of-4thursday.html
- http://paintgodintoyourday.blogspot.com/2014/07/free-will-part-3-of-4thursday.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God
is not actually sovereign in the sense that he can do everything. There
are things God himself cannot do! He cannot change. He cannot lie. He
cannot alter the word that has gone forth from his lips. He has exalted his
word above his name. God is literally bound by his promises. For God to
refuse to keep just one promise to one person who has met its conditions would
give Satan the right to order God to leave his throne.
God has bound himself to honor" by whose stripes you were healed." He has bound himself to honor "I am the Lord your Physician." He has bound himself to "forgive all your sins and heal all your diseases." God is no longer "sovereign" in such matters because he cannot break his promises. This is the main point that the "sovereignty" crowd misses.
"The heaven, even the heavens,
are the LORD's:
are the LORD's:
but the earth hath
he given to the children of men."
he given to the children of men."
Psalm 115:16.
(That is in the same
Psalm whose third verse
is part of this objection!)
Psalm whose third verse
is part of this objection!)
Man has authority here.
This idea bothers people because it's easier not to pray and just think that God will run everything the way he wants. I have even had barrages of Scripture quoted at me that supposedly indicate that God can do, and does do, whatever he wants in the earth. While his ultimate will (the judgments of Revelation, the renewal of the earth, the Millennium, etc.) will be done regardless of men's wishes, many aspects of this present life have been left to man. This is why God does not stop the abortions and other murders, wars, corruption in government, and so on. If God truly does his will in the minutest details on earth, he is sadistic, allowing women to be battered, children to be abandoned, and men to become slaves of lust and chemicals. No, God gives man free will to choose good or evil.
You cannot blame your cold on God's sovereign will.
Besides, if you think it's God's will,
quit taking that medicine to get out of his will,
and just suffer your "sovereignly sent" sickness.
Besides, if you think it's God's will,
quit taking that medicine to get out of his will,
and just suffer your "sovereignly sent" sickness.
Written by
Kathryn Hanson
This is the final installment that discusses the Sovereignty of God which exists in the universe, but does not exist over human behavior due to the gift of free will that he gave us. If we did not have free will then any of our actions of attempting good would be of no value.
ReplyDeleteGod bless