God waits till the full number of His people will be gathered in, ( 9). When we understand what the greatest treasures are, we begin to relax more with the sovereignty of God even in the tiny details of our suffering, because we know they actually come from the hand of God as gifts to take us into the richest diamond mines, to pull out things that will last all through eternity! Why would Jesus tell us that it’s the thief who comes to kill, steal, and destroy? Tony and his wife Peggy live near Philadelphia, and have two children and four grandchildren. We have an enemy who does not want us to get free and so did they. He is the Sovereign God and sits on the throne. It’s love, God’s love in us….oops a little bit long on my response. When Controlling Within A Given Proximity, Know There’s A Boundary. When you have a disappointment, have a bigger view. Oh well, thanks so much. All too often when there is news of a tragedy, such as a mass shooting or a child suffering from bone cancer, there will be someone who will say something like, “God is in control. In Christ, God became weak for our sakes and became, according to the theologian Jürgen Moltmann, the Crucified God. But today many Christians attribute the works of the devil to God. Excellent article Phil!! increasingly in the likeness of Jesus). He never tried to qualify their sickness by explaining some orchestrated controlled plan of God. If this is so, they argue, then God is not in control of the universe, but God is very much involved in our daily affairs, all the same. Let’s take a look at the nature of God; He tells us through His Word that He is love, light, and all things good. So, in making this division of will within the Trinity, because the moral part is in Jesus and the Sovereign part is in the Father, is God’s Sovereign will not moral? If they recognize this they will empower their employees, if they don’t they will try to control them by micromanaging every move they make. (What a fun choice to give to a good Evangelical Calvinist). This is why many Christians and Christian leaders that I hear over and over again mention that they at times struggle with trusting God. If God is in control of everything that occurs that means that God has a plan and eventually things will work out. (Matt 4:8-9)’ … we can go on to the ‘great commission’ verses at the end of Matthew: ‘All authority has been given to me, in heaven and on earth…’ Also Jude 25 – ‘to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority…’ We can’t leave authority with Satan, can we! He does not control me, nor does He control men, but ultimately He is in control. SOVEREIGN LOVE is a … So through the power of his grace we have the opportunity to do the same if we have the right perspective. And if God doesn’t will them to die then he will protect them. Not only that, but even now we have been set free from sin in Christ, we still mess up! Although there are forces of evil that dwell on the earth, God is in control and will be with us. [For information on becoming a child of God see Introduction To Life ]. But sovereignty does not mean control… There are many things that we find difficult to comprehend in this world and in Gods dealings with men and women. Why does Paul say “if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel let him be accursed”? The Apostle Paul picks up the same theme as he talks about Satan being a dominating presence in history (2 Corinthians 4:4), and perhaps nowhere in the Bible is there a more emphatic declaration that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one,” as it says in the Revised English Version in 1 John 5:19. There is never a moment when God is not in control. This was not so in the early church! Let God be sovereign in your life… But don’t expect Him to micromanage your entire life! "This is not how it should be, This is not how it could be, But this is how it is...And our God is in control. Just knowing that God is all-powerful is not enough. That is where true trust comes from. Their suffering had nothing to do with God s will but everything to do with Satan’s will to prevent and discourage them from entering into the promise. While God is all powerful and will work all things to good in your life, don’t fall into the trap of believing that He is micromanaging everything in your life. Additionally we ask that you: Tony Campolo is Professor of Sociology at Eastern University, and was formerly on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania. What if control is a flawed word to describe God’s sovereignty? Christ continues this saving work through those who willingly surrender to the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence in their lives. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - … Why would we fight against the wiles and evil schemes of the devil if God is controlling everything? More recently, Dr. Campolo has provided leadership for the Red Letter Christians movement. "God is not in control of everything," Smith says. Look to the ‘net for a simple search on the SCRIPTURES re: the sovereignty of God and in light of those your arguments do not fail, they do not even address the question, so failure cannot be attained. God so loved the world that Jesus, the only begotten of God, was sent to deliver the world from all the evil that pervades our planet and deliver each of us from the consequences of sin (John 3:16). I am absolutely convinced the reason for this perspective is because we have based truth as we understand it, upon our life experiences or lack thereof. We welcome your thoughts and discussion to our posts. If God has given us the freedom to choose whether or not well love him, does that mean he is not in control? 4. Whether God let it happen, made it happen or it was simply part of living on this cursed earth, people need to be told that God is not surprised by their circumstances. Such simple yet profound wisdom Gods given you. After Easter we know that the kingdoms of this world will one day become the kingdom of our God, and that He shall reign forever and ever (Revelations 11:15). Again, all part of Satan’s scheme. Humans can have more than one aspect of their will. To take away the sins of the world. Afterwards, you will also find some of the most inspirational and uplifting Christian quotes on God being in Control in every situation. I don’t think anybody would will to be slapped in the face, God certainly doesn’t, it is in His grace that He works through it for good, for His will. You can’t do both. No he’s going to give me himself, more and more clarity and deeper fellowship in the Holy Spirit as I pursue him. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. "Does He have the capacity? And what is his purpose? If we are not absolutely convinced that this is true, then it is like the marriage of yes and no together. They are simply a reason to sit tight. He will not leave you or forsake you. It is not always easy to believe that God is in control. God is in control, but His promise of working good out of problems applies to His own children. I've always been puzzled about this. The fact is that God works through the sinful acts of men and women to bring good from them. What better more supreme strategy could the devil ever scheme up then to convince Christians that all the harm befalling them is some how the will of God, so God could accomplish a greater purpose in their life. When we understand what the greatest treasures are, we begin to relax more with the sovereignty of God even in the tiny details of our suffering, because we know they actually come from the hand of God as gifts to take us into the richest diamond mines, to pull out things that will last all through eternity! God Is (Not) In Control! At the funeral of a young man who died in a mountain … controlGodJesuslovepowersovereigntysufferingweakness. This view of “if it doesn’t happen then it’s not God’s will” or “if it does happen it is God’s will” is really scary though. Who controlled the outcome in this situation? I do not say any of this to be fatalistic. Because while God could control everything, He has no desire to do so. God did not create us to be puppets, but in Christ chose to draw us to Himself through an ultimate act of sacrificial love. My question is: If everything God created is good (He created Lucifer, the most beautiful angel) & is the sole creator (which I believe) then how was iniquity found in Lucifer & how can he be the “father” (source/creator?) God also knew that Satan would come back and say that Job was only faithful because nothing happened to him physically to cause suffering! God relinquished power in order to give us the freedom to love. God does stuff that is not his will but because he does it, it is his will. "But He's not in control of everything at this moment. When I discovered he’s not out to hurt me or to break me in order to grow me up in Him, I fell deeply outrageously, radically in love with God my Father, it’s been like an unbelievable dream “every single day” for about the last five years, regardless of the circumstances. Circumstances come and go and he will work through them all for my good because his love never fails! A famous example is the sin of Joseph’s brothers, were we are told they “meant it for evil”, and “God MEANT it for good.” God had intention with their sin, and though their will in it was evil, His will was pure. When my perspective shifted my trust for God went off the charts. Jonah is another example of God’s Sovereignty and the one who holds ultimate control over the affairs of men. When Joseph said “God meant it for good” It could also mean that God thought, planned, and devised a way to bring good out of it. I am sad that you would remove the totality of God and place man in a position to define what God will succeed in. “The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, ‘Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand’” (Isaiah 14:24). Love cannot be coerced. It talks about this in Psalm 115:16 where it says the Heavens are God’s but the Earth He gave to men. It is related to one I have had for a long time & just brought it up to the Lord again yesterday. Your email address will not be published. So is it God’s will that we go on sinning? I’m no expert on Job but I’ll just say this and then move on. He tells us in Isaiah that he makes the blind and the lame. God does not control us. 1 John 1:5 NKJV This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. I’m trying to respond here to someone who says, “Well, God doesn’t control everything, but he permits lots of things We need to hear that it’s not over until He says so. dan, I don’t say these things merely academically. Be strong and courageous. wow! Now think with me for a minute. You properly defined sovereignty, and used excellent scriptural examples to highlight the truth that God is not an insecure puppet master! I am not sure if that kind of fatalistic thinking really is part of the Islamic teachings, but it certainly is not true of basic Christian thinking, nor is it, so far as I can tell, Biblical teaching. The “God is in control” narrative is silencing. But Jesus was given ALL authority after (and because of) the completion of His work on earth. Our goal is that our comment section helps us learn from one another and grow to be more like Christ. Don’t decide what God’s will is, based upon what happens to you! The CEO doesn’t know one of his employees is going to steal money. The end justifies the means. It’s embracing the revelation of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, not the “trying to understand Job.” that sets us free, really free. God Is Supreme. Lauren I think that is a great question. That is something easy for Allah.”. So… was God in control when that baby And I have been so thankful and crazy in love with him ever since! As hard as it is for us to grasp, we have to accept that we have a God who was willing to give up power and give up control in order to live out love for us. He healed “ALL” who came to him over and over again. or You have to believe in universalism. “God is in control.” The statement comforts many people because deep down we know that we are not in control. GOD IS IN CONTROL. All too often when there is news of a tragedy, such as a mass shooting or a child suffering from bone cancer, there will be someone who will say something like, “God is in control. etc etc etc There are things we’ll never understand & we must be careful not to force an explanation to the difficult things & paradoxes. Here are eight Bible verses that remind us God is in control. That the OT was only a shadow of the truth about God until Jesus the perfect and final word and will of God showed up to unravel the mystery and declare what the Father really looks like, and this by the way trumps every other perception of God if it does not align with Jesus. It’s like we try to make God personal, but then right when it means really letting go and trusting Him, we want to gain back our control. God opened my heart and mind to the reality of his great kindness about 6 yrs ago. Now here’s the great news! Job 1-2 is a prime example how God allowed the devil to do so much but not more. (Heb 1) God has elevated his Word and he will not contradict it or change His mind He’s not a man that He would lie. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God! He sees me writing this message right now! As an example, He doesn’t control what time I get up in the morning or if I choose to go to work and call in sick. This has so launched me into the freedom of God’s pleasure, never again blaming or wondering what is God doing? We are told in Ephesians that he “works ALL THINGS after the counsel of his own will” (In the Greek, that’s ALL THINGS…..) ! But once I went into a long term wilderness season where I could not help myself in any way, I really needed God to be in control! Who did that? If God were not in control, prayer is a waste of time. Judgement Peter tells his readers is coming, ( verse 7) and time means nothing to God, ( verse 8). The scripture never teaches that this was God’s manipulated plan to get Joseph to the Palace. Absolutely God works in our lives to bring about his will and purposes but do you know what I believe…. The answer that Bill Johnson gives in this clip is true, prayer is what brings God into our lives and decisions, but Prayer does not mean God does not have Control of everything. Do you really think God orchestrated your child’s situation or was that a result of Adams sin that is passed on to all of humanity? May Christ keep you in all His ways. They’ll say, “well it’s clear to me it’s not God’s will for everyone to be healed because not everyone gets healed.”, Or maybe even more disturbing, they might say – “it’s clear to me that God creates some predestined to go to Hell and some to Heaven because not everyone gets saved.”. As we labor, we labor with this hope. It is sometimes God’s will that God’s will does not come about. It’s what we’re called to do. (Lk 11:11-13). And God knew exactly how He was going to respond. I’m simply saying He doesn’t need to be in control. Gods blessed you and you’re being used to bless many others!!! Thanks for responding, Dan. Again, it’s because of God’s brilliance and power that he can make the worst of situations work out to something so beautiful that to human understanding it appears as if he must have caused it to happen for that very reason, when he didn’t, He is just that brilliant and sovereign! I’m not saying that 100% of those that have this perspective cannot fully trust God I just believe the vast majority can’t and it makes complete sense to me. But that I’m sure can still be wangled out of. He does not control me, nor does He control men, but ultimately He is in control. The reason why the analogies and comparisons you used don’t work is because the Queen of England and the CEO isn’t omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent on a universal scale. No need to lose hope. God is not the author of the evil and temptations in this world (James 1:13) but has sent His Son to initiate a movement to overcome these things. Also, if you have a fb page I could like? Because God is in control, He can control the uncontrollable. This is their urgent responsibility. The Pharisees attributed the works of God that Jesus did to the devil. You said “His will is done in Heaven but not always on Earth,” so what does that say about Lucifer? This whole sovereignty of God understanding has become so twisted. The resurrection of Christ from the dead is the evidence that the forces of darkness are no match for the God revealed in Christ’s resurrection (Philippians 3:10). Thanks Phil for your continuous proclaiming this good news of great joy! Our redemption was to the praise of the glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:3-6). A picture of a God who is so secure in His position and power that He comfortably gave us control knowing we’d screw up. “God is not simply an observer, but God does everything that God can do using the resources in that context to effect the most positive outcome that God can do.” “Sometimes this means that God does something surprising, because there are resources in the context that allow for this surprising action of God that we call a miracle,” he said. In Acts 2:23 we are told that Jesus was delivered “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” That word translated as “definite plan” is one of the Greek words for “will”. As high as the heavens above are His ways above ours…..THATS HIGH FOLKS. May 12, 2019. So why don’t we talk about something more irrefutable. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team. - This is a very reassuring fact. Thanks Scott for taking the time to respond back. Today, however, things are not as God willed for them to be. God commanded Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, but God was in control of Pharaoh’s decision not to let them go. If God exercised total control over everything we do, we could not love God because love always requires the lover to freely choose to love. The idea of a God having absolute control is a Greco-Roman way of thinking. We picked up mother and MaMohn and headed for New York. Smart enough to work out the problems we face without causing the evil we encounter to happen as we fully trust and lean upon Him, and not blame Him. Could He at any moment take the reins of the whole world back? Why did he put that kind of power in our tongue? I believe that the proper meaning of Romans 8:28 is that in the midst of all that is happening, God can bring something good out of what is obviously tragic, and perhaps even evil, especially through people who are committed to using tragedy as a motivation for bringing about great blessings. Joni Eareckson Tada, (a person whom Francis Chan called the most spirit filled person he has ever met) , said that if she had her life to live all over again, she would live it just like she has, with the diving accident and the quadriplegia. My take on it is that Satan already had taken the keys of authority from Adam as proven by Jesus when he took them back. I choose everyday to see God’s truth and mercy through what he fully demonstrated by hanging on that cross and the gracious words of love & forgiveness to those who put him there. And if He isn't in control, doesn't that make Him weak and less than God? That’s why Jesus came! This video teaches the importance of overcoming fear and worry. Have you come across my new book, The Uncontrolling Love of God (IVP Academic)? Required fields are marked *. Let us tell our children the truth about what happened this week at the Capitol: white supremacists and domestic terrorists, deceived and deluded and power hungry, attempted to violently overthrow the government.  They faced very little opposition. Â, Faith Leaders Lament the Muslim Travel Ban, Evangelical Leaders Downplay Potential Roe v. Wade Reversal, When Christians Sell Out Christians for Political Power, Capitol Storm: What Should Come as No Surprise, La’s Skid Row Doesn’t Need Sean Feucht’s ‘Revival’, When Legal Is Unjust, Prophetic Resistance Is Required, Subversive Peace for this Christmas Season. At the end Jonah the prophet did what God wanted him to do because God’s love for the people of Nineveh was far greater than Jonah’s stubbornness. Because God is in control, He can control the uncontrollable. Although that may be sometimes difficult to understand in the OT it was definitely and finally made crystal clear by Jesus. and when asked why they would respond “Insha’Allah” – which means “if God wills”. Blog posts will remain open for comments for 5 days. In quoting 2 Peter 3 & verse 9 Phil has taken the verse out of its context, a very dangerous thing to do when dealing with Scripture !!. The story I get straight from scripture is that there are evil non-rational principalities and powers that are loose in the world, sometimes working through evil people (Ephesians 2:2) and that God is not the author of the confusion and disorder that come from these destructive powers (1 Corinthians 14:33). I too believe that suffering and trials in this life will be used to fashion and mold me into the beautiful bride he has destined me and all his children to become, And that God indeed will work all things (not cause all things) together for my good because I love him & have been called according to his purpose. That means “this or that” — anything you do — you should go into it saying, “I’m not in control here.” It’s arrogant, he says, to think you’re in control. (Except, of course, in the case of lost presidential elections where we Christians prefer to declare “God is still in control!”. I could totally be missing something and would love to hear your and everyone else’s thoughts, but I always thought Lucifer was proud and “sinned” and that’s why he fell…. Paul talks about putting on the whole armor and then he lists what they represent which is of course the finished work of Christ. You said “It’s hard to swallow, but the testimony of Scripture is that God uses evil he hates to accomplish his purposes” Yes God uses evil He just doesn’t “cause” evil to happen for the greater good. ~ 2 Timothy 1:7. God is not controlling. They have provided joy and peace that I don’t believe I would ever have found otherwise. Your email address will not be published. God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that Pharaoh did not obey God’s command. June 30, 2018. That perspective will disarm the Christian from fighting the good fight as he lays his sword down convinced that God is in control. Must look to His goodness which very importantly includes God not being the one went! – phildrysdale.com/sinfulnature – I send out weekly encouragements through that on Tuesdays, by you by. Scripture is that I ’ ll end with related to one I have spoken to you the New Testament true... 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