PLEASE
NOTE:
I retrieved
this article from "The Foundation Commentator"...A Publication
of the Foundation for Biblical Research...Volume 2, Number
12...Dated: December 1975. The article was written by Ernest
L. Martin. As always, I offer it to you only for your
consideration! The first time I read this article, I confess,
it was a little difficult to 'get down'...it was a 'little
lumpy'...but over the years, it has encouraged and challenged
my honesty, 'openheartedness' =) and openmindedness!' =). I
trust that it will 'do the same for you!' Please...don't
worry...ERROR CANNOT HURT THE TRUTH! However, 'on the other
hand,' the Truth is in the process of destroying error...and
ultimately, it WILL BE DESTROYED! (* SMILE *)
"See now
that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill,
and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any
that can deliver out of my hand" (Deut. 32:39).
This verse,
and others like it, cause many theological problems. And those
problems are profound. Such verses introduce a concept of God
that many people find difficult to accept. Indeed, some of the
ones who most vigorously object to the notion are Christians
themselves. This latter statement may seem an absurd appraisal
to make because Christians are normally accustomed to calling
God the Almighty. They even pray to Him with a theoretical
belief in His omnipotence, yet in practice some are not quite
able to accept His complete supremacy. Sometimes their
theological beliefs restrict their full assent to the
proposition that God has undisputed authority --that He is the
One who accomplishes all things -- the One who controls all
the powers of the universe.
Why do they
reject this dogmatic ruler-ship? Because to assume such a
belief inevitably demands that God be a party to evil. All the
wrong teachings and actions of people must be committed with
His approbation. Even the actions of Satan and all evil
spirits must be within the superintendence of His power. And
true enough; if God is the Sovereign Lord of the universe, He
has to be responsible for all things that occur within the
domain which He controls.
Look at the
earth. We have wickedness in abundance. We have had (and still
have) our Neros, our Genghis Khans, and Hitlers. There are
also sicknesses, accidents, and deaths, which afflict even
Christians. Besides these we have devastating earthquakes,
droughts, famines, pestilences, and other "acts of God." The
Bible also tells us we have a Satan and a whole host of evil
spirits who afflict men, beasts, and even inanimate objects.
If one
believes that God is the Sovereign Lord of the universe, with
all power at His beck and call, then one must hold God
responsible for the occurrence of all evil. After all, if God
is supreme and all-powerful, if it is He who pulls all the
levers and pushes all the buttons of power, could He not stop
any and all such evils at the snap of a finger? Why certainly!
But evil is rampant in this world. There presently seems to be
little attempt by God to curtail it. And yet we read in the
Bible that God hates such wickedness.
"But the
wicked and him that loveth violence His soul hateth (Psalm
11:5).
"For thou
art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall
evil dwell with thee…thou hatest all workers of iniquity
(Psalm 5:4, 5).
If God is
truly the Sovereign Lord of the universe, why does He not
exercise His power and rid it of all evil and wickedness? But
evil is very much with us and seems to be getting worse. God
appears to many people to be quite impotent to deal with it.
Could it be that God is not the supreme and unquestioned power
that some imagine Him to be?
Let us
notice some problems if God is considered an Almighty
Sovereign. He would be like the man who owned an acre of land
with buildings on it in a downtown area of a city. The
buildings are used as houses of prostitution and the tenants
pay rent to this man as owner of the property. Yet the man
says he is a Christian and that he wishes proper righteousness
to prevail. He is also a member of a church, which believes in
all the righteous principles of the Bible and the man
constantly denounces vice, the evils of promiscuity, and
prostitution. In fact, of all people in the town, he is the
most vigorous exponent of decent family living, and denounces
the wrongs of libertinism. The only trouble is, the man
knowingly allows all the evils, which he utterly condemns to
flourish on his own property. He could give such tenants
thirty days notice to get off his property, but he not only
refuses to evict them, he even allows them to continue in
their wickedness by permitting them to take over some property
on the other side of town for the purpose of promoting more
vice.
The natural
appraisal that any decent human would give of this man is that
he was a great hypocrite. While he utterly condemns vice in
his outward statements, he lets it exist on the property,
which is completely under his control.
Would not
this illustration be something like God if we recognize Him as
the Sovereign Lord of the universe? God condemns vice in His
Holy Word, yet He certainly allows it to flourish on His
property (without any apparent intervention). After all, since
God owns the earth and if He, be all-powerful, cannot He evict
from His property the wicked people whom He says He hates?
Another
illustration could be given. Suppose a young boy on a boat
became adrift in the waters above Niagara Falls. The boy
cannot swim, and he got progressively closer to the falls
every second. Most of the time the youngster was within twenty
feet of shore. A man standing on the shore saw the boy's
plight. He had thirty feet of rope in his hand. This man ran
along the shore keeping abreast of the boy. The boy seeing the
peril ahead asked the man to throw him the rope, but the man
didn't do it. It was an easy task to do, but the man simply
did not throw the rope to the boy. The young man was pleading
with him to save him from Niagara Falls. Yet the man running
on the bank failed to throw the rope. He could have done so
very easily and without the slightest inconvenience, but he
refused to respond. The boy went over the falls to his death.
Tragic?
Yes. Criminal? Heartless? Inhuman? Yes. The truth is, any jury
of men would convict the defaulter as a criminal without
doubt. No decent person could say anything else.
Some may
feel this illustration is again like God if one accepts Him as
the Sovereign Lord of the universe. The boy of the
illustration died by being swept over Niagara Falls. God
supposedly has all the power of the universe at His hand, and
yet He stood back and did nothing. He threw him no rope. If
God is the sovereign of the universe with all knowledge and
power, then He must be held responsible for not rescuing the
boy. Such a conclusion is inescapable.
SOME
CHRISTIANS RELIEVE GOD OF RESPONSIBILITY
There is
one way to liberate God of accountability. This could be done
by taking away some of God's sovereign power. If God is looked
on as being somewhat powerful, yet still limited in His
Authority, it could then be said that He tried to get
prostitutes off His earth, but they are refusing to budge.
Also it could be said that God was probably aware of the young
boy's plight, but He was unable to make it to Niagara Falls in
time to save him. It would then be possible to say that God
certainly loved the boy (as the Bible says He loves all), but
since His powers are limited, His efforts to get there in time
failed. This could allow some Christians to maintain that God
is truly a God of love. He tried His best to save the boy, but
His efforts were frustrated.
By limiting
the powers of God, it may be possible to keep God's
righteousness in proper shape and keep Him disassociated from
any taint of evil. It could also explain the continuance of
Satan and his performance of wicked acts without God being
responsible for them. God fights Satan and all his evils, but
He would not be powerful enough to completely overcome him --
at least not at the present time. This could show that a great
controversy is going on between God and Satan. God is
desperately trying to bring in universal righteousness -- but
Satan won't let Him. Only when God overcomes Satan, at the end
of the age, through some subtle stratagems of His own, will
God be able to proclaim victory over the adversary.
Other
Christians won't go so far as to limit the powers of God, but
they wish to relieve Him of responsibility for evil by saying
that God now has a "hand-off" policy. God supposedly allows
man and Satan to do as they please. God does not intervene in
the affairs of man one way or the other. Earthquakes,
droughts, famines, and pestilences occur because of prescribed
natural laws, which God long ago put in motion. God may be
sorry for the ills that afflict man, but because He has a
"hands-off" policy He forbids Himself to intervene.
WHAT IS THE
TRUTH?
The
opinions of men about God are not only absurd, some are
anti-biblical and they can even be blasphemous. But there is,
nothing more certain in the Bible, God is God. He is the
Almighty. He is the full sovereign of the universe. Nothing
happens anywhere in the universe (even the falling of hair
from a person's head) without the express allowance of God
(Matthew 10:30). The Bible knows of no such thing as a great
controversy going on between Satan and God -- because there
can be no match between the two. If we would liken God to a
human adult, Satan would be less than an ant in comparison.
All the power that Satan possesses is only a reflected
authority, which emanates from God Himself. If God wished to
exterminate the power of Satan, he could accomplish the task
before a person blinks an eye. True enough, God allows Satan
to have power, but he is like the moon, which illuminates at
night, while God is like the sun that is the source of light.
The light of the moon could not exist without the sun.
The Bible
shows that the Family of God is all-powerful. No one can
compare with God in authority no matter who he is.
"Thine, O
Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the
victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in
the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou are
exalted as head above all" (1 Chron. 29:11).
"And all
the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he
doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among
the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or
say unto him, What doest thou?" (Dan. 4:35).
God
possesses all the power of the universe and it belongs to Him
to dispense as He pleases.
"Jesus
answered, thou couldest have no power at all against me,
except it were given thee from above" (John 19:11).
God is the
one who determines when and where peoples or nations will
exist and the extent of their dominions.
"And hath
made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the
face of the earth, and hath determined the times before
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation" (Acts 17:26).
"I have
made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the
ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have
given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me. And now have I
given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king
of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I
given him also to serve him" (Jeremiah 27:5, 6).
God is even
responsible for, raising up evil men whenever He chooses.
"For the
scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have
I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that
my name might be declared throughout all the earth" (Romans
9:17).
All things
that occur in the universe happen according to the will of
God.
"Thou hast
created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were
created" (Revelation 4:11).
There is no
use trying to disassociate God from evil, as so many try to do
today, because God is the very creator of evil in the first
place.
"I form the
light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil. I
the Lord do all these things" (Isaiah 45:7)
Yes, even
evil (which in Hebrew means: misery, affliction, hurt, harm,
calamity, adversity) is the creation of God. He has not only
created it, He can even use evil in the pursuance of good.
However, it must be clearly understood that only a sovereign
God can do this. That's because His omnipotence allows Him the
full capability of bringing good out of any evil. We humans
have no such power. God orders us to shun evil at all costs (1
Thessalonians 5:22). But God certainly uses evil in the
accomplishment of His plan. One of the greatest evils ever
perpetrated by the hand of man was the crucifixion of God's
own son on the cross. Yet that very evil was planned to occur
before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). All the
actions of God (both good and evil) have a purpose, which God
is using for the final good and glory of His creation. He has
a "plan of the ages" (Ehpesians 3:11, Greek). The center of
that plan rests in the actions of Jesus Christ and in the
redemption, which is found in the efficacy of His cross and
resurrection.
GOD HAS
SUBJECTED THE UNIVERSE TO A BONDAGE OF CORRUPTION
In this
present time in which we live, all of us, Christians and
non-Christians alike, suffer the experiences of life (both
good and evil) to which God submits us. And it is God who does
the subjecting.
"For we
know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain
together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also,
which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
[even we Christians] groan within ourselves, waiting for the
adoption, to wit the redemption of our body" (Romans 8:22-24).
"For the
creature [creation --the whole creation] was made subject [by
God] to vanity, not willingly but by reason of him [God] who
hath subjected the same IN HOPE" (Romans 8:20).
The supreme
God has subjected the whole universe to corruption and to the
bondage of pain. But there is hope of deliverance.
"Because
the creature itself [all the creation, Greek] also shall be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:21).
That
bondage of corruption is universal. Though God has subjected
us to such groanings, He has also given us hope for
liberation. The victory over corruption will occur when God
allows the children of God to achieve the liberty of their
glory [their full deliverance] (Ephesians 1:10).
God has now
given us the hope of salvation, which we see in Christ Jesus.
He has conquered death. Victory is sure. And Christ, who was
the creator of the whole universe, by the express authority of
the father (Colossians 1: 16-20), will bring us to a complete
and full salvation (1 Timothy 2:4-6; Philippians 2:10, 11; 2
Corinthians 5:14, 19; Romans 5:17-19; John 3:16, 17).
All of the
trials and difficulties that now afflict man -- including even
those which happen to Christians -- are well within the
knowledge of God.
"Lord, all
my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from
thee" (Psalm 38:9).
Even when
we are not aware why God subjects us to the problems of life,
God is fully aware! We, and all people, are a part of His plan
of the ages. He has not abandoned any, though It may appear He
does at times. Yet, God knows what He is doing.
"We know
that all things work together for good to them that love God"
(Romans 8:28).
Even in our
ignorance of why God allows the experiences of life to occur
to His people (both good and bad), He assures us of His
intimate concern and ultimate victory.
"Likewise
the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities [weaknesses,
sicknesses, deficiencies]: for we know not what we should pray
for as we ought: but the Spirit maketh intercession for us
with groanings which cannot be uttered [by men]" (Romans
8:26).
All things
that happen to us are "according to the will of God" (1 Peter
4:19). And all things, in the long run, are for our good
(Romans 8:28). Even though we, who are the saints of God, may
have tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness,
peril, or sword (Romans 8:35), God's word says we can never be
separated "from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord" (Romans 8:39).
Why does
God allow these problems to occur? One thing for certain, they
are factors which will eventually allow Him to show His
abundant grace and love to us.
"For God
hath concluded them all in unbelief [which leads people to
misery and unhappiness], that he might have mercy upon all"
(Romans 11:32).
How is it
possible to show someone mercy unless one need it? How can God
show grace to a person when the man has fullness already? How
can God show His love, unless one needs it? The more one needs
love (when hate, war, sickness, and calamity abound), that's
when God is able to show the most love by rescuing him, and
the whole creation, from such woes. As an example of how this
works, we have the fact of God sending His own son into the
world to have the greatest evil possible occur to Him -- yet
the Father, as a result, was then able to show His full love
to His own Son by bringing Him from utter degradation into a
supreme glory. The contrast between the two extremes even
heightened the love that the Father had for Christ. God wishes
to do the same for us. But He can't show His full mercy, His
abundant grace, and His supreme love unless there occurs an
environment of hate, calamity, and evil from which to rescue
us. God allows such corruption to exist in the universe in
order to show His ultimate love to all creation by saving them
from it all.
THE
SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IS A FACT
God is
accountable for all things that occur in the universe. He is
responsible because He is the Almighty God -- the Omnipotent
sovereign of the universe. He possesses all and every power.
Nothing can occur without His express allowance and will. His
jurisdiction is all encompassing. His undisputed dominion in
all things is what makes Him to be God. But if one takes away
even a sliver of God's power, then God would cease to be the
Almighty. Look at it this way. If all the waters of the
world's oceans could represent God's power, and there remained
only one ounce of water not under His sovereignty, He would
then not be the sovereign Lord! That one ounce of water would
disqualify Him from being the Almighty. But we can be thankful
to God; even an ounce of sea water is as much within His
authority as all the waters in the sea. "What manner of man is
this, that even the wind and the sea obey him" (Mark 4:41).
God,
through Jesus Christ, is working out a salvation for His
creation. He is certainly powerful enough to accomplish His
plan. Look at what He has done for you. He has been
responsible for helping you to repent, to have faith in
Christ, and to live by His precepts. He was the one who called
you to Him. "No man can come to me [said Christ], except the
Father which hath sent me draw him" (John 6:44). The Father
began our salvation, He sustains it, and He will accomplish it
(1 Corinthians 1:8). Now man is able to frustrate that plan of
the almighty God. "My Father, which gave them me, is greater
than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's
hand" (John 10:29).
God gives
the salvation which He has worked out for us. While in our
flesh, we still have a long way to go before we actually
become like He is, but even that victory is promised (1 John
3:21). We don't accomplish salvation for ourselves, it is He
that does it! And no one, whether Satan or anyone can
undermine or stand in the way of God's plan in the slightest.
When God the Father set out through Christ to save the world,
the outcome was assured before He started the task. "For God
sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world: but that
the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17). The victory
is sure. Its guarantee, is backed up by God, the Sovereign
Lord of the Universe.
