Is God In Control
This is a complicated subject. It takes some thought to wrap your head around it. Worth the effort, I think, because I believe we often take a too casual approach that becomes unrealistic. The simple question is asked: Is God in control? Our quick response is almost always: Yes! And I believe that response is true, in the big picture, but maybe not always true in the minute detail of our world.
You’ve seen it happen. You are with Christians talking about current events. The political craziness that’s going on. The corruption of government. Or something local and personal, like a pastor who has had an affair and it has impacted that church. You talk about how sad it is that such things are happening. But then someone will say, “God is in control, he has a plan for all of this.” Such a statement is akin to when you hear people say, “Everything happens for a reason.” Does it?
Such statements may come from people who don’t buy into Calvinistic predestination in theory, but certainly make it seem they believe in it on a practical basis. Calvinistic predestination says that God drives everything that happens. It all happens for a predetermined reason. Even those who are lost and those who are saved were selected before they ever entered the world. They have no real choice in the matter. And to say that God has a plan and is in control of the political chaos that surrounds us, of the corrupt government, the tragedy of the pastor’s affair, takes us down a similar path.
This is where we must be careful. Certainly, God can bring good from each of those bad situations. With his foresight, he can work his bigger plan (to save those who will respond to him in faith) into such craziness. But he did not cause the political situation. He didn’t cause the corrupt government. He didn’t cause the pastor to cheat on his wife. He does not control things to that degree. To do so would violate our free will, our ability to make choices between good and evil, between righteous acts and harmful acts that offend the Lord. We make choices, to honor the Lord, or to do things that do not honor the Lord, and thus commit sin. Sin has consequences. God allows those consequences to play themselves out in most situations. But that is never part of his plan, for us to sin, for us to experience the tough consequences of our failure to obey him. As God allows this, he is not controlling every detail of life.
Once more, as we step back and view the big picture, God has a full view of it all. And he works his providential ways into the craziness of this sinful world. He will accomplish his will and will honor his promises to those who are faithful. He will punish the devil and all who align with him. But in our everyday life, he allows freedom to make choices, for good or for bad, and in doing so releases his control of such detail. You might compare it to your relationship with your children. You seek to exercise a controlled environment that encourages good behavior. You set rules. You provide positive feedback, but as your kids grow older and choose to do wrong, you allow such freedom and its consequences. You don’t exercise that level of control. You do not control them by forcing acceptable behavior. You have a plan, but it must recognize this freedom that cannot control your child’s choices.
Making sense? There was a time when God threatened to destroy Israel because of their sin (Deut. 9). Moses talked him out of it! Had God planned for Israel to sin so terribly? Was he in control of them? Obviously not. But he was in control of the big picture and continued to work his redemptive plan. It is still the same today. So, as we view the corruption around us, let’s not assume God’s control to a degree that makes it all his fault, because it’s all part of his plan. Satan has a plan too.
Cross Point: “Choose this day whom you will serve, the gods beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). God does not control this choice.
You’ve seen it happen. You are with Christians talking about current events. The political craziness that’s going on. The corruption of government. Or something local and personal, like a pastor who has had an affair and it has impacted that church. You talk about how sad it is that such things are happening. But then someone will say, “God is in control, he has a plan for all of this.” Such a statement is akin to when you hear people say, “Everything happens for a reason.” Does it?
Such statements may come from people who don’t buy into Calvinistic predestination in theory, but certainly make it seem they believe in it on a practical basis. Calvinistic predestination says that God drives everything that happens. It all happens for a predetermined reason. Even those who are lost and those who are saved were selected before they ever entered the world. They have no real choice in the matter. And to say that God has a plan and is in control of the political chaos that surrounds us, of the corrupt government, the tragedy of the pastor’s affair, takes us down a similar path.
This is where we must be careful. Certainly, God can bring good from each of those bad situations. With his foresight, he can work his bigger plan (to save those who will respond to him in faith) into such craziness. But he did not cause the political situation. He didn’t cause the corrupt government. He didn’t cause the pastor to cheat on his wife. He does not control things to that degree. To do so would violate our free will, our ability to make choices between good and evil, between righteous acts and harmful acts that offend the Lord. We make choices, to honor the Lord, or to do things that do not honor the Lord, and thus commit sin. Sin has consequences. God allows those consequences to play themselves out in most situations. But that is never part of his plan, for us to sin, for us to experience the tough consequences of our failure to obey him. As God allows this, he is not controlling every detail of life.
Once more, as we step back and view the big picture, God has a full view of it all. And he works his providential ways into the craziness of this sinful world. He will accomplish his will and will honor his promises to those who are faithful. He will punish the devil and all who align with him. But in our everyday life, he allows freedom to make choices, for good or for bad, and in doing so releases his control of such detail. You might compare it to your relationship with your children. You seek to exercise a controlled environment that encourages good behavior. You set rules. You provide positive feedback, but as your kids grow older and choose to do wrong, you allow such freedom and its consequences. You don’t exercise that level of control. You do not control them by forcing acceptable behavior. You have a plan, but it must recognize this freedom that cannot control your child’s choices.
Making sense? There was a time when God threatened to destroy Israel because of their sin (Deut. 9). Moses talked him out of it! Had God planned for Israel to sin so terribly? Was he in control of them? Obviously not. But he was in control of the big picture and continued to work his redemptive plan. It is still the same today. So, as we view the corruption around us, let’s not assume God’s control to a degree that makes it all his fault, because it’s all part of his plan. Satan has a plan too.
Cross Point: “Choose this day whom you will serve, the gods beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). God does not control this choice.