Tuesday, January 20, 2009.
A question to puzzle upon Part II
Throughout the Bible, the overarching sovereignty if God concerning the details of their lives and ministry are shown clearly."The plans of the mind belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord." Proverbs 16:1 (RSV)
"A man's mind plans his wat, but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9 (RSV)
"The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly from the Lord." Proverbs 16:33 (RSV)
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established." Proverbs 19:21 (RSV)
"I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps." Jeremiah 10:23 (RSV)
"I will return to you again if God wills." Acts 18:21
"I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills" 1 Corinthians 4:19
"I do not wish to see you now just in passing; for I hope to remain with you for some time, if the Lord permits" ! Corinthians 16:7
"And this we will do, if God permits" Hebrews 6:3
"You ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that'" James 4:15
In the book, Pastor Piper says: "The very first thing to affirm is that God does not sin. God can will that a sinful act come to pass without willing it as an act of sin in Himself."
However, when i read about the following footnotes, many questions arises:
"God commissions an "evil spirit" between Abimelech and the men of Shechem to bring about His will (Judges 9:22-24).
Satan leads Judas to do (Luke 22:3) what Acts 2:23 says God brought about.
Paul says that Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4) but also says that God sends a blinding spirit of stupor (Romans 11:8-10)
Satan stirs up David to take a census (1 Chronicles 21:1) which proved to be sin (2 Samuel 24:10), and yet it is written that God was in some sense the cause behind Satan (2 Samuel 24:1)
Satan gets permission from God to torment Job (Job 1:12; 2:6) but when Satan had taken Job's family and made him sick, Job said, 'The Lord has taken,' (job 1:21), and , "Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord and shall we not receive evil" (2:10)"
Does it mean what evil acts or the sin that we have in our lives are caused by God to accomplish some wills of His in our lives? If it is so, are we still held responsible for the sins that we have done?
Conclusion:
God has the capacity to look at the world through two lenses, a narrow lens or a wide-angle lens.
When God looks at a painful or wicked event through His narrow lens, He sees the tragedy or the sin for what it is in itself and He is angered and grieved.
But when God looks at a painful or wicked event through His wide-angle lens, He sees the tragedy or the sin in relation to everything leading up to it and everything flowing out from it.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
From these two verses, we know that we cannot comprehend the mind of God, not even about the plans that He have for us. When we face a choice, a decision or a struggle, we know that we have to follow the decrees of the Lord.
"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8
It is not God that causes us to sin but our own selfish desire. "but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:14-15 We cannot blame God for what sin we have committed for God never tempts.
Therefore, God has clearly shown us what we should do. At the beginning of the book, Pastor Piper shows through Scripture the pleasures of God and these are what we have to seek for and obey in faith!
(For those who want to know more, can borrow the book from me or buy one yourself) Posted by CCH at 7:23 PM. 0 comments
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