Theology Thursday: Is God in Control? (2024)

Our world often seems to spiral out of control with natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and forest fires, not to mention countless man-made disasters such as wars, child abuse and addiction. Then there are the choices we make in life, some of which change the course of our lives enormously, perhaps tragically. The 'what if' questions are endless!

Is God Really in Control? Or did he simply create all things and set them in motion, but beyond his control? The Bible teaches that God's sovereignty is an essential aspect of who He is, that He has supreme authority and absolute power over all things. And yes, he is very active, despite our confusion. The Bible says that God works “according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11).

Table of contents:

• Reduced
• What does the Bible say?
• What about prayer?
• What about bad choices?

Reduced

Life's tragedies are a result of the fall of humanity (Genesis 3). Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, they became estranged from God; sin has this effect (Genesis 3:9; Isaiah 59:2). Therefore, it is essential that we find our way back to God, back to walking with Him, back to the close relationship for which we were designed. And God has provided a way for this reconciliation through His Son Jesus Christ. Ch2 The great paradox

Divine sovereignty and human responsibility (free will) are like two seemingly parallel lines that do not meet, even though outside of our limited human understanding they do. This is certainly one of the “secret things” in Deuteronomy 29:29. We may rarely see God's providential hand at work, but He has His ways of revealing Himself as we walk with Him. Ch2 What about sin?

There is no need at all to believe that God directly determines everything, even sin. Everything is in God's permissive will, but that does not mean He is the cause. As a parent, if you pay attention to your children, you can intervene if you see a child running towards the wall with a piece of chalk, or you can let the child mark on the wall and use discipline when training. God has much more He can do, even in our hearts and through other people and circ*mstances. The child sins of his own accord, and so do we. The parent is in control and so is God, but even more so.

What does the Bible say?

One of the most powerful passages revealing God's sovereignty is Isaiah 46:9-11:

Remember the old things;

for I am God, and there is none else;

I am God, and there is none like me,

declares the end from the beginning

and of old things are not yet done,

says: My counsel will stand,

and I will achieve all my purpose'

calls a bird of prey from the east,

the husband of my counselor from a far country.

I have spoken and I will make it happen;

I plan and I will do it.

What about prayer?

First, we must realize that God determines not only the outcome, but also the means, including our prayers. When we pray, we enter the spiritual realm and wrestle “against the cosmic forces of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). It is a privilege that God has called us to be part of His plan to reconcile the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). All of our work should be viewed as missionary work, letting our light shine to point people to God (Matthew 5:16). God has His sovereign plan, and it can often involve calling someone from a distant land to do His will.

What about bad choices?

We all make bad choices in life; yes, some worse than others. But God is a master at “making all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28), a promise to all who truly love God. God's plan for us is not health, wealth, and happiness, even though we may receive these blessings. His desire for us is to “be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29), and as the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, it teaches that we “glorify God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and enjoy Him (Ps. 37:4) forever.”

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