Galatians 1:6-10 (New King James Version)

Only One Gospel

6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Is God Really in Control? | Print |  E-mail
Written by Scott M. Kendall   
Monday, 10 November 2008 18:52

Puppett

With a group of friends, an unexpected opportunity developed for me to share my faith.  I narrated my stories, with positive response. But then, to my surprise, a lady put me on my heels.  She said, “Scott, if God did what He did for you, why would God allow what happened to me?” As an innocent girl, my friend Tammy was molested and bears the pain and scars today. In an unusual moment, I was silenced.

Tammy was right.  If God is in control, then He allowed this deep infliction of pain on my neighbor and friend. If this is true, I find God’s conduct to be appalling. But I do not believe it for a moment.

When we repeat the slogan, “God is in control,” we unwittingly make God an accomplice with evil. God had nothing to do with what happened to Tammy.  She was the victim of an evil doer.

I grant that in a cosmological sense God is in control, as the universe only exists by His will.  But usually this is not what is meant when these words are spoken. Most often they are said as a comfort for those suffering from the difficulties of this life, or to calm fears in an uncertain world. But words have consequences, and the salve of this slogan alienates Tammy from the God that desires to comfort and heal her.

God’s promise is that He would be with me when I suffer.  He never promised that I would not suffer the consequences of my decisions, the decisions of others, or even the effects of nature and physics.

Please do not misunderstand me:

  • God is sovereign; but in His sovereignty He has given human beings the right to make their own decisions—including evil decisions.
  • God can be in charge of my life; but only if I choose to surrender my life to Him.
  • God can intervene in my affairs or the affairs of my neighbors; but only if I or my neighbors ask Him.

If I say God is in control, it relieves me of all responsibility. Why pray? Why love my neighbor? God is in control; He does not need my help.

The next time you have the urge to repeat this favorite Christian slogan, think of my friend Tammy. When confronted with suffering, perhaps you might pray for God to intervene and relieve the suffering; or perhaps you might pray for God to provide comfort; or perhaps you might intervene and relieve the suffering; or perhaps you might provide comfort.

Don’t blame God—He put you in control.

Comments (10)Add Comment
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written by Loren Paulsson, November 14, 2008
I have a question about God's inability to intervene. If you were talking to a suicidal teenager and you learned his unbelieving mother had been cruelly raped and then become pregnant, how are you going to comfort him that he is not an accident who should never have lived?
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written by Scott Kendall, November 14, 2008
Hi Loren,

thanks for commenting.

I'm not sure I fully understand the premise of your hypothetical. I did not say that God had an inability to intervene. Quite to the contrary. God can and does intervene, usually when we ask Him to. This is why we pray.

No matter the circumstances, people can be comforted. I do not see how my knowledge of the circumstances of her creation matters. I know that God loves the teenager, and wants to be his or her Father.
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written by Loren Paulsson, November 15, 2008
Thank you for your response and for your compassion for your friend.

I'm not sure you've really addressed the problem of evil. It seems like God is still on the hook if He created humans with the possibility of sin and if He can intervene and doesn't. How do you address the problem of evil in the life of a believer who does ask God to intervene?

Also, what kind of comfort can God give if He's not in control? It seems a lot of Christians find comfort in believing God has loving purposes even for the pains in life, but if humans are in control as you say, it's hard to see how senseless human acts can ever mean anything but senselessness.
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written by Scott Kendall, November 15, 2008
Life, it seems to me, would be meaningless if I am not in control of my own decisions. If God controls whether or not I love Him, my love for Him would not be meaningful to Him. It would be more like playing with a doll and having your doll tell you it loves you.

So if, in His sovereignty, He created beings, in the heavenlies and here, who could choose to love, then necessarily, they can choose to hate.

A meaningful life, therefore, results in the presence of evil. This, however, does not mean that God causes (controls) evil decisions, or there consequences.

The fact that He has given us the right to control our own lives does not mean that we can control Him. When God chooses to intervene or not, this is His choice. When God does not answer our prayers the way we wish, who are we to reply against Him.
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written by Loren Paulsson, November 21, 2008
Okay, you start out by saying, "If God is in control, then He allowed this deep infliction of pain on my neighbor and friend. If this is true, I find God’s conduct to be appalling."

You then argue God is not in control because He has given control to humans.

But you end up saying, "When God does not answer our prayers the way we wish, who are we to reply against Him." In this way, you afford God as much freedom as you have assigned to humans, though you apparently see God as much more powerful than humans are.

It seems like you just undermined your reason for being appalled at what God allows.
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written by Scott Kendall, November 26, 2008
I do not think it is a zero sum game. The fact that God can intervene does not mean he is controlling the circumstances we face in our daily life. For example, If a criminal is robbing a bank, and there is a chance that you could tackle and dissarm the robber, but choose not to. Are you in control? Is it your fault that the criminal robbed the bank?
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written by ken, December 03, 2008
Hey Scott. Good content on your site, man. I was led here from john smulo's "blog comment day." On this particular post... it's refreshing to read someone say what's real. There can be a terrible beauty in suffering. We need to have the courage to engage it.
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written by Cybill, December 03, 2008
I wish that I would have been with you when your friend told you about what happened to her. I would have told her that what happened to her was not God's will but man's will. God has given each of us our own free will. If we didn't have free will we would not have a choice to love him, pray for each other or even have a relationship with him. What happened to Tammy is a horrible tragedy. On the other hand God never wastes a hurt. When we struggle or suffer it is for a reason. We may not be able to understand the way in which he works, ecspecially as we are going through it, but all things good and bad are to be used for his glory. Maybe one day Tammy will be able to relate to someone who is going through a similar situation and only because of her past has the opportunity to share God's love with them. Hurting people are more apt to listen to a survivor rather than a spectator.

Who are we to attempt to understand God's plan?

God is in control...
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written by Scott Kendall, December 04, 2008
Hi Cybil,

Thanks for visiting. I agree that the evildoer is the one that caused Tammy's pain--not God. I also agree that God can use Tammy's pain for good--if Tammy allows God to do this.

This means that the evildoer and Tammy are in control of their own decisions. Both can submit to God's will--but they do not have to submit. If this is the case, how can we say that God is in "control?" Why do we feel such a great need to say such a thing?
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written by Scott Kendall, December 04, 2008
Hi Ken,

thanks for dropping by. I hope you come back soon. John is an inspiration to me. He designed my website, and I thank him for sending you my direction.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 10 November 2008 21:42 )
 

Apostolic Certainty

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