Ask in Sunday School

So who was the audience? Young kids? teens? young adults? or seasoned church goers?

Answers could get quite involved.

Rob

 

In what context did the teacher ask these questions?

 

I would get up and walk out. I have done it several times in my life. I don't respond to closed end questions. (Learned that in interrogation training)

 

We all seem hesitant to answer.

The question deals with God’s sovereignty: God is sovereign over all creation.

The hesitancy relates to how does God control things, directly, indirectly, and how does freedom of will relate to his control.

Lots of room for disagreement.

Rob

 

agedman,

How would you answer the following questions ask by the teacher:

yes

God would not be God if anything was outside of His control

Psalm 139

 

While i wouldn't walk out, I would ask for a detail description of "control".

e.g. God has apparently temporarily relinquished "control" in at least one venue:

1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

 

Hand raised, Genesis 1:1, Hebrews 11:6.

Hand raised, Isaiah 46:9-11, Psalm 135:6.

Hand raised, Genesis 50:19-20, Ephesians 1:11.

Obviously some of this needs more discussion and explanation, but above are my short answers

 

Since you said this was a Sunday school class, I am going to assume it was within the context of a local church. You did not say how many people were in the class. Where there 20? 10? 5? Is this church known as a faithful Bible-believing/teaching church? Is this the only Sunday school class in the church or are there a choice of classes? Was the class a general church-wide class or was it a specialized class like new believers or seniors? I am asking these questions because they could provide a reason behind the answers.

All of that being said, there are really only a few reasons why so many people would give answers that diminish God's sovereignty in their lives. There are (in no specific order):

1. Ignorance of the scriptures
2. Unsaved
3. Deficient preaching
4. Heavy Synergistic theology

 

How many of you believe in God?

I do.​

How many of you believe God should control all He created?

I do.​

How many of you believe God controls you?

I do.​

However, my answers are based upon defining the terms in the questions to what I believe they mean rather than what you may think that it means for God to control someone or everything.

 

• How many of you believe in God?
• All raised their hands.

At it's core, this question is nothing more or less than an affirmation of "theism" (a denial of being an 'atheist or 'agnostic' in a Sunday School Class), so the result is hardly surprising.

• How many of you believe God should control all He created?
• Some raised hands

"Define control." was my first thought. Should God force every action of every person? If I say God should control everything, then should God be preventing bad things from happening? Are we about to blame God for not preventing sin?

• How many of you believe God controls you?
• None but two raised their hands.

Back to that first thought ... "Define control." Are you asking me if God has robbed me of free will? Does God MAKE me do everything? Are even my 'stumbles', now God's fault?

No God does not CONTROL like that and there is no reason that he should. If God wanted a creation without any free will, he could have made one in the beginning. There is no reason to think that God does not USE all things (even things men intend for evil) for His purposes and His Glory.

"CONTROL" was a bad choice of words. If you raised your hand that God controls you, then did God cause you to perform your last sinful act (large or small)?

 

Without free will we have no self identity but are soulless robots/puppets.

 

It is most likely not understanding God's complete control in His works of providence..
Going over the providence of God in scripture would supply a proper worldview.

 

The usual - you are too ignorant to understand ad hominem??

 

Hank?
What are you saying ?
I did not speak of any person, I said a study of God's providence would help!
To say there is a lack of understanding of God's providence is not attacking anyone at all, it is suggesting an answer for a lack of biblical understanding.
Did you intend to post this to someone else?

 

Oh pardon my ignorance.

 

?????
Hank?
I am totally not following you here?

 

How about asking the questions in a more scriptural way?

The Bible says, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose." [Romans 8:28 NASB] but do you really believe that God is in control of "all things" (good and bad) that happen in your life?

The Bible says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." [Ephesians 2:10 NASB] but do you really believe that all of the "good works" that you do were deliberately prepared by God in advance for you to perform?