SavedByGrace
Well-Known Member
Does God Control Sin?
Firstly, we have to establish what is meant by the word “control”
As defined by the Oxford English dictionary;
When used as a noun
“the power to influence or direct people's behaviour or the course of events”
And as a verb
“determine the behaviour or supervise the running of”
There is no doubt that God is indeed Absolutely Sovereign, which means that He can do anything without any restraints or restrictions. This is very clear in the entire Bible.
Secondly, because God “can do” whatever He pleases, to whoever He pleases, it does not mean that He “does do”.
God can and does direct our behaviour to a certain degree, but, it is clear that He does not always “choose” to.
God also does “influence” what people do, or what takes places in His world, but again, He does not always do so.
Thirdly, to say that God “controls” the sins in people lives, is to make God the Author of our sinful actions. Does God “direct” the sins that we commit? Or, does He “determine” that we sin against Him? In either case, He would be the Author of Sin, which is anathema and an impossibility.
Fourthly, God has Created all humans with a “free will”, which is the “ability to choose”, between options, and make decisions that could be right or wrong. This does not in any way take away form the fact that God is Absolutely Sovereign, because He has determined this for all humans.
Fifthly, when any person sins, it is their personal responsibility, and not because God somehow “influenced” them to do so, or even “directed” their sinning against Him. This is 100% against the very Nature and Character of the Holy God of the Bible, and blasphemy to teach.
This grave error of God’s “control” of our personal sins, has been taught by some, like the Reformed theologian, Wayne Grudem:
"In Spite of All of the Foregoing Statements, We Have to Come to the Point Where We Confess That We Do Not Understand How It Is That God Can Ordain That We Carry Out Evil Deeds and Yet Hold Us Accountable for Them and Not be Blamed Himself: We can affirm that all of these things are true, because Scripture teaches them. But Scripture does not tell us exactly how God brings this situation about or how it can be that God holds us accountable for what he ordains to come to pass. Here Scripture is silent, and we have to agree with Berkhof that ultimately “the problem of God’s relation to sin remains a mystery" (Systematic Theology, p.331. emphasis mine)
This is totally unbiblical and blasphemous! God “ordains” that we sin against Him, which He actually forbids that we do; and then when we do what He Himself “ordains”, God holds us responsible, and punishes us for doing what He has already “ordained”! This is TOTALLY INSANE!
God, in His Infinite Wisdom, has, for reasons that are only known to Himself, PERMITTED that we sin, which He also ALLOWS, and then USES them for His own purposes.
It is VERY WRONG for Bible translations, like the King James, to read in Isaiah 45:7;
“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things”
The same Hebrew verb used in Genesis 1:1, “bā·rā” (Created), that is used here. The reading in Versions like the KJV, make God the actual Author of EVIL, which is an IMPOSSIBILITY!
The Hebrew adjective, “rā‘”, also has the meaning, “bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery” (BDB, Hebrew Lexicon)
God does indeed USE the sinful actions of humans, as He did in the Death of Jesus Christ.
In Acts 2:23, Peter says, “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death”
This does NOT mean that God “CAUSED” these wicked people to do what they did. God FORESAW their evil deeds, and USED this for His Purposes. God did not “CAUSE” Judas to betray Jesus Christ, which Judas did for his own FREE WILL, and was RESPONSIBLE for his own actions. God did indeed USE this for His Purposes.
A good example of God USING the sinful actions of humans, is found in 1 Kings 22:19-23, where we read of the evil king Ahab, where God USES, and not CAUSES, the evil lying spirit, to pronounce His Righteous Judgements on this wicked king.
It is a Biblical IMPOSSIBILITY for God to “control” the SINFUL and WICKED actions that are carried out every day by sinners against Himself.
This does NOT in any way makes God not Absolutely Sovereign, because He has Created all humans with a FREE WILL, to do good or evil.
Firstly, we have to establish what is meant by the word “control”
As defined by the Oxford English dictionary;
When used as a noun
“the power to influence or direct people's behaviour or the course of events”
And as a verb
“determine the behaviour or supervise the running of”
There is no doubt that God is indeed Absolutely Sovereign, which means that He can do anything without any restraints or restrictions. This is very clear in the entire Bible.
Secondly, because God “can do” whatever He pleases, to whoever He pleases, it does not mean that He “does do”.
God can and does direct our behaviour to a certain degree, but, it is clear that He does not always “choose” to.
God also does “influence” what people do, or what takes places in His world, but again, He does not always do so.
Thirdly, to say that God “controls” the sins in people lives, is to make God the Author of our sinful actions. Does God “direct” the sins that we commit? Or, does He “determine” that we sin against Him? In either case, He would be the Author of Sin, which is anathema and an impossibility.
Fourthly, God has Created all humans with a “free will”, which is the “ability to choose”, between options, and make decisions that could be right or wrong. This does not in any way take away form the fact that God is Absolutely Sovereign, because He has determined this for all humans.
Fifthly, when any person sins, it is their personal responsibility, and not because God somehow “influenced” them to do so, or even “directed” their sinning against Him. This is 100% against the very Nature and Character of the Holy God of the Bible, and blasphemy to teach.
This grave error of God’s “control” of our personal sins, has been taught by some, like the Reformed theologian, Wayne Grudem:
"In Spite of All of the Foregoing Statements, We Have to Come to the Point Where We Confess That We Do Not Understand How It Is That God Can Ordain That We Carry Out Evil Deeds and Yet Hold Us Accountable for Them and Not be Blamed Himself: We can affirm that all of these things are true, because Scripture teaches them. But Scripture does not tell us exactly how God brings this situation about or how it can be that God holds us accountable for what he ordains to come to pass. Here Scripture is silent, and we have to agree with Berkhof that ultimately “the problem of God’s relation to sin remains a mystery" (Systematic Theology, p.331. emphasis mine)
This is totally unbiblical and blasphemous! God “ordains” that we sin against Him, which He actually forbids that we do; and then when we do what He Himself “ordains”, God holds us responsible, and punishes us for doing what He has already “ordained”! This is TOTALLY INSANE!
God, in His Infinite Wisdom, has, for reasons that are only known to Himself, PERMITTED that we sin, which He also ALLOWS, and then USES them for His own purposes.
It is VERY WRONG for Bible translations, like the King James, to read in Isaiah 45:7;
“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things”
The same Hebrew verb used in Genesis 1:1, “bā·rā” (Created), that is used here. The reading in Versions like the KJV, make God the actual Author of EVIL, which is an IMPOSSIBILITY!
The Hebrew adjective, “rā‘”, also has the meaning, “bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery” (BDB, Hebrew Lexicon)
God does indeed USE the sinful actions of humans, as He did in the Death of Jesus Christ.
In Acts 2:23, Peter says, “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death”
This does NOT mean that God “CAUSED” these wicked people to do what they did. God FORESAW their evil deeds, and USED this for His Purposes. God did not “CAUSE” Judas to betray Jesus Christ, which Judas did for his own FREE WILL, and was RESPONSIBLE for his own actions. God did indeed USE this for His Purposes.
A good example of God USING the sinful actions of humans, is found in 1 Kings 22:19-23, where we read of the evil king Ahab, where God USES, and not CAUSES, the evil lying spirit, to pronounce His Righteous Judgements on this wicked king.
It is a Biblical IMPOSSIBILITY for God to “control” the SINFUL and WICKED actions that are carried out every day by sinners against Himself.
This does NOT in any way makes God not Absolutely Sovereign, because He has Created all humans with a FREE WILL, to do good or evil.
