I posted this in another thread, but I think its applicable here because it speaks to the OP:
1. God created all things. This none deny. And it should be allowed to all that God first formed the purpose to create and then put that purpose into action in creating.
2. God governs the world. No christian I know believe God created all things and then stepped away and left the world unmanaged. That is deistic. We all believe God governs the world, had a purpose for which He created it and all things, and He governs the world according to His purpose.
3. God most assuredly accomplishes His purposes. Isa 46:9-10 "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:"
And again,
"The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations." Psalm 33:10-11
And,
Prov 19:21
"There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand."
4. What is the purpose of God in creation? "The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." Prov 16:4
Rev 4:11
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
5. Does God's government over the world include both matter and mind? Yes. Of God's governing of material things, I think no one denies. It is upon the mind of men that the dispute ensues. What saith the Scripture?
"Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?" Prov 20:24
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way."
Psalm 37:23
5. How God impresses upon the human mind in such a way that does not interfere with free agency and accountability I cannot explain. That is so, I cannot deny for it is too clear from Scripture.
6. God purposed from eternity to display His manifold glory and wisdom in a blood-bought Church. Ephesians 3:8-11
"Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord"
This must mean, since this purpose is eternal, that God foresaw the fall of man. A design that God created man to continue in holiness cannot be allowed since His eternal purpose was to display His manifold wisdom by the Church. Indeed, Christ was "foreordained before the foundation of the world to be the Saviour of sinners.
7. God governs wicked men.
"And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her." Gen 20:6
Here we see God's government restraining wicked men.
"For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year." Ex 34:24
Again, God restrains wicked men from desiring the land of Israel so that His purpose may be fulfilled in them.
The Lord also exerts influence upon wicked man (as inclining them) that His Word might be fulfilled:
"Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying," Ezra 1:1
God also exerts influence on wicked men to direct them in such ways that what they purpose for evil, God means for good.
"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." Gen 50:20
God accomplished His purposes and counsel, though man be completely ignorant of it.
"O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few." Isa 10:5-7
"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jer 10:23
God hardens the heart of wicked men and blinds their minds.
"And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go." Ex 4:21
"And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen." Ex 14:17
"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." John 12:40
"Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee." 1 Kings 22:23
Writing on these things the late N.L. Rice wrote,
"...God exerts an influence upon the hearts of men, disposing them to feel and act wickedly." (God Sovereign and Man Free, p.45 Sprinkle Publications, 1985)
In the context of this Rice uses terms like "given up by God" as we find in Romans of the reprobate whom "...God also gave them up to uncleaness..." In the midst of all this the eternal purpose of God is being worked out to perfection.
"Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain." Psalm 76:10
A closing statement on the question that often comes up, which is: "If God has foreordained whatever happens in the world, how is He not the author of sin?"
It should be automatically granted that God is not the author of sin. It should also to be plain by all from the above Scriptures that God's purpose and counsel is unshakable, unless one has some prior committment to a particular viewpoint. It is from trying to reconcile the absolute soverignty of God over all things with the presense of evil in the world that such a question arises.
Rice writes concerning this, "Two things only did God purpose to do concerning the fall of man, viz: to permit it, and to overule it for good." p.47 and,
"God chose to permit some angels and all the human race to fall into sin, and so to overule their dispositions, softening, restraining, directing, hardening, as to bring good out of evil, to accomplish his all-wise purposes." p.46
