Does God Really Do Whatever He Wants To Us?
Rock of Offence Special Commentary
The following information answers a question from a reader in the United States; "Does God Really Do Whatever He Wants To Us?" Many have asked the same questions since the existence of the first century church. Today, critics of faith, divine healing and God's Grace are spreading massive amounts of misinformation on these subjects. Their answers are often misleading and cause believers to have a wrong and warped conception of their Heavenly Father.
Here is the original question (edited for the website):
I do have questions about God's sovereignty. When God is sovereign, is He in total control of everything? Since God is sovereign over the whole earth, does that mean God can do whatever he wants on the earth? Does this mean God can do whatever he wants to His children? For example, does God want His children to be sick? Does He want His children to be in prison? Does God have a purpose for putting difficult people into our lives? Does God want us to be holy and not happy at all? Does God want us to be in poverty? The reason I asking questions such as these is that I always hear preachers, Bible teachers, evangelist, and pastors say all the time that God can do whatever he wants to any believer, even if the believer must endure any kind of hardship and suffering. Teachings like this are heard on Christian radio stations, television, Christian internet articles and ministries, churches, and other various ministries here in the United States and around the globe. A good article to read about God's sovereignty would be the articles I posted. They may not be in agreement with what you teach.
When preachers often say that it is God's will to be sick, they use the story of Lazarus saying that it is not God's will to heal and that God has a purpose for Lazarus being sick and to die. While God is sovereign, is it true that He is in control over all of our circumstances in our lives? Is the teaching false that while God is sovereign, He can do whatever he wants to His children for His own purposes? For instance, God wants you to suffer so you can be conformed to His image. God has a purpose in your pain and suffering (these are what I always hear preachers say all the time) If this teaching is false, it is becoming more increasing and very popular these days.
This Bible Study is the fifth in a special five
part series, which addresses the controversial
subject of Christian suffering. The other 4
studies are available below:
(Study 1) The Reasons Why Christians Suffer
(Study 2) Belief, Faith and God's Power
(Study 3) Misconceptions About Paul's
Thorn in the Flesh
(Study 4) Is Suffering God's Will For The Christian?
Hello Brother,
Unfortunately, I have to sometimes place limitations on the Rock of Offence website ministry. The questions you ask involves topics that have been hotly debated in the institutional church for hundreds of years without resolution. This lack of resolution is not because there is no answer. The problem exists because of an unwillingness to accept the answer that Scripture provides when it is “rightly divided” as taught by the Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 2:15), who wrote nearly half of the New Testament canon. In this ministry, we strive to "rightly (or correctly) divide" the Word as Paul instructed. This one practice sets us (and other ministries with the same mindset) apart from various mainstream expressions of Christian religion that mishandle and misapply the Scriptures by mixing everything together, which violates God's rules of interpretation. You seemed to be alarmed at the fact that many high profile preachers are teaching things that are not right, such as; It's God's will to make you sick and send suffering on your life because He is sovereign and "does whatever He wants". These kinds of teachings have been around since the first century. In the fourth century, the Catholic theologian, Augustine, was successful in injecting this kind of error into the foundational doctrines of the Church, which later spread to the Protestant Reformation, where it was re-energized under the teachings of what we now call Calvinism and Reformed theology. These are not new teachings and are just as wrong today as they were in the time of the Apostle Paul.
As I repeatedly point out in my commentaries, the confusion is caused by a power struggle (actually it’s an internal spiritual war) between several major theological systems of belief, which started in the first century and intensified during the Protestant Reformation and later through the “Great Awakening” revivals in America. Speaking in very general terms, these theological groups are defined by the following characteristics and found on both Roman Catholic and Protestant sides of the organized church:
GROUP 1:
Consists of the preachers, churches and denominations that illegally mix (combine or merge) the principles of the Old Testament Mosaic Law (sometimes referred to as the Old Covenant) with the New Testament Grace-based salvation of Jesus Christ (also called “The New Covenant”). A false and misleading (or counterfeit) works-based (earned by merit) salvation results when this separation (or dividing) is not performed. The early apostles rejected this counterfeit salvation in Acts chapter 15. Peter referred to it as a heresy in his New Testament writings. Today, the counterfeit is accepted in many churches as fundamental Biblical truth.
GROUP 2:
Consists of the preachers, churches and denominations that properly keep the Old Testament Mosaic Law program separated (or “rightly divided”) from the New Testament Grace-based salvation program of Jesus Christ. This separation (or dividing) is necessary because the sacrifice of Christ, which initiated the New Covenant, changed all the previous Old Testament rules that govern how eternal life (salvation) is obtained and kept. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 6:23, Titus 3:5-7, Hebrews 8:6-13). Instead of being earned through personal merit and works as required by Old Testament Law, eternal life is now freely given under the New Covenant (which began after the cross) as the blood-bought, pre-paid gift of God through the Grace of Jesus Christ. This does not mean that personal behavior, merit and good works are now unimportant or thrown out, as some falsely accuse. The following commentary provides more information about the place these character attributes hold in Christ's salvation.
Exposing The Error of Redefining
God's Grace
Each of these belief systems has influential preachers, who defend the teachings. Yet, contrary to popular opinion, God says that, after the cross, He only honors one of these ways of believing the Bible and considers the other as “the way that seems right, but results in death”. It "seems right" because it continues to look and sound like God's Word.
Group 1 predominantly represents Roman Catholicism, Calvinism (and its close relative “Reformed theology”) and a myriad of other fundamentalist churches and denominations that insist on mixing together Old Testament Law and New Testament Grace. The various beliefs of this group are found in over 8 out of 10 churches that carry the label “Christian”. Group 1 totally dominates the worldwide institutionalized Christian Church, which is why we address it first.
Group 2 is much more difficult to describe and label. In the first century, they would be the followers of the Apostle Paul. If we look at the Protestant Reformation, they would be the followers of Martin Luther (and his colleagues), who properly based his ministry and evangelistic message on the New Testament epistles of the Apostle Paul and kept the system of Old Testament Law separated (or as Paul called it, “rightly divided”) from New Testament Grace. (Note: this group is not to be confused with the modern-day Lutheran denomination.) We should know that the Protestant Reformation contained two radically different factions (John Calvin and Martin Luther) and was not dominated by Luther alone as many believe. Today, those representing group 2 are commonly called “Evangelicals” and do not necessarily represent any particular church or denomination. Evangelicals exist on both the Roman Catholic and Protestant sides of the organized church. In the twentieth century, the most popular expression of evangelicalism is the ministry of Dr. Billy Graham (estimated to have preached the Gospel to over 2 billion people) and can be traced back to individuals such as Dr. Harry Ironsides, D.L. Moody, R.A. Torrey and George Whitfield (and a host of others). Group 2 correctly separates the Scriptures that govern Old Testament Law (the way God operated before Christ’s crucifixion) from the Scriptures that govern New Testament Grace (the new and living way that God operates by following Christ’s crucifixion--Hebrews 10:19-23). This separation (or “rightly dividing”) is the only method of interpretation that God accepts after the cross. Failing to "rightly divide" the Scriptures automatically injects serious error into your Bible teaching and doctrine, as we see today.
Unfortunately, group 2 is vastly outnumbered and harshly criticized by the rest of the institutional church for their beliefs based on Christ’s Grace Gospel taught by Paul. Demeaning names and phrases such as “greasy grace” and “the watered-down gospel” are used by those who oppose the beliefs found in group 2. I listened as one fundamentalist radio evangelist angrily referred to them as “the Grace cult” and suggested that their gospel message of God’s unmerited favor (also called Grace) came from the devil. While it doesn’t happen in all situations, this is the kind of dangerous and emotional rhetoric commonly thrown at those who “rightly divide God’s Word” as the Apostle Paul instructed in his New Testament epistles. When the term “watered down gospel” is used by critics, it is referring to the Grace Gospel of free justification taught in the New Testament. It is called “watered-down” because the idea that God gives eternal life as a free unmerited gift (without works) is rejected. These preachers believe that eternal life must be earned through the added requirements of good behavior and works, similar to the way it was obtained under Old Testament Law, which operated before the cross. Since it “seems right” to mix Old Testment Law with New Testament Grace, these ministers conclude that no significant change has taken place in the way salvation is received. Yet, their disagreement and rejection contradicts how the New Testament says that eternal life is obtained and kept under Christ’s New Covenant, which went into operation after the cross. Even worse, God declares this popular works-based gospel to be a heresy and something that He does not honor, even though it appears to come from the pages of the Bible. The eternal consequences connected to this practice are unthinkable.
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man,
but the end thereof are the ways of death."
(Proverbs 14:12 KJV)
More information is available
at the following links:
Exposing Misconceptions About
"Saving Faith"
What's Wrong With Lordship
Salvation?
The Holy Spirit's Role in
Salvation After the Cross
The brief review above may not seem to apply to your
questions. It is included in some of our commentaries
as a foundation, which helps us understand how some
preachers can insist that their teaching comes from
the Bible, when it actually represents an abuse and
distortion of the Bible's context and God's original
intention. Regardless of how godly it appears, the
popular practice of mixing the Old Testament program
of the Law with the New Testment program of Grace is
the foundation for most false teachings, false doctrines
and heresy found in the organized Christian Church and
among certain professing Christian believers today. This
also includes the common distortions concerning what
is often called "The sovereignty of God", or God's
sovereign will for the Christian believer. It is also the
root cause of what the Apostle Paul called "a different
gospel of Christ" or the deceptive counterfeit (look-alike)
gospel that God does not honor. When any minister, church
or denomination fails or refuses to rightly divide the
Scriptures, serious doctrinal error along with a warped
conception of our Heavenly Father is always the result,
regardless of the name on the church building. This is
not some fringe insignificant problem. It's a commonly
ignored problem that exists in many mainstream churches
and major denominations that reject the practice of
"rightly dividing" God's Word.
Your questions seem to indicate that you are influenced by many of the popular preachers that hold to a Calvinistic or Reformed theology view of the Scriptures (those in Group 1). It also appears that you might even attend a church that holds to these same beliefs. As we all spiritually mature, one of the most uncomfortable things we discover is that all churches that call themselves “Christian” and teach the Bible do not necessarily represent Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father. As a young inexperienced believer, I used to belong to such a fellowship and learned some hard lessons. Just because a minister or church claims to believe and teach “the whole Word of God” doesn’t necessarily mean that they are believing and teaching the Bible in a way that God accepts. The ministers in this group (or what we call group 1) possess a foundation in this popular, yet erroneous theology that mixes Old Testament Law and New Testament Grace, but may not always reveal this fact to their audience. Why? They believe (assume) that their method of interpretation is “the original theology of the Bible”. For this reason, many improperly refer to their roots in Calvinism and Reformed theology as God’s original “Biblical theology”. The more recent label of “Biblical Christianity” is also commonly used to describe their beliefs. Both of these terms are terribly misleading and can cause us to go astray in our faith. The preaching of these individuals is often the result of the way they were taught to interpret the Scriptures in seminary or Bible school. They obviously use Scripture, which seemingly applies God’s authority to their teachings. However, the way they use Scripture does not follow the “rightly divided” principles taught by the Apostle Paul. This wrong way of believing and teaching the Bible makes it appear that God is saying something that He does not say. It is commonly found within Roman Catholicism, Calvinism and the countless flavors of Reformed theology and Christian fundamentalism and occurs when the Scripture’s original intent (context) is being abused and ignored in order to defend a particular denominational teaching or tradition.
Brother, if you are to ever walk in truth, you must first get out from under this influence and learn to base your faith on the authority of God’s “rightly divided” Word. You must learn to stand on your own faith and train yourself to "tune out" many of the authoritative voices who claim to speak for God, but don't. Since Scripture is clearly divided into two dispensations, representing the different way God operates before and after the cross; any claim that a teaching is based on God’s Word can be misleading because it leaves out an important characteristic. This is why Paul warned that the Word (or the Bible) must be “rightly divided”. Unfortunately, just because someone (or a whole church) claims to believe the Bible can also mean that they “believe the Bible wrong” and are propagating a religious doctrine that God says He does not honor. Yet, those that unknowingly “believe the Bible wrong” (this is also called unbelief) continue to call themselves a “Bible believer”, which can mislead many spiritually inexperienced people. As long as you sit under teaching that distorts the context of Scripture, it will continually keep you in a state of confusion and seriously compromise your faith in Christ.
Additional information is available
at the following link:
Unbelief--The 800-Pound Gorilla
In The Church That Everyone
Ignores
You indicated an interest in the question:
“How can I learn to trust that God is in control?”
Since your questions take us into what I call “doctrinal quicksand”, I will resist my tendency to present “air tight” answers that requires the equivalent of writing several books that few people would read. To do so is beyond the scope of this ministry. Yet, because of the complexity of the subject and the fact that I’ve addressed this topic in other commentaries (some are listed at the end of this response), it is not productive to endlessly and repeatedly address something that cannot be resolved, especially if the dialogue is with those, who have already made up their mind to the contrary. Don’t misunderstand. We are not saying that you are in this group. But those you seem to listen to are in this position. Trying to reason Scripture (especially topics involving God’s will) with any minister, church or denomination that practices an erroneous non-dispensational and out-of-context brand of theology is an exercise in total frustration. Disagreements can’t be resolved because such ministers and their followers can make the Bible say almost anything when context is abused and ignored. It causes us to examine a Scripture’s intended context (something few Christians want to do), which generates even more questions that sparks a heated and emotional debate that spirals out of control. This kind of confusion only benefits the critics.
Although we quote and link to some articles on the “Gotquestions” Christian website, it does not mean we agree with everything they teach (and they probably don’t agree with everything we teach). Their ministry provides many good answers to common questions, but they can also move away from a “rightly divided” view of Scripture on some topics, especially the one you are questioning. This divergence is usually caused by having more than one Bible teacher provide the answers. In our experience, no perfect agreement exists with the teachings of any Christian church or ministry. Many times a general or close agreement is the best we can hope for.
After prayerfully considering your questions, we offer the following response, which also includes some comments from other Bible teachers. It generally covers God’s sovereignty involving the popular misconception that God can “do whatever He wants to His people” including; giving you terminal cancer, killing your children, killing your spouse, destroying your finances and personally sending persecution and having you thrown in jail. It won’t answer your questions about God’s sovereign will and His perfect will. Yet, it will show why many Bible teachings we hear about God’s sovereign will from the pulpit are often incorrect and misleading because they are derived from the common practice of illegally mixing the principles of Old Testament Law with the New Testament Grace of Christ. Contrary to popular church teaching, the way God operates (or what we generally refer to as “His will”) radically changed under the New Covenant that couldn’t begin until after Christ’s death at the cross.
Can Our Heavenly Father “Do Whatever
He Wants To His People On Earth?”
(Many refer to this as “God’s sovereignty”)
A part of our response is taken from our
commentary available at the following link:
Jesus Is Lord!
[Beginning of quote]
Many years ago I had a discussion with a colleague at work. He was an ex-Marine and the most intimidating person I've ever met. Strangely, over time we became friends. One day, while traveling together he explained how his father was involved in an accident and lost his eyesight...and a short time later, died. He told me that he'd never forgive God for taking his father. And, he could never trust a God who did such things. I shared with him some of the things discussed here. Many worldly (and religious) people share his beliefs. Yet, few consider the words of Jesus and Saint Paul on this subject.
The Bible tells us about two "gods". The first is God, our Father in Heaven. Jesus declared him to be a God of love. But, another "god" (little "g") is discussed.
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom THE GOD OF THIS WORLD hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (2 Cor 4:3-4 KJV)
In John's Gospel (verses 12:31, 14:30 and 16:11), Jesus refers to Satan as "the prince (the NKJV uses the word "ruler") of this world". When the word "god" is used with a small case "g" it means prince or ruler. Saint Paul is very direct and uses the word "god" (again--small case "g") when referring to Satan. Paul called Satan "the god of this world". Jesus said that Satan was the "ruler" of this world--same thing. Yet, many Christians reject this idea because it offends their theology! They won't accept the fact that both Paul and Jesus plainly stated that there's another "ruler" (or god) of this world other than the God of Heaven! This Biblical fact exposes much of the slanderous propaganda spread by religion about the true nature of our Heavenly Father.
Jesus said:
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (John 10:10-11 KJV)
Jesus teaches an important contrast. Satan is the "god of this world" who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Yet, Jesus (who is God in human flesh) comes to give abundant life. He is the good shepherd who gives his life for the sheep. Many slanderous things are assigned by false religion to our Heavenly Father. Yet, these things actually describe "the god of this world", Satan. Often, I hear about how God makes people sick, afflicting them with disease in order to build character and piety. Pastors tell those struggling with serious illness, "God has a purpose in this sickness and we should not oppose the wisdom of His will by looking for healing." This is religious nonsense when you understand that sickness and disease are tools of "the god of this world" and not the God of Heaven. What loving father would abuse their children to help them mature? Yet, many believe this about the Heavenly Father. When you closely examine these issues, you discover that a majority of professing Christians (and many prominent Christian ministries) have their "gods" mixed up. They unknowingly side with "the god of this world" rather than God, our Heavenly Father. This kind of misrepresentation is one way the spirit of anti-christ operates in our churches today.
The next time you talk to others about God, clarify who you're talking about. Is your faith more in the deeds of "the god of this world"--or the God of Heaven, Jesus Christ? It's important to know the difference.
[End of quote]
The following quote is from Joe Kovacs author of the popular
book “Shocked By The Bible”. His comments are taken from
our Bible study available at the following link. This quote from
Kovacs is taken from his interview with “Good News Magazine”.
The Great Imposter
[Beginning of quote]
Joe Kovacs: If you understand who Satan is and the origins of Satan, you would know what he's doing. Satan, "the god of this world" [2 Corinthians 4:4, King James Version], is not the ultimate God who created everything. He is the ruler of this present society. Satan was originally an archangel of God. He was booted out of heaven because he tried to lead a rebellion of angels against God.
The Bible refers to this rebellion, saying he ascended above the clouds to be like the Most High. He has a "god complex" and thinks he can do a better job than God. Who knows what his motivation is, but apparently he was a brilliant individual. The Bible calls him an angel of light. He is able to appear as very good so he can lead people away from God.
He wants to be God and to be worshipped. I can say unequivocally that most people on earth, no matter what religion they are, think they are worshipping the true God. However, they are actually worshipping a corrupted form of satanic confusion that was begun back in the Garden of Eden.
Interviewer: Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:4 that there was "another Jesus" with "a different spirit" and "a different gospel." Do you think this scripture reveals what Satan is doing?
Joe Kovacs: I think that Satan has transformed himself into an angel of light [2 Corinthians 11:14], and many, but not all, people think that they are worshipping the true God, the true Creator God of the universe. Yet they are actually following, unknowingly in many cases, Satan the devil. He has brought a brilliant deception upon people of this world and especially the Christian world.
Many people call themselves Christian, and yet they do things that are antithetical to what the Bible teaches. You can go through the Bible and find out what God's teachings are. You can look at what the religions of the world teach and see that they are, in fact, very different from what the Bible teaches.
[End of quote]
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nature of the Rock of Offence website, we qualify
under Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the “fair use”
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discussion purposes only.
Note: Including these quotations in this commentary
should not be considered an endorsement of all teachings
by Joe Kovacs, nor should it be interpreted that he is
in total agreement with our teachings on this subject.
The Fall
Going back to the beginning in the book of Genesis, we discover an important truth that affects this whole subject of “God’s sovereignty”, or what some preachers call “God’s ability to do whatever He wants on earth”. In Genesis 1:26, God gave Adam complete and total dominion OVER THE EARTH AND EVERYTHING IN IT.
"Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; LET THEM HAVE DOMINION over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, OVER ALL THE EARTH and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26 -- Emphasis Added)
Genesis chapter 3 provides the details of how Satan (disguised as a serpent) deceived Adam and his wife, Eve -- and convinced them to commit a sin (theologians call it “original sin”) that caused the fall of Adam and the entire human race that followed him. However, that’s not the whole story. Satan waited until God had transferred the dominion over the earth to Adam. THIS IS A DOMINION (OR AUTHORITY) THAT GOD ORIGINALLY POSSESSED (Genesis 1:26). When Adam and his wife committed this particular sin (eating the forbidden fruit), it effectively transferred Adam’s dominion (or ruler-ship), which God had previously given him -- to Satan, who then became “the god of this world” according to the words of both Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul (explained in the previous excerpts).
THOUSANDS OF YEARS LATER, DURING
CHRIST’S TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS,
SATAN REMINDS HIM OF THIS FACT;
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “ALL THIS AUTHORITY I WILL GIVE YOU, and their glory; FOR THIS HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO ME, AND I GIVE IT TO WHOMEVER I WISH. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” (Luke 4:5-8 NKJV -- Emphasis Added)
What Does It All Mean?
Jesus came to reverse what Adam and Eve did in the garden. His blood sacrifice on the cross paid the price to “buy back” EVERYTHING Adam lost through sin. The Bible uses the word “redemption” to describe this repurchase. Christ’s sacrifice didn’t just save mankind from eternal punishment caused by sin. His sacrificial death also restored this lost authority (dominion) that Satan acquired through deception.
Additional information is available
at the following link:
Jesus Christ As 'The Last Adam' Reverses
The Curse Of The First Adam's Sin
All of this is good news, but there is a problem. Legally speaking, the price has been paid by Christ. At the cross, when He cried out, “IT IS FINISHED”, Jesus was announcing to the world that His redemption was now irreversible and “paid in full”. But, according to the Apostle Paul, Satan still remains “the god of the world” until the time of the end. Paul continued to call Satan, “the god of this world” even though Jesus had already paid the price to end his dominion at the cross. This is what the book of Revelation is all about. The Apostle John’s writings in Revelation records that Jesus alone is worthy to “break the seals” on a book that represents “the title deed of the earth”. John’s revelation records the still future “Second Coming of Christ”, which occurs at the final war called Armageddon, where Jesus Christ returns to end Satan’s dominion and terminates his office as “the god (or ruler) of this world”. Until that future event, Satan still keeps his dominion according to the Bible. After the Second Coming, where Jesus Christ will set up his kingdom on earth, God will, once again, have complete authority over the earth.
Religious Misconceptions About
How God Operates Are Common
When popular preachers claim that “God does whatever He wants to His children” (a deceptive and false way of describing “the sovereignty of God”), their teaching is a gross distortion of what the Bible actually says. To protect historical and traditional church doctrines, some ministers claim that when Adam lost his dominion to Satan, God just “stepped in and took it back”. Yet, the Bible tells us that to do such a thing would be an illegal act. Being “just” is one of God’s main character traits. It means that He doesn’t commit illegal acts of injustice. Although Satan used trickery and deception, what he did to Adam was legal (allowed) in the spiritual world and was still in force some four thousand years later when Jesus began his earthly ministry (as we learned in Luke 4:5-8). If God just “took Adam’s dominion back” (as some popular preachers claim), He would be committing a criminal act in the spiritual world. Because of the severity of Adam’s sin, I’m sure that God would have looked for a less costly way around the problem, if such a way existed. The very fact that God isn’t a criminal (or someone who steals back something legally acquired) is the reason Jesus had to come and “legally” buy back (using His own blood as payment) everything Adam originally lost.
All of these things point to one conclusion, if we honor what the Bible teaches.
Until Jesus returns at the end of the age TO COMPLETE (OR FULFILL) HIS PAID-IN-FULL REDEMPTION, the devil continues, for a while longer, to be the “god (or ruler) of this world” as taught in the New Testament canon of Scripture. However, his time is about to run out. According to Jesus Christ’s own words, OUR REDEMPTION IS NOT COMPLETED UNTIL HE RETURNS -- BECAUSE HE BRINGS IT WITH HIM. This is why such a serious sin is committed when preachers refuse to talk about what is commonly called “the rapture of the Church”, which is the first of two phases of Christ’s return that represents the completion (or fulfillment) of our salvation.
At our current place in history (before Christ’s Second Coming), it is the devil, who “does whatever he wants with what legally belongs to him” (once again, read Luke 4:5-8). It also means that, contrary to popular fundamentalist Bible teaching, God does not just arbitrarily “do whatever He wants to His children on the earth”.
Until the devil is fully dealt with at the end of the
age (when Jesus Christ returns) and his authority is
brought to an end as "the god of this world", the God of
Heaven is limited in what He can do on the earth. This
is something that both Jesus and Paul wrote about
in Scripture.
This is why Jesus revealed the following information:
Anything that steals from you...
Anything that tries to kill you...
Anything that destroys or brings destruction...
COMES FROM THE THIEF, WHO IS SATAN THE ENEMY.
"Yet, I (Jesus Christ) have come that you might have
life and life more abundantly."
(Read John 10:10-11)
However, at the end of the age (it hasn't happened yet),
the devil's government and his office of "god of this world"
is brought to an end. The Apostle John tells us about this
future event:
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices
in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become
the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ,
AND HE SHALL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER!”
(Revelation 11:15)
A very important truth is revealed by John that contradicts
a majority of fundamental church teachings.
IF THE KINGDOMS OF THE THIS WORLD HAVE BECOME THE
KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD AT THIS FUTURE EVENT, THEN THE
KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD ARE NOT PART OF THE KINGDOMS
OF OUR LORD PRIOR TO THIS EVENT....MEANING THESE
EARTHLY KINGDOMS PREVIOUSLY BELONGED TO SOMEONE
ELSE AND WERE RECLAIMED BY CHRIST AT HIS COMING.
Church leaders and their followers commit a horrible sin
that carries unintended spiritual consequences when they
assign the destructive acts of our enemy to our Heavenly
Father and refer to these sufferings as "God's Soveriegn Will".
Yet, many professing Christians (but thankfully not all)
and their leaders preach and defend this kind of erroneous,
yet popular theology, thinking they are the only true
believers in Jesus Christ and His Word.
The Lord Jesus Christ, who the Bible calls "God in the flesh" gave us a glimpse into these limitations during a visit to His home town, where He attempted to minister healing to some of the people. The Gospel of Mark tells us;
"Now He (Jesus) COULD DO NO MIGHTY WORK THERE, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief." (Mark 6:5-6)
It is clearly evident that in this situation the Lord could not just "do whatever He wanted" as many are led to believe.
For these reasons, much of what we hear concerning the nature of “God’s will” from the pulpit (and from various radio and television ministers) can often be misleading and carry many unintended spiritual consequences.
Jesus was teaching his disciples about certain signs that would precede His return.
“And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things (the signs) begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; FOR YOUR REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH." (Luke 21:27-28 -- Emphasis Added)
(Note: If our “redemption draweth nigh” when Jesus Christ returns in the future, it means we don’t have all of our redemption now. The best is yet to come!)
"And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom
the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth
and destroy with the brightness of His coming."
(2 Thessalonians 2:8)
Final Thoughts And Comments
As we stated at the beginning of our response; due to its complexity it is not our goal to attempt to provide a detailed examination of this subject that answers everyone's questions. It just isn't possible in this brief commentary. Generally speaking, there are two spheres of what is called "God's will". The first is his "permissive (or acceptable) will". The second is his perfect will. God's permissive will is everything God will allow or permit.
Allowing or permitting certain behavior, actions and
activities IS NOT THE SAME AS APPROVING OF
AND ACTIVELY SENDING THESE THINGS ON SOMEONE AS
AN EXPRESSION OF YOUR PERFECT WILL AND DESIRES.
The following example represents only one aspect of this truth. All parents are painfully aware of these two areas, when dealing with their children. In order to be effective and loving, they understand that their son or daughter must be allowed (permitted) to pursue certain interests that they (the parents) may not necessarily think is best. The Bible says to "train up a child IN THE WAY THAT THEY SHOULD GO" (Proverbs 22:6). It does not say "train up a child in the way you want them to go". Scripture uses this wording because all children can have different temperaments and abilities that are radically different from those of their parents. A wise parent discerns these differing abilities and helps their child walk "in the direction they should go". We often see this tension when a parent is a successful doctor or lawyer and their son or daughter is interested in being a musician or artist. The father or mother's perfect will is that their children choose to be like them. Yet, their kids chooses a different path. This situation has been known to rip some families apart. (Note: When discussing a child's choice of vocation or lifetime pursuits, we are not talking about things that are illegal, immoral or unethical.)
This is not a perfect example, but it illustrates the difference between permissive will and perfect will. In our discussion about the many misconceptions concerning God's sovereignty, this principle operates in a slightly different way.
For a period of time, God allows (permits and tolerates) the devil to operate as "the god (ruler) of this world" as both Jesus and Paul warned. Why? God is perfectly "just", meaning that He respects the devil's legal claim. If Satan's claim was false (not legal), God would have just disallowed it at the beginning, which is something that the Bible clearly shows He did not do. Since Scripture suggests that the devil's claim to the earth's authority was legal (even though he used deception against Adam and Eve to obtain it), God's sent His Son to pay the price (in Divine blood) to, once again, bring the earth back under His authority at Christ's coming, as we learned in Revelation 11:15. When the earth is taken back the Bible says that Christ will "rule it with a rod of iron" (another way of saying He will now be able to "do whatever He wants").
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
(Revelation 19:11-16)
UNTIL THAT TIME, God allows (permits and tolerates) the devil to steal, kill and destroy under the temporary authority he continues to have on the earth, which Jesus warned about in John 10:10-11. The task that every Christian believer must undertake is learning the principles of God's Word that keeps them safely away from the devil's destructive power and influence. When God "allows, permits or tolerates" something (His permissive will) it should never be interpreted that he personally approves or sends the devil's practices and works on His children as an expression or outworking of His perfect will. When preachers take the works of the devil (such as sickness and disease), which occur under God's permissive will and claim that God is sending these things on His children as an expression of His perfect will (they often call it "His sovereign will"), it is not only a perverse religious sin that unknowingly carries dangerous spiritual consequences to their ministry, but it is also a gross distortion of our Heavenly Father's character, which greatly displeases Him.
(Jesus is speaking)
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, HOW MUCH MORE WILL YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN GIVE GOOD THINGS TO THOSE WHO ASK HIM!"
(Matthew 7:7-11)
Additional Resources
Several years ago I wrote a book entitled, “Mystery of the Faith”, which is available as a free download in PDF format. You can access the webpage that contains this information HERE. One particular excerpt from the book addresses misconceptions about “God’s sovereignty” from a “blood covenant” perspective. Jesus Christ refers to His salvation as “The new covenant in My blood” (Luke 22:20), which couldn’t begin until after the cross, where His blood was spilled. The apostle Paul referred to this special new covenant administration as, "The dispensation of the Grace of God" and "The dispensation of the Gospel" (Read Ephesians 3:1-4 and 1 Corinthians 9:16-18). Bible Scholars properly refer to this period of time as "The Age of God's Grace", which began shortly after the cross and continues until the removal of the Church, or what is commonly called "the rapture" taught by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament.
"Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ AND OUR GATHERING TOGETHER TO HIM, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come." (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 -- Emphasis Added)
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: THEN WE WHICH ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN SHALL BE CAUGHT UP TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS, TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR: AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 -- Emphasis Added)
More information is available on the topic of the
"catching away of the Church" HERE
We are still living under the authority of Christ's New Covenant (and not the previous old covenant) today until the "gathering together unto Jesus" (or the "catching away") occurs. Our salvation in Christ is only properly understood by viewing it according to the “blood covenant principles" that God used in its design. Yet, few churches today teach this information to their congregation.
The New Covenant is also called "the new and living way of Christ" established on His blood (Read: Matt. 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, 1 Cor. 11:25, 2 Cor. 3:6, Heb. 8:6-13, Heb. 9:15, Heb. 10:19-23, Heb. 12:24).
You can access the excerpt at the following link:
Why The Blood Covenant Has Lost Its Meaning
More Bible studies and commentaries
that provides additional insight are
available at the following links:
The Spiritual Revolution of Jesus Christ
and How the False Church Opposes It
Calvinism's Surprising Catholic Connection
By Dave Hunt of 'The Berean Call' (PDF Format)
The Consequences Of Failing To
Rightly Divide God's Word
Dr. Dwight Pentecost Comments On
The New Testament
Imputation: The New Covenant Method God
Uses To Transfer His Spiritual
Benefits To Us
The New Testament Believer's Position
In Christ
A Warning About Violating Biblical Context
What Does It Mean When God Says
'He Doesn't Change'
We hope this information is helpful in
your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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