One of the biggest questions that I hear people ask, especially believers in Christ is, “do we actually have a say in what occurs in this life or is it already planned out for us?” Many of us can become crippled by this very question, assuming that life is going to play out how it is supposed to play out. That God is making us do things like some sort of chess game for his own amusement. So why are we wasting our time trying to do things if God already knows how things are going to happen? Isn’t everything that we do the will of God? I mean he is in everything and reigns supreme, so doesn’t he control everything that is going to happen? If you believe that this is true, that everything is the will of God, then you have a poisoned belief of our Father.
Is God sovereign? Yes, and in his sovereignty, he created a world in which the choices of men and angels matter. Tremendously. He has granted us “the dignity of causation”. This simply means that our choices matter and they will have enormous consequences! Does God know the future and what will happen? Yes, he is omnipresent (everywhere at the same time, the past, present, and future), but he did not make us this way. Therefore, he has given us causation so that we may have free will choice and make decisions throughout our lives that will affect us. When a woman is raped and becomes pregnant through the incident, are you someone who believes that that is the will of God? Stop, and listen very carefully.
James 1:13-16 reads, “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers.”
This tells us that events happen that are not caused by God. Remember that God has granted us causation, giving us the “ability to make things happen.” I must reiterate so that this sinks in. You get to make things happen! God did not cause Adam and Eve to sin, but nor did he prevent them from doing so. And boy did their sin have a staggering consequence on creation and humanity. Therefore, the question should not be about the sovereignty of God, but rather “Do people make meaningful choices?” Indeed, they do, the Bible is full of meaningful choices that were given to people.
For instance, Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). What a dumb thing to say to Israel if we are merely puppets. So what are we supposed to do with our causation that we have been given? It is actually much simpler than you think; choose God. Every day there are choices laid out in front of you and all God wants is for you to choose Him and what he has written in the Bible.
Let me give you an example of a decision everyone in this life has had to choose. When is the last time you truly forgave someone for hurting you (an ex, father, mother, brother, sister, friend, co-worker) even if they didn’t deserve it? It is your decision whether you hold that grudge against them or forgive them. Holding a grudge by choosing your flesh only puts you into captivity, yet choosing forgiveness which is what God wants you to do, will set you free. The decision that you make will either bring you a darkened heart or mercy, freedom, and grace. God is not going to force one or the other because he wants you to choose him by your own will. If it was not your own will, that would be considered a form of rape.
Therefore, the moment that you begin to believe that everything that happens is the will of God, you have been played the fool and Satan has done his job in devouring you. I once listened to an interview about a quite famous man who did not want to go to Heaven even if God would let him in. It got my attention so I had to listen to his reasoning for hating the Father in Heaven that is so near and dear to my heart. Here is what the man said he would say to God when he arrived at the pearly gates, “Bone cancer in children? How dare you! How dare you create a world in which there is such misery that is not our fault? It’s not right, it is utterly evil. Why should I respect such a capricious, mean-minded, and stupid God who creates a world so full of injustice and pain.” The interview gets much worse as it continues that I am not going to share the entire interview. Let’s talk about where his understanding and logic of our God has gone wrong, just for those who might think they want to say the same thing to God. There are essential facts that have taken place in the history of creation that would make sense to this man if he knew them. God creates man, then man chooses to rebel against God by eating the forbidden fruit (bad decision on us). We hand over our lives, the Earth, and the history of the human race over to the evil one (Satan). All of our misery flows from this very fact.
BUT God then intervenes and sends his son Jesus to redeem us, and restore us by being murdered (by us) on a cross. NOW, we are found in an epic war for the human race and the planet itself because the evil that we initially let in is still among us invading our planet. What a difference those facts can make to the story! We, the human race gave the keys over to Satan, and yet we blame God for all the things that Satan has been doing to us since that moment? That does not make sense, we have been fooled that God is doing this to us! It was the decision we made from the beginning that has caused cancer, racism, war, murder, and ultimately evil to enter the perfect Earth God had created.
Though there is all of this evil around us (that we caused) what does God do? He does not abandon us, rather he sends us his own son and tells us “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6). Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, to seek shelter in the God that will never leave you. Hope is not lost, choose God and watch love enter into your life because He always chooses you! Just follow the light into the darkness and remember that you are stronger than you know. What kind of choices will you make today?
