It’s A Bit More Complicated Than That
You cannot use a time-based, finite, human way of thinking to define an infinite all-powerful being that is completely outside of time and space.
Well you can, but to do so is foolish and a wee bit arrogant.
Look, I know, it is hard to swallow the idea that anyone, let alone a being we are supposed to believe is nothing but love, could make a world that has Hitlers, child molesters, murderers and even spiritual beings out to destroy sweet little children, but He did.
Scripture does in fact say that this is so. So if you are really interested in knowing God you will have to accept this and move beyond to the question of “why?”. This step in the process of walking with God takes a greater amount of what He gave you when you started the walk to begin with, faith.
“Why would loving God do this?”
I don’t know…yet.
“How can God be good then?”
I don’t know, but He can.
Many years ago I received an answer from God on the big question “If God is all powerful, can he make a rock that he can’t lift?” This question, of course, is a logical argument against an all-powerful God and has been used by “intellectuals” for years to sway themselves and their hearers from believing in a God at all. The answer for this silly question is rather simple. “He can. He can make a rock that He can’t lift…and then He can pick it up and take it home.”
“That makes no sense!”
Precisely!
You see our “logic” is time based and limited by a human mind that thinks in sequential progression. Our thinking in itself is a time based moving process. A standard logic argument is also time based moving process. Point one, moves the thought to point two and then is solidified by point three. You see, it is all a movement in time. Change, change is time. Without change, there is no time.
God is outside of all of this. So then, is His way of “thinking”.
This is completely impossible for our time-based, progressive logic brains to comprehend. Well, it is, unless we have help from a being that is outside of time and space…
“So, how can I get beyond this?”
Ask Him directly.
When you do, you will find that He IS in fact full of love and kindness, even though He has set up a world swelling with gobs of hate and pain. He will, at the very least, help you to trust Him with the impossible questions, as you get to know how awesome He really is.
If we refuse to address these issues, we are at risk of becoming deceived.
Having been there, a sure sign that we are caught up in a deception regarding our view of God is the avoidance of whole chapters of scripture.
If a section of God’s word bothers you, greater effort and prayer should be applied to gain understanding. I have found that if I become bothered by a passage it is a spiritual ping to identify an area of growth that God is about to make. To ignore it stunts my growth and will cause a greater problem if I refuse to make that journey. I can actually start to create a view of God that is not accurate and find myself worshiping it, instead of the one true God. That is idol worship at its core.
God is in control. God is in charge as the ultimate authority. In fact ALL authority comes from Him.
Romans 13:1
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
“Ummm, does this include Spiritual authorities?” Why yes it does!
Daniel 2:21
21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
Consider then, how does He raise up leaders and depose them in an election for a nation like ours, where a leader is decided by the choices of a rather large multitude? Is scripture true or not? If so, then God, being all powerful, has everyone “choose” as He wills it. Thus the leader HE raises up wins the election.
Want more examples?
1 Samuel 2:6-7
6"The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
What about someone who “decides” to start a business venture? What made Google work? Timing? A better idea? How about Facebook as opposed to MySpace? How about TV shows and movies? Yup, He is over these successes and failures as well. That is what it says.
Judges 14:1-4
Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.” His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)
Samson’s “decision” was orchestrated by God. No, He doesn’t just do this once in a while. How would that be any more “fair” than controlling all decisions?
1 Samuel 2:25
...Eli’s sons did not listen to their father’s rebuke BECAUSE “it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.”
1 Samuel 9:3-20. - God tells Samuel “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel…” Yet in the scripture it clearly outlines the decision/thought process of Saul and his servant to get them to where they stood before Samuel. THEY made decisions based on their circumstances. Yet God told Samuel “I will send you”.
HE will send. Nowhere do they say, “Hey God just spoke to me and told me to go to Samuel’s town!” Nope, they did the discussion and made the decision, but God willed it all, and even took credit for it.
2 Kings 7:1-20 – Elisha is in Samaria as the city is surrounded by the Arameans and under a great famine because of it. He tells the King of Israel that “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” The chapter then unfolds with a rather interesting story of four men with leprosy who are stuck outside the city gate. They go through a line of thinking that culminates in a group decision to go to the Aramean camp and ask for mercy and hopefully get food. There they find that God has already terrified the Aramean army and caused them to flee dropping clothes and personal items along the way.
Consider how God orchestrated the thinking and decisions of the soldiers to get them to flee, and then the decisions of the four men to get them to go to the empty camp. These “choices” changed the situation in Samaria so that by that next day a seah of flour did sell for a shekel! God’s will in their choices made His prophets words come true.
“But maybe God just foreknew what those men would do!”
Well, that sounds reasonable, but then if God runs on foreknowledge only, then He is not in control. Reading ahead doesn’t enable God to “establish authorities" or "send" anybody anywhere. He didn't say "I know a man will come tomorrow"... He said I WILL SEND.
2 Samuel 12:9-12 – Nathan the prophet brings God’s judgement to David for having Uriah the Hittite killed. Part of God’s judgement would be that someone from David’s own family would sleep with his wives in broad daylight. Later in the book (2 Samuel 17:1-14), Absalom fulfills this plan of God by a series of recommendations given to him by Ahithophel, his advisor. God’s will is in the choices of both Absalom and Ahithophel. Yet Absalom was still judged by God!
I find that fascinating, not troubling!
There are many, many more chapters and passages where it is clear that the decisions of men are ordained and pre-decided by God to achieve the circumstances of His supreme will.
And then there is the whole Chapter 9 of the book of Romans. I have heard of people who avoid this chapter because it bothers them. That really concerns me, for the reasons I stated above.
I get it. It is really hard to swallow this. It took me years to do so. How can there be a nice loving God when He is ultimately responsible for all of the pain in this world. How can He fairly judge us!!? - That, of course, is addressed by Paul in Romans Chapter 9. Though he is rather blunt in his presentation…” 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”21 Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?”
Me, I have come to understand that God has just not revealed that much of what is really going on... or why. There IS a much greater plan. He has said this in His word. I also know that God is GOOD. Jesus is Awesome and has always been there for me…even though I know that all of the frustration and painful treatment I have received over the years is something He wanted. He did it for a really great reason. One that I do not see, but I will when it is time.
About 13 years ago, while I was still struggling to swallow this information about God, it occurred to me that if God is in control of all decisions and thoughts, then when I pray to Him... who is talking to who?… so I asked Him. His response was simple but loaded, “Well, it’s a little more complicated than that, but it will suffice for you to understand at this time.”
A little more complicated…God, using an understatement. Yeah, this is really big picture stuff.
We do have choice and yes, God’s will supersedes that choice. Both can be, and are true, much the same way He can make a rock that He can’t lift, and then lift it. God can do things WAY outside of our realm of logic and understanding. He can, because He says He can. It is then up to US to either decide to believe and accept Him as He is, or not.
But then again…is it?
LOL! This stuff can give you a headache!
Now, I find this comforting… as it should be, simply because I fail, but He never does.
My future is secure, because it is not in my hands. It is in His.
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit--fruit that will last--and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you
Yes, God is full of love, grace and mercy, but He is bigger than we can possibly imagine.
When we do get to see the big picture, no one will be able to argue with Him about being fair.
We will then understand it and know that yes, He is.