Is this really true?

Good question. I just preached a series at my church on Suffering and the Sovereignty of God. I used Job's life quite a bit, and the Lord taught me several things from his life.

Notice that Job attributes everything that happened to him, not to Satan, but to God. Notice also that at the end of the book that it is God who brought the adversities on Job (42:11).

"If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it?" (Amos 3:6, emphasis added).

The problem is that we have failed to understand what "free will" is.

By the way, one sister came up to me and said that I presented God as a "cosmic bully." But then another sister came up to me at the end of the series and said thanks for helping her understand suffering.

At the center of Scripture is the sovereignty of God and no one can ward off his will (Dan. 4:35). We have to be careful not to diminish the sovereignty of God as we try to understand human suffering.

Remember, that Joseph's brothers meant evil against him, but God in his sovereignty turn it out for God. He causes all things to work together for our God (Rom 8:28).

 

wow!

 

TBLADY: //I was always taught you cannot build
a doctrine on just ONE Bible verse. //

Actually, one can build a doctrine on just ONE Bible verse.
One AUGHT NOT build a doctrine on just one Bible verse.
People do, but they aught not.

 

Suffering Truth

I have not studied it out specifically, but I would have to believe that the truth is somewhere in the middle of what Ed has cited as example. I can see God allowing Satan to "push" the envelope with us if we have been faithful and obedient as Job was. I also believe that God's permissive will allows us to mess up and suffer the consequences of our own sins. How many times has it been said that you may be forgiven of your sins but you still bare the scars of that sin on your life or you still have to face the coming consequences. I believe that the answer here has to be a balance between the two ends.

An example of the latter MIGHT be a christian that goes out of town on business and orders a prostetute and then gets away with it, not knowing that he has just contracted AIDS and then the next night goes to get another and is busted by the vice squad of that city. He is probably going to repent very quickly and change his way of thinking and acting. However, he still has to face a criminal judge and still has not found out about the coming AIDS battle he has subjected himself to.

 

The great Reformer Martin Luther once remarked to the humanist Erasmus: "The problem with you is that your thoughts of God are too human." Luther was right.

We think we are rescuing God from cruelty by saying how can God allow such things. Our thoughts are truly too human. Let God be. We us learn to live with the tensions of Scripture, while exulting in God. Remember, Joseph. Please.

 

God says: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Who are you going to believe? God or yourself?

 

Here is why we should be kind to our Brother & Sister
Christians:

Here is an truth from set theory:

An infinite set can be divided into any finite
number of infinite subsets.

A few reminders of definitions:
eternity - an infinite set of time
set - a group of things, ideas, etc.
subset - another set which is a part of a larger set
infinite - with no limit nor last number
infinite set - a set with an unlimited number of members
finite number - a number which is countable

An example from arithemetic:

the infinite set of counting numbers:
{1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, ... }

This set can be divided into 3 infinite sets thusly:

1. the infinite subset of counting numbers which, when
divided by three have no remainder:
{3,6,9,12,15, ... }

2. the infinite subset of counting numbers which, when
divided by three have a remainder of 1:
{1,4,7,10,13, ... }

3. 1. the infinite subset of counting numbers which, when
divided by three have a remainder of 2:
{2,5,8,11,14, ... }

Here is an example from Eternity in heaven:

If there have been 1 Billion Christians dead or alive,
that is a finite number.
So the in finite set of eternity (for ever) say for Jesus's time
can be divided into the finite number of Christians.
So maybe you only get to spend an hour ever
200 Billion years with Jesus - that is an infinite set
(i.e. eternity). You get to spend eternity alone sitting
at the feet of Jesus.

But, then you also get to spend an eternity alone with
each and every Christian in heaven. You better like
all (each and every one) of
your Christian Brothers & Sisters - you have to spend
eternity with each and every one of them.

Scripture used in post above:

There being a finite number of circumstances in each
Christian's life and a finite number of Christians,
each and ever circumstances (I believe) WILL be explained
in Eternity how each circumstance, each happening,
each event was worked by God to the eternal GOOD
of us (who love Him and are called according to
HIS purpose).

 

Scarlett,

I do not think that all things that happen to God's people are "good." Christians receive evil from others and sometimes give evil to others. But I believe that all things work together for good for God's people. TBLADY said she doesn't believe that in her post #9.

 

I will bow out, too, because my view of God's sovereignty over all things will probably chafe against TBLADY, and I do not desire to be an irritant at this time.

 

I may not have all the answers, but I recognize good questions :godisgood:

I''ll be sticking around, God willin' and if the crick don't rise.