Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen (Acts 4:27-28)
Does God govern the good and the bad? We should have little problem believing that God is in the good. But we may struggle a bit believing that God governs the bad, such as sin, crimes and horrific events.
The most horrific crime ever committed in the history of mankind was when sinful people put to death the innocent and sinless Son of God. Who were the ones responsible? The Bible says, Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles and Israel. All conspired and banned together to crucify Jesus.
Where was God? They all did what His power and will had decided before hand should happen to His Son. In other words, God was present overseeing the fulfillment and implementation of His divine plan. Nothing thwarts the will of God from occurring. All the sin of the world in its most horrible details has been predetermined by the mind and will of God.
You say, “I can’t believe that. Such a thought is horrible and makes God out to be a monster.” I understand where you are coming from. Here is what I do and what I believe God wants us all to do.
If indeed putting Jesus to death was the worse sin of all time; and if indeed the death of Jesus was God’s universal display of His love for mankind; and if indeed God planned the sins that crucified His Son; then the cross is the place to center yourself when you think about God’s predetermined planned over every detail of life, especially the bad things.
You see, it was the horrific sin of crucifying Jesus that has lead to the greatest love and saving grace of God to those who believe. God, before the foundation of the world or in eternity past, planned out in detail the sin and the people who were to commit such horrific acts, and which brutally murdered the sinless Son of God that led to the greatest show of God’s love and ultimately the salvation and forgiveness of sins to those who believe. Even though from a spiritual perspective, the cross is totally the crime of all crimes. An innocent person was brutally killed and this innocent and sinless person was no less than the Son of God. Yet, God predestined such an event for the benefit of others.
Therefore, when you look at the horrible events that have or will take place in the world, and look at such things through the centerpiece of the cross, you will keep your mind and heart in check and not be too puffy with pride or too determined to make God less than sovereign because you think you need to rescue Him from His very own plan.
You and I are not meant to figure out the deep things of God to our satisfaction. The Bible is the Word of God minus any contradictions. Though our minds may wish to formulate a few because of our need to understand God to our satisfaction, remember, God is completely sovereign and loves purposefully and deeply. Whenever you are tempted to doubt God’s love, center yourself back to the cross where once and for all, God’s love, in predetermining the horrific death of His Son, was all done so that you and I could receive forgiveness of sins, an eternal relationship with God, and everlasting life minus the justice of hell.
God does not need for you and I to rescue Him from His own plan, purpose and sovereign nature. He desires for us to submit to it and not waver in unbelief.
No comments:
Post a Comment