Has God Predestined Sin?

Yes!

No way to avoid this fact.  The Bible presents God as completely sovereign and in control of the tiniest details. After all, would you not expect that from God who is infinite? But whether you do or not, the Bible teaches this infinite God to be absolutely and powerfully in control of ALL things – even sins that we deal with on a daily basis and read about in the news.

Let’s put our focus first on a passage in Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”

Back during the Old Testament era and even in the beginning of the Book of Acts (cf. 1:26), before the Bible was completed, one way used to determining the will of God was to cast lots. To a casual observer, this may appear as a random act of chance, like the roll of dice.  But nothing is ever by chance with God.  Every decision is from the Lord!

Therefore, God is in control of the tiniest details of life. Remember what Jesus said about the hairs of your head? He said that the hairs on your head are all numbered by God (Luke 12:7).  Let me break this down even further. The hairs on your entire body are also all numbered by God.  There is no detail that God is not fully in control and completely aware of.

Now what about the issue of sin? Does God predetermine sin?

Acts 4:27-28:  For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 

Don’t just casually read this verse while you miss the details.  Read it again and notice the details.

What is the most horrible sin ever committed in the history of mankind?  The crucifixion of the righteous Son of God.  Not only was Jesus unjustly killed, but placed on Him were the sins of the world. The passage above teaches that God predestined for it all to take place in the exact manner that it occurred. The people who were involved, the instruments of torture used, the timing the crucifixion occurred, the verbal assaults railed at Jesus, the length of time He was nailed to the cross, the amount of blood spilled from His body, and exact timing of His death, the pain and suffering He endured – all of it and so much more was all predetermined by the mind and heart of God.

Now catch this: If God had predestined the greatest sin in the history of mankind, would He not also as sovereign Lord predestined the lesser sins of mankind?   Remember, what we read in Proverbs? There is no detail outside of the will of God. 

When Satan crucified the Son of God, he did not know that he just committed a slow and sure road to suicide.  Satan is as good as done! And even the devil’s actions were all predetermined by God.

Now does this tend to make you go crazy? Then consider this:  Always center the predetermined purposes and control of God back to the cross. Why? Because, even though the cross was the one act of the greatest sin man committed which was all preordained by God, the cross was the one act of the greatest love of God for sinful man.  

At the cross, we have the revealing of the greatest sin, and we also have the revealing of the greatest love. So, even in God’s infinite and masterful plan and purpose of the greatest sin, comes dripping forth from it God’s infinite and masterful plan and purpose of His greatest love.

When you contemplate on these things, and you should, don’t be afraid, such things are in the Bible, always center such times of contemplation back to the time of the cross in order to keep you sane and centered.

Here, let me lay on you one more passage that relates to this. 

Acts 3:17-18:  “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. ¹⁹ Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.

Notice three things Peter points out:

First, whether you are aware of it or not, doing what God has predetermined to occur will occur exactly as God intends it to. The people and their leaders acted in ignorance when they crucified Jesus. But God’s intended plan marched on.

Second, we know that God intended and planned for the death and crucifixion of Christ, because the prophets foretold it. Once the prophets predicted it, the event itself had to occur, since God put it in the minds and hearts of the prophet to foretell it. God’s reputation demanded it.

Third, yes, even when the people and leaders do the predetermined will of God out of ignorance, they are still held responsible – “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”

No one can plead ignorance before God. The Lord in heaven plans and does whatever pleases Him and no one can advise Him on what to do or counsel Him on how to do it.  When we act either in ignorance or with full knowledge, in the end, we are all held accountable.

We serve an awesome God!