God Decreed It To Happen

Part 4

To what extent is the human will free?

      The divine decree puts no force on our wills. It just prints out what our wills will choose freely to do. Believers or unbelievers, we all have an outside influence: the God of the universe, or the god of this world. So, we have two choices: we can choose to live in God’s system, the predesigned plan of God, or we can choose to live in Satan’s system, the cosmic or worldly system. We are not free from either of these superior influences. The battle goes on in our souls until the day we die! We are energized either by God’s viewpoint or Satan’s viewpoint. Who do we want to energize us, God or Satan?

Isaiah 55:7-8 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

Colossians 1:13-14 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
 

      God influences the unbeliever to try to get him to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan influences the unbeliever by trying to blind him to the truth. God influences the believer through Bible doctrine, His Word, in the believer’s soul. Satan influences the believer by lies put in his mind through things in Satan’s world, the cosmic system. We can choose to be influenced by God or by Satan!

Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Colossians 1:13 For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
 

      Sometimes we will find ourselves in danger or suffering a loss. This might be in our personal lives, in our nation, or somewhere in the world. These things are permitted by God to continue in history so that His power may be demonstrated or shown. Many times in human history God has demonstrated His power by means of some evil ruler. In the time of Moses, the Pharaoh was very evil and against Israel and the Jews. He wouldn’t let them leave Egypt. However, God had other plans. He told Moses a good way to escape Egypt and to get his people to the Red Sea. When Moses and his people got to the Red Sea, God parted the waters and made a dry path for them to cross. Then Pharaoh’s army came and chased Moses and his people through the Red Sea. However, once Moses and his people were on the other side and on safe ground, God closed the waters and drowned the Egyptian army. Many people became believers because of this dangerous event. God took evil and used it for good. God had given many chances to the Pharaoh to change his mind and follow Him. But Pharaoh kept saying, “NO”. Therefore, God used the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart to show His glory. How cool is that?

Exodus 14:17-18 As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.
 

      The doctrine of heathenism says that if anyone in any part of the world wants to know God, He will make Himself known. No matter how isolated the person is, when he expresses in his soul a desire to know God and a desire to have a relationship with God, then God will provide that information, some way and some how. Instead of God using the internet, satellite radio, or television, He used the hardness of one man’s heart to show His power and get the Gospel message throughout Egypt and much of the Middle East and North Africa. The people that wanted to know God and have a relationship with Him were given that blessing! Our God is soo cool!

Exodus 14:31 When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.
 

     The Lord may put wicked people in our lives. These people may be in our personal lives, in our country, or somewhere in the rest of the world. Why? Who needs them? We need them to make us grow spiritually. When this happens, we have to depend on God and use the spiritual tools that He has given us: the filling of the Holy Spirit, Bible doctrine, and the ten problem solving devices. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, so it is important to rebound if we lose our cool with these people. Remember, in rebound we tell God the Father any known sins and all of our sins will be forgiven. Then we are filled with the Holy Spirit again! We can use the faith-rest drill and claim God’s promises to help us. We know that because God is all-knowing and all-powerful He is able to solve any of our problems if we let Him. So, let’s rely on God and let Him solve our problems, no matter if they are personal or because of something going on in the United States or the rest of the world. God is able!

Proverbs 16:3-4 The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil.

 

       One of the most fascinating things that we will realize when we learn the divine decrees is to see history from the divine viewpoint. God’s ways are not our ways. A crisis or a tragedy could be one of the greatest blessings in the world! That may sound a little strange, but it is really true. We wonder why there are tragedies. Well, when men become too evil, God uses war and natural disasters to wipe out the evil ones. The reason is to protect the human race so that human history can continue. Jesus Christ controls history!

Hebrews 1:3 And He [Jesus Christ] is the radiance of His [God the Father] glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.

      The divine decree exerts no force upon our wills. While it insures the future of events, it leaves them to be accomplished in the use of our freedom and liberty. While it determines or makes sure that some things happen because of God’s will, it determines or makes sure that other things happen because of man’s free will. God has decreed that men should act freely. We make choices because of what is in our minds. Whatever is the reason for our actions, we are the ones who make the choices, and we are responsible. No one or no thing is forcing us!

Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve on another.

       The will of man is created by God. God uses our wills to accomplish His plans and purpose whether we choose for Him or against Him. The Lord will show His glory even when men do the greatest evil that they can do! No one’s choices will ever hinder or interfere with God’s sovereign purpose. Now, the best choice is to be influenced by God. His ways are the only ways that will bring us to the wonderful blessings that He has for us. We can’t mix our ways with God’s ways. He wants us to have a life beyond our dreams! So, let’s be energized by God!

Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable [unable to understand] His ways!

2 Corinthians 13:8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.

God Decreed It To Happen Part 4

 To What Extent Is the Human Will Free?

References used:

                    Robert R.McLaughlin Bible Ministries   www.gbible.org    

                    Lesson: 9-14-07