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Does God cause all things to happen?

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rdogs:
Does God cause all things to happen, even the bad, the tragic, and the horrific? Does nothing happen, that God didn't cause? I know that God is never surprised, but did he cause it? 

Obviously, I need clarification.

Thanks,

Gary 

daywalker:

Yes.

God ultimately causes everything to happen.That doesn't mean that He 'directly' does everything, but He is the cause of everything, because He is the Creator, Author and Originator of everything that exists--including things like darkness, evil, Satan, flowers, light, Jesus...

For an in-depth study on this topic and other related ones, as well as a ton of Scripture, read Ray's Lake of Fire Articles. The answers to your questions are in there...

http://bibletruths.com


Daywalker  8)

Marky Mark:

--- Quote from: rdogs on September 22, 2009, 05:01:42 PM ---Does God cause all things to happen, even the bad, the tragic, and the horrific? Does nothing happen, that God didn't cause? I know that God is never surprised, but did he cause it? 

Obviously, I need clarification.

Thanks,

Gary 


--- End quote ---

Hello Gary.
Email to Ray.Hope it helps.

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,5146.msg40669.html#msg40669

Dear Dean:  Regarding the Forum's question as to whether God has a free will or not:
 
"Free will" is not a topic of Scripture. Humanity absolutely does not have a free will/free choice disposition. All thoughts and actions have a cause. God, however, is the First Cause. God answers to no one and no one dictates or causes God to think or do anything--all Protestant and Catholic prayers to the contrary included.  However, we are told in the Scriptures who "God cannot lie," for example or why God never "changes his mind."  This is a governing factor to God's disposition, but it is not an outside force. Here is how God thinks and operates everything in the universe:
 
"In Whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him Who works [operates] ALL THINGS AFTER THE  C-O-U-N-S-E-L  OF  H-I-S   O-W-N  W-I-L-L"  (Eph. 1:11).
 
God be with you,
Ray



Peace...Mark

Kat:

Hi Gary,

Here are a few emails that should help your understanding on this.

http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3570.0.html ------------

There are many things that God has created that are not a part of His "heart." Evil is not a part of God's heart. The death of the wicked is nothing something God cherishes in His heart. Sin is not something that God endorses, yet He created all the circumstances for its use.
   

http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=224.msg1868#msg1868 ---

I have explained this many times, but there are few who can understand it.  God created man subject to VANITY (failure). God made mankind that way. It is absolutely stupid for theologians to deny it. God plainly tells us this in Rom. 8:18:25.

Man has naturally a natural mind, a mind of flesh, called in Scripture the "carnal mind" and it naturally HATES God and cannot keep His law (Rom. 8:7).

But if you or anyone does not even believe these Scriptures, why go further?  God made man is testerone. His natural inclination is to have sex with pretty women--OFTEN.

Then God turns around and tells man to not have sex with pretty women AT ALL--only in marriage.  God doesn't MAKE OR FORCE man to desire sex with women. Man desires that all on his own. Some men desire sex with children. God doesn't MAKE OR FORCED men to have sex with children.  Some men do it naturally. Are you following me?

God could stop all men from having sex with children.  But He doesn't. That's because God has a plan for the human race that involves humans doing things so horrible, that they will eventually learn to never trust their own heart and mind again. They must have faith and trust in God through His Holy Spirit.

All men would have sex with little children, if they grew up under the same circumstances as the men who do have sex with little children. This is a sobbering thought that few theologians alive have ever contemplated for more than 2 and one half seconds.  And women have their particular natural inclination to commit horrible sins.  This is God's creation, not mine. This is God's plan with humans, not mine.  I can justify God in all His ways. Most can't. God will rectify and reconcile all things that has ever been committed.
 

http://bible-truths.com/email2.htm#suffer --------------------------------

Blame denotes being WRONG or doing BAD or SINNING. God NEVER sins! A sin is a MISTAKE, a MISSING OF THE MARK, a FALLING SHORT of the ideal, whatsoever is not OF FAITH, and LAWLESSNESS.

God is not to BLAME for any of these. God is, however, responsible for EVIL and SINNERS, and everything else in this universe, seeing that it was He Who created it.

It does no good to hide one's head in the sand and pretend that God has nothing to do with EVIL. I heard Billy Graham teach the whole world from the national cathedral after 9/11 that, "God is not the author of evil." But of course, Billy Graham doesn't use the Scriptures for his authority, but rather the unscriptural traditions of men:

Isa. 45:7,  "I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace [good], and CREATE EVIL;  I the LORD DO ALL THESE THINGS."

God most certainly IS the creator of EVIL!

Contrary to the pagan and unscriptural traditions and heresies of Christendom, God IS responsible for ALL, because "ALL IS OF GOD" (Eph. 1:11, Rom. 11:36, II Cor.5:18), Etc.

You can't quote a Scripture that states that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and therefore conclude that God is opposed to anyone ever dying. God Himself makes WAR IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Have you never read ALL of the Bible:

"Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not EVIL AND GOOD?" (Lam. 3:38).

"...an experience of EVIL hath God given to the sons of man to humble him thereby" (Ecc. 1:13, Concordant Translation).

"Or has not the potter [GOD] the right over the clay, out of the same kneading to make one vessel, indeed, for honor, yet, on for DISHONOR?" (Rom. 9:19-25).

"...I [GOD] will bring EVIL from the north, and a GREAT DESTRUCTION" (Jer. 4:6).

"...Hear, O earth:  behold, I [GOD] will bring EVIL upon this people..." (Jer. 6:19).

"And he said, I [the lying spirit] will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets... and He [GOD] said, ...GO forth, and DO SO" (I Kg. 22:22).

"He [GOD] turned their heart to HATE HIS PEOPLE..." (Psa. 105:25).

"...Thus said the Lord; Behold, I FRAME EVIL AGAINST YOU, and devise a device against you..." (Jer. 18:11).

"O LORD, why has THOU MADE US TO ERR from thy ways, and HARDENED OUR HEART from thy fear?" (Isa. 63:17).

"...so shall the Lord bring upon you ALL EVIL THINGS, until he have destroyed you..." (Josh. 23:15).

"...shall there be  EVIL in a city, and the LORD HAS NOT DONE IT?" (Am. 3:6).

"Thus saith the Lord of hosts... go and SMITE Amelek... DESTROY... SLAY both man and woman, INFANT AND SUCKLING..." (I Sam. 15:2-3).

These may not be verses for Sunday school children, but they are Scripture for the mature.

God "SCOURGES every son that He receives." If you know anything about "scourging" you know it is quite severe. Job's afflictions were QUITE severe, our Apostle Paul's afflictions were QUITE severe.

God created EVIL, and God uses EVIL. But, He uses it for a GOOD AND HOLY AND RIGHTEOUS PURPOSE! "Evil" has nor moral bias. Evil is only a SIN when men use evil against other men. When God uses it, it is NO sin.

http://bible-truths.com/email3.htm#evil -----------------------------

There are billions and billions of people that God has not yet saved. Your questions is more basic than just why didn't God save those in the twin towers.

All of such things are examples of evil. God created evil for a purpose. So naturally He will not make evil inoperative at every turn in the road or there would have been no purpose in creating it in the first place.

Evil serves many noble purposes. One of which is a back drop for good. Good cannot be understood or certainly not appreciated without a backdrop of evil. Evil makes good appear even better and is certainly much more appreciated.

Evil is necessary for the production or development of good.  You cannot name one virtue that is not in some way produced by the resistance to some form of evil.

All knowledge is matter of contrast and relativity. One cannot know what light is unless he has been acquainted with darkness.  One has no conception of large unless he also knows of things that are small. Up is only up in relation to down. Life is the opposite of death, etc. To understand and fully appreciate all of these things, there are many necessary experiences to go through. God creates and puts us through these many things in the development of godly character.

All of these evils can be likened to the creation of a beautiful building. Ugly scaffolding is necessary in the construction of this building. It is ugly and serves no purpose other than in the actual construction of the building. When the building is completed, the scaffolding is torn down and discarded. It serves no further purpose. All evil will be discarded one day. And the last enemy, DEATH, will likewise be ABOLISHED FOR EVER (I Cor. 15:26) and God will "ALL in All"!!!


http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3002.0.html ---------

God is not only Almighty, but He is also all wise, and all knowing, and LOVE.
    Love demands a recipient to partake of that love.  There is no  other God in
    the Universe or beyond the Universe.  God designed the family and children as
    a parable for us to understanding what His plan of creation is all about. God
    WANTS CHILDREN.  But God wants children LIKE HIMSELF, hence the
    purpose for the creation of humanity.
     
    Knowing "good and evil" is an essential part of "being like God,"  hence He
    creates good and evil for our experience. Failure, futility, sin and death is a
    part of the "knowledge of evil."  It is necessary that we fail in order that we
    may succeed.  God did not complete his plan of "making man in His Own Image"
    back in Genesis.  It was merely the first stage.  What we call "life" is God's
    plan for "making manking into His Own Spiritual Image."
   

May God be with you and grant you wisdom and understanding.

Sincerely,

Ray

geokuhns:
“Kats” post referencing Rays answers to emails on this subject is excellent. I want to add my thoughts as follows.

Does God cause everything to happen is the one subject of the Bible that I have meditated on more by far than any other subject. It has perplexed me and I think I have come to the following conclusion that is “key” in understanding the matter in my own mind. I could be wrong and if so I welcome correction.

There are two ways to state the question. They are:

1) God causes everything. If this were true then God would cause someone to sin such as raping and murdering a 8-year old girl. But we know this is not true because as Ray has taught us God does not cause anyone to commit sin. (James 1:13-15). God does directly cause some things to happen. But He does not cause man to sin.

2) God is the “cause” of everything that happens. This statement makes sense to me because it is God that has created human nature and universal laws. Combine the two and God knows the outcome of every situation before it happens. God does not “cause” a man to sin but God is responsible for everything that happens because He created the laws and human nature that leads to sin. However we are accountable for our sins because I believe that anyone that sins knows what he is doing is wrong.

I believe that God does not cause everything as stated in 1) above. But He is the cause of everything that happens and I believe the key is in the way it is stated and in this case it makes sense to me to say “God is the cause of everything that happens” rather than “God causes everything to happen.” There is a difference.

I hope I’m making sense.

George

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