Andy Hynes is a PhD candidate at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Follow him @ABHYNES on Twitter.
As we sit and listen/watch all the moral and ethical ills of our country, and countries in the world, we must be reminded that the Gospel will go forth.
Isaiah 55:6-11 displays some significant truths about God’s Word. If the wicked are not called to repent, then they won’t. If they do, then the Lord will have compassion upon them, and He will abundantly pardon, will we????
Many will wonder if through all the disgusting and horrific news events, if people will be asking about God. Will they seek His “allowance” of evil? Will they ask where He was during all this?
While we don’t have to make explanation for God, He is fully capable of doing that Himself. However, we can look into many texts of Scripture and I believe this one in Isaiah is a great place to start.
In verses 8-9 Isaiah reminds us God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways, our ways. What in the world is God thinking or doing? How can any of these horrible crimes and situations bring Him glory???? I DON’T KNOW and you don’t either. And that is okay. What we do need to do is TRUST that His ways and thoughts in these things are perfect. He is working out all these things to bring about the greatest Glory for Himself. The mind of God is an incomprehensible thing. He thinks in the heavens and knows the future. He has determined the end from the beginning.
What if the women going into abortion clinics were confronted with the Gospel before they walked in? What is the student was met with the truth of Scripture before that first drug dealer encountered him?
I wonder if the mentality that we have in some way makes us think we are able to control things, so we jump into the fight. I am not advocating that we just naively stand aside as pacifists, but I am saying that we need to be consumed with preaching and teaching the truth.
John MacArthur said, “Unfortunately, today’s evangelicals are poorly equipped to meet such a challenge. Many see theology as less important than the great moral issues of our day such as abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, and similar concerns. . . . ignorance and theological naiveté have left many evangelicals unable to defend what Scripture teaches.” (MacArthur, Justification by Faith ALONE).
Isaiah goes on in verses 10-11 to describe the identity of God’s Word going forth. As God’s Word goes out, it will accomplish that which it is meant to accomplish. If we want to engage in something, why not engage in sending forth God’s Word! God is the one that brings about the accomplishments of His Word. As is His custom, it will be perfect in completing that which He has already prepared for it to complete.
We become simple vessels and pots of clay in the hands of the Potter, which allows us to faithfully communicate the Word. While we can make strides to educate folks on the biblical standards in regards to moral and ethical issues, we don’t need to make these issues our platform. Make the Gospel the platform, and then be available to be used!
Some may think I am not concerned about the moral and ethical issues of our society. That is not true, but I am choosing to be more concerned about every conversation, thought, and opportunity being about the Gospel. I choose to look at each conversation and situation as a way to glorify Christ. I do not want to get wrapped up in curing the problems, but being an obedient vessel. Let’s preach repentance and let’s reach out to those who are involved in the horrific situations and tell them about Christ.
I don’t know, maybe I am crazy, but if I am I want to be crazy for Christ!
it is said in the Church,
this:
” Jesus did not come to explain away suffering or to remove it.
He came to fill it with His Presence.”
What if the man decided to become the virtuous man?
Proverbs 31-
10. Who can find a virtuous husband? For his worth is far above rubies.
11. The heart of his wife safely trusts him; So she will have no lack of gain.
12. He does her good and not evil All the days of his life.
13. He seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with his hands.
14. He is like the merchant ships, he brings his food from afar.
15. He also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for his household, And a portion for his servants.
16. He considers a field and buys it; From his profits he plants a vineyard.
17. He girds himself with strength, And strengthens his arms.
18. He perceives that his merchandise is good, And his lamp does not go out by night.
19. He stretches out his hands to the distaff, And his hand holds the spindle.
20. He extends his hand to the poor, Yes, he reaches out his hands to the needy.
21. He is not afraid of snow for his household, For all his household is clothed with scarlet.
22. He makes tapestry for himself; His clothing is fine linen and purple.
23. His wife is known in the gates, When she sits among the maidens of the land.
24. He makes wooden items and sells them, And supplies furniture for the merchants.
25. Strength and honor are his clothing; he shall rejoice in time to come.
26. He opens his mouth with wisdom, And on his tongue is the law of gentleness.
27. He watches over the ways of his household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28. His children rise up and honor him; His wife also, and she praises him:
29. Many sons have done well, But you excel them all.
30. Chivalry is deceitful and handsome is passing, But a man who fears the LORD, he shall be respected.
31. Give him of the fruit of his hands, And let his own works praise him in the gates.
The majority of this fits.
I did this because this person, both husband and/or wife, would generate a desire of people to follow them. Our part is to influence, not act. If we develop these characteristics we can speak about Jesus as we go. From there, something is getting done and we are witnessing both with our mouth and our life. That would be a very productive life.
Hi Andy,
While I agree that the gospel should be preached to all and in all circumstances, I must say I disagree with your reasoning behind it. You write:
“In verses 8-9 Isaiah reminds us God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways, our ways. What in the world is God thinking or doing? How can any of these horrible crimes and situations bring Him glory???? I DON’T KNOW and you don’t either. And that is okay. What we do need to do is TRUST that His ways and thoughts in these things are perfect. He is working out all these things to bring about the greatest Glory for Himself. The mind of God is an incomprehensible thing. He thinks in the heavens and knows the future. He has determined the end from the beginning.”
You are arguing in a circle, my brother. After quoting Is 55:8-9, saying that we do not comprehend God’s thoughts or ways, you proceed to state in your opinion what those thoughts and ways are: divine determinism – the belief that God ordains all things and causes them to come to pass. If God’s ways are, as you say, incomprehensible, how are you able to comprehend that he determines all these things to bring about the greatest glory for himself? Where is it explicitly revealed in Scripture that God acts to maximize his glory? And, how is his glory defined?
Any theology that cannot give a decent rationale for its most basic premises needs to go back to the drawing board. If one assumes that a) God ordains and renders certain all things, including evil, and b) The reason that God ordains all things is to glorify himself, then one should be able to give some sort of explanation as to how acts of evil such as a young girl sold into a life of sex slavery glorifies God, since these are the basic premises of such a theology of providence. To appeal to the incomprehensibility of the mind of God is a poor non-answer for two reasons.
First, it is a double-talking smokescreen. If one asserts determinism, then he has just made a statement that God’s acts are in fact NOT fully incomprehensible. If determinism can be comprehended with such apparent clarity, along with the glorification of God by the good works of his people, why resort to incomprehensibility with determinism to acts of evil? There are, of course, only two answers to this question that I can see. One is that incomprehensibility is fully true which would make the assertion of determinism an uncertainty. The other is that one is extremely uncomfortable with where God’s determination of evil leads, especially as the character of God is concerned. With each respective potential answer, determinism is either rendered uncertain or unsavory. But, due to its status as a basic premise of a theology of providence, it must be upheld, thus the appeal to incomprehensibility, and such an appeal is rarely challenged.
Second, I’m not sure that such an appeal is biblically warranted, given the New Testament and the very gospel you seek to proclaim. Part of the gospel message is that we believers, due to our union with Christ, possess the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). Since the mind of Christ is fully in-tune with the mind of God, perhaps God’s ways are not so incomprehensible to us who are his adopted sons and daughters. Jesus himself says he does not hide things from us, because we are friends rather than servants (John 15:15). Even God would not hide what he was doing from his friend Abraham (Gen 18:17 and James 2:23). We, who are partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 2:4), have a far greater insight into the mind of the triune God than did the original hearers of Isaiah’s message. Add to this the fact that there is no real evidence that Jesus was deterministic (as I have argued elsewhere), and the appeal to incomprehensibility fails here as well.
Basic theological assumptions must be able to be clearly explained. God’s determination of evil cannot, as you say, be clearly explained. It has historically been explained by an appeal to incomprehensibility, as you have done. I think i have shown that such an appeal is on very shaky logical and biblical ground. The determinist must therefore a) come up with a better explanation, b) admit that God is the architect of evil and thereby turn him into the dualistic “god” of the Manichees or c) abandon determinism as a basic theological assumption. Since a is impossible by your own admission, only b and c are left. c is by far the wisest choice.
I agree that the gospel must be proclaimed. I would submit that John 3:16 is a great text to begin with: For God so loved he gave his only-begotten. Love flows outward from the throne, to us through Word and Spirit; deterministic glory flows inward. Love is other-centered; deterministic glory is (God)self-centered. The Father sent the Son who gave his life so that we might become adopted sons of the Father and thereby share his glory (Rom 8:16-19); deterministic glory is for God alone to maximize on himself. Defining exactly what God’s glory is helps the discussion.
Jim G.
Jim G.
I appreciate your approach on this. You wrote,
“If God’s ways are, as you say, incomprehensible, how are you able to comprehend that he determines all these things to bring about the greatest glory for himself? Where is it explicitly revealed in Scripture that God acts to maximize his glory?”
How do you understand these verses in light of all things, what we see as good and bad things?
Ephesians 1:11: “[God] works all things according to the counsel of his will.”
Romans 9:16: “So then it depends not on human will or exertion,but on God, who has mercy.”
Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.”
Rom. 11:36: For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
As to “glory,” I like how Tom Nettles summed it up:
“So when the Bible speaks of the glory of God it is referring to His worth and honor and greatness. Or, when this word is used of God, we could say that His majesty or supremacy is in view.”
Now, Ephesians 1 is very clear: “[God] works ALL things according to the counsel of his will.” We must also remember that this truth does not, indeed cannot, make God the author of sin. James says,
“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”
That God can and does “work all things according to the counsel of his will” and yet is not the author or “doer” of any sin is indeed a mystery.
A ‘mystery’ made clearer by our understanding of God’s revelation in the Person of Jesus Christ . . .
I agree with JIM G.
that the coming of Christ was a furtherance of God’s revelation to us of
Who He Is, and what He is about in this world and in the next.
Hi Les,
I have no desire to play a game of prooftext ping-pong. What you call a mystery I call a contradiction.
I will answer your question about the verses, though.
I see no determinism in Romans 9:16.
As to Ephesians 1 and Romans 11, we can talk when all the alls in Paul mean all. If not all alls mean all at all, we need a way to see the alls that are all and the alls that are not all because all do not agree that God decrees all. I have not the wherewithal at all to allow you all to declare to us all when all is all and when all is not at all all.
As to Proverbs 16, have you ever seen a child with good raisin’ become a dirty rotten skunk as an adult? If so, X this one off your prooftext list.
Have a good night, Les.
Jim G.
Thanks Jim G for a reply.
After this past election and then discovering that 60% of the area of my Association is not affiliated with any semblance of a church I am now committed to stopping same sex marriage, abortion, and the violence behind mass killings by sharing the Gospel. Our greatest impact is by doing that 24/7.