As promised
earlier, here's my take on the Sovereignty of God. This isn't so much a comprehensive analysis or any sort of systematic theology of this doctrine as it is a collection of personal anecdotes laced with religious ideas that when they hit me I found to be profound and encouraging, especially in light of my recent post about
control.
The other night a couple friends and I were sitting on a porch and talking about our faith walks, God, the Bible, you name it. It was one of those conversations that is made up of tangents that have very little, if any, pattern. It was fun. I'm not sure how, but we got onto the topic of reason, logic, and their role in faith. I shared with them part of my story:
At the end of junior year of high school I had a nasty sinus infection, so I went to the doctor and got some anti-bacterial meds. Turns out, I'm apparently allergic to the stuff they gave me and for three days I was covered from head-to-toe in an incredibly itchy rash. Needless to say, I didn't want to go to school. While sitting at home, after completing what homework I could, I started checking out the forums of several of my favorite bands, most notably
Thrice, and stumbled upon some apologetics...and then some counter-apologetics. Having been raised in a very conservative Christian town with almost 11 years of Christian education under my belt, I jumped into the fray sure that I could construct some wonderful argument to prove that Jesus Christ was God.
Yeah, that didn't happen. What did happen was I realized that I didn't know what I believed, much less why I believed it. Like I said, I was raised in a Conservative Christian town and hadn't had much interaction with anyone who didn't at least pay lip-service to Christianity. This isn't to say I allowed myself to be spoon-fed whatever doctrine was pushed at me; I always was a cocky, dissenting bastard with a taste for going against the grain and distaste for authority, but for the most part I had always taken it as a given that God exists without any grounds for it. So I did what seemed to be the most logical and productive thing I could think of: I renounced all my beliefs in everything religious except my dogmatic trust in my intellect. I was an atheist for a while, then agnostic, then Christian, then agnostic, and even kicked around Buddhist ideas for a short time in there. Sometime around the early part of Senior year of high school I arrived at Christianity. I've had some serious doubts again since I got to college, but for the most part I've been a Christian ever since then.
As soon as I said the word, "atheist," one of my friends caught his breathe. "Whoa. So, what do you think would have happened if you died during that time?" he asked. I took a drag of my cigarette and thought about it for a second. Then I said this:
Can I say I reject the premise of the question? Yes, I was an atheist and an agnostic for a while. I thought Christians were weak-minded sheep and saw no reason to believe Jesus was God-incarnate, much less my Savior. I spent many nights staring at my ceiling fan spin trying to think of reasons why He was, but I couldn't come up with something besides wishful thinking. That said, since then I did find reasons and my story and the things I wrote during that time have shaped me. God has also used me to encourage others and used the ideas I pondered during that time to help others who have gone through, or are going through, doubts. So what would have happened if I died? Who cares, God had a plan and part of his plan was for me to not die, despite the fact that I probably should have died...I did a lot of stupid things, including attempting suicide.
God is sovereign. God is in control. It's not my call for when I live or die, it's His. I don't want to get into a debate about predestination, but even the strictest of free-will advocates will certainly not deny the omnipotence and sovereignty of God. Neither is it deniable that God has at least some level of control over our lives.
I don't know about you, but I find that incredibly comforting. I don't have control over my life, and while that drives me nuts sometimes, It's better that way, and I know it. God, who also happens to be omniscient, does have control over my life. I know that while bad things will bruise and batter me, God will carry me through (He
told me so). When I'm kicking, screaming, and running the other way or when I'm following diligently at his heels like an aged dog at the heels of his master, he will always show me the right way to go and even put roadblocks in my way to make sure I don't go too far off path.
God is sovereign. God is in control.
It's not my call for when I live or die, it's His.
The blacksheep sends his love.
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Comments (23)
I haven't read your article yet but I'd like to say something about God's discipline. When I'm no good and I knew what I was doing and for unknown sins also, I think, God has sent his dicsipline into my life many times. And if you get it from God there is nothing you can do about it unless you strike out at Him. I've been wrong many times but I love Him enough to know not to get angry with Him. That would only make things worse. And if I don't learn my lesson the first time around or the second, then I'll just have to take the test again later. He knows what is best for me and he can do whatever he wants to without question. At the end then there is restoration with a little growth attached.
You're just a pussy.
for the most part I've been a Christian ever since then.
I would appreciate your explaining what you mean by this. Thanks.
It's the mysterious combination of God's sovereignty and freewill.
really God is in control.. :)
You should read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Some christians believe logic, reasoning and any of use of the brain matter upstairs is utterly against their beliefs... but it turns out they dont even know what they believe! It's not an apologetic. The book not an apology, an excuse, or even a defense of christianity. It's the an undeniably reasonable and solid train of thought about our existence on Earth. Utterly amazing. ;) When all the "feeling" of belief in me has dried up, i go back to all the reasoning and logic and all the reasons why i ever believed God exists, and sometimes you need more than past experience to get you thru those hard times; sometimes you just need a mental slap to snap you out of it. Either way. I recommend it to each and every christian, whether they want to or not!! XD
And there's so many promises and 'love notes' Gods sends us thru His Word, he will not abandon us, he will reach into the mud for us, he will leave 99 to go looking for us, he will shower you with his love and presence, etc etc etc etc etc etc. You gotta get into the Bible more, man!! It's the only way!And because we do not lean on our own strength, we now trust he will carry us even when we dont believe in him. because he said he will reach into the ends of the earth for YOU, and he always keeps his word.sorry, but i like being in control of my life.
woot go god!
I think that once I grasped the fact that He holds me in his hands it was a lot easier to let go of my fears and just enjoy following my lifes path day by day.....
this seems like a way to shirk responsibility for what goes on in one's life. way to make "god" your scapegoat.
@Queer - people with pussies resent the association of their genitalia with this post. ok, maybe just me. =p
seen .
Just keep on remembering that God kingdom is within you. Luke 17:21
Just keep maintaining a mental attitude of trust and faith in whatever you do: hope, dream, believe, pray and keep on working toward God's assurance.
@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - are you though? are any of us really in control of our lifes? i know if i was in control id be living in a much nicer apartment, and probably have more money lying around...
I have a paperback book that I would love to share with you ! It is called "The Sovereignty Of God" by Arthur W. Pink ! Please send me your address where I can mail it . It gives so many Scriptures to prove this Doctrine is Bible ! I just recently mail a copy to a friend in Virginia . I have two extra copies left . If you don't want to send me your address on the internet, then just write to me at my address . I don't mind sending you my address . After all, I believe God Is Sovereign ! Nothing can happen that He does not permit to happen !
By Sovereign Grace,
Harold Brown, 7512 Terrebonne St., Marrero, LA. 70072
I like this.
Also, I don't want to hear from anyone who thinks that belief in God's sovereignty is "shirking responsibility" or "refusing to be in control of your own life" unless you can show me that you determined the day and year you were born, who your parents would be, what sex you are, what color skin you would have, what ethnicity you would be, what color your eyes would be, and how tall you would grow. Face it: you're not even in control of the very most basic things about your own life!
@jaette@xanga - then get those things. if you want more money or a nicer place, work more often. or pursue some type of career training to get a job that pays more.
i find nothing more sad than people who feel like they have no control over their circumstances. because we all do. the reality is that most are not willing to work hard and make sacrifices to get what they want. they're not incapable... they're unwilling.
@Pass_the_Aura@xanga - I totally agree with you. It always amazes me when people actually believe they have control over situations that are beyond their finite abilities. They make no room for divine intervention that comes in the form of grace, favor, mercy, etc... God does give us choices, the word explicitly says choose life or death, but God is irrefutably sovereign. Even in his death he says, no man took my life, I laid it down. I love being a Christian, not because I can shirk responsibility for my daily actions, my thoughts, and my words, but simply because I have a God who knows the beggining from the end, a God who has declared that he created a plan for me, a plan to prosper me. There is comfort in knowing that I have a God who is intimately involved in my life, a God who cares about my future. I'm saddened by those who find it hard to trust God to such a degree that they can't allow him to take the reigns in their lives. But fortunately for them God is omniscient, he knows their hearts. Some people are misguided in their theology but their hearts are in the right place.
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the
LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future. (NIV) Jer 29:11
@Pass_the_Aura@xanga - all those things happened before i was born. i can, however, attribute them to the interactions of other individuals - namely, my parents.
i didn't mean that a person can control every aspect of his/her life. the point i wanted to make was that people's choices make things happen. the choices we make do not exist in a vacuum, and thus influence the lives of those around us. for example ...
when i was born was determined by my conception and natal development. the former determined by my parents, and the latter determined by my amniotic environment (thanks, mom) and the ontogeny for which my genes allowed. speaking of genes, i had a slightly less than 50/50 shot of being female, but the motile little gamete with the hardest working mitochondria happened to have an X chromosome. my skin color was determined by the incomplete dominance of about six genes. after i was born, my melanin content was mostly determined by how much time i spent in sunlight and the subsequent tyrosinase reactions in my skin. i am homozygous for brown eyes, and HMGIC (or HMGA2, same thing) gene expression and nutrition provided by my parents determined my height. ethnicity is an artificial construct.
i did not determine any of this because i was not yet born. my definition of "life" begins at birth, but that's a completely different debate. my genetic makeup was determined by meiotic recombination and the random assortment of 23 chromosome pairs provided by my parents (and their parents, tracing back to some genetically common ancestor; but let's not turn this into an evolution thing). they provided the genetic framework by choosing to have a child, and what you call "god" i call independent assortment, chiasmata, and chromosomal disjunction.
@MissPixieGlitter@xanga - You describe it all very thoroughly, to be sure. What I don't see is how understanding the tools by which the product is made proves that a maker needn't have been involved. You might as well say that since we know all about brushes and oil paints and how they affect a canvas, there's no need to give any credit to Van Gogh! ("What you call 'an artist' I call a Loew Cornell Golden Taklon long handle and titanium white...")
Be that as it may, how is so bad that the author makes God the "scapegoat" for the fact that his suicide attempt was unsuccessful and he now has comfort and meaning in life? I say we could all use a few more scapegoats like that.
I think our various points are ultimately compatible, though. True enough that our individual choices have influence on our lives and others, but even on your view you can't possibly consider yourself the ultimate captain of your own fate.
@Pass_the_Aura@xanga - i suppose the difference is that i don't reach the conclusion that a "maker" in the form of a god exists. if an apple falls from a tree, did someone drop it? did the wind break its stem? was it "the apple's time?" none of this speculation proves a god doesn't exist, but nothing has convinced me that one does exist. does that make sense? there are many possible causes for an event, you and i just disagree on the cause. i think that genetic randomness contributed to my being, while you think a creator endowed my personhood.
i don't know the details of the posters suicide attempt. perhaps the dose wasn't potent enough to be lethal. perhaps he didn't cut an artery that was big enough - most people go for the radial when the carotid will get the job done better (i don't mean to sound crass, i'm just speculating). maybe he was lucky and someone came by at the right time. i don't see a reason to conclude that there was divine intervention.
what i don't like are people who use "god's will" as an excuse for their shortcomings. too often i hear "it wasn't meant to be" or "god has a different plan for me" when an individual faills to achieve a goal. a god is not a scapegoat, nor should external blame be a coping mechanism. it's difficult to accept failure, but maybe someone tried harder than you. maybe the system was flawed and you should try to fix it. conversely, when you attain something great, it's ok to be proud of your hard work - you did it.
if you want to believe in god and thank god for you skills, i think that's fine. thank your god, and thank your family. i just think people too often abuse the external locus of control and thus shirk the responsibility of success and failure. you're right - you can't entirely control your fate, but you can do an awful lot. the rest is up to chance or god, however you want to look at it. :)
@Pass_the_Aura@xanga - you're assuming that, because we don't have control over those things, someone/something does. i doubt you can give any proof for that. and furthermore, i don't see those events as anything i need to be concerned about having control over.
@too_pretty_to_die@xanga - I don't think I really need to give any proof for it because it isn't my point (or even my assumption). My point is simply that belief in God's sovereignty doesn't entail avoiding responsibility, but rather acknowledging that, as in any sane view, there are a whole lot of things we can't control anyway. However, those aren't my grounds for believing in God (you're right that that would be a very shaky argument, which is why I didn't make it).
@MissPixieGlitter@xanga - Personally I don't see a lack of skill at committing suicide as much of a shortcoming, but I don't see a reason to pick a quarrel with the rest.
منتديات حوامل |
الولادة الطبيعية |
الولادة القيصرية |
الحمل والولادة |
دردشة حوامل |
اطفال الانابيب |
اعراض الحمل |
علامات الولادة |
علامات الحمل |
الاجهاض |
ملابس اطفال |
مراحل الجنين |
الوحم |
حساب موعد الولادة |
حساب الحمل |
طرق الحمل |
علامات الحمل بولد |
علامات الحمل بتوأم |
بعد الاجهاض |
اسباب الاجهاض |
الحمل بعد الاجهاض |
اعراض الاجهاض |
حكم الاجهاض |
حبوب الاجهاض |
الاجهاض المنزلي |
الاجهاض بالاعشاب |
تنظيف الرحم |
الدورة بعد الاجهاض |
الرحم بعد الاجهاض |
نمو الجنين |
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مراحل الحمل بالصور |
ولادة طبيعية يوتيوب |
الاجهاض المتكرر |
الوحم اثناء الحمل |
علاج الوحم |
اعراض الوحم |
متى يبدا الوحم |
تحديد موعد الولادة |
جدول الحمل |
طريقه الحمل |
حبوب ياسمين |
حبوب جينيرا |
حبوب مارفيلون |
ايام التبويض |
فترة التبويض |
ايام الحمل |
التبويض عند المرأة |
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تكيس المبايض وعلاجه |
منع الحمل |
ولادة طبيعية |
ولادة فيديو |
ولادة قيصرية فيديو |
اسماء بنات مواليد |
اسماء بنات |
اسماء مواليد جديدة |
حبوب منع الحمل |
التبويض |
تكيس المبايض |
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فترة النفاس |
مراحل الحمل |
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فيديو ولادة |
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ازياء اطفال |
صور حوامل |
علاج العقم |
ازياء حوامل |
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جنس الجنين |
حركة الجنين |
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الولادة |
حبوب الحديد |
تسهيل الولادة |
مستشفى الوطني |
مستشفى العسكري |
مستشفى الدمام |
مستشفى الولادة والاطفال |
مستشفى الولادة |
الرضاعة الطبيعية |
الرضاعة الصناعية |
ملابس حوامل |
الحمل الكاذب |
الطلق الصناعي |
تأخر الدورة |
الالم الدورة |
حبوب الكلوميد |
الكلوميد |
حمض الفوليك |
حبوب الفوليك |
دخول في الشهر العاشر |
نزول المشيمة |
نزول الدم اثناء الحمل |
غذاء الحامل |
الجماع اثناء الحمل |
الجنس والحمل |
الأزياء |
علاج الغثيان |
علاج الإمساك |
الختان |
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منتدى نسائي |
السوق النسائي |
الاكسسوارات |
المكياج |
العطور |
العناية بالشعر |
العناية بالبشرة |
الرشاقة |
الرشاقة والصحة |
العروس |
السوق التجاري |
الوظائف النسائية |
المشكلات الأسرية |
المطلقات |
الأرامل |
الدايت شوب |
ديكور المنزل |
ديكور المطبخ |
الطب البديل |
الصحة الغذائية |
الحمل الكاذب |
الحمل خارج الرحم |
حساب الوزن |
التحويل الهجري الى الميلادي |
حساب العمر |
التجارة الالكترونية |
بوابة التجارة |
منتدى التجارة |
منتديات التجارة |
منتديات تجارية |
أمازون |
بيدز |
بايز |
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آي فون |
البلاك بيري |
بنوتات |
منتديات بنوتات |
منتديات نسائية |
العلوم الطبيعية |
منتديات تعليمية |
منتدى التعليم |
منتدى التربية والتعليم |
دم الحمل |
تحليل الحمل المنزلي |
اسباب تاخر الحمل |
تنظيم الحمل |
الحمل الطبيعي |
بعد الحمل |
حساب الحمل والولادة |
صور الحمل |
المواد التعليمية |
العلوم الطبيعية |
تحاضير العلوم الطبيعية |
المواد العملية |
تحاضير المواد العملية |
اللغة الانجليزية |
تحاضير اللغة الانجليزية |
العلوم الدينية |
تحاضير العلوم الدينية |
اللغة العربية |
تحاضير اللغة العربية |
التربية الخاصة |
الاجتماعيات و التربية الوطنية |
تحاضير مواد الاجتماعيات |
المواد العملية |
تحاضير المواد العملية |
محو الأمية |
رياض الاطفال |
مجموعة اتفاق |
إتفاق |
تاخر الحمل |