Thursday: Christ Has Overcome the World
Daily Lesson for Thursday 20th of February 2025
If everything occurred according to God’s ideal will, there would never have been evil but only the perfect bliss of love and harmony. Eventually, the universe will be restored to this perfect, ideal will of God. In the meantime, God is working out His will in a way that takes into account the free decisions of His creatures.
Imagine a baking competition in which all participants are required to use some particular set of ingredients, but they can add any other ingredients they want in order to bake any kind of cake they want, as well. In the end, whatever cake a baker ends up making will be determined, at least partially, by some ingredients that the baker did not choose.
Image © Phil McKay Goodsalt.com
Similarly (in this limited respect), because God has committed Himself to respecting creaturely freedom of the kind necessary for love, many of the “ingredients” that make up world history are not chosen by God but are actually the opposite of what God desires.
In this view, divine providence is not simply one-dimensional, as if God unilaterally controls everything that happens. Rather, this requires (at least) a two-dimensional view of God’s providence. Some things in this world are caused by God, but other occurrences are the result of the free decisions of creatures (as are all evils). Many things happen that God does not want to happen.
Read John 16:33. What hope, even amid tribulations, does this text offer us?
Particularly in times of suffering or trial, people’s faith may waver because they hold the mistaken belief that God will or should spare them from suffering and trials in this life. But Jesus tells us a very different story, warning His followers they will experience trials and tribulations in this world, but there is hope, for Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33).
The fact that we encounter suffering and trials does not mean that this is what God ideally wants for us. We must always keep in mind the big picture: the great controversy. However, we can be confident that, while evil itself is not necessary for good, God can bring good even out of evil events. And, if we trust God, God can use even our sufferings to draw us closer to Him and to motivate us to be compassionate and to care for others.
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Part of the reason that the question of good and evil is so cloudy is that those who profess to have a special relationship with Jesus behave with so much self-interest. For most of the history of Christianity, it has been associated with persecution and control. Even today, Churches are more concerned about protecting their good name rather than repenting from their evil. If we want to have a sound argument for a loving caring God, we must understand that it is our responsibility to be loving and caring to one another and our community, even when we disagree with them.
I keep coming back to this theme because I have lived through arguments about religious issues that have not really done much for sharing the love of Jesus. They have been divisive with each side becoming more entrenched and less tolerant of one another as the argument progressed. Self-interest exists even in the most pious atmosphere.
We do have a message to preach about the battle between good and evil, but the most telling argument will be fought without words.
Jesus ministry is characterised by two things:
If we want to win the argument we we may need to swallow our pride and ask forgiveness.
Trials are part of the Christian journey, but God uses them to refine our faith and draw us closer to Him. As Paul reminds us:
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." — Romans 8:28
James also encourages us to endure trials with faith:
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." — James 1:2-3
Even in suffering, we have hope, for Christ has already secured the victory! John 16:33 assures us that despite tribulations, we can find peace in Him.
The story of Abraham, Sarah, and Abimelech, found in Genesis 20, is a fascinating account of human free will and God's sovereignty.
This story highlights several key aspects of the dynamic between free will and God's sovereignty:
• Human Free Will: Abraham and Abimelech both make decisions based on their own understanding. Abraham chooses to deceive Abimelech, and Abimelech chooses to take Sarah, unaware of the truth. These decisions reflect their free will—Abraham acts out of fear, while Abimelech acts with integrity based on the information he has.
• God's Sovereignty: Despite their actions, God remains in control. He intervenes to protect Sarah and prevent Abimelech from sinning. In doing so, God preserves His covenant promise to Abraham that Sarah would bear his child. Abimelech is unaware of the consequences, yet God steps in to ensure that His plan is not derailed by human error.
• Moral Responsibility: God acknowledges Abimelech’s integrity by telling him that He kept him from sinning, showing that God worked in the background to prevent Abimelech from acting against His will. This reveals that while humans have free will, God can intervene in certain situations to guide events in accordance with His purpose.
To summarize, this account shows that human beings are free to make choices, but God's sovereignty can override human plans when necessary to fulfill His divine purposes. It also emphasizes God's mercy and protection, even toward those who act in ignorance.
Hello Beverley. The story you referenced is an interesting one indeed however, from my perspective, there is no indication that God forced Abimelech not to lie with Sarah. God warned him that he would die if he did, as she was Abraham's wife, and half sister. Abraham discovered that a half truth is a full lie. God still left Abimelech free to choose, he didn't put him in a literal "headlock." Abimelech still exercised his freewill.
Well said Tim.
Tim, I did not mean to suggest that God’s intervention forced Abimelech to act against his will. Rather, God provided Abimelech with critical information, enabling him to make the right choice. Abimelech still had the freedom to disregard what God revealed, but doing so would have resulted in severe consequences.
From my reading, Tim, God did seem to work the situation so that Abimelech would not sin. Vs. 6 actually says "I have kept you from sinning against me" (NIV) or "I also withheld you from sinning against me." (NKJV). Now how that works, particularly, is hard to totally grasp, but I sense that God attempted to put road blocks in Abimelech's way that would protect him until He spoke to him about the situation. Keep in mind that Abimelech, believing Sarah was not married, would have had no moral reason to not sleep with her. Once he knew the situation, he acted with integrity and God seemed to work with him knowing his heart.
I think we've all had situations where God intervened to steer us away from a sinful choice. I once was struggling with something at a particular moment and right then I got a phone call that distracted me and caused me to rethink what I was going to do. Is that God taking away my free will? I don't think so, because after that phone call I could have chosen to go back and do it anyway. But when we ask God to help us, I think He does and I think He can do it even for nonbelievers. Remember, believers are praying for them and that gives God permission to act.
God honors our free will but He's still God. The Bible says He establishes and brings down kings. That tells me that He doesn't allow people to exercise their free will in every situation. As God He can deliver people and protect them and so on. To some extent, this action is interfering with free will. Everything is done for the good of the universe and the big picture. As humans we have to be humble about figuring all of this out.
God bless you all for the inspiration of the Abraham story.
I consider the most important work of faith is believing that God embodies perfect Goodness. He is the source of all that is Good and has overcome the world in/through Christ.
In Christ, God’s Goodness is fully revealed and established — expressed through love, compassion, justice, and Truth. Goodness is not just what He does; it is Who He IS. They - Christ in the Father and the Father in His Son - have overcome the 'world'.
James 1:17-18 – Every good and perfect gift comes from God. Though, can we always recognize these gifts? No - yet, the work of His goodness always brings changes for the better, as God uses them according to His perfect Will based on His Love for mankind and this world.
Our faith is a lifelong journey of learning to trust in God's Goodness. If we allow Him to manifest His 'Goodness' in us, it will convict us and strengthens us to endure adversity, resist temptation, and to remain faithful. When being found in Christ, we also are destined to overcome the world. 1 John 5:4