Is God in Control of Everything? Dr. Stuart Pattico Follow Dr. Pattico on social media: Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on youtube Related video: Knowing Your Authority © 2013 Dr. Stuart Pattico. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be produced or transmitted in any form without prior permission from the author. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible. When people speak about the sovereignty of God, it is usually meant that God is in control of everything; that nothing happens without His permission; and that His will is always done. But is this true? In the OT both good and bad occurrences are often attributed to God. However such statements are not always to be taken literally. For example, at the end of the book of Job, we read about “all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him” (Job 42:11). However, we know from Job 2:7 that it was Satan who struck Job, not God – “Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head” (Job 2:7). Whilst the Bible makes it clear that God can intervene in various areas of human experience, it also reveals that there is another being at work - Satan. When Adam sinned, the devil gained power over the world, insomuch that Paul the apostle refers to the devil as “the god of this age” in 2 Corinthians 4:4. Paul also calls the devil “the prince [ruler] of the power of the air” in Ephesians 2:2. The devil gained these titles when Adam sinned. The devil gained control over the world, insomuch that the apostle John says the following: … and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. (1 John 5:19 ) That’s why the world is in such a mess. That’s why there is all this sickness, poverty, suffering and evil. It’s because the devil is the god of this age. That’s why the Bible says that Jesus healed all “who were oppressed of the devil” (Acts 10:38). The oppression that people experience is not the work of God, it is “of the devil”. The devil is behind the mess that we see. Consequently, we live in a world where the will of God is not always done. This is precisely why Jesus taught us to pray – “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10). If Gods will were automatically being done in this world, that would be a redundant prayer. 1 Timothy 2:4 states that God “desires all men to be saved”, yet many unsaved souls die each day. This again shows us that God’s will is not always done, for if it were, everyone would be saved. This helps us to understand that the evils that are occurring in this world have nothing to do with God. They occur because the world lies under the sway of the wicked one. So what are we to do about this situation? Are we without hope? Well, when Jesus came, He came with good news. He said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). In Hebrew, “the kingdom of heaven” is called the Malkut Shamiym. In Jewish thought, this expression referred to God ruling as King over the earth. In other words, Jesus came so that instead of living under the rule of Satan, we could live under the rule of God. The basic ministry of the kingdom is to replace the rule of Satan with the rule of God. This is why, on one occasion, Jesus said, “if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Mathew 12:28). The kingdom of God drives out the rule of Satan. Jesus didnt only speak about the kingdom, He also demonstrated it. He did this by healing the sick, casting out demons, forgiving peoples sins, showing them how to live in righteousness, and by healing the broken hearted. Those who have partaken of Gods kingdom have authority over Satan. Jesus said to his disciples “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19). We do not need to live under the reign of Satan anymore. Through the Parable of the Minas, Jesus instructed us to “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13 KJV). The Greek word translated “occupy” means “to carry on a business” (Thayer’s Greek Definitions). We are to carry on the kingdom ministry of Jesus by using the authority He has given us to demonstrate the kingdom of heaven. Yes, by the Spirits power, we are to show people the rule of God by sharing the good news about the kingdom, by healing the sick and by setting people free. Whilst many are looking for the sovereignty of God to intervene in this world, God is looking for people who are willing to demonstrate His soverignty. To learn how you can operate in this authority so that you can rule and reign in life, please watch my video: Knowing Your Authority. Shalom, Dr. Stuart Pattico
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 14:52:06 +0000
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