Tag: boulomai

Romans 9:16 – All His Doing

Posted on by Will

So then it is not of the one willing, nor of the one running, but of God who shows mercy.

Truth to Learn

God deserves all the praise and glory for our salvation.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “willing” is a form of the Greek word thelō, which we have looked at before. It refers to a person’s will. But there is another Greek word which also refers to a person’s will. That word is boulomai. Thelō refers to a person’s determined will, whereas boulomai refers to a person’s desirous will. It is like a child being sent into a candy store with a limited amount of money. His (or her) desirous will is to have everything in the store. But the child determines (decides) to purchase what can be acquired with the money he or she has; this is the child’s determined will. The current verse uses thelō indicating that it is not the one deciding (determined will).

The word translated “running” is the Greek word trechō, which means “to run” or “to walk hastily.” By implication it means “to run a course in an effort to achieve an objective.”

“Shows mercy” is from eleeō, which we looked at in yesterday’s verse. It refers to the act of showing mercy.

 

Meaning Explained

In the preceding few verses Paul talked about God’s loving some people and hating others, about God having mercy on some and not on others. He has made the point that God does so in complete righteousness because He is a holy and a righteous God who can do no evil. Paul now makes his first summary of these points. He says that the choosing is not about the one willing, nor the one running, but of God, the one showing mercy. It’s not about the person who determines or decides to get saved. Neither is it about the one who works hard to keep all the rules. It’s all about God determining who He will show mercy to.

In other words Paul is saying that salvation is not based on someone choosing to be saved nor is it about someone keeping all the rules or completing a course of action to earn righteousness. You see, both of these imply that a person deserves salvation because they did something to earn it. Instead, according to Paul, it is based on God showing mercy on someone who does not deserve it.

Here’s what Albert Barnes said about this:

Salvation in its beginning, its progress, and its close, is of him. He has a right, therefore, to bestow it when and where he pleases. All our mercies flow from his mere love and compassion, and not from our deserts. The essential idea here is, that God is the original fountain of all the blessings of salvation.

But Paul does not stop here. In the next verse he will use Pharaoh as an example of someone whose heart God hardened so that He could demonstrate His power.

 

Application

What we need to see in these verses is that God chooses some and not others so that He alone will get the glory. If salvation is in any way our doing, then we can take some credit for it. If we did something to obtain it, then we should get at least part of the credit. But God says that He wants to get all the credit. He wants all the glory and all the praise. Let’s give it all to Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 7:19 – Surrender to Him

Posted on by Will

For the good that I determine to do, I do not do; but the evil I determine to not do, that I practice.

Truth to Learn

Overcoming our enemy, our sin nature, is not ours to do.

 

Behind the Words

Back in verse sixteen we looked at the word “will.” There are two Greek words that are translated “will” or “wish:” thelō and boulomai. The difference is that thelō implies an active impulse whereas boulomai implies a passive acquiescence. Therefore, boulomai implies simply a wish or a desire whereas thelō implies a preference, a choosing, or a determination. To understand the difference, imagine that you give a child a dollar and let them go into a candy store to buy anything he or she wants. The child’s desire is to buy everything (desirous will) but the child determines to buy something specific for a dollar (determined will). The word in the current verse translated “determine” is thelō, determined will.

“Good” is from agathos, which refers to goodness in general. It is sometimes translated as benevolent, profitable, useful, or excellent.

“Evil” is from kakos, which refers to something that is worthless or wicked. It is believed to be derived from the verb chazō, meaning “to retreat.” It is a picture of a worthless soldier who, instead of standing up against the enemy, retreats.

 

Meaning Explained

At first glance this verse seems to say the same thing as verse fifteen did. But on closer inspection we can see that there is a slight difference between these verses. Verse fifteen says:

For the thing I do, I do not understand. For what I determine to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. (Romans 7:15)

In this earlier verse Paul is contrasting what he is determined to do versus what he hates. In the current verse (Romans 7:19) he is contrasting what he is determined to do versus evil. Paul is saying that his determined will is to do good but he doesn’t do it. His determined will is also not to do evil, but that’s exactly what he does do. This is another indication that Paul is truly saved. Only someone whose heart has been regenerated will truly desire to do good and truly desire not to do evil. Unfortunately for Paul, and for the rest of us as well, the sin nature that dwells in this flesh of ours continues to overpower us even against our desire.

The significant thing to take away from this verse is the fact that it is not the will of man that draws him away from God. Few people, if any, actually want to be evil, but none of us, left to our own devices, will avoid evil because of the powerful sin nature that has mastery over us.

Once again let me say that the only way to have victory over this sin nature is first to be genuinely saved and then to submit our will to God and obey Him as our master instead of obeying our sin nature. As we submit to Him and commit to His ways, we have victory and peace!

 

Application

It is far easier for us to do that which is evil than to stand and fight for that which is good. And, it is easier to stand and fight against evil in the face of incredible odds, than it is for us to stand against our sin nature. That’s why we need the power of the Holy Spirit. Only a committed Christian surrendered to the will of God can succeed in overcoming his or her sin nature.

And, who gets the praise when we submit to God’s will?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

2 Peter 3:9 – Merciful Patience

Posted on by Will

The Lord of the promise is not slow as some consider slowness, but is long-suffering with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Truth to Learn

God is very patient with sinners, but His patience will end one day, and many will suffer His wrath on that day.

 

Behind the Words

The word in today’s verse translated “slow” (“slack” in some translations) is the Greek word bradunō, which means “to be slow or to be delayed.” I think a word in our modern vernacular which expresses it well is “tardy.”

“Long-suffering” is translated from the Greek word macrothumia, which is a compound word made up of macro, meaning “large or long” and thumos, meaning “strong feeling or passion, either good or bad (as if breathing hard).” Hence, “long-suffering” and “patient” are both good translations of this word.

The word translated “wanting” is boulomai, meaning “to be desirous” or “to be willing.” There is another word translated “wish” or “will” in the New Testament. It is the word thelō, but it includes the implication of intention and action. Thus we can say that boulomai refers to “desirous will,” whereas thelō refers to “determined will.” You see, God is not desirous that any should perish, but He has determined that many will.

 

Meaning Explained

Now, to answer your question, “Why is God taking so long, and what is He waiting for?” The answer is, “He loves all of mankind and is desirous that all should be saved.” Now, let’s see what this really means.

Peter tells us in this verse that God is not tardy in carrying out His promise.  And what is the “promise” that Peter is referring to? It is the promise of the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, on the Day of Judgment.

Now, if He is not tardy, why hasn’t it happened yet? Peter says that it is because God is very patient. The implication is that God is holding his wrath in check, wrath that would destroy all of sinful mankind. And Peter tells us why God is holding back. He is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The word “wanting” is a key word in this verse. As was pointed out in Behind the Words, this refers to God’s desirous will. It is not God’s desire that any should perish, He wants all mankind to repent of their sins, and He is holding back His wrath to give everyone the greatest possible opportunity to repent and submit to Him. So, what is it that will prevent God’s wrath from destroying us? Faith. That is, belief in the sacrificial death of the Son of God as payment for our sins. The Apostle John says it in his gospel account, through the words of Jesus, Himself:

The one believing in him is not condemned, but the one not believing has already been condemned because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (John 3:18)

 

Application

We should be proclaiming the gospel message to everyone. The good news that all men are sinful and guilty before God but that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross to pay for that sin. Let us not be ashamed of it! Let us proclaim it from the roof tops because His patience will not last forever!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 3:17 – Good Suffering

Posted on by Will

For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Truth to Learn

Sometimes God chooses to have us suffer even when we are doing what we know is right.

 

Behind the Words

“Better” is translated from the Greek word kreitton, which is the comparative form of kratus, meaning “strong.” So, kreitton literally means “stronger.” However, used figuratively as it is here, it refers to something that is “better.”

The word translated “will” in today’s verse is thelēma, a form of thelō, which refers to what God has determined. There are two words that are commonly translated as “will” in the Bible. They are boulomai (desirous will) and thelō (determined will). It’s like a child going into a store to buy candy with a limited amount of money. There is his desirous will (to have all the candy) and his determined will (the specific candy purchased with his limited funds).

If we look carefully we see that Scripture refers to God’s will in both ways. An example of God’s desirous will can be found in 2 Peter 3:9, where it says:

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

This is a use of boulomai in reference to God’s will. Hence, God does not desire that any should perish.

 

Meaning Explained

Peter has not been talking about our suffering as being discipline, though it sometimes feels that way. Let us not miss the truth that he is teaching us. When we suffer for doing good, we have a tendency to turn to God and say, “Hey, wait a minute, God! I did the right thing! Why am I suffering for it?”

In today’s verse, the use of thelema indicates that God has determined that in some cases we will suffer for doing what is right and good. Peter is telling us that even if that is the situation for you or me, it is better than suffering for doing evil. When we suffer for doing good we can, with a good conscience, turn our hearts toward God and give Him the glory for our suffering, knowing that it is part of His plan. When we suffer for doing evil, we can only hang our heads in shame and wish we hadn’t done something so stupid.

In the next chapter of this letter, Peter will say a similar thing about suffering:

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this matter. … Therefore those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. (1Peter 4:16, 19) [NASB]

Incidentally, the word translated “will” in 1 Peter 4:19 is also thelēma; that which God has determined.

 

Application

Are you suffering right now because you have done what is right and you can’t understand why? If so, get on your knees and thank God for finding you worthy to suffer for Him. Then, be ready to give a reason for the hope that you have in Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 2:15 – Good Works = God’s Glory

Posted on by Will

For this is the will of God, doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish men;

Truth to Learn

God will use our good works to bring glory to Himself.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “will” is thelēma, meaning “a desire or disposition toward something,” but it also implies action taken based on that desire. This is derived from the verb thelō, meaning “to wish, to will, implying volition and purpose with a determination or execution of that which is desired.” Hence, it is sometimes referred to as “determined will.” This is different from the Greek word boulomai, meaning “to desire something, not necessarily implying the execution of that desire,” which is sometimes referred to as “desirous will.”

The expression “doing good” comes from the Greek agathopoieō, which, as we learned from a similar word in the previous verse, means “to do good things.”

“To silence” comes from the Greek word phimoō, which means “to muzzle” or “to silence.”

“Ignorance” is translated from the Greek word agnōsia. This is compound word made up of a, meaning “not” or “without” and a form of gnōsis, meaning “knowledge.”

The word “foolish” is translated from aphropon, made up of a, meaning “not” or “without” and a form of phren, meaning “understanding.” Hence, it literally means “mindless” or “stupid.”

 

Meaning Explained

“For this is the will of God…” What is Peter referring to; the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do well. That’s what he said in the previous verse. The grammatical rule of immediate antecedence would seem to dictate that’s what he meant. However, it is not what was said before, but what is said after that defines what Peter means. He says that “putting to silence the ignorance of foolish men” is the will of God (what God has determined). And he does that through our good works. Now, let me remind you what he said in verse twelve:

having your behavior good among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of inspection. (1 Peter 2:12)

Do you see it? Do you see who Peter is talking about? As you will recall, in verse twelve we learned that the “Gentiles” are non-Christians. They are unsaved. They are unbelievers. They are the foolish ones who are “without understanding.” And since they don’t understand the truth of the gospel message, they speak out of ignorance. They speak out against Christians, calling us evil doers when they are the real doers of evil.

Not only will God silence (muzzle) their evil speaking about us, as Peter tells us in this verse, but they will glorify God on that fateful day when they stand before Him as their judge, as Peter told us in verse twelve.

 

Application

When all your efforts to do good make you feel like a salmon swimming upstream, remember that we are doing it for His glory! And though we may not see the fruit of our labors on this earth, someday we will see our Savior, and He is worthy!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 4:15 – The Lord’s Plan

Posted on by Will

Instead you ought to be saying, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."

Truth to Learn

It is God’s plan for us that is important, not our own plans.

Behind the Words

The expression “Instead you ought to be saying” should be more literally translated as “Instead of your saying.”

“Lord” is translated from kurios, meaning “the one in supreme authority” or “the one who is in control.” The use of this word is an indication of our subservience and of His supremacy.

The word translated “wills” is from the Greek word thelō, meaning “to will.” It is similar to the Greek word boulomai, also translated “to will,” though it carries a sense of volition and purpose. Hence, thelō is often spoken of as “determined will” whereas boulomai is spoken of as “desirous will.” So, James is saying, “If the Lord determines it to be, then we shall live …”

Meaning Explained

This verse is a direct response to verse thirteen, with verse fourteen having been interjected as a parenthetical expression. That is to say, verse fourteen was put in to explain why the saying of verse thirteen was wrong and this verse is an example of what should have been said instead.

In keeping with what James has been telling us about planning, we need to recognize that God is the one in control of our lives, not we ourselves. It is God who determines whether we live or die, and it is God who determines whether we have success or not. Therefore, as we make plans for the future, let us not only consider God’s place in our future, let us base our future plans on Him and Him alone.

Let us beware, however, that we don’t take this verse to be a formula for guaranteeing God’s blessing on our selfish endeavors. Just because we say, “If the Lord wills” in our prayers, doesn’t mean that the Lord wills it. James’ point is that we are God’s subjects, and things will occur according to His plan, not according to our plans. We need to daily humble ourselves before God and seek His direction so that we can be used by Him to fulfill His will.

We have a big, powerful God who has saved us by His grace, has raised us up, and has made us to sit at His right hand (in Christ). Without Him we are but dust (literally). Therefore, don’t be like people of this world system, developing an ever larger image of man and an ever smaller image of God. Instead, we need to continually develop a greater recognition of the power and authority of our God, as well as a growing awareness of our absolute dependence on Him and His grace. This kind of thinking will lead us to peace and contentment!

Application

We all have plans for the future. Some of us make very formal plans that are written down and reviewed regularly. Others of us have very informal plans (we may think of them as hopes or dreams) that are not written down and tend to be more changeable. Whether your plans are written or not, take a few minutes to think about what your plans are. Then, get on your knees and give them over to God, committing to follow His plans, whether they meet your expectations or not. That’s faith!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 4:4 – The World, or God?

Posted on by Will

Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Truth to Learn

Buying into the world system, its values, ideals, and desires is a sure way to alienate yourself from God.

Behind the Words

The oldest manuscripts do not have “Adulterers and,” starting out the verse simply with “Adulteresses!”

The expression “Do you not know,” translated from ouk oidate, is difficult to translate into English with its full meaning. Ouk represents the absolute negative in Greek and the word oidate means “to see or perceive.” This verb is expressed in the perfect tense indicating a past, completed action with an ongoing result with the emphasis being on the result. So James is saying “Have you not recognized and now understand?”

Exhthra is the Greek word translated “enmity.” It refers specifically to hostility or hatred.

The word translated “wants” is boulomai, which expresses the desirous will. It is written here in the subjunctive mood indicating that it is likely not happening currently but possibly could. It might be translated as “Whoever might want …”

The words “makes himself” are translated from the verb kathistēmi. This is made up of kata, meaning “down” and histēmi, meaning “to stand” or “to be placed.” Hence, it refers to something that is firmly standing or firmly placed. It appears here in the middle voice indicating action that is done to or for the subject, by the subject.

Meaning Explained

Why does James call us adulteresses? Is he only talking to women? No. Does he think that none of us can remain faithful to our spouse? Certainly not! James is using the term in a spiritual sense. As Christians, our relationship to Christ is likened to a marriage relationship. The church is rightfully called “The Bride of Christ.” We are engaged to him now, the marriage will take place after the rapture, and will be followed by the wedding feast and a heavenly honeymoon! If we are spiritually unfaithful, meaning we place greater importance in something else than in our relationship to God, then we have committed idolatry, which is spiritual adultery.

James says that friendship with the world is idolatrous. The word translated “world” is kosmos. It does not refer to the physical earth, but to the world system. Christians need to be different than the unsaved inhabitants of this world. We need to guard against being caught up in all the trappings of the world system. And, in spite of what many are preaching today, we do not want to be world friendly! Otherwise, James says, we place ourselves in the position of being God’s enemies! We should be friends with those who are caught up in the world so we can be witnesses to them, but we must not buy in to their values, ideals, or goals.

Application

Christians should be distinctly different from those who are caught up in the world. We don’t need to be weirdly different. Instead, we should be delightfully different. Now, that’s something to think about!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 1:18 – New Birth

Posted on by Will

Having desired it, He brought us forth by the word of truth, for us to be a certain first fruit of His creatures.

Truth to Learn

Our salvation is the greatest example of the goodness of God and His desire to give us good things.

Behind the Words

The words translated “having desired” is a form of the Greek word boulomai. This word refers to “a passive desire, or desirous will” as opposed to the Greek word thelō which expresses “active volition and purpose, or determined will.”

Back in verse 15 we were introduced to the Greek word apokueō, translated in this verse as “brought forth.” It is a medical term for a woman giving birth. It is never used of a man, only of women, inanimate objects (metaphorically speaking), and God.

“First fruit” is translated from aparchē, which is a compound word made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from,” and archomai, meaning “to begin.” This is a reference to the special firstfruits offering that God required of the Israelites.

The expression “for us to be” is composed of the purpose clause eis to along with the infinitive einai, meaning “to be.” So, this could be translated as, “for the purpose of us to be.” James is not saying that it is possible that we will be a kind of first fruits but that it is God’s purpose for us to be a kind of first fruit.

Meaning Explained

James tells us that it was simply because He desired to do it that God gave us birth, and He did so by the word of truth. The birth referred to here is not our physical birth but our new birth (our spiritual birth). This is the birth of which Jesus spoke when he told Nicodemus:

Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

Our new birth is not the result of us performing some sacred act, nor is it the result of us completing a series of religious classes and partaking of the sacraments. This spiritual birth comes only from believing God’s promise to us that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all our sins.

James is here giving an example (perhaps the best possible example) of a good act of giving that is completely a gift from God. It was by His will (desirous preference) that he gave us the new birth by the word of truth. It was not by obligation, because we did something, rather it was His choice. He chose us so that we would be a kind of ‘first fruit’ of His creatures.

The “first fruit” is a reference to the Jewish sacrifice that consisted of the first born of all animals and the first part of the harvest of the crops. James’ reference to first fruit here is not meant to emphasize the timing (first) but first in importance, the fact that God considers us as consecrated, or set-apart from the rest of creation.

Application

God is the source of all good and perfect gifts, and an example of that is the gift of our salvation, given to us because He wanted to, not because we earned it in any way.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 15:32 – Following With Joy

Posted on by Will

Romans 15:32 – Following With Joy

that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.

Truth to Learn

Following God’s will is not always comfortable or easy but it will produce joy in our hearts.

Behind the Words

“Will” is translated from thelēma, which is based on the verb thelō meaning “to will or wish.” But it implies more than just a wish or a desire, it implies purpose and determination. There is another Greek word, boulomai, which is also translated “will.” Thelō refers to a person’s determined will, whereas boulomai refers to a person’s desirous will. It is like a child being sent into a candy store with a limited amount of money. His (or her) desirous will is to have everything in the store, but the child determines (decides) to purchase what can be acquired with the money he or she has; this is the child’s determined will.

The Greek word translated “refreshed” is an interesting word. It is the Greek word sunanapausomai. This is a compound word made up of three parts. The Greek word sun means “with” or “together with.” The middle part of this word is ana, meaning “again,” and the final part of the word is from the verb pauō, meaning “to cease or to give rest.” Putting these all together we see that Paul wanted to be “refreshed again together” with the Christians in Rome.

Meaning Explained

Paul had another reason for wanting the Christians in Rome to pray for him, and he shares the reason in the current verse. He has already told them that he expected to go to Spain and to stop at Rome on the way. If his ministry to the Jews in Jerusalem was not successful, it would be a disappointment to him. If he could successfully deliver the gifts from the churches in Greece to the saints in Jerusalem, however, then it would be a joyous thing for Paul.

But he knew that he was bound by the will of God to go wherever God sent him. That’s why Paul said, “so that I may come to you with joy by the (determined) will of God.” If God had other plans for Paul (and we know that he did), then Paul was willing to be part of those plans. He did eventually go to Rome, but it was not in the manner that he was expecting. Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and remained imprisoned for three years before being sent to Rome to stand before Caesar.

That is not to say, however, that Paul did not go with joy. He was not surprised that he ended up in chains in Jerusalem, for that’s exactly what had been revealed to him on numerous occasions. Paul certainly would rather have gone to Rome as a free man, but following God’s will was more important to him and being God’s bondservant was all the freedom that Paul needed. Because he knew that the imprisonment was God’s doing, I’m sure that it was with joy “in the Lord” that Paul eventually got to Rome.

Even though Paul had never actually met most of the people in the Church in Rome he felt a fellowship with them through the blood of Christ. And, when he did eventually get to Rome the saints there not only welcomed him with open arms but they provided for his needs while he was in prison there.

Application

Let’s all determine to make following God’s will the full focus or our lives. If that means pain or sorrow, we can still have joy in our hearts knowing that we are serving the King of Kings.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 9:19 – No Fault Sovereignty

Posted on by Will

Romans 9:19 – No Fault Sovereignty

You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”

Truth to Learn

It is completely fair for God to do as He decides.

Behind the Words

The Greek verb translated “find fault”  is memphomai, meaning “to find fault, to blame, or to censure.”

“Resisted” is translated from anthistēmi. This is a compound word made up of anti, meaning “against” and histēmi, meaning “to stand.” So, quite literally, this word means “to stand against.” Understand, however, that the emphasis of this word is on the result rather than the process. In its usage here, Paul is not saying, “who has put up a fight against God’s will” but “who has prevailed against His will.”

“Will” is from boulēma. This is the noun form of boulomai, which we compared with thelō back in verse sixteen. It refers to “intention or purpose.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has been very methodically and meticulously describing God’s sovereignty in choosing some and not choosing others. Every Jew knows that God chose Abraham and called him out of Ur of the Chaldeans. From there Paul showed that Isaac was the chosen son of promise rather than Ishmael, the first born of his flesh. He then gives the example of Jacob and Esau. Even though Esau was the first born, God said “Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated.” And He did so without taking into account anything either of them did in their lives.

His next example is Pharaoh. Pharaoh had a hardened heart toward God and His chosen people as a result of his sin nature (which we all have). But God hardened Pharaoh’s heart even further so that He (God) might receive praise and glory. Thus Paul declares

He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.

From our human perspective we look at this and say, “That’s not fair!” This is the first objection most people have to God’s sovereignty. Paul now gets to the other objection. If God is in total control and no one can resist His will in election, then why does he condemn sinners? Why doesn’t He just forgive everyone their sins and not send anyone to Hell for being a sinner?

Actually, this is just another way of saying, “That’s not fair! God shouldn’t choose some to go to Heaven and allow others to go to Hell.” Paul will address this in his response in the next verse. So as not to take all the wind out of his sails, let me simply state that the problem with this objection is that it assumes that we know better than God. But, how can we who are finite beings with a sin nature ever suppose that we know better than an infinite, loving, holy, righteous God.

Application

We have no right to criticize God for the way He chooses to run His creation. Instead of complaining and fighting His will for us, we need to better understand Him and His will for us. As we do, we will fall on our knees asking for forgiveness for even questioning His will and His sovereignty.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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