What does the Bible say about God being in control of everything?

in Articles · Bible

The full context of the Bible shows that God is not in control of everything. Many broad statements are made about God that are not supported by Scripture. Two of the primary examples are that “God is in control of everything” and that “all things happen for a reason.” While statements like these may be believed by many Christians, they are not consistent with Scripture’s teaching. The Bible tells us that God is not responsible for everything that happens, because present world is actually under the control of God’s archenemy, the Devil. 1 John 5:19-20 says that “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the Wicked One. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we can know the True One…”

The source of the “God is in control” doctrine is rooted in large part in the teachings of the 16^th century church reformist John Calvin, who broke away from the Catholic Church in Rome around 1530 A.D. Calvin’s doctrine of “predestination” permeated much of Christianity and remains a tenet in many churches today. The gist of predestination, according to Calvinism, is that everything that happens in life is God’s will, and that He’s even decided ahead of time who will and who will not be saved. This doctrine contradicts Scriptures like, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, which says that “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth”.

In many places in Scripture, God asks us to make choices. It would be pretty disingenuous for God to ask us to make a choice if He has already decided for us what we will choose. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

There are things in God’s will that He has decided will happen. He promised Abraham that the Messiah would come from his bloodline (Galatians 3:16). He promised that Christ will return to earth in the future, to set up his kingdom and rule in justice (Rev 20:4). On the other hand, because God is a God of love, He also gave mankind freedom of will to choose good or evil, to love and serve or to sin and rebel against Him. Most of the life choices we make day to day are by the God-given freedom we all have, not by God’s control in our lives. Thankfully, we have the Bible to guide us in making those decisions by obeying God and showing our love for Him. For more information on this subject see the links below:

https://www.revisedenglishversion.com/Appendix/8/On_Calvinism_and_Predestination

http://stfonlinestore.com/dontblamegod.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of52ji-NfBk&list=PL26wBwzo4McrshkuD4uJxGrE8u6mDELjN