Bible Truth #343 - Isaiah 45:7, Amos 3:6

Isaiah 45:7

I form the light, and create darkness, I make peace, and create evil, I the LORD do all these things.

Amos 3:6

Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Some may think God does not create evil, nor do evil, but here in these verses it is clearly spelled out for all. God is sovereign and nothing exists without Him creating it. No evil occurs in history unless God has ordained it to take place. Some may even think that the verses are being misunderstood but I will ask this - Did Satan create himself? Of course not. And if God didn’t create Lucifer with a purpose for him that was intentional, then He isn’t God. Do you think that Lucifer ruined God’s plan? NO! God fulfilled His plan for Lucifer.

Other versions of the Bible call the “evil” God creates in Isaiah 45:7 calamity, bad times, disaster, and woe. The same can be said of Amos 3:6 - God causes calamity, disaster, and affliction. I also wrote of this in Bible Truth #123, Lamentations 3:38.

God is sovereign and He is working His plan for Creation and for each and every individual human being (Psalm 57:2, Psalm 138:8, Revelation 17:17). God created what we call evil, but He takes what He created and is working it in accordance with His will (Ephesians 1:11), and that to glorify Him.

Bible Truth #342 - Ecclesiastes 3:11

Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Yet we cannot fathom what God has done, from beginning to end. Let that sink in - what God has done, past tense. It is already done, accomplished, He has already saved each and every man He is going to save (Hebrews 9:12). It is fact that when God chose His Elect before the foundation of the world He put them in Christ, it is a done deal, God has it rigged! Jesus Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8), those whom God chose were placed in Christ, also from the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Jesus Christ died a substitutionary death for those who were placed in Him - He died in our place! He did NOT die for those who were NOT chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.

As I wrote in Bible Truth #328, when God created time and every event that would transpire within history, He created the beginning, middle and the end - it is ALL history to God. And every event that has taken place, or will take place in the future, has already occurred as God sees it from eternity. This is why those chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world will be saved in history. They, and they alone, will be drawn, they shall come to Christ (John 6:37), and Christ will raise them up (John 6:44).

We become children of God NOT by human decision (John 1:13). It’s God’s decision and He made it before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4)

Bible Truth #341 - Revelation 17:15-17

Revelation 17:15-17

15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

16  And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

17  For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

What you just read is prophesy, it will take place. What I would like to point out is the fact that God will fulfill His will then as he does now, and as He has done throughout history.

God will move people’s hearts as he sees fit to accomplish His will (Psalm 57:2, Proverbs 21:1). To those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose, we know that all things work together for good! (Romans 8:28) Well why are all things working together for good? Because God is the One doing the work, in ALL things, not just some things. He is working everything in conformity with the purpose of His will (Ephesians 1:11), He has a plan and everything will go in accordance to it.

When God created time He created not only the beginning, but the end too. The events listed in Revelation will take place because they have already occurred in eternity (Isaiah 46:10). How else would all things work together for good? How else would everything be in conformity with His will, unless God was working in each and every person and event? For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, does anyone think the people spoken of in verse 17 would make any choice other than the one God intended? Did He force them? Of course not, He simply made them want to do His will.

God is immutable. Nothing has changed, nothing will change. God is sovereign and He gets His way (Isaiah 55:11), all the time, every time.

Bible Truth #340 - Acts 17:24-34

Acts 17:24-34

24  God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25  Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29  Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

32  And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

33  So Paul departed from among them.

34  Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

I wrote about this passage in Bible Truth #339 but I discussed verse 28. I want to continue on to verse 30.

God commands all men everywhere to repent but only those whom He has quickened will repent in a way pleasing to Him since they that are in the flesh can not please God (Romans 8:8).  This is because He has not granted repentance to those not chosen (2 Timothy 2:25).  Anything a lost man does, including believing, repenting, and “accepting” Jesus, is “of the flesh” and Jesus said the flesh counts for nothing (John 6:63).

Verse 30 is also what some claim as proof that men were not held accountable for their actions before the Law. My former pastor (who is Arminian in his soteriology) has used Luke 12:47-48 as an explanation for the consequences of those who have never heard the Gospel. I agree with him. The servant who knows his master's will and does not do it will be beaten with many stripes, the servant that does NOT know his master's will and does not do it will be beaten with few stripes (but beaten nonetheless). Just as there are levels of reward in Heaven, so too are there levels of punishment in Hell. Those who lived before Christ who never heard the Gospel, as well as those who aren't chosen who live and die today in closed societies or remote jungles who have never heard the Gospel are still going to Hell but will receive less punishment for their sin than those who have heard the Gospel and rejected Christ.

Some claim that there is enough evidence in nature to get a man saved. They are sadly mistaken. They say that Romans 1:20 is the solution for the problem of those who never hear the Gospel, not only then but also today for the thousands who die every day without ever hearing the Gospel. Sorry, as I explained in Bible Truth #78, #81, and #373, what Paul writes in Romans 1:20 is only enough evidence in nature for man to acknowledge God the Creator, NOT God the Savior.

Some will say, “But that’s not fair of God to do that.” Oh really? ...who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” (Romans 9:20) You turn things upside down (Isaiah 29:16) and you quarrel with your Maker (Isaiah 45:9). God is not required to give anyone anything, whether a “chance” to hear the Gospel or an “opportunity” to be saved. We ALL, each and every single one of us, we ALL deserve hell from the moment of our conception because we are conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5). I just praise God that in His mercy and grace He chose to save some.

Those who have never heard the Gospel will be judged on how they live their lives according to how they see God in nature, but judged nonetheless. The Gospel is NOT in nature and it is only Jesus Christ of the Gospel that saves. As Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Man doesn’t need God’s Word to know what’s morally right. Long before the Bible was written, in fact, even before the author of the first 5 books of the Old Testament was born, men knew the difference between right and wrong. The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah, whom the Pharaoh told to kill the baby boys born to Israelite women, did not comply with the Pharaoh’s command because they feared God (Exodus 1:16-17).

You can go even farther back than that. Read the story of Cain and Able where Cain killed his brother. When God asked him where his brother was Cain lied to God trying to hide his deed (Genesis 4:8-9). Why did Cain try to hide the fact that he killed Able if he didn’t know it was wrong? Long before the Old Testament was written men knew right from wrong.

And finally, in verse 31 God again tells us that there is coming a day which He has already determined in which He will judge the world. When God created time, He created the beginning, the end, and everything in between. From God’s perspective in eternity, what was ever going to occur in time has already happened. God has already declared what will take place tomorrow, next week, next month and next year (Isaiah 46:10) - and yes, that includes quickening the spirits of those He chose in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

Bible Truth #339 - Acts 17:22-28

Acts 17:22-28

22  Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23  For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

24  God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25  Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

This is part of Paul’s “speech” to the Gentiles at Mars Hill and was the culmination of his preaching “getting around town” because of his reasoning with the Jews and God-fearing Greeks in the synagogue as well as his “witness” in the marketplace every day to any who would listen to him. We know this from the preceding verses. We also know he was distressed to see the city full of idols. He was then invited to share at the Areopagus (Mars Hill) to the intelligentsia of the day.

I’m certain it can be safely said that Paul was not preaching to Christians but the lost. One of the first things he said was that he noticed they were superstitious. The Greek word from which that is translated (deisidaimon) can be used either complimentary or derogatory and it is clear from his following comments Paul intended it to be complimentary so they would better pay attention to his words. He then proceeded to tell them about the one true God.

I wrote about verse 26 in Bible Truth #78 and won’t discuss it again here except to simply say this verse tells us God determined that hundreds of millions of people would never hear the Gospel. If you don't understand what I just wrote, please click on the hyperlink for Acts 17:26.

Now the verse upon which I wanted to focus: verse 28 - For in Him we live, and move, and have our being... Exactly what do Christians think this means? I believe it harmonizes beautifully with Philippians 2:13 in that it is God Who works in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Man can do nothing apart from God’s will and it is God who fulfills His plan in each one of us (Psalm 57:2, Psalm 138:8), every man who ever lived, not just His Elect. No one ever lives NOT fulfilling God’s plan for their lives.

Other passages that support my conclusion are:

Psalm 37:23 - God is directing our steps

Proverbs 3:5-6 - God is directing our paths

Proverbs 16:9 - God is directing our steps

Proverbs 19:21 - the Lord’s purpose prevails

Proverbs 20:24 - God is directing our steps

Proverbs 21:1 - God turns hearts

Acts 16:14 - God opens hearts

This is why Christ said apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:4-5). The lost can do many things, but nothing, N.O.T.H.I.N.G. NOTHING they do (including praying to “accept” Jesus) will please God (Romans 8:8) which makes it easy to understand Christ’s words in John 6:63 - the flesh counts for nothing.

The point is that we humans, lost and saved, do nothing apart from God...

Bible Truth #338 - Luke 16:13-15

Luke 16:13-15

13  No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

14  And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

...that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

Wow. Among men of Arminian persuasion, what is highly esteemed? Is it not “accepting Christ” as their personal Lord and Savior? Is it not repenting of their sins? Would it not be “putting their faith and trust in Christ?” ALL of these things are highly esteemed among men who believe they got saved by “accepting” Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Well the same Jesus Christ has news for them and it’s called the Holy, inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God.

God knows the hearts of men because He formed the hearts of men (Psalm 33:15). God turns hearts as He sees fit to accomplish His purpose (Proverbs 21:1). God is the one who takes out the heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). He gives His people a heart to know Him (Jeremiah 24:7) and fear Him for their own good and for the good of their children (Jeremiah 32:39). God opens hearts and keeps hearts closed (Acts 16:14). God turns hearts to hate His people, whether they be children of Israel or Christians (Psalm 105:25). And He does all of this while making men believe they have free will!

So you see, God is sovereign and does whatever He wants with His creation. The myth of a free will among Christians is simply a carry-over from the unredeemed life as ALL the lost, each and every one, believes they have a free will. It is a believer who is still hanging on to his flesh who believes he has a free will and who does not believe God’s Word.

...that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

This is why a man in the flesh can not please God (Romans 8:8), it is an abomination to Him - and every lost man is in the flesh.

Bible Truth #337 - Hebrews 2:8-17

Hebrews 2:8-17

8  Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12  Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

13  And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Most Arminians and anyone else who believes in decisional salvation will grab the phrase “to make reconciliation for the sins of the people” in verse 17 as Christ’s work on the cross, which is absolutely true, but then try to apply it to each and every man who was ever born. That is incorrect and they who believe that are sadly mistaken.

What “people” is in view here? It is the “many sons” of verse 10, they “who are sanctified” of verse 11, “my brethren” of verse 12, the “children which God hath given me” of verse 13 and John 6:37, those who “were all their lifetime subject to bondage” of verse 15, “the seed of Abraham” of verse 16, and “His brethren” of verse 17.

So the work Christ did to make reconciliation for the sins of the people was a specific work for a particular people - those He chose in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).

It is in this context that we understand verse 9, “that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Every man? Absolutely! Every man chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world! But if you’ve studied verse 9 (Bible Truth #335), you know the Greek does not read “every man” (hekastos - Bible Truth #324) but reads “all” from the Greek word pas (Strong’s #3956). This Greek word can be used two ways: 
1) individually - each, any, every, anyone, etc... OR 
2) collectively - some of all types or groups. And pas in the context of verse 9 is each and every one of the Elect, not each and every man of the human race.

We become children of God NOT by human decision (John 1:13). It’s God’s decision and He made it before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4)