Comments on: Why Pray if God Is Sovereign? (Part 4) http://www.sfpulpit.com/2009/01/27/why-pray-if-god-is-sovereign-part-4/ A Ministry of Shepherds' Fellowship Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:54:00 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mike Riccardi http://www.sfpulpit.com/2009/01/27/why-pray-if-god-is-sovereign-part-4/comment-page-1/#comment-285344 Mike Riccardi Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:14:51 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2009/01/27/why-pray-if-god-is-sovereign-part-4/#comment-285344 Jacob, God can ordain that sin be without being the author of sin. We must recognize a difference between the <b>efficient</b> and <b>ultimate cause</b> of sin. God, as the fountain of all creation, has to be the ultimate cause of everything. "For from Him...are all things" (Rom 11:36). There is no other causative agent in the universe unless there's another god. But at the same time, God does not effectively cause the existence of sin, nor does He cause men to sin. The best example of this in Scripture is the crucifixion. Did the Father Himself cause the crucifixion of Jesus? Well, He didn't put the nails in His hands, but He did "predetermine" it (Ac 2:22-23) and His hand did "predestine" it (Ac 4:27-28). God from all eternity ordained the most evil act in all of history: the murder of God Himself. Yet we can't say that God is the author of such sin. A couple of resources to consult are: John Piper: <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByDate/1476_Is_God_Less_Glorious_Because_He_Ordained_that_Evil_Be/" rel="nofollow">Is God Less Glorious Because He Ordained that Evil Be?</a> John Piper: <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/OnlineBooks/ByTitle/3281_Spectacular_Sins_and_Their_Global_Purpose_in_the_Glory_of_Christ/" rel="nofollow">Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ</a> Jacob,

God can ordain that sin be without being the author of sin. We must recognize a difference between the efficient and ultimate cause of sin. God, as the fountain of all creation, has to be the ultimate cause of everything. “For from Him…are all things” (Rom 11:36). There is no other causative agent in the universe unless there’s another god. But at the same time, God does not effectively cause the existence of sin, nor does He cause men to sin.

The best example of this in Scripture is the crucifixion. Did the Father Himself cause the crucifixion of Jesus? Well, He didn’t put the nails in His hands, but He did “predetermine” it (Ac 2:22-23) and His hand did “predestine” it (Ac 4:27-28). God from all eternity ordained the most evil act in all of history: the murder of God Himself. Yet we can’t say that God is the author of such sin.

A couple of resources to consult are:

John Piper: Is God Less Glorious Because He Ordained that Evil Be?
John Piper: Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ

]]> By: Jacob Lichner http://www.sfpulpit.com/2009/01/27/why-pray-if-god-is-sovereign-part-4/comment-page-1/#comment-285325 Jacob Lichner Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:37:00 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2009/01/27/why-pray-if-god-is-sovereign-part-4/#comment-285325 Richard Pratt said "He wrote every word on every page...", which leads me to conclude that God is the author of sin. Am I misunderstanding something? Richard Pratt said “He wrote every word on every page…”, which leads me to conclude that God is the author of sin.

Am I misunderstanding something?

]]> By: William du Plooy http://www.sfpulpit.com/2009/01/27/why-pray-if-god-is-sovereign-part-4/comment-page-1/#comment-285281 William du Plooy Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:03:05 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2009/01/27/why-pray-if-god-is-sovereign-part-4/#comment-285281 Glory to our God Alone, who uses weak things and vessels of clay into which He places His own glory and ordains these vessels to be the means He commands, by which to bring the Glorious Saving Gospel of grace to otherwise blind and deaf hearts of stone, such as ours where. I am so humbled and grateful that He has entrusted and given us the joyous responsibilities of: Gospel proclamation from His Prohpetic Scriptures through the power of the Spirit, and of Intercessory prayers of love, as exampled by the Prophets of old and by Messiah, that we may be partakers of the Redemptive mission of Christ Himself enabled by the power of the Spirit to do His will and fulfill His commands by His merciful grace Alone. Let us fear Him and give him godly reverance for His mighty works in our behalfs. Let us pray for our hearts to be enabled/inclined and made most willing in the commands of Christ, to love YAHWEH with our all and whole being, and secondly like unto the first, to love ourselves as He does and our fellow mankind as we ought to love ourseleves; by the righteousness of Christ given us by His Spirit Alone. Your servant for the Kingdom of YAHWEH Alone, W Glory to our God Alone, who uses weak things and vessels of clay into which He places His own glory and ordains these vessels to be the means He commands, by which to bring the Glorious Saving Gospel of grace to otherwise blind and deaf hearts of stone, such as ours where.

I am so humbled and grateful that He has entrusted and given us the joyous responsibilities of: Gospel proclamation from His Prohpetic Scriptures through the power of the Spirit, and of Intercessory prayers of love, as exampled by the Prophets of old and by Messiah, that we may be partakers of the Redemptive mission of Christ Himself enabled by the power of the Spirit to do His will and fulfill His commands by His merciful grace Alone.

Let us fear Him and give him godly reverance for His mighty works in our behalfs. Let us pray for our hearts to be enabled/inclined and made most willing in the commands of Christ, to love YAHWEH with our all and whole being, and secondly like unto the first, to love ourselves as He does and our fellow mankind as we ought to love ourseleves; by the righteousness of Christ given us by His Spirit Alone.

Your servant for the Kingdom of YAHWEH Alone,
W

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