What is God’s permissive will?
Within God’s sovereign will, He chooses to permit many things to happen that He takes no pleasure in. God’s allowance of certain things—even sinful things—that indirectly accomplish His will is often called God’s permissive will. In the beginning, God created a perfect world (Deuteronomy 32:4) as part of His perfect plan. God also created spiritual…
Does God really forget our sins?
There are several passages in the Bible that indicate that God forgives and forgets our sin. Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Hebrews 10 explains how Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for sin was a once-and-for-all sacrifice. Unlike…
How is God our refuge?
What does the word refuge make you think of? Maybe an imposing building with locks on the doors, maybe a thick-walled fortress, or perhaps something as simple as a canopy to keep you dry in a rainstorm. Whatever picture comes to mind, it can be agreed that a refuge is a safe place. When the…
Can faith change God’s plan?
The short answer is that nothing can change God’s perfect, sovereign plan. However, God can and does give the gift of faith and work through that faith in individuals to accomplish His plan. So, from our human perspective, it often appears that our exercise of faith changes the way God acts. For example, Jesus sometimes…
Does God care about the little things that happen in our lives?
Of course, God cares about the little things in our lives, because everything is “little” compared to God! Luke 12:7 says, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” God takes the time to keep up with how many hairs we have—now that’s…
Does God pursue us?
The Bible commands human beings to pursue God and promises that, when we do, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). But it also tells us that God is the initiator of those spiritual pursuits (Psalm 53:2; Romans 3:10–12). Jesus said that no one can come to Him unless the Father first draws them (John 6:44).…
Does God have favorites?
Whether or not God has favorites is a tricky question because it is based upon our human understanding of favoritism, which usually means unfair treatment of anyone who is not favored. To completely understand the answer, we have to start with the truth that God is always just (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 7:11). We know He…
Why does God ask questions if He is omniscient?
God is omniscient—He knows everything. We also see in Scripture where God asks questions. In the Garden of Eden, God asks Adam where he is and what he had done (Genesis 3:9, 11). In heaven, He asks Satan where he has been (Job 1:7). In the wilderness, God asks Moses what he holds in his…
Does God love the people who are in hell?
This is an important question, and the short answer is “yes.” God does love people in hell. But explaining this answer is fraught with difficulty on at least three points. First, hell is caricatured as silly or trifling in modern Western culture. Just think of how often hell is portrayed as an underground network of…
Why does God test us?
When we ask why God tests us or allows us to be tested, we are admitting that testing does indeed come from Him. When God tests His children, He does a valuable thing. David sought God’s testing, asking Him to examine his heart and mind and see that they were true to Him (Psalm 26:2;…