This is why the Tower of Babel was never completed (Genesis 11:1-9), why Daniel’s detractors were thrown to the lions (Daniel 6:24), why Jonah spent time inside a fish (Jonah 1:17), and why I get in trouble when I sin.Įven what we would normally call “chance” or “fate” is under God’s control. “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan / that can succeed against the LORD” (Proverbs 21:30). God speaks in Isaiah 48:3, “I foretold the former things long ago, / my mouth announced them and I made them known / then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.” What God announces, He does (and He may announce it centuries ahead of time!).įighting against the plan of God is pointless. The providence of God is working to bring about His original plan for creation. God’s plan, since it belongs to God, is holy, wise, and benevolent. But God is God alone, and there are no “accidents” in the universe.Īn all-wise, all-powerful God must have a plan, so it should be no surprise that the Bible speaks of a divine plan.
LORD EL MELLOI II HOW DOES IT FIT INTO THE FATE UNIVERSE FREE
His sovereign control is called “providence.” He has chosen to give us a free will, and He has created a moral universe in which the law of cause-and-effect is a reality. Lest we get the wrong idea, we are not the sovereign masters of our fate. “Be not faithless, but believing” (John 20:27 see also Acts 16:31 19:4). The oft-repeated command in Scripture to believe implies that we do have a choice in the matter.
Scripture also teaches that we choose to have faith. When a man foolishly wrecks his life, he may yet insist on blaming God, or perhaps “Fate.” In this way, he persists in his folly.
“A man’s own folly ruins his life, / yet his heart rages against the LORD” (Proverbs 19:3).
Interestingly, many people who choose to sin are annoyed by the negative consequences of their sin. James 1:13-14 says, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” We can’t blame “Fate,” kismet, predestination, or God. “Each person was judged according to what he had done” (Revelation 20:13). “A man who commits adultery lacks judgment / whoever does so destroys himself” (Proverbs 6:32). “This is the fate of those who trust in themselves” (Psalm 49:13). Their destiny is destruction” (Philippians 3:18-19). Often, when the Bible speaks of destiny, it’s in reference to a destiny people have brought upon themselves: “Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. “Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you” (Romans 13:3). “All hard work brings a profit, / but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Proverbs 14:23). “He who sows wickedness reaps trouble” (Proverbs 22:8a). This theme of being held accountable for our choices continues throughout Scripture. They knew what the result of their decision would be, and they were held accountable (Genesis 3). On the contrary, Adam and his wife had the ability to choose obedience (with its attendant blessing) or disobedience (with its consequent curse). The Fall of Man was not a predetermined event in which Adam and Eve were hapless victims of a Puppet-Master God. The Bible teaches that Man was created with the ability to make moral choices and that he is responsible for those choices. Again, fatalism is not a biblical concept. Their decisions could not be canceled or annulled, even by other gods. Greek mythology told of the Moirai, or the Fates, three goddesses pictured as weavers of men’s lives. It is widely held in Hinduism, too in fact, it is a fatalistic view of life that helps keep India’s caste system in place. This is called “fatalism,” and it is not biblical.įatalism is a major premise of Islam, which demands total submission to the sovereignty of Allah. A typical response to a belief in fate is resignation-if we can’t change destiny, then why even try? Whatever happens, happens, and we can’t do anything about it. Fate is usually thought of as a predetermined course of events beyond human control. This is a very complex issue, and we will start with what the Bible does not teach.
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