Should we blame the Devil for anything? I personally say no.
Should we blame the Devil for anything? I personally say no.
Anthony W Brooks
Ephesians 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.
We obtained an inheritance having been predestined... This means to salvation, naturally. The inheritance is of the Father and we are his adopted children.
...according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will...
This is the part I want to focus in upon. The purpose of God is his eternal decree, which he decreed from eternity past. And he works this decree (which encompasses all things) after the council of his own will.
This is not permissive... This is active. I say it isn't permissive because of his absolute, all-encompassing sovereignty. But this leaves a question open... What about human freedom and responsibility?
Human freedom is still free. But only free to the nature they have.
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
So a slave to anything can only serve that one thing. God can use the sinner to bring about his purpose by letting them exercise their sinfulness. We can see this demonstrated in Isaiah 10:
5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger;
the staff in their hands is my fury!
6 Against a godless nation I send him,
and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take spoil and seize plunder,
and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 But he does not so intend,
and his heart does not so think;
but it is in his heart to destroy,
and to cut off nations not a few;
8 for he says:
“Are not my commanders all kings?
9 Is not Calno like Carchemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad?
Is not Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols,
whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols
as I have done to Samaria and her images?”
12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he[a] will punish the speech[b] of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes.
God used Assyria to execute his will upon his own people. It was already in the Kings heart to fall upon Israel. Then when it was over, God punished Assyria... Make sense? Not really, but it is how he works. And this is the reason I say we shouldn't blame the Devil.
We find in Job that the Devil is subject to God's decree... He can't touch creation without God's permission. Yes he still desires to steal, kill, and destroy, but it doesn't say he succeeds.
God's will and purpose is eternal. Nothing bad that happens is meaningless to his eternal decree. Not even the worst of offenses is against God's plan. Everything can be boiled down to two possibilities: either God is 1. Judging the wicked, or 2. Testing the faithful.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Anthony W Brooks
Ephesians 1:11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.
We obtained an inheritance having been predestined... This means to salvation, naturally. The inheritance is of the Father and we are his adopted children.
...according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will...
This is the part I want to focus in upon. The purpose of God is his eternal decree, which he decreed from eternity past. And he works this decree (which encompasses all things) after the council of his own will.
This is not permissive... This is active. I say it isn't permissive because of his absolute, all-encompassing sovereignty. But this leaves a question open... What about human freedom and responsibility?
Human freedom is still free. But only free to the nature they have.
John 8:34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
So a slave to anything can only serve that one thing. God can use the sinner to bring about his purpose by letting them exercise their sinfulness. We can see this demonstrated in Isaiah 10:
5 Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger;
the staff in their hands is my fury!
6 Against a godless nation I send him,
and against the people of my wrath I command him,
to take spoil and seize plunder,
and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 But he does not so intend,
and his heart does not so think;
but it is in his heart to destroy,
and to cut off nations not a few;
8 for he says:
“Are not my commanders all kings?
9 Is not Calno like Carchemish?
Is not Hamath like Arpad?
Is not Samaria like Damascus?
10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols,
whose carved images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,
11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols
as I have done to Samaria and her images?”
12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he[a] will punish the speech[b] of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the boastful look in his eyes.
God used Assyria to execute his will upon his own people. It was already in the Kings heart to fall upon Israel. Then when it was over, God punished Assyria... Make sense? Not really, but it is how he works. And this is the reason I say we shouldn't blame the Devil.
We find in Job that the Devil is subject to God's decree... He can't touch creation without God's permission. Yes he still desires to steal, kill, and destroy, but it doesn't say he succeeds.
God's will and purpose is eternal. Nothing bad that happens is meaningless to his eternal decree. Not even the worst of offenses is against God's plan. Everything can be boiled down to two possibilities: either God is 1. Judging the wicked, or 2. Testing the faithful.
Soli Deo Gloria!
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