In the previous article I tried to show how God not only allows, but does everything, good or bad, nothing happens without his will and decree and although he uses secondary agents to fulfill his purposes, we can rest with the certainty that his hand and power are in action.
To give us even more certainty about this truth, here are some more biblical examples. Jeremiah says that it is not for man to determine his path (Jer 10:23); Moses and Job teach that when a person dies, it is God who decides what will happen (Ex 21,13; Job 14,5); He is the one who gives us children or sterilizes us (Ps 127,3; Gn 30,2); our food depends on whether the hand opens or closes (Ps 104. 28; Ps 3. 1; Ps 136. 25); Joseph, betrayed by his brothers and sold into Egypt, said: “So it was not you who sent me here, but God, who made me as a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and as ruler of the land of Egypt? (Genesis 45: 8); David, when he was cursed by Shimei, said that the Lord ordered this to happen (2 Sam. 16:11); the psalmist who was in terrible pain said: “I am silent, I do not open my lips, because you have done this. Take away your plague on me, by the blow of your hand I perish? (Psalms 39: 9-10), and at the death of our Savior, we read what Herod and Pilate, when crucifying Jesus Christ Did he do everything his hand and his purpose predetermined? (Acts 4:28).
At this point, we must agree with A. W. Pink
To say that God is sovereign is to declare that he is the Most High, who does everything according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; “There is no one who can stop his hand or say: what to do?(Dan 4. 35). To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is all-powerful, that He possesses all power in heaven and on earth, so that no one can hinder his counsel, contradict his plans, or resist his will (Ps 115:3) To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He governs nations?(Ps 22:28), establish kingdoms, overthrow empires, and determine the course of dynastes, according to your taste. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that he is the one?Sole Sovereign, King of Kings and Lord of Lords?(1 Tim 6. 15). He is the God of the Bible. [1]
Yes, he is the God of the Bible. Any theology that denies God’s absolute sovereignty over all the men and events of this world, or who denies God’s action in human suffering, is a violation of the first commandment: “Do you have no other gods?before me?” (Ex 20. 3). In fact, these?Theologies? It doesn’t serve us for this moment of calamity that we live in.
But perhaps the question of many right now is: for what?Why is God acting this way, why are you causing all this shame?These are real questions about human suffering.
This is exactly what the disciples asked Jesus when they encountered a man who was born blind:
“Master, who sinned for this man to be born blind?Him or his parents? John 9: 2
Understand that the disciples were curious to know why this suffering. The logic of the disciples was: “If there is blindness, then it is the result of a specific sin that this man has committed. “I’m afraid this is the same unique logic found in many religious circles to this day. According to the Christian denomination to which you belong, accepting suffering and sickness is inconceivable in faith. The Christian cannot be sick or suffer.
But it is a misunderstanding of the reality that christ’s cross really won victory over sin, suffering, and death. Yes, it is a decisive and definitive fact. But what we must understand is that these benefits of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, while already a reality, are not a perfect and definitive reality in this life in which we live, this is clearly evident with the reality of sin.
Christ took our sins upon him (2 Cor. 5. 21) and in him we are free from the condemnation of sin (Rom 8. 1), but we know that we always have the presence of sin, sin that dwells in me? (Rom. 7,20) and his power, although defeated, is it still active in us? Therefore, do not allow sin to continue to dominate your mortal bodies (Rom. 6,12).
Every Christian knows that his past has been forgiven, that the power of sin has been overcome, and that one day he will be delivered from the presence of sin. There will come a day when he comes we will be like him, because we will see him as he is?(1 Jn 3. 2) And then yes, it will wipe away all the tears in your eyes. Will there be no death, no sadness, no crying, no pain, since the old order passed?(Ap 21. 4).
So what, old order? (the time we live) does not pass, there is death, sadness, weeping, pain, sickness, sin, and all the other consequences of our sin in Adam (Rom. 5). Therefore, the cross of Christ won victory over sin, sickness and death, is a reality, but not a perfect and complete reality until they occur?New heavens and new land? (Ap 21. 1). Today we have already experienced some of this reality, the same miracles that God has done and done in history indicate that the cross of Christ has overcome sin and its effects, but the complete and perfect reality of this realization, we will not experience it. In the moment.
Understanding this is fundamental to our biblical understanding of human suffering. Is that what theology will explain? (“Ya” and “not yet”) with respect to the kingdom of God. Is it among us, is it a reality, however?not yet in a complete, perfect and definitive way.
Does the same reality apply to sickness, a consequence of Adam’s original sin (Genesis 3). “Did God take our weaknesses upon him? (Is 53) and partly we experience this reality, but not in a perfect and complete way as we will experience it on the last day. The only certainty we have that Christians will be truly healthy and immune to disease is actually “new heavens a new earth. “The cross of Christ has certainly accomplished this for us and we will be like him with a glorified body, but to expect this here on earth is to misunderstand the Word.
Back to our history?
“Who sinned?
Ah, Jesus could have said, “Adam has sinned and that is why we are as we are. Don’t you know that death is the consequence of this sin?All this badly lived has its answer in Eden. “Or I could have answered ironically, “Who sinned?!If this is the only logic, my disciples, then everyone should be blind!For they have all sinned and do not give glory to God (Rom. 3:23). Why is this blind man suffering for his sin?Should everyone be born blind?
Jesus had given a harsh answer to another tragedy, when Pilate sacrificed the Galileans in their sacrifices: “Do you think these Galileans were more sinful than all others, because they suffered like this?(Lk 13:2).
Similarly, when the tower of Siloé fell and killed eighteen people, he said, “Or do you think the eighteen who died when the tower of Siloé fell upon them were more guilty than all the other inhabitants of Jerusalem?(Lk 13:4).
Jesus had many answers to give to his disciples (and to us who today suffer from Coronavirus), but it seems to me that Jesus decided not to respond to the specific cause of this blind man’s illness, but to it? And it would be nice if we learned about Jesus!
See Jesus’ answer: “Neither he nor his parents have sinned, but did it happen that God’s work manifested itself in his life?(Jo 9. 3).
Listen to this answer! It is true that Jesus was unwilling to respond to the specific cause of this sickness and suffering. Wasn’t it important to Him here, but the purpose of all this?So that God’s work would manifest itself in his life!
When you understand that God has a purpose even in misfortune, you will see it differently. We will humbly submit to the divine will, without fully understanding the “why” but accepting the “for what”, this situation?God has a purpose in all this. And here’s our limit, that’s where we have to shut up.
In the face of the alarming situation of the Coronavirus, shouldn’t we listen to the “divine cause specialists”?As if they knew the Lord’s thinking beyond what he revealed to us in the scriptures. We know that God’s good hand has worked in history now to correct depraved and domesticated lust, or to subject his to self-denial, or to expel lethargy and, in return, to prostrate the proud, to massacre the cunning of the wicked, to dispel your machinations?[2] But who can say what would be the cause of the divine spirit to bring us such affliction that we live now?In view of what we have been through, we must remember that: “The things covered belong to the Lord our God, but does the revealed things belong to us and our children?(Deut 29, 29).
Let’s leave it at this point? And comfort us with the ‘for what’ is our comfort. God manifests His works in all this tragedy. His name is called to the four corners of this world. Your church is on its knees and seeks mercy. The disbelievers recognize their limitations. Anyway, many things God does and we know that everything he does is “good, perfect, and nice. “
Why does God do all this? Specifically, we won’t know. But we can rest on the fact that He is an expert in the “valleys of shadow of death”. The Good Shepherd Jesus Christ was already there, forward, with fear and trembling, following the sweet voice of our shepherd.
Ah, it is worth remembering that at the end of the story, the blind man was healed, believed, and adored Jesus (Jn 9:38) Who knows, this goal may not be enough for all that is happening in your life?
Pray:
O depth of God’s wealth, wisdom, and knowledge!How inexplicable are their judgments, and how unsonable their ways are!Because who knew the Lord’s thought?Or who was your counselor, or who first gave something to God to get it back?For him, and for him, and for him are all things. To be glory for ever, amen!? (Romans 11: 33-36)
[1] ROSE, A. W. God is sovereign. Sao José dos Campos: Faithful Editor. pages. 21-22
[2] CALVINO, J. La institution of the Christian religion. Books I and II? XVII. 1. Sao Paulo: Editora UNESP, 2008.