Sabbath School
God’s Love and Justice
Lesson 8
Free Will, Love, and Divine Providence
Memory Text: “ ‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In
the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the
world’ ” (John 16:33, NKJV).
Providence refers to the way God interacts with the world. Our understanding of
divine providence significantly influences our relationship with God, our connections
with others, and our perspective on the issue of evil.
Christians have different perspectives on divine providence. Some think that God
controls everything that happens, determining all events exactly as they unfold.
They believe that God decides who will be saved and who will not. According to this
belief, individuals do not have the freedom to make choices outside of what God has
planned.
Those who hold this view argue that even our desires are shaped by God's will.
Biblical evidence suggests that God does not control every event, granting humans
and angels free will to make choices contrary to His desires.
The Fall and the existence of sin highlight the consequences of this misuse, leading to
the establishment of a plan of salvation to address the resulting devastation.
Our Sovereign God
Christians often struggle with whether God controls everything in the world or not.
Trying to explain how this works can get us deeper into bad theology.
Some believe that everything happens according to God's will, as He is all-powerful.
This perspective suggests that even unfortunate events unfold as intended by God,
reflecting His desires.
Many Bible texts indicate that God's will is not always done because He allows human
free will. We will summarize four references.
Psalm 81:11–14 – God desires to bless His people, but they refuse to listen and follow
His ways.
Isaiah 30:15, 18 – God offers salvation and strength through trust in Him, but people
reject it, yet He patiently waits to show grace.
Isaiah 66:4 – God calls, but people choose their own ways, rejecting His guidance,
leading to consequences.
Luke 13:34 – Jesus longs to gather and protect His people, but they are unwilling.
These verses show that while God desires obedience and blessings for His people,
their rejection of Him means His will is not always fulfilled in their lives.
Many believe God always fulfills His desires, but the Bible offers a different view.
Scripture shows God encountering unfulfilled will, with events often contradicting His
preferences.
He clearly states that if the current situation is not what He desires, as His people
choose a different path, it leads to His sorrow.
Psalm 81:13–14 (NKJV): Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk
in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their
adversaries.
Pantokrator
"Pantokrator" (Παντοκράτωρ) is a Greek word meaning "Almighty" or "All-Powerful."
It is commonly used in Christian theology and Byzantine art to refer to Christ
Pantokrator, a depiction of Jesus Christ as the sovereign ruler of the universe.
The Septuagint translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek, using "Pantokrator" for both
YHWH Sabaoth ("Lord of Hosts") and El Shaddai ("God Almighty").
In the New Testament, Paul mentions Pantokrator once in 2 Corinthians 6:18, and it
appears nine times in Revelation, where it is primarily associated with God the Father,
except possibly in Revelation 1:8.
We will look at five passages that emphasize God's absolute power and sovereignty
over all creation.
Revelation 11:17 – Proclaims God as the Almighty, who reigns eternally.
Jeremiah 32:17–20 – Declares that nothing is too difficult for God, as He created the
heavens and the earth by His great power.
Luke 1:37 – Affirms that with God, nothing is impossible.
Matthew 19:26 – Jesus teaches that what is impossible for humans is possible with
God.
Hebrews 1:3 – Describes Christ as upholding the universe by His powerful word.
These passages reveal that God is all-powerful (omnipotent), able to accomplish
anything according to His will. He created and sustains the universe, and nothing is
beyond His ability.
God being "all-powerful" doesn't imply that He can (or will) do absolutely anything.
The Scriptures indicate that there are certain things beyond His capability.
2 Timothy 2:13 (NKJV): If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny
Himself.
To Love God
God's omnipotence does not mean He can do the logically impossible. Thus, He
cannot make someone love Him freely, as true freedom requires the absence of
external compulsion.
God cannot compel love, because forced love is not love at all.
Matthew 22:37 and Deuteronomy 6:4-5 emphasize the command to love God with all
one's heart, soul, and strength.
This implies that love for God is a choice, not something forced. Genuine love requires
free will—God desires willing devotion rather than coerced obedience.
These verses affirm that humans have the freedom to choose to love and follow God.
Hebrews 6:17-18 and Titus 1:2 highlight God's unchanging nature and absolute
truthfulness.
They teach that God cannot lie and that His promises are certain.
This assures believers of His faithfulness and reliability, giving them strong confidence
in His word and the hope of eternal life.
If God makes a promise, His future actions are bound by it.
This means that while He allows beings to make choices contrary to His desires,
human decisions are ultimately not determined by Him.
If God grants free will, humans can misuse it, leading to actions that diverge from His
intentions.
Consequently, some events occur that God would prefer to avoid, but these outcomes
are not entirely managed by Him.
God’s Ideal and Remedial Wills
Ephesians 1:9–11 emphasizes God's sovereign will and His eternal plan, which
includes predestination.
Paul explains that God has made known the "mystery of his will" and that believers
have been "predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things
according to the counsel of his will."
Does This Mean Some Are Predestined for Salvation and Others for Damnation?
Ephesians 1:9–11 speaks of believers being predestined, but it does not explicitly state
that some are predestined to be lost.
The focus is on God's purpose to bring everything under Christ's authority, suggesting
a broader, redemptive plan.
The idea of predestination here is linked to God's will and the inheritance of believers,
but it does not exclude human responsibility in responding to the gospel.
The Greek word translated as "predestination" in this context and in other parts of the
Bible (prohorizo) does not imply that God directly controls history.
Instead, it simply means "to decide in advance." It's important to note that a decision
made in advance can be done unilaterally or in a manner that considers the free
choices of others.
The Scriptures indicate that God operates in the latter way, taking into account our
free will.
The term "predestined" here relates to God's plans for the future, which are shaped
by His understanding of the free choices made by His creations.
God's will considers all aspects, including the choices made by beings, which can
occasionally differ from what God desires.
Christ Has Overcome the World
If God's ideal will prevailed, there would be no evil, only perfect love and harmony. In
time, the universe will be restored to this state, but for now, God works through the
free choices of His creatures.
Imagine a baking competition where everyone must use certain ingredients but can
add others. In the end, each cake is partly shaped by ingredients the baker didn’t
choose.
Similarly, since God honors the freedom necessary for love, many aspects of history
are not His choice but oppose His desires.
Divine providence is not one-dimensional; God doesn’t control everything unilaterally.
Some events are caused by Him, while others result from free will, including all evils.
Many things happen that God does not desire.
John 16:33 gives us hope by assuring us that, though we will face trials in this world,
we can find peace in Christ.
He has overcome the world, meaning that no suffering or hardship is greater than His
victory. This promise gives us confidence, strength, and assurance that, in Him, we
ultimately triumph.
John 16:33 (NKJV): "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have
peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome
the world.”
