Logically speaking, that could make humans sovereign over God, which makes mockery of His power. Several verses quote the Lord saying things like this: “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7) What if God, like a parent, allows His children to go their own way to teach us the folly of it? Caution is also needed here for the Bible also says:
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:13–17)“Calamity” is about an unfortunate event or a period of ruin. It points to the deserved punishment of wicked people but the righteous can also suffer such events. The prophets continually warned apostate Israel that calamity would happen to them because of their disobedience.
The last time our friend brought this up, he asked how God could be blamed for the evils done in the holocaust. He was almost in tears at the thought that the God he loves would do such a thing. At the time, I had nothing to say, but later thought about this and wondered what would happen if all of us got what we deserve? I’m not judging those who died, only saying that all fall short and do not deserve mercy.
Apart from grace, there is no leniency for sin. Apart from Jesus taking my punishment, I would have to suffer the consequences myself. In this life, the consequences could be shame, losses of many kinds, and calamities as the result of my own foolish choices. But because of Jesus, and because of grace and faith in Him, God spares me from eternal damnation (not necessarily from calamities). . . .
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17–21)Could anything be more gracious? Instead of a shameful death, Jesus took that on Himself and suffered that I could be reconciled to God. I didn’t do anything to earn or deserve that, but shudder to think that many in this world say no to Jesus Christ and thus will bear whatever their sin warrants.
All this tells me that Jesus Christ is Lord over all people upon this earth. He is Lord over the righteous and the wicked, the living and the dead, the believing and the unbelieving Believers recognize, acknowledge and surrender to His lordship. Unbelievers deny it and rebel against it. But He is nonetheless Lord and His purposed will be accomplished.always and in all things.
PRAY: Lord, sometimes we ask the wrong questions. Instead of “Why did You save me?” It ought to be “Why do You save anyone?” Instead of “why did such calamity happen to them” it should be “What if we all got what we deserve?” You are God and You make those decisions. The ‘why’ of them is beyond my understanding. I do not deserve your grace, only wrath and certainly calamity. It is only because of You that I’ve been allowed the grace of an abundant life and the incredible certainty of eternal life.
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