Question: If mankind is God’s creation and creation is another way of describing an idea, is anything one comes up with for or against God?
Answer: Greetings and thank you for your question. I am not quite sure I fully understand the question the way it's worded. I think I know what you're trying to ask, but I could be mistaken.
It sounds like you're asking since God created mankind and God is the Creator and we're the creature, is there anything we can say, do, or think that would fall outside of God's "will" (His "predetermined plan")? If this is incorrect, please forgive me.
This question (presuming I have it right) gets to the heart of the controversy over God's sovereignty (His control over all things) and man's free will (man's ability to make choices that matter). This is a question that has generated volumes of thought from Christians and non-Christians alike. It may, or may not, surprise you that not all Christians believe the same thing on this question either. I am going to give you my thoughts on this question as one who:
- Holds to a high view of the Bible as God's inspired, inerrant, and infallible word.
- Holds to a high view of God's sovereignty.
- Holds to a high view of man's responsibility.
- Holds to a high view of mystery (meaning, in subjects such as this one, there will inevitably be a certain amount of tension that cannot be resolved).
Because of my high view of the Bible as God's word, I believe what it clearly teaches, I attempt to interpret difficult passages in light of more clear passages, and I submit my preferences and point of view to its teachings.
I believe that the Bible clearly teaches that God is sovereign, meaning that He is in control of all things and governs all things. The apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesian church, says, "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11 NKJV). The subject is predestination, but Paul says that predestination is according to the purpose of [God] who works all things according to the counsel of His will. In other words, all things (including predestination) are worked out according to the will of God. In theological terms, we call this Providence. Providence is the teaching that God preserves and governs all things so that they fall out according to His eternal decree (or plan).
I also believe that the Bible teaches that mankind is responsible for the actions they perform, so that God is just to punish people for violating His will. Paul, this time writing to the Romans, says to them, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God....for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:19, 23 NKJV). In Romans, Paul is expounding the riches of the gospel, which he says reveals the righteousness of God (Romans 1:17). Sin, which can be defined simply as lawlessness (1 John 3:4), is a problem. If the Law of God is a revelation of God's will, then sin is a violation of God's Law. Paul's argument in Romans 3 is that we are all considered guilty before God for our sin, which we willingly commit. No one is compelled to commit sin (James 1:13-14), so we are held responsible for our own actions. Consider the following passages:
- [10] But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. ... [12] So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10, 12 NKJV)
- [10] For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10 NKJV)
- [12] And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. (Revelation 20:12 NKJV)
The question then arises: If God is sovereign, how can He hold us responsible for what we do? Moreover, if God is sovereign, how is He not the author of evil? Here's where the question of mystery comes in. These are two concepts that do not seem to connect logically to our minds. I would agree. However, just because I cannot answer this question definitively, doesn't mean I can't provide some guidance on how to understand the issue.
First, it is the work of God in Creation and Providence that provide the framework for man to do anything at all. God has created a world in which things are governed by natural law (physics, chemistry, etc.). It's also a world that is populated with creatures who have been created in Him image (humanity) with intellect, emotions, and will. God governs the world providentially, which means He often uses these "secondary" causes (laws of nature, moral choices of free moral agents) to accomplish His purposes. The two greatest examples of this in the Bible are the story of Joseph and the story of Jesus. Joseph was captured by his brothers, thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, arrested and thrown into prison, freed by Pharaoh to interpret his dreams, and elevated to second in command in all Egypt. When, years later, his brothers came to buy grain during a severe famine, Joseph reveals himself and says to them: "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20 NKJV). Here we see the mystery: Joseph's brothers meant to do evil, but God, in His providence, overrode their evil intentions for His good purposes.
The second story is the story of Jesus, which is quite well known. Jesus was betrayed by one of His closest friends, He was falsely accused on trumped up charges, He was beaten and whipped, crucified, died, and was buried. Three days later, He rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God the Father in heaven. Shortly thereafter, Peter is preaching to a group of Jewish people outside the stairs of the temple in Jerusalem and says to them, "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know--Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it" (Acts 2:22-24 NKJV). Again, the Jewish leaders intended to do evil by condemning an innocent man to death. God overrode their evil intent to accomplish the greatest good for mankind, to take away the sins of the world.
Again, how does all this fit together? I love what Moses says to the Israelites on the plains of Moab: "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV). In other words, we are not to delve into the secret, sovereign plan of God. Only He knows His eternal decree and purposes. What we are to concern ourselves with are those things that have been revealed to us--namely, the Law of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Law shows us our sin and misery before a holy God. The gospel declares the good news of what Jesus did for us to redeem us from our sin and misery. The law in this context then shows us our we are to show our gratitude to God for such a redemption.
I hope this helps.
