Thursday, January 16, 2014

God's Sovereignty: Questions

We will be starting a series of theological questions today.  We will give some description, but the purpose of these posts are not to answer questions but to ask them.  You may answer some if you like in the comments section, but I will keep myself in the questioning mode for now.

All the monotheistic religions hold that God is Sovereign-- that is, He rules the universe.  But there has been much disagreement as to how much and to what extent God rules.

Does God rule every aspect of the universe?  Or are there portions of the universe He never had control over?  Are there portions that He relinquished control over?  Is God the god of this world or did He give it over to Satan?  Or did he give it over to humanity?  If God is not really in charge of the earth, then why complain to God if things go bad or if there is evil?  Shouldn't we take it up with the current management?

Is God specifically ruling every single atom of the universe, or just the general flow of things?  Is every aspect of what has happened and what will happen under God's control?  Is the movement of every atom directed by Him?  Did he set the universe up and let it go, still understanding exactly what would happen, every day, for the rest of eternity?  If that is so, then is God responsible for every evil that took place, because He set it up that way?  If God is responsible for evil, doesn't that ultimately make Him evil?  Or at least part evil?



It says in the Bible that God sustains life.  Is it speaking about in the general sense, in the way that God provides food and other sustenance for those who need it?  Or does it mean that without God no life would exist, that God is somehow holding all of creation so that it doesn't fall apart, and that without God holding things together, nothing could continue to exist?

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