Jesus said, "Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes!" (Matthew 18:7 WEB). When I read the verse above I am initially repulsed, especially when I think about the word "must." The word "must" communicates a definite necessity, an irrevocable purpose, an unchangeable course... toward sin. Every rational fiber in my body and belief in my intellect screams out "Such things MUST NOT come!"
Who is the foe of man that wills such things to come? Let him make himself known! What demented goal could he possibly achieve? Let him reveal one good end or be proved utterly blackened in evil! How could he methodically bind all mankind to the destructiveness of sin? Let him divulge his sinister plot! Why would he place us on his perverted target? Let him face us eye to eye and answer these charges! When could any good come of this? Let him record even one place in the whole of history!
Yet he does make himself known in Romans 11:32. He reveals his good end in Romans 8:18-25. He even divulges his method in Romans 5:12. He faces us with his sovereignty over evil in his anger toward sinful man in Isaiah 30:27-33. He also records at least two examples in history where evil miraculously resulted in his good (and ours), Genesis 45:8 and Acts 4:28.
Study these verses for yourself and you will be impressed with the greatness of His awesome power displayed in sovereignty... even over evil. Wow! Wow again! Wowzer! Like wild and crazy incredibleness! Totally awesome dude! God our Father, Almighty God, is sovereign even over evil?
Yes.
God is so so so so good that he can even use evil for good and he is not our foe. Don't get me wrong. God does not bless evil, evil actions, or evil people, but instead punishes them. Though the necessity of sin proceeds from the sovereign will of God, God also pronounces woe on the one through whom sin comes. Yet amazingly, evil, evil people, and even the Devil himself are simply pawns, frightening tools (that is frightening to us, but not to God), in his toolbox as he builds history in preparation for the dazzling wedding party to celebrate the consummation of Christ's marriage to his bride, while the Devil and his angels will be banished to the Lake of Fire for The Ages of The Ages.
God's authority over evil and our sinful nature is a great comfort to believers, as we can have great confidence that none of our mistakes will ruin God's plan, but are even part of his plan to build the church and us into his image. Unbelievers, however, because they will not admit their sin, nor trust that God is greater than all their sin, have nothing but dread fear of God's absolute power over their lives.
Friends take a walk on the wild side and join a family with a dad who has already poured an ocean of forgiveness on all your sin, period! He is a father like no other. He is my BODACIOUS father! And through faith in Christ he is yours also. The "free will" of man could not invent a God this good!
bo·da·cious also bow·da·cious - Southern & South Midland U.S.
adjective
Remarkable; prodigious.
Audacious; gutsy.
