Does God determine how long you live?

[Mark Quayle]

Jesus, said in that scripture 'how much i wanted to do x and you didn't allow...'
To say God decrees everything we do is wrong imo, God doesn't plan to people to sin, he doesn't want people to sin, that is consequences of decisions and more sin before and other things.

Anyway you can end up 'crazy' thinking about this kind of stuff, it's just what i think.

I didn't say he "wanted" them to sin. What God has decreed, will happen. And that too is what we choose, even when we choose to sin.

 

[returntosender]

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Just look at Ananias and Sapphira or some of the believers that were getting drunk at the Lords Supper Remembrance (many sleep) that means they have died.

Or in contemporary times, drug, alcoholic, over weight, etc.. has caused many an early death.

That's true but we all sin so we're all subject to an early death.

 

[d taylor]

That's true but we all sin so we're all subject to an early death.

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Well what i was speaking to are sins where God actually takes a persons life. From The Bible i see this as directed toward God's believers (born again children) as a form of judgment for sin. This may not happen as much now as this did in the early church as seen in The New Testament in a few examples.

 

[com7fy8]

Yes, people can do things to keep themselves alive, but God controls if and how long they live.

"He who loves his life will lose it," Jesus says in John 12:25.

There are people who have done things to stay alive, but they have lost their lives because they have loved their lives.

And ones have tried to commit suicide, but God overruled that. But others have been so effectively resisted by God, that in their frustration and rebellion against God they have killed themselves and God did not stop them.

"God resists the proud" (in James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5).

So the proud are not really in control!

 

[FutureAndAHope]

Yes, God is all sovereign. He is in full control and nothing happens or can happen without his knowing.
However, this doesn't necessarily means he "causes" all things to happen and not happen does it?

I know in Scripture it said that God numbers the hairs on my head and so he has also numbered my days,
but does this actually mean He determines exactly when you will die or how long you will live?

Again, is this to say that we have no say in our own mortality? In other words, if God does determine to exact
year, month, day, hour, and second when you will expire on this earth, then if you live an unhealthy lifestyle,
you can't change the date God chose for you to expire? If I wanted to live healthier and did everything in my
ability to live a healthy long life, it won't matter because God has already determined you will expire on "X" date?

So if God determines this, then what point is there to live wisely or recklessly, you will still live long or still live short
depending on what God has already determined for you.

OR

Does God adjust the plan mid-flight based on your choices and how you live? So maybe God intended someone to live
95 years but since you decided to be reckless and have bad habits, God decided you should expire at age 35 in some accident
or unfortunate event due to your reckless ways? Isn't that still us who determines how long or short we live? Aren't we a major
factor or agent in the causation of something happening and not happening or do we have no say in the result because God
determines it?

Ecc 7:17 Do not be overly wicked, Nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time?

Ecclesiastes shows us that our choices can shorten our lives. God does have a general plan for our lives, but it can and does change based upon what we do.

Jer 18:10 if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.

The Early Church taught that we have free will our life is not predetermined to the sense we have no responsibility or control over it. The Way and Free Will

 

[Mark Quayle]

Ecc 7:17 Do not be overly wicked, Nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time?

Ecclesiastes shows us that our choices can shorten our lives. God does have a general plan for our lives, but it can and does change based upon what we do.

Jer 18:10 if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.

The Early Church taught that we have free will our life is not predetermined to the sense we have no responsibility or control over it. The Way and Free Will

The logic is weak that says choice equals change, or that predetermination means no responsibility on the part of creatures.

 

[All4Christ]

**Senior Ambassador Hat**

Please address all posts to the original posters and do not debate theology. This is an advice only forum.

 

[AlexB23]

Yes, God is all sovereign. He is in full control and nothing happens or can happen without his knowing.
However, this doesn't necessarily means he "causes" all things to happen and not happen does it?

I know in Scripture it said that God numbers the hairs on my head and so he has also numbered my days,
but does this actually mean He determines exactly when you will die or how long you will live?

Again, is this to say that we have no say in our own mortality? In other words, if God does determine to exact
year, month, day, hour, and second when you will expire on this earth, then if you live an unhealthy lifestyle,
you can't change the date God chose for you to expire? If I wanted to live healthier and did everything in my
ability to live a healthy long life, it won't matter because God has already determined you will expire on "X" date?

So if God determines this, then what point is there to live wisely or recklessly, you will still live long or still live short
depending on what God has already determined for you.

OR

Does God adjust the plan mid-flight based on your choices and how you live? So maybe God intended someone to live
95 years but since you decided to be reckless and have bad habits, God decided you should expire at age 35 in some accident
or unfortunate event due to your reckless ways? Isn't that still us who determines how long or short we live? Aren't we a major
factor or agent in the causation of something happening and not happening or do we have no say in the result because God
determines it?

Well, you might want to check out Romans 8:38-39, which is briefly mentioned in the 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 analysis.

Romans 6:38-39 (ESV): For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Temple of the Holy Spirit: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Study

Let's discuss 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Man, this verse is a heavy one for some people. A lot of us Christians, myself included have a degree of recklessness. While I do not smoke, or do any drugs, I sometimes did risky stuff due to my poor executive skills (ADHD and impulsivity, so I do not...

www.christianforums.com

Date	April 24, 2024
Verse	1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."
Explanation	1 Corinthians 6:19-20 is a passage from the New Testament in the Bible that emphasizes the importance of taking care of our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. Here's a breakdown of what the passage says: The passage begins by reminding us that our bodies are not just physical vessels, but temples of the Holy Spirit. As such, they belong to God and should be treated with respect and care. The second part of the verse emphasizes that we are not our own, but have been bought with a price – that is, through Jesus Christ's sacrifice. According to Christian belief, if a person has accepted Jesus as their savior and believed in Him for salvation before their death, they will still go to heaven even if they die from a reckless accident. The Bible teaches that salvation is a free gift from God through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9), and that nothing, not even our own actions or mistakes, can ultimately separate us from God's love (Romans 8:38-39). However, the passage in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 emphasizes that as believers, we have a responsibility to honor God with our bodies and live in a way that reflects His love and compassion for us and others. While the consequences of our actions may impact our lives on earth, they do not ultimately determine our eternal destination in heaven. In summary, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 emphasizes the importance of treating our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit and living in a way that honors God. This includes making choices that promote good health, hygiene, and avoiding risky behaviors that could harm ourselves or others. Ultimately, the passage calls us to live holy lives that reflect God's love and compassion in all areas of our lives.

 

[Diamond7]

this doesn't necessarily means he "causes" all things to happen

The biggest complaint is what He allows. Perhaps because it is difficult to understand how He is able to cause all things to work together for good. We see really horrendous things and wonder how good can come out of that. Can God really cause good to come out of what we have to go through and endure in life? Just how powerful is God?

 

[Mark Quayle]

The biggest complaint is what He allows. Perhaps because it is difficult to understand how He is able to cause all things to work together for good. We see really horrendous things and wonder how good can come out of that. Can God really cause good to come out of what we have to go through and endure in life? Just how powerful is God?

Maybe the perspective is all wrong. This life is not for this life. And what God has made is for HIM. This is all of it about God. And THAT is good.

 

[seeker2122]

The biggest complaint is what He allows. Perhaps because it is difficult to understand how He is able to cause all things to work together for good. We see really horrendous things and wonder how good can come out of that. Can God really cause good to come out of what we have to go through and endure in life? Just how powerful is God?

Personally, the more I boil this down, I believe it comes down to not the "if" and "how" but the "why". Is God all powerful? Yes. I know He can cause or not cause anything out of nothing if that is His will. I realize it's not a struggle to believe if God can do this or that or how He can do it. The struggle is in the why and that is what is often never answered or isn't supposed to be because we are commanded to just have faith, trust, and be obedient (God's will and sovereignty). God can say to us, "who are we to question him and ask why about anything He does or doesn't do" and he'd be right. We really have no right question God even if we think He's wrong and we are right. The bottom line is He's God and we simply need to be humble before Him and believe He is all good. That's the struggle.... the 'why' and putting aside and saying to myself, 'don't even ask why' to God for it seems insulting and has this air of irreverence, but I always ask why and question God with the why still.

 

[Diamond7]

The bottom line is He's God and we simply need to be humble before Him and believe He is all good.

Yes, that is what we need to do. People struggle with what does it mean to be saved but we can just trust it all to God to figure it out for us. It does take a lot of prayer but we can pray it through until God gives us peace and we know He has everything under control.

 

[Mark Quayle]

Personally, the more I boil this down, I believe it comes down to not the "if" and "how" but the "why". Is God all powerful? Yes. I know He can cause or not cause anything out of nothing if that is His will. I realize it's not a struggle to believe if God can do this or that or how He can do it. The struggle is in the why and that is what is often never answered or isn't supposed to be because we are commanded to just have faith, trust, and be obedient (God's will and sovereignty). God can say to us, "who are we to question him and ask why about anything He does or doesn't do" and he'd be right. We really have no right question God even if we think He's wrong and we are right. The bottom line is He's God and we simply need to be humble before Him and believe He is all good. That's the struggle.... the 'why' and putting aside and saying to myself, 'don't even ask why' to God for it seems insulting and has this air of irreverence, but I always ask why and question God with the why still.

Agreed, not until we see him as he is, will we have our answers. But there are a few very strong and comforting hints as to why God does things this way. Romans 9:23 for example goes so far as to show that even the ultimate demise of the ungodly is to show his own glory to the objects of his mercy (the redeemed). And I think included in that are the other things we can know; among them: 1. God wastes no motion 2. We are the Bride of Christ, and God's Dwelling Place. 3. We are his particular people, individual members of the Body, without fault, but full of character, full of wisdom and praise for our glorious God. Each with a name only that one and his God, knows. Each has his own story, his own praise, his own love for his God. 4. The suffering in this life is not to be compared with the joy that is to come, but (I believe) every detail of it is necessary in order to produce what is to come.

Does not what we complain about, and in our best moments wonder about —the fact of God "doing everything wrong", and continually "driving his plan along the very edge of disaster"— demonstrate his power and wisdom and compel his praise?

Yes, that is what we need to do. People struggle with what does it mean to be saved but we can just trust it all to God to figure it out for us. It does take a lot of prayer but we can pray it through until God gives us peace and we know He has everything under control.

Agreed! And God is more than happy to do that for us, without even deriding us for our self-centered fears, our small faith and failure to listen. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. He LOVES us! (Beats me, why he does... But I'm pretty sure it has something to do with being "in Christ".)

5. We also can know that he does this for his own sake. So of course he will not fail to accomplish what he set out to do!