Is God in control?

In total control of all events? No. In control if we are in His care, trusting in Him and relying on Him? Yes.
You are asking a question that will get different responses in other forums. Basically, those who are of a Calvinistic background (reformed theology) see God as in total control. They even believe that God has already decided who is to get saved and who isn't. The other side of the theological coin is sometimes called "Arminian" and it takes the position that man has a free will and power over the direction and outcome of ones life.
To say that God is "in control" implies that all events are God's will, whether they be good or bad. But God has given man responsibility for his life and by doing so He has given us the ability to affect it's outcome. Thats why there are Bible promises, covenants, and faith. Because we have an enemy, we've been given authority, and its up to us to take the spiritual initiative to bring change.

Case in point: God hates abortion. He raises up a presidential candidate who opposes abortion and would fight to end it. But people, Christians included, vote for the other candidate. Is God in control, or is man?

Psalm 83:18 (CEV) Make them realize that you are the LORD Most High, the only ruler of the earth! Since the time in the Garden of Eve man has made the choice to obey or disobey God. Yes we are His creation. And I fully believe that He is in total control. You as we all do have a decision to make whether you agree to let Him control and be yielded to His control. Be Blessed, Manie

One of the reasons we like to say God is in control, is it gives us a great way to explain away everything. It also takes all responsibility off us. Whatever happens 'it was not my fault'. Man does not want to take responsibility for his spiritual behaviour

That way, we can do whatever we like, and blame God!

That is a cop out

If I said to you, go out and hit your thumb as hard as you can with a hammer... and you did it, could you blame God?

Would the resulting pain be His fault?

Could you say God was in control - like He made you do it?

Now, you may say, well that is just a hammer, i am talking about major events, OK - where do we draw the line between what YOU do and what God is in control of?

God told man in the garden in Genesis to NOT do something, warnign him that if he did, he would die

Romans 5:12 puts it this way: (NKJV)

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--

Notice that it does not say that through God sin entered the world, but through man

It also says that DEATH entered through sin. It does not say GOD put death here. God actually warned man away from the thing that would cause death to enter this planet. Man ignored God's instruction and has blamed God ever since for death!

FrankFaith said:

Why is it that we WoFers are the only ones who get this?

Great answer--THANKS!

Click to expand...

LOL, now that's a million dollar question!
but seriously i think the reason is because we understand what the difference in relationship is between being the servant of a master, and being a son of the household.

while everyone else is trying to figure out what God is responsible for and what they are responsible for (Servant and Master) we don't have that problem.

The problem here is pretty deep. The Church has been imbued with Calvinism which very strongly (and wrongly) presents this God is in control idea. But we didn't need Calvinism to get messed up about this. The world is full of this sort of thinking and has been for thousands of years. Determinism. The problem is a deeply rooted one. But the answer to it is simple: God created mankind with free will. If we cannot cause things to go wrong, where is the free will? Adam proved the truth of our creation as free will beings before we get out of Genesis chapter 3.

There are actually well-known theologians teaching free will in this way. One of them is Greg Boyd. Also, look up Clark Pinnock. These men are taking lots of heat for presenting something so obviously true and pure. Calvinism has deeply affected the evangelical church. This is not to say that Calvin did not have some very good teaching also on other matters--he was a great reformer in a rather barbaric time. Boyd and Pinnock are not Word of Faith, probably not knowing much about it. But in a way, they are presenting a Word of Faith prospective.

I love Charles Capps. He once said this (approx.): "If God is in control, He sure has things in a big mess." God did not create this big mess on earth. Adam's decision and the FALL that was the result of this decision created it.

I have always hated that phrase. Unfortunately I have even heard some of the modern day WoF teachers say it (I heard Joel Osteen say it a few times and even Joyce Meyer). I would prefer to say "God is on the THrone." That way He is not made responsible for what happens but at the same time He can overrule any situation that comes up as we pray and trust Him.

Also, I read and enjoyed the answers in this thread. You WoFers are starting to actually read and study and give some well thought out responses. A few months ago I was very disappointed with what I was reading on this forum and did not want to participate in this forum anymore, but reading these posts here have made me decide to hang out here again for a little bit.

I believe most people do not realize there are three things at work - God, the god of this world, and man's free will. If they did, it would answer a lot of their questions - such as why bad things happen to good people.