“Creatures are so governed by the secret counsel of God, that nothing happens but what He has knowingly and willingly decreed” (John Calvin, Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 1, Chapter 16, Paragraph 3).
I concur with many of John Piper's and Jonathan Edwards' views, yet I respectfully dissent from the belief that God ordains every specific sin ever committed. Both men have affirmed Calvin's doctrine of divine determinism. Or, what scholars refer to as meticulous providence
"Some theologies hold to meticulous providence: God ordains and controls everything that happens. Others hold to general providence: God attends broadly but not exhaustively to what occurs." (1) I believe the latter.
Why would God secretly decree people to commit the very acts he condemns in Scripture?
Am I misunderstanding something?
Piper says: "Therefore I conclude with Jonathan Edwards: " God decrees all things, even all sins." Or, as Paul says in Ephesians 1:11, "[He] works all things according to the counsel of his will." (1)
Evil resides in the human heart, not in God's. The Gospel of Matthew makes this clear.
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." - Matthew 15:19
Mark Talbot in his book edited by John Piper makes the following claim:
"Ephesians 1: 11 goes even further by declaring that God in Christ “works all things according to the counsel of his will.” Here the Greek word for “works” is energeō, which indicates that God not merely carries all of the universe’s objects and events to their appointed ends but that he actually brings about all things in accordance with his will. In other words, God brings about all things in accordance with his will. It isn’t just that God manages to turn the evil aspects of our world to good for those that love him; it is rather that he himself brings about these evil aspects … This includes— as incredible and unacceptable as it may currently seem— God’s having even brought about the Nazi’s brutality at Birkenau and Auschwitz as well as the terrible killings of Dennis Rader and even the sexual abuse of a young child.” (2)
"It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin." - Luke 17:2
I hold a belief in God's providence over human affairs, as taught by Scripture. "...that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28.)
God has the power to redeem acts of evil against His children. However, the Scripture does not state that He is the cause of it.
"Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one." - James 1:13
God does not instill evil thoughts in people's hearts. However, God may allow those who do not acknowledge Him to be influenced by a "depraved mind."
"And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper..." - Romans 1:28 NASB 95 (Read the entire chapter)
To gain a true understanding of God the Father, one should examine the life of His Son, Jesus.
"Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" - John 14:9
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." - John 10:10
(1) Allison, Gregg R.. The Baker Compact Dictionary of Theological Terms (p. 209). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
(2) John Piper, Desiring God, page 347.
(3) Mark Talbot, Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, p. 42, edited by John Piper
