Does God want you to do something before He does something?

By David Norczyk
Original available here

Does God wait for people to do something before He does something? With man-centered theology, the answer is a resounding, “yes.” With God-centered theology, the obvious answer is, “no.”

The premise with man-centered theology is that God has done His part; now it is time for you to do your part. He’s waiting for you.

In the errant view of man-centered theology, God has loved everybody, everywhere, and at all times. Christ died for everybody, but now everything is hinging on what you are going to do. The Triune God is playing charades with everyone. The picture is drawn and the clues have been given, now the God-head frantically tries to help you decide that Jesus is the answer.

The agents of charade evangelism work, work, work to create games, sporting events, and candy-laden programs to entice everyone to come and see the big show.  Everything is an allure to prepare people to meet Jesus so they can make the right decision about Him and be saved. In this humanist theology, smart people choose Jesus, and stupid people reject Him.

I read a post, yesterday: “to criticize the church for such erroneous ideas is like someone spitting in the face of a bride with her groom standing by.” When I suggested that the history of the church, and even the entire Bible demonstrates, that when the infidelity of God’s people worsens, He sends prophets, apostles, and reformers to correct the church…click…delete…well, my post lasted all of one minute.  

Why don’t we like the God of the Bible (Rom 1:30), who sits in the heavens and does what He pleases (Ps 115:3; 135:6)?  Is He waiting on us to work to make the kingdom a physical, visible reality on earth as the Roman Catholics and the post-millennialists purport? Will He only work to get things done if Christians are unified? Mercy! What other conditions do men place on themselves that God has not placed on them? Answer: legion, for they are many!

The truth is that the one true God, revealed to us on the pages of the Bible, and by the Holy Spirit’s illumination, is absolutely sovereign in His workings. In His eternal good pleasure, He has issued an eternal decree for all things to come to pass. Nothing operates outside of His decreed will (Rom 11:36). His will is to work all things for His glory. His works are so sure to happen that they are said to be finished from before the foundation of the world (Heb 4:3).

Why is this an affront to His creatures? It is good news for the redeemed, who stand by and watch the machinations of humanity come to their futile end (see Ecclesiastes). Man is not God, nor will he ever be. The serpent promised deity to man in the garden (Gen 3:5), and man has believed the deceiver’s lie ever since. This is why Mormons think they will someday be like God the Father, being a deity over their own individual planets.

Every time a pastor entices you to choose Christ and be saved (Pelagian/Arminian heresy), or every time a pastor tells you to obey the Bible without reference to the Holy Spirit’s sovereign work in you (Judaiser), he is deceiving you.

God has ordered everything by His sovereign will. God is working His will in everything. He causes everything to happen. The earth spins. The sun shines. The flower grows. The human is conceived, and everything else…everything…is the work of God.

This is the affront: God deserves the glory for 100% of it all. We should give thanks to Him in everything and for everything. This is why God is not the God of second chances. He is the God of the sovereign, providential here and now.  He is not waiting for anyone nor anything because He sits on His eternal throne, and He dwells within the hearts of His people, to do all His will and good pleasure. Who else could work all things for the good of His people who love Him?