Misconception #1: Everything That Happens Is God's Will

This post begins a series on certain misconceptions of the faith — beliefs that circulate widely among Christians and yet do not square with the Word of God when we examine them carefully. The first misconception is one many sincere believers hold without ever questioning it: everything that happens is God’s will.

The misconception: everything that happens is God’s will

It sounds humble and trusting. It seems to honor God’s sovereignty. But left unqualified, it leads to a terrible conclusion — that every atrocity, every act of evil, every horror in the world is something God positively wanted. And that is simply not what Scripture teaches. The Bible actually describes for us what God’s will is, and it gives us three defining attributes:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

Notice the three words Paul uses to describe God’s will: it is good, it is acceptable (well-pleasing), and it is perfect (complete). God’s will is good — Luke’s gospel tells us His heart is “good will toward men.” It is well-pleasing. And it is perfect, or complete, like the satisfaction of a job finished right. So here is the simple but powerful conclusion: anything that is contrary to these attributes is not the will of God.

I do not believe for one second that terrorists beheading people is God’s will. I do not believe that Hitler’s slaughter of the Jews was God’s will. I do not believe the agenda of Planned Parenthood is God’s will, or that the demonic movements pushing confusion onto young people — telling a boy he can be a girl and a girl she can be a boy — are God’s will. None of that is good, well-pleasing, or perfect. None of it is God’s will.

Where the confusion comes from

Part of why this misconception takes hold is that many of us rightly believe God is in control. God is sovereign over all things — and that is true. But sovereignty does not mean God is the author of sin, leading people into evil. James settles this directly:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.

James 1:13-14 (NKJV)

God Himself tempts no one to evil. Sin is caused by our own sinful desires drawing us away. Yes, the whole world is full of temptation, and God has placed us here in the midst of it — but He is not commanding us to commit these evils. This is the free will of man at work. Many doctrines in the church quietly deny the free will of man, but Scripture insists it is real and important. God has genuinely given people a choice.

Holding the balance

Let me be clear about what I am not saying. I am not saying God does not intervene. I am not saying God is not on the throne. And I am certainly not denying that God can take something evil and work it together for good:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

That is a precious promise every born-again believer can claim. But notice the difference: God redeeming evil for good is not the same as God wanting evil to happen. When we claim Romans 8:28, we are not saying God desired the evil; we are saying He is powerful enough to bring good out of it.

This is exactly why the fear of the Lord matters so much. God has poured out His knowledge and the fear of the Lord precisely so that men would refrain from evil and depart from it. So let us keep the balance: yes, God is in control, God reigns — and at the same time, He is giving men a real choice today to choose good and not evil.

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Part of the Misconceptions of the Faith series.