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The God of Love and Justice – Lesson 8.Free Will, Love, and Divine Providence | Sabbath School with Pastor Mark Finley
Series THE GOD OF LOVE AND JUSTICE with Pastor Mark Finley |
Lesson 8.Free Will, Love, and Divine Providence |
Free Will, Love, and God’s Work in the World |
The question of God’s sovereignty and human free will is central to understanding love, suffering, and divine providence. If God is all-powerful, why does He allow evil to exist? The Bible shows that God’s will is not always fulfilled because He grants humanity true freedom—a freedom that allows for both love and rejection. At the same time, despite human choices, God continues to work in history to accomplish His good plan. In Christ, He has already achieved victory, and in the end, His ideal will shall be fully realized. This lesson invites us to understand God’s actions and trust Him despite all challenges.
Memory Text: John 16,33 – “ ‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’ ”
Content:
8.1 Our Sovereign God
God’s Will and Human Decisions
The idea that everything happens exactly as God wills raises deep theological problems—especially regarding suffering and evil in the world. However, the Bible shows that God’s will is not always fulfilled because humans often choose differently in their freedom. Psalm 81:12–15 and other passages illustrate that God desires a different fate for His people, yet despite His longing for obedience, they often follow their own paths. A theology that attributes everything directly to God’s will could make Him responsible for evil, contradicting His character of love and justice. Instead, the Bible reveals a God who grants humans freedom, even when their choices go against His ideal. This presents the challenge of reconciling God’s sovereignty with human free will.
8.2 Pantokrator
God’s Omnipotence and Human Freedom
God’s omnipotence does not mean that He forces everything to happen, but rather that He has the power to do everything that aligns with His nature and plan. The Bible shows that God intervenes and performs miracles, yet He still respects human free will. Although He desires to save all, not everyone chooses Him—an indication that His power does not override the free will of His creatures. This reveals a deeper dimension of His rule: a power not based on coercion but on love and justice. God’s omnipotence is thus demonstrated not only in His ability to act but also in His willingness to allow human choice. This is the true greatness of His reign—one that embraces both absolute power and self-restraint.
8.3 To Love God
Love Cannot Be Forced
God desires that all people love Him, but true love can only be given freely. If God were to force love, it would cease to be love and become mere compulsion. The Bible shows that God grants humans free will—to love Him or to turn away from Him—a freedom that comes with great responsibility and serious consequences. Since God has committed Himself to respecting free will, this also means that much happens that does not align with His desires. This highlights the weight of human choices and the serious responsibility that comes with true freedom. The way we use this freedom reveals whether we choose God’s love or turn away from Him.
8.4 God’s Ideal and Remedial Wills
God’s Plan: Freedom and Restoration
God does not predestine who will be saved or lost but plans the future while considering human free choices. His “ideal will” describes what He desires for the world—a life of love and fellowship with Him. Yet, since humans often choose differently, God works through His “healing will,” creating ways to save people and bring about good despite wrong choices. This perspective unites God’s sovereignty with human freedom, without Him forcefully controlling history. Romans 8:28 gives us hope: even in difficult times, God can turn everything for good. This truth shows that God’s plan is not dependent on our failures but is always directed toward healing and redemption.
8.5 Christ Has Overcome the World
Hope Despite Suffering: Christ Has Won
Jesus does not promise an easy life but warns that we will face trials in this world. However, He gives us a crucial hope: He has overcome the world (John 16:33). This means that evil and suffering do not have the final word—God’s ultimate plan is the restoration of His ideal will. While we live in a world shaped by free, often wrong choices, God still works and brings good out of difficult circumstances. Our trials are not a sign that God has abandoned us but a reminder that we are in the midst of a great cosmic battle. By holding on to Christ, we can be assured that His victory is also our victory.
8.6 Summary
God’s Sovereignty and Human Free Will
God is all-powerful, yet He does not force anyone to love Him or do His will—genuine love and obedience require freedom. While God has an ideal plan for the world, His providence takes into account human choices, even when they go against His will. Evil does not exist because God wills it but because His creatures have the freedom to reject Him. Still, God guides history through His “healing will” toward a good outcome and works for the good of His children even in difficult circumstances. In Christ, He has already triumphed over evil, and we can trust that His final plan of restoration will be fulfilled. Despite trials, we can live in the certainty that God will never abandon us but will bring everything to a good end.
This Is What It Means to Be a Hero of Faith
What does it mean to be loyal to God? Desmond Doss’s heroic faith during World War II is a powerful reminder of what it looks like to stand boldly for God’s truth. Today, AWR listeners are following his example, taking their stand for Jesus no matter the cost. Watch to learn how you can live a life of prayer, Bible study, and courageous witnessing. Like, comment, and subscribe for more faith-filled content. #FaithInAction #StandForTruth #DesmondDoss #awr #adventistworldradio Watch the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJK7bkfiS2c #short Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NJtHzLsi1A
Editorial: Fundamentalism or Simple Faith?
A friend of mine wrote this note to me: I think our church falls under the fundamentalist umbrella—and the so-called progressives do not feel at home. The trouble with fundamentalism is that it is “kicking against the pricks” of reality, and cannot stand scrutiny. This would mean that the church will only be successful evangelically […] Source: https://atoday.org/editorial-fundamentalism-or-simple-faith/
Sunday: Our Sovereign God
Daily Lesson for Sunday 16th of February 2025
“God is sovereign,” the youth pastor taught his middle school group. “That means He controls everything that happens.” One puzzled middle schooler replied, “So God was in control when my dog died? Why would God kill my dog?”
Trying to answer this question, the youth pastor replied: “That’s a tough one. But sometimes God lets us go through hard times so that we’re prepared for even more difficult things in the future. I remember how hard it was when my dog died. But going through that helped me deal with an even more difficult time later when my grandma died. Does that make sense?”
Image © Rolf Jansson at Goodsalt.com
After a long pause, the middle schooler replied, “So God killed my dog to prepare me for when He’s going to kill my grandma?”—Marc Cortez, quoted in John C. Peckham, Divine Attributes: Knowing the Covenantal God of Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021), p. 141.
People sometimes assume that everything that occurs happens just as God wants it to. Whatever happens in the world is precisely as God wanted to have happen. After all, God is almighty. How, then, could anything occur that God does not want to occur? Hence, no matter what happens, no matter how bad, it was God’s will. That, at least, is what this theology teaches.
Read Psalms 81:11-14; Isaiah 30:15,18; Isaiah 66:4; and Luke 13:34. What do these texts say about the question of whether God’s will is always being done?
While many people believe that God must always get what He wants, the Bible tells a quite different story. Again and again, Scripture depicts God as experiencing unfulfilled desires. That is, what happens often runs counter to what God states that He actually prefers to happen. In many instances, God explicitly declares that what is happening is the opposite of what He wants. He willed one outcome for His people, but they chose another instead. God Himself laments: “ ‘My people would not heed My voice. . . . Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies’ ” (Psalms 81:11,13-14, NKJV).
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Think through the implications of any theology that attributes everything that happens to God’s direct will. What kind of deep problems, especially in the context of evil, would such a theology create? |
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