TBT@ITT - D. A. Carson on God's Sovereignty and Evil

4 years ago

TBT@ITT - D. A. Carson on God's Sovereignty and Evil

by Jude St. John

Originally posted March 9, 2009:

For me, this is the quintessential quote on God's sovereignty and evil:

"To put it bluntly, God stands behind evil in such a way that not even evil takes place outside the bounds of his sovereignty, yet the evil is not morally chargeable to him: it is always chargeable to the secondary agents, to secondary causes [i.e., those who actually do it]. On the other hand, God stands behind good in such a way that it not only takes place within the bounds of his sovereignty, but it is always chargeable to him, and only derivatively to secondary agents...If this sound just a bit too convenient for God, my initial response (though there is more to be said) is that according to the Bible this is the only God there is."

I have reminded myself of this quote on numerous occasions as well as referencing it to others. I hope it is helpful to you.

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On Thursday, April 23, 2020, Agnes M McCaffery said:

Only is God is good!

In The Trenches

One of the things I love about football is its applicability to life. So much of what happens on the football field corresponds to our experience of living. And in particular, one can draw many parallels between the game of football and our life of faith in Jesus Christ. Most of my years playing football were played “in the trenches.” That is, I was an offensive lineman who plied my trade on the line of scrimmage. That no-man’s-land of much physical violence between opposing forces which derives its name from the battle situations of the World Wars. That place which seems, as often as not, to be an experience much like our lives. I hope to communicate with you a few things that will hopefully be of some help as you fight the good fight of faith. And since I am in this battle too, you might consider that I write these thoughts as I live my life for God in the trenches.

Books I've Read in 2022

- God at Work by Jonathan Edwards
- Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential by Colin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman
- Gospel-Driven Ministry: An Introduction to the Calling and Work of a Pastor by Jared Wilson
- Collected Writings of John Murray, Volume 1: The Claims of Truth by John Murray
- The Roots of True Faith by William Guthrie
- Collected Writings of John Murray, Volume 2: Systematic Theology by John Murray
- Not Guilty by James Buchanan
- How to Build a Healthy Church by Mark Dever
- The End of the Law by Jason Meyer
- From Glory to Golgotha by Donald MacLeod
- Natural Law by David Haines
- Terms of Service by Chris Martin
- What Is the Meaning of Sex? by Denny Burk
- One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm