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GOD IS COMPLETELY IN CONTROL
There are three different ideas concerning God's control over His creation. Some deny that God is in control at all. If they believe in God they view Him as a sort of absentee landlord who wound up the world like an old clock and left it to run alone. Other people believe that God is only concerned with the important things that happen in the world. The third idea is taught in the Bible and it is that God is absolutely in control of all things, events and persons. The Lord Jesus clearly taught that God is in control of all things when He said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered,” (Matthew 10:29). This verse does not say that God knows about the death of each sparrow, but rather the Lord told His disciples that not one of them shall fall to the ground “without your Father.” God is involved in the tiny details of all things: Jesus told His disciples that even the hairs of their heads were numbered. Another statement in the Bible says “...God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were,” (Romans 4:17). God resurrects the dead: both the spiritually dead and the physically dead, each in its proper time according to His will. But get this! He calls things that do not exist as if they do exist! Because God is in control of all things and has a plan for all things He can and does speak of them as already accomplished. Consider this example of that very thing: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified,” (Romans 8:28-30). God first of all “did foreknow,” (notice that God foreknows some people, He does not just know about these people ahead of time: He knows them). Those whom God knew ahead of time He “did predestinate” to be like Jesus. Those thus predestinated were also “called” - but those not yet saved are not yet called! Neither are those who are not yet believers justified (declared to be righteous for that comes at the point of faith). And most certainly not all those who are “justified” are now “glorified” (resurrected and conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ). Yet God speaks of them as if they were already glorified! That is just how secure and sure of eternal salvation are those whom God “did foreknow.” “...The Lord knoweth them that are his...,” (2 Timothy 2:18).
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