Whose Will Prevails on the things that happen on Earth?

Source: www.angdatingdaan.org


Biblically speaking, there are two parties that influence the occurrence of things on earth. You may not readily believe this but there are, indeed, two factors behind the occurrence of things on earth. In this particular study, we will find out who these two parties are that make certain things happen in the life of a person. Who should prevail between the two? Who should be followed?

Do you know that our beings will face a certain event in the future? Whether we like it or not and whether we believe it or not; there are, indeed, events in the future. As we all know, as event has two components: the time when this event would happen, and the parties involved in this event. They could be men, angels, God, or the devil.

Not everything that happens on earth should really happen. There are things that should not happen, and yet they happen. And this is because there are two parties that make things happen in this world. Who are they? And when we get to know who these parties are, let us then find out, who between the two should prevail.

Many people think that it is either God, or the devil, that make things happen. While we believe that God can make all things happen, yet we do not believe that the devil has the same power in making things happen. We believe that God’s will prevails. But aside from God, there is another who can make certain thing happens on earth. It is not the devil definitely, and it is neither Christ, nor the Holy Spirit!

Actually, the devil does not have the power to make things happen. The devil simply insinuates; he simply tempts, but he could not force people. In the first place, even God does not force people. He does not insist what He wants all the time. The more the devil cannot force people because he does not have the power to make anything happen in the life of a man, unless man, himself, gives his consent. Remember that God has given man freewill. He has given man the liberty to decide whether he wants to obey, or to disobey God.

But it is wrong to believe that it is satan who makes a man fall into sinfulness because he could not make it happen all by himself. For satan to prevail, man should give his consent first. There is a limitation to what satan can do. He can simply tempt a person; he can just insinuate or suggest. It is only after man has accepted what satan is offering that his desire would come to pass. The final decision is in the person.

God is just one of the parties that make things happen in the life of a person. And we will further prove this by citing some verses from the Scriptures. First, let us find out what causes the things to happen in the life of a person. What are the reasons behind the occurrence of those things? Luke 1:37 says,

“For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

In this particular verse, the angel Gabriel was telling Mary that, “with God nothing shall be impossible.” What does it mean when we say that the word of God is powerful? This is what Isaiah 55:11 says,

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

God has another pronouncement in Isaiah 46:11 which says,

“... I have spoken it. I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it,”

God has the power to make His words come to pass. He has all the means to make His words come true. Let us not forget that God has the prerogative to make His words come to pass. And when He does so, nobody can hinder Him. As written in Isaiah 43:13,

“I will work, and who shall let it?”

Nobody can prevent God from doing what He wants because He is an Almighty God.

But do you know that although God has the power to make all things happen as He wills them, there are also occasions when His will is being prevented? It does not always happen, but there are instances when His will is being hindered. Do you know who can prevent, or oppose, what God wants to happen in this world? This is what I Corinthians 9:12 says,

“If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.”
There are, indeed, times when the will of God, like the propagation of the Gospel, is being hindered. St. Paul said that they have certain legitimate rights, but they have opted not to use these rights. For instance, they have the right to eat, the right to drink, and the right to marry. Buy they did not use these rights. In fact, St. Paul remained unmarried, and he did not take advantage of his brethren. Instead, he said, “we have not used this power, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.”

In other words, there is a possibility that the propagation of the Gospel would be hindered. And one of these possible hindrances is when the preacher would be thinking only of his personal welfare.

That is why, despite the fact that God is an Almighty God, and He wants His will to prevail, there are instances when His will is hindered. Everything depends on whether, or not, people acknowledge God.

Let us be reminded of God’s plan then: to punish the people of Nineveh due to their wickedness. So, God sent the prophet Jonah there to tell the people of His plan to punish them if they would not repent. So, Jonah went to Nineveh, and there, he preached. Do you know what happened? Jonah 3:10 says,

“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”

The people of Nineveh changed. They repented, and they turned away from their evil way. And because of that, God was moved. He changed His mind. He did not destroy Nineveh anymore.

Therefore, God is that powerful. He may change His decision if only the people would repent. Apparently, His decision was dependent on the people’s decision. In other words, the things that happen on earth are dependent on God’s and man’s decisions. God’s decision may change, depending on how man reacted towards Him. If the people can change their decision, God can also change His. That is why the things that happen on earth depend on man’s relationship with God. Just like what happened when Abraham was trying to bargain with God concerning His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Let us read Genesis 18:23-26,

“And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?
Peradventure there be fifty righteous with in the city: Wilt thou also destroy and spare not the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?

And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”

When God said that He would burn Sodom and Gomorrah, is there anybody who could prevent Him from doing it? None! God can make His words happen. But what else did Abraham tell God? (Genesis 18:27-30)

“And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for the lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”

Did you notice how Abraham had become very insistent? But God had told him that should there be fifty, or forty-five, or even forty righteous men He would not destroy the cities. Abraham’s insistence, of course, was triggered by his compassion for the people there, especially so that Lot, his nephew, was also there. But God said that even for the sake of thirty righteous men, He would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. And what happened? Let us continue. (Genesis 18:31-32)

“And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.

And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.”

If only there would be ten righteous men, God would still not destroy it. Unfortunately, he did not find ten righteous men. So, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. It rained fire from heaven.

The pronouncement of God came to pass. He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because He did not find at least ten righteous men. Only three were found to be righteous. Actually, even during the time of Noah, when God destroyed the earth, there were not even ten righteous people also. There were only eight. What we are trying to say? God has the power to make His words come to pass.

At present, scientists have been trying to look for remnants of Sodom and Gomorrah. How can they find any when God rubbed these cities out of the face of the earth? He totally annihilated it.

You see, if you are going to dig for artifacts in Egypt, you’ll surely find evidences that would prove that, once upon a time, there indeed lived pharaohs in Egypt. In fact, archeologists have even found a pharaoh dressed in gold.

In Samaria, they have unearthed a gold coin – a denarius – that bore the images if Augustus Ceasar and Tiberius Ceasar – the very same gold coin that was shown to Christ when He was asked if they should pay taxes, or not (Matt. 22:17-21). Hence, the authenticity of that particular biblical account has been confirmed by the discovery of that gold coin.

But the question now is, why can’t they find, or at least, trace the former Sodom and Gomorrah? It is because, according to the Bible, they had been consumed by fire. Nothing was left. Even the metals melted due to the extreme heat of the fire which descended from heaven. Why are we studying all of these? Don’t ever think that we’ve gone quite far from our subject matter. No! I am just trying to lay down the foundation. Everything that happens in this world results out of the decisions made by two parties. It is either God’s, or man’s decision. There are times when what God wants does not happen because it is not being followed by man. But the moment the person goes back to God and repent, God may withhold the punishment that He has planned to give man. Just like what happened to the people of Nineveh.

Does the devil have any control on the things that happen in the life of man? Does he have any power to make anything happen? Let us read Job 2:4-5,

“And satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.”

Satan was arguing with God about Job. He was telling God that if He would inflict pain on Job’s body, and if He would get everything that he possessed, he would surely turn his back to Him. And what did God say? (Job 2:6)

“And the LORD said unto satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.”

God gave Job at satan’s disposal. Only, he should not kill him. In other words, satan did not have any power over the life of Job. In fact, God gave him a specific instruction to save his life. He may inflict him physical pain but he should not kill him. So, what satan did was, he inflicted Job with boils all over his body – from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. Job suffered a lot, and his wife was even urging him to depart from God. Let us continue. (Job 2:7)

“So went satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.”

Can you imagine that? His body was practically covered with boils. And what did his wife tell him? (Job 2:9-10)

‘Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”

Therefore, how did Job suffer? It is because God permitted it. But without God’s permission, the devil couldn’t lay his hand on anybody. He cannot make anything happen unless God permits it. What is our basis? I John 5:18 says,

“...but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”

A person who acknowledges God will never be touched by the devil. The intent of the devil will not be realized if God will not permit it to happen. However, even if God did not permit it to happen it may still happen if you give your consent to it. For example, satan is trying to win you that is why he is enticing you thru women, wine, gambling, and other forms of worldly pleasure. The will of God would not prevail if you yielded to satan’s dictates. You, then, became his follower because you submitted yourself to his power. This explains the reason why some people become evil because they surrendered themselves to the trap of the devil. I Timothy 5:15 says,

“For some are already turned aside after satan.”

They became satan’s followers. They have made satan their leader. And in such situation, satan succeeds in making his desires prevail. But if you will resist the devil, if you will fight against him, then, the will of God will prevail. The devil cannot insist what he wants. What he wants would not happen if you would not give your consent, and if God would not permit it. Bear in mind that, all the things that happen in the life of a person are prompted by two things. It is either the will of God, or the will of man. Proverbs 16:9 says,

“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”

It is the heart of man that plans his ways, but it is the Lord that directs his steps. There is a concerted effort between man and God. You plan what you want to do. But when God sees that you have decided to follow Him, He will surely direct your steps. He will guide you. Just like a young child whose steps being directed and guided by his caring parents. Wherever the child goes, the parents go also to give their child guidance. A parent is a mere guide.

The God-man relationship has been likened to a parent-child relationship. Always remember that the things that happen are either results of man’s decision, or the will of God. Sometimes, God’s decision is dependent on the decision made by man. When a person changes for the better, God may withhold his decision. But when a person continues to be wicked, God pushes through with his plan to punish him. God decides in accordance to how man has faithfully followed Him. You see, God has given man the freedom to choose and to decide. This is what Deuteronomy 30:19 says,

“I call heaven to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”

You have the power to choose. Others think that it is always the will of God that prevails. Perhaps, in the prayer that they recite, yes, it is the will of God that shall be done. But in practice, they do not abide by the will of God. Let us analyze the prayer. (Matthew 6:9-10)

“Our Father, which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

After saying, “thy will be done,” he went straight to a cockpit arena, and there, he bet all his earnings. Are you not ashamed to God when, after telling Him, “Thy will be done”, you proceeded to a cabaret? Whose will are you following? It’s not God’s will, but your own will. And this proves that the things that happen to man are either the will of God, or man’s won will. And it is wrong to follow your own will. That is why whenever Christ prayed, He always told His Father, “Thy will be done.”

Let we say it once more. Everything that happens is either the will of God, or the will of man. Satan simply persuades and provokes people to do evil things, but he does not have the power to have his own will prevail, unless God, or man, permits it. That is why we cannot ascribe any blame on God. Even if the devil keeps on tempting you, he will not succeed if you will not listen to him. If you resist him, he cannot do anything. As the saying goes, “It takes two to tango.” You cannot do the tango all by yourself. You need to have a partner. And nothing would happen if you would not give your consent.

The same principle applies with the other things in this world. The devil’s intent would be realized if you would agree to it. Follow the will of God; give your consent to what God wants, that way, the will of God would prevail.

There are things that happen on earth because the people simply followed their own will. But if we are going to ask the Bible, whose will are we really supposed to follow? Whose will prevails? Matthew 7:21 says,

“Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

For a person to enter the kingdom of heaven, he needs to fulfill the will of the Father in heaven. So, if we want to be holy, if we want to be in heaven, we have to follow the will of God.

What is the will of God? To the descendants of the eight survivors of the great flood, God said, “Replenish the earth.” What God wanted them to do was wonderful. It would do them good. Why? You see, if all of mankind would just gather and crown together in one place, there is a possibility to annihilation should an epidemic, or a pestilence, comes. That was why when they had grown big in number, God commanded them to scatter and fill the earth. But do you know what they did? They did not listen to God. They did not follow His will. They did what they wanted.

(Genesis 11:4)

“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”

They called it as tower of Babel. They wanted to stay together in one place. They ignored the will of God. Do you know what God did just to make these people follow His will? God knew very well that their confinement in one place would not be good for them. If they would not scatter, and if they would just be confined in one area, the other places that are not being inhabited by people would eventually be inhabited by wild animals. And these animals would inevitably multiply, thus, their territory would be vaster than man’s. This would be fatal because, instead of man having dominion over the earth, there would arise the possibility that these wild animals now would dominate humans. That was why God commanded them to “Replenish the earth, and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28)

When God saw that what the people wanted would be risky for them, He used His power in asserting His will. He made them scatter.

(Genesis 11:7-8)

“Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.”

God confounded their language. He made them speak different languages, as a result, they did not understand each other. And because of that, they decided to drift apart. That was how the nations of men begun. God asserted His will for their own welfare.

We are just trying to show you that there are things that happen which are against the will of God. God is allowing those things to happen to give man the chance to decide and exercise his freewill. But ultimately, it is the will of God that shall prevail. While we are here on earth, there will always be a possibility that we do things in accordance to our will. But in the end, it is the will of God that shall prevail.

Perhaps, it’s high time that we study our faith. Many people hardly care to find out if they are heading for hell or for heaven. They are too preoccupied with useless matter like making themselves richer, building bigger houses, expanding their line of business, etc. They have forgotten to work on what is the most important – their salvation.

Other think that a person may do as he pleases – womanize, gamble – and still be saved provided he utters “Hesusmaryosep” (the combination of the names Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the vernacular). That is foolishness!

There was once an old woman, whom we invited to attend a worship service. She declined my invitation, and said she didn’t want to get involved in religion anymore because religion, for her, was quite complicated. She even added that, before she dies, she would just repent and say “Hesusmaryosep” (Jesus, Mary, Joseph). Other people think that a mere utterance of “Hesusmaryosep” before dying is already a pass to salvation. Is that notion biblical? You see, God is a just God. And God would not listen to a person who spent 60, 70, or 75 years of life in worldly pleasure, but remembered him only in his deathbed. This is what Proverbs 1:24-29 says,

“Because I have called, and ye refuse; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

But he have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:”

Will God listen to them? No! Try to be in God’s place. He waited for you for a long time – from your youth up to the time that you got married and became a parent, and eventually, a grandparent. You always postponed your service to God. You made God wait. And it is only now that you are dying that you thought of calling His name! God will not listen to you anymore. And should this thing happen to you, bear in mind that it is your fault. Do not forget, the things that happen in our life are cause by two factors – the will of God and the will of man.

But if you really want to be saved, this is what Matthew 7:21 tells us,

“Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”

Therefore, it is the will of the Father that must be done, and not anybody else’s will. What is our basis? John 9:31 says,

“Now we know that God heareth not sinners ...”

God is not listening to sinners. If a person has refused to do what is righteous, God would not listen to him. He would not listen to gamblers, to drug lords, to sinners, and to all of those who refused to acknowledge Him. Even if you cry a river God will not listen to you. Others think that as long as a person prays fervently, God will listen to his prayers. That is not true. It depends on who is the person praying. If the one praying is somebody who did not acknowledge and fear Him, God would not listen. John 9:31 says,

“Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man he a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”

God will listen to those who fulfilled His will. It is the will of God that should be done. If we want God to listen to our prayers, if we want to be saved, we have to follow the will of God. That is why we have to know and we have to obey the will of God. Do you know what His will is in relation to our manner of dressing, in our speech, and in the way we should deal with other people? Actually, God has a specific decree even in the way we should use our eyes. You just cannot look at anything that you want to. This is what Proverbs 23:29-33 says,

“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who had redness of eyes?

They hath tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like as adder.

Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.”

The eyes of a drunk man become unruly. They look even at the things that they should not look at. But if we are going to follow the will of God, even your vision would be directed. You will be guided in everything that you would do, even in rearing children, in raising a family, in your means of livelihood, and even in your manner of praying. It is the will of God that must be done.

Everything that we do must be in accordance to the will of God. And what is the will of God? The will of God are all written in the Bible.