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 To ask the question
is to answer it—if we refer to failure due to lack of power. “All-powerful” is an essential part of the nature
of “God” in the true sense. In the same vein, deceit is no part of the true concept of God, hence, God cannot lie.
Childish efforts to “trap” God in self-contradicting absurdities only show the weakness of the querist.
But God
“wills” things that do not come to pass. In 1 Tim. 2:4 Paul says that God “will have all men to be saved, and to
come unto the knowledge of the truth.” “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching
us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, — etc.” (Titus 2:11—12). God wills something,
makes it available to all men; but what He wills calls for an exercise of our will — and we do not always do what
God wants us to do. Many are lost.
We are
discussing a most profound subject — not just the nature of Cod, but also the nature of God’s creatures, made in
His own image. God willed that man should have a will and He respects our power of choice.
The “will”
of Christ is contrasted with that of His Jewish brethren, in Matt. 23:37, “ — how often would I have gathered thy
children . . . and ye would not.” I would, ye would not. Jesus “failed” with these people — to their ultimate sorrow.
“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” (Vs. 38)
God is
“ — not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9) Here again, the will
of God is denied by man’s will
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God wants something
men do not give Him. True repentance can not be forced upon anyone; and men will remain stubborn, and perish, even
while God wills it otherwise.
Certain
“Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.” (Lu. 7:30) God
wanted them to accept John’s preaching — they would not. Obedience, to be valid, and to “glorify God,” must be
from the heart of man. To force such upon man would deny both the nature of God, and the nature of man as God made
him. So, God sometimes fails with man — to man’s ultimate sorrow and loss.
=When
certain Jews rejected the gospel of Christ Paul said, “ — seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.”
(Acts 13:45-48) With this for contrast, we should have no difficulty in seeing that certain Gentiles were “ordained”
to eternal life because they willed to accept that same gospel. (vs. 48)
In all
of this the “sovereignty” of God is established, rather than denied. It was God’s will in the beginning that man
should be made in His image — having a will. God fails with men on the same basis that He is incapable of lying.
He would have to deny His very nature to do otherwise.
It is
foolish indeed to “continue to sin that grace may abound.” God has provided salvation for all; but we must face
our own responsibilities and obey Him. (Rom. 6:1-5; 2 Thess. 2:8)
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