{"id":154,"date":"2007-07-21T12:12:51","date_gmt":"2007-07-21T16:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.indefenseofthefaith.org\/?p=154"},"modified":"2007-07-21T12:54:41","modified_gmt":"2007-07-21T16:54:41","slug":"gods-permissive-will-i-dont-think-so","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indefenseofthefaith.org\/idotf\/?p=154","title":{"rendered":"Is it God’s “permissive” will? I don’t think so…"},"content":{"rendered":"

David Field has provided an excellent post<\/a> on the issue of God’s “permissive” will. Ever since my views began to change on the issues of God’s sovereignty and how it works out in His creation, I have not been happy with the idea that some Reformed Evangelicals (including plenty of my dearest friends) have put forward as “God’s permissive will.” It just doesn’t sound right or Biblical.<\/p>\n

In my continued search for a better way to explain God’s sovereign will to myself and others, David Field has done an amazing job in this post<\/a> which I re-post here below. Enjoy and let’s discuss!<\/p>\n

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God’s “permissive will”<\/h3>\n

It may sound iconoclastic and it’s highly likely that it comes from ignorance but I have just about given up on the idea of God’s “permissive will”.<\/p>\n

The intended function <\/span>of the distinction\/term is to assert a moral asymmetry between God’s relationship to what is evil and his relationship to the good.<\/p>\n

But the effect <\/span>of the distinction\/term to my mind is to imply that God draws circles and says, “I won’t step in there”. It implies a self-limitation on the part of God.<\/p>\n

I don’t believe that there is such a self-limitation, nor, indeed, that it is possible. I believe that God’s sovereignty is inalienable. I believe that God is personally, purposefully, actively present at and to every point, time, space, event, object, and person in creation.<\/p>\n

I therefore believe that rather than saying<\/p>\n