Chalke Talk 53: Does God always get his own way?

A provocative question no doubt, and one that has been, and continues to be, seen as an affront to God’s authority. But, as Steve explores this week, contending that God has ultimate control over what happens reflects poorly on God’s character considering how many horrible things happen in this world.

The way to think around that? Steve argues it’s free will. The same reason we can make a choice to live our lives following the example of Jesus is the same reason we can make a choice not to. Because we all have free will, sometimes God doesn’t always get what he wants. That’s not a challenge to his authority.

Steve finds there to be evidence of this across the Bible, but one example, in particular, is when Jesus taught his followers to pray: "Our Father, your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven." “There is a future tense to Jesus's words… he knows that this is something to work towards but which is not a reality yet. We live in a world where God’s will is clearly not yet done ‘as it is in heaven’. And this is what we wrestle with each day of our lives," Steve argues. 

So what does this mean for each of us? Is God omnipotent? Is God in control of everything? Is God sovereign? Do you agree or disagree? How do you think the world works, and what is our role in it?