WHO HAS RESISTED
GOD’S WILL?
So God has mercy upon
whom He will have
mercy and whom He
wills, He hardens. But
when I tell people that
this is how God operates,
they find fault with it.
They say that isn’t fair.
They say we are mere
puppets if this is the way
God operates. How can
God blame and punish
people for doing what
God Himself caused
them to do in the first
place? The Apostle Paul
got the same carnal-
minded criticisms of
God’s plan:
"You will say then
unto me, Why
does He [God] yet
find fault? For
who has resisted
His will [Greek:
boulema—‘resolve,
purpose, a
deliberate
intention’]?" (Rom.
9:19).
This is an amazing
Scripture. This Scripture
shows the difference in
attitude between those
who understand God’s
plan and will and those
who do not.
After explaining to the
Romans that God raised
Pharaoh up for a specific
purpose in God’s plan,
Paul foresees the
attitudes of his listeners.
They will reason that if
God is the One behind
our actions, and we are
totally incapable of doing
other than what He
determines we will do,
then WHY DOES HE FIND
FAULT WITH US WHEN
WE SIN?
First it is most important
that we look at and
understand the word
translated "will" in Rom.
9:19. It is not the usually
Greek word, which is
translated "will"
hundreds of times in the
New Testament. This
Greek word boulema is
used but twice in the
Bible, here in Rom. 9:19
and in Acts 27:43 where
it is translated "purpose."
So the question that Paul
is setting up is not "…
who has resisted His
will?" but rather, "who
has resisted His
purpose [His plan, His
intention]?"
To the question, "…who
has resisted His will?"
the answer is:
EVERYONE! But when
properly translated, to
the question, "who has
resisted His purpose?"
the answer is:
ABSOLUTELY NO ONE!
God has a will and God
has a plan and purpose
to reach that will. And no
small part of reaching
His desired will is to set
men against His will, just
as He did with Pharaoh.
But no one has ever
hindered God’s plan and
purpose in reaching that
goal and stated will.
God’s will, will be done
in His time.
So back to Paul’s
questioners: If God
causes us to do what we
do, and no one ever has
or ever can go against or
resist that purpose of
God, why does He blame
us when we sin? And
again, I will let Paul
answer, since the
question was directed to
him. But you know what?
Paul does not even deign
to answer their question.
That’s right, Paul
proposes the question
and then does not
directly answer it. He
considers the very
question itself too
demeaning, if not
blasphemous to answer.
Instead He says this:
"Nay but, O man,
WHO ARE YOU
that replies
against God?
Shall the thing
formed [that’s us]
say to Him that
formed it, [that’s
GOD] Why have
You made me
thus? Has not the
Potter [GOD]
power over the
clay [man], of the
same lump to
make one vessel
unto honour, and
another unto
dishonour?"
(Rom. 9:20-21).
GOD IS THE POTTER
AND WE ARE THE POT
Could anything be
plainer? God, the Potter,
does not owe an
explanation to the pot as
to why He made the pot
the way He desired! And
God desires to make
some pots honorable
and some pots
dishonorable. Why?
Because He is a mean
and nasty God? No,
because He has a plan, a
purpose, intentions, to
save all humanity in the
end. That IS THE "WILL"
OF GOD. And if you will
continue reading
chapters 10 and 11 of
Romans, you will plainly
see that those who are
lost along the way in
God’s plan will all be
saved in the end.
What is the conclusion of
the whole matter—and I
mean THE WHOLE
MATTER? How good of a
Potter is God? Will He
have to destroy most of
His pots for all eternity?
If God is the Potter and
we are the pot, how can
the pot be responsible
for ANYTHING?
This is God’s analogy, not
mine. Seriously, can a
pot be responsible for
anything?
GOD WILL SAVE ALL OF
HIS "POTS"
Not only will "ALL Israel
be saved" after God
brings them back from
the dead, but also all of
the Gentiles as well will
be saved. Let’s read it
together and believe:
"For God has
concluded them
all [both the
Israelites and the
Gentiles—see
verses 25-31] in
unbelief, that He
might have mercy
upon ALL. O the
depth of the
riches both of the
wisdom and
knowledge of
God? How
unsearchable are
His judgments,
and His ways past
finding out! For
who has known
the mind of the
Lord? Or who has
been His
counselor? Or
who has first
given to Him, and
it shall be
recompensed
unto him again?
For of Him, and
through Him, and
to Him, are all
things: to whom
be glory for ever.
Amen" (Rom.
11:32-36).
And so God knew exactly
what was needed to
make all of the disciples
change their wills, just as
He knew with Pharaoh.
God said that they would
change their wills and
forsake Jesus, and God
was not about to be
made a liar. Peter did
not even know what it
was that caused him to
deny Christ until the
"cock crew."
In our above example
with the disciples, not
only did they change
their emphatically stated
will, but, they did so
against their stated will.
Even when they willed to
change their will, they
did so against their
original desired will.
Peter did not want to
deny Christ. But he was
made to deny Christ by
the mere fact that the
alternative (fear) was
greater than his desire to
remain loyal. And so,
how was he "free" to
remain loyal? He wasn’t.
Peter was no more "free"
to not deny Jesus any
more than he was "free"
to be loyal in his original
choice. Both choices
were caused, and once
something is caused to
happen, it could never
had been otherwise.
Once the cause is set in
motion, the effect must
follow. This is true
Science and this is the
truth of Scripture.
Clearly God brought
about circumstances that
caused, made, forced,
Peter to do what he
didn’t want to do. How
then, can such a forced
will, be free? Peter did not
will to deny Jesus, but he
was clearly caused to do
so. This is an example of
how God causes men to
change their will even
when it is against their
initial will to do so. How
much easier and
unrecognizable are the
millions of choices we
make in which we very
willingly make the
decisions we do, because
they often appear to be
pleasant, profitable, and
desirable choices?
GOD NEVER CHANGES
But doesn’t God change
the way He operates
from time to time with
regards to man’s will? Let
God’s Word answer:
"And as a vesture
shall Thou fold
them up, and
they shall be
changed: but
THOU ART THE
SAME…" (Heb.
1:12).
"For I am the
Lord, I CHANGE
NOT…" (Mal. 3:6).
"Jesus Christ the
SAME yesterday,
and today, and
for ever" (Heb.
13:.
Now, had God
supernaturally
strengthened Peter’s
resolve to remain loyal
despite the tremendous
fear to give in, he would
have remained loyal,
because the greater
power will always be
dominant. And since God
is ALL mighty and ALL-
powerful He can
ALWAYS dominate.
One does not need to be
a rocket scientist to see
what God did in this
situation and all such
situations in the history
of the human race. First,
Jesus told His disciples
what they would do.
Then God brought about
the circumstances by
which they would have
to do what He said they
would do. Where is the
"free will" argument
against these facts? GOD USES OUR STUPID
WISDOM TO SHOW US
OUR FOLLY
Before conversion Peter
thought he possessed
free will:
"Peter answered
and said unto
Him, Though all
men shall be
offended
because of you,
YET WILL I NEVER
BE OFFENDED"
(Matt. 26:33).
Famous last words.
Jesus responded that
Peter had no more
freedom of the will to
stick by such a statement
than a donkey:
"Jesus said unto
him, Verily I say
unto thee, That
this night, before
the cock crow,
YOU SHALL DENY
ME thrice" (Ver.
34).
Peter again responds
from the pinnacle of his
presumed free will and
CORRECTS Jesus to His
face:
"Peter said unto
Him, Though I
should DIE WITH
THEE, YET WILL I
NOT DENY THEE.
Likewise also
said ALL THE
DISCIPLES" (Ver.
35).
And the rest is history.
When Peter was
confronted the third time
we read this:
"Then began he
to curse and to
swear, saying, I
KNOW NOT THE
MAN. And
immediately the
cock crew… And
he went out, and
wept bitterly"
(Matt. 26:74 &
75b). Free will?
Where? Give it up.
What about all of the
other disciples who also
thought they possessed
this power of free will
and self-determinism?
"But all this was
done, that the
Scriptures of the
prophets might
be fulfilled. Then
ALL THE
DISCIPLES
FORSOOK HIM,
AND FLED" (Matt.
26:56).
Free will? FREE will? FREE
WILL? Where? If you still
believe man has a will
that is "free" from
external and internal
causes, beyond his
control, then your
arguments are not with
me, but with God’s
Word. To be continued. SHALOM.

Hmmm! True what you said but not in entirety.God still gave humanity free will but just like a computer programme,the condition is there for if human will will clash with God's will,its the devine will of God that'll super impose the former.Thats just the best logical explanation.GOD even empower human will not to sin but dont people still commit sins? Recall its written that God does not allow us to be tempted such that there wont be a way out! My opinion...thanks

Swiftboy: Hmmm! True what you said but not in entirety.God still gave humanity free will but just like a computer programme,the condition is there for if human will will clash with God's will,its the devine will of God that'll super impose the former.Thats just the best logical explanation.GOD even empower human will not to sin but dont people still commit sins? Recall its written that God does not allow us to be tempted such that there wont be a way out! My opinion...thanks

Your analogy is not bad, but unfortunately it's not correct. Read the part 1&2 of this same topic i posted and also watch out for upcoming installment. God bless u sir.