Does God cause or does He simply permit the events and happenings that come to us in our lives? In answer to these questions, we must consider that there are two sorts of happenings in the lives of believers.

1. There are universal happenings that come upon all men and upon all of a group of men. Rain, earthquakes, occur to all those living local to the event. Then there are events that occur at the hands of certain governments over all those of a particular nation.

⁴⁵ That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45 (KJV)

2. Then there are the personal situations and circumstances that occur in our lives individually. These are most often rooted in our decisions and choices that have their natural consequential result. We see this in the ‘law of sowing and reaping’ as Paul describes here below.

⁷ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for Whatsoever a Man Soweth, That Shall He Also Reap. ⁸ For he that soweth to his flesh [fallen nature] shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. ⁹ And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:7-9 (KJV)

Sadly, we all know of Christians that have made shipwreck of their lives [even after their salvation,] and this is of their own doing.

The following explanation only applies during today’s age of “the dispensation of the grace of God,”

in which in every case the wonder and the blessing is that God our Father is always at hand ‘working.’ He works in the lives of all believers for their eternal good, that we might “be conformed to the image of his Son.” All the happenings in our lives, regardless of our bad choices, are being used of God according to His eternal plan of the ages as it includes us individually.

²⁸ And we know that All Things Work Together For Good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For [those] whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30 (KJV)

¹³ For it is God Which Worketh In You both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians 2:13 (KJV)

⁶ Being confident of this very thing, that he [the Lord] which Hath Begun a Good Work In You will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ [Raptures us to heaven]: Philippians 1:6 (KJV)

God is not surprised and He is not reactionary to the events of and bad choices we make in our lives. He foreknows all things. As such, He uses all things in accord with His eternal purpose. Even when we make a wrong choice, which is sin, He is there living in our Spirit prompting us to now walk in accord with the revealed “word of truth [the Bible],” which is always correct for our “instruction in righteousness.”

¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV)

Does God Punish us for our bad and sinful choices? NO!

He let us reap the natural consequences of our choices that produce their rotten fruit to teach us. Then, His “word of truth” corrects our understanding of ourselves and of our situations, TEACHING US.

¹¹ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, ¹² Teaching Us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly [under self-control], righteously, and godly, in this present world; Titus 2:12 (KJV)

The above verses presuppose that we know His written “word of truth” as it applies to us personally as members of “His body.” It is only through reading and study of His word and by “rightly dividing” His “word of truth” that we clearly learn the way of the Christians life. Intelligized believers have learned how to live.

¹⁵ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)