The Immutability of God: Its Truth and Relevancy - Theodicy and God's Sovereignty

A while ago I offered a series of posts on the doctrine of God's Immutability (unchangableness) and after going back through some of it realized that more needed to be said.  In part 5 on Practical Implications, I discussed Brian McLaren's doctrine of God and showed its dangers.  However at the beginning I raised the question of process theology and openness theology and how their theology proper is in response to the question of theodicy.  Though what follows will by no means be exhaustive, I hope it does help us see that when tragedy strikes or when we suffer what we need is an immutable God, not a changing one.

Three fundamental theology proper issues are at stake here:  Sovereignty, Providence, and Immutability.  These must always go together.  We cannot adequately understand one without a fundamental understanding of the other.  For example, if God is Provident, then He cannot act unless He is Sovereign.  Likewise, to declare that God is Sovereign and always has been Sovereign means that He is Immutable: after all, He will never forfeit His Sovereignty.

Thus we can see direct application in each of these attributes.  God, being fully and completely Sovereign, can be trusted even in our most difficult of times.  Which would you rather want during your hardships, a weak God who loves us and wants to help, but can't, or a Sovereign God who, though His ways remains mysterious, will be glorified in the end and we will be the instruments by which He will be glorified?  The former defines evil as accidental, worthless, and we are left without hope.  The latter assures us of that though we may not understand, such suffering is not without purpose.  The former is a worthless God unable to intervene or comfort.  The latter is a powerful God who remains immanent and loving and in whom we can trust.

If God is Sovereign then we can trust.  Trust that though this world doesn't make sense, He is still in control of it.  Trust that though evil and injustice seems to rule the day, God is still on His throne.  Trust that the god of this world will be defeated.  Trust that evil will be judged.  Trust that God will be glorified in the end.  Trust that we are not here by accident.  Trust that God is pure and all that He allows and does is rooted in His holiness.

Only if God is Sovereign can we every trust in Him.  A weak, pathetic, I'm-too-loving-to-interfere, or I-wish-I-could-help-but-this-is-too-much-for-me God offers us no hope, comfort, or assurance.  This is why those who stubbornly get mad at God at the funeral home remain bitter with no comfort.  They have undercut themselves from a God who offers them comfort because He is in control.

We see this at the cross.  At the Garden, Jesus sought God's intervention.  He begged His Father to save mankind through another way, but God said no.  Jesus, knowing the brutal suffering He was about to suffer, did not recoil in fear or anxiety, but in trust.  Even at the cross Christ did not abandon God, but trusted God.  "Into your hands I commit my Spirit," He said trusting in God's Sovereign control.  There at the cross we saw the Sovereign holiness of God in judgement and at the same time we witness the Sovereign love of God in grace.

Process theology denies all of this.  They present a God who is always changing affirming two key doctrines:  God's love and our freedom.  Though this sounds good on the surface it is inconsistent with reality and bad biblical theology.  They argue that God is unaware of the future, unable to control it.  Furthermore, their answer to the philosophical conundrum, either God is good or God is sovereign but He cannot be both, is to affirm His goodness and love.  God does love us, but He cannot stop everything from happening.  Whether it be 9/11 or your cousin's deadly car accident.  God wanted to be able to stop it and loves us fully, but is unable to stop it.

Briefly let me note here that the highlighting of God's love and man's full and complete autonomy is not as consistent as it sounds.  Pelagian for sure, but certainly not biblical.  As a father (and it is no accident that God is pictured as a Father in Scripture) I love my children, but my love for them does not limit me in any way.  If my son is playing in the street and a car is coming I have one of two choices.  Either I can affirm his complete and full autonomy hoping that he will wise up and avoid the car and not play in the street again.  Or I can run an throw his autonomy to the side and save my son.  This is not to deny personal responsibility, only to emphasis that the love of God and man's liberty are not mutually exclusive.  If God loved us - truly loved us - then like any Father He would intervene and the only way He can intervene is if He is Sovereign.

So I would then add this.  Not only can we trust God because He is Sovereign, but we can be assured that because He is Sovereign, He must be love.  We are reminded here, yet again, that the attributes of God aren't a give and take but interact with one another.  A "loving" God who does not intervene, even at the cost of human liberty, is an indifferent God.  We cannot so simply choose one over the other. 


Theology - The Immutability of God:  Its Truth and Relevancy - Introduction (Part 1)
Theology - The Immutability of God:  Its Truth and Relevancy - Scriptural Foundation (Part 2)
Theology - The Immutability of God:  Its Truth and Relevancy - Scriptural Challenges (Part 3)
Theology - The Immutability of God:  Its Truth and Relevancy - Theological Challenges (Part 4)
Theology - The Immutability of God:  Its Truth and Relevancy - Practical Implications (Part 5) 
Theology - The Immutability of God:  Its Truth and Relevancy - Theological Applications (Part 6)





For more:
Sermon Podcast - October 10, 2010 - God is Sovereign  
Sermon Podcast - April 26, 2010 - The Immutability of God 
Sermon Podcast - November 29, 2009 - The Transcendence of the Gospel
GBC - Luther, Depression, and the Sovereignty of God  
GBC - MacDonald on the Sovereignty of God 
GBC - Charles Hodge on Sovereignty 
GBC - God's Sovereignty Defined:  AW Pink on God's Sovereignty 
Theology - Jim Wallis and Open Theism 
Theology - The Sovereignty of God  
GBC - Tony Evens on God and Purpose