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The purpose of this blog is to keep friends, family and support team members up to date on the progress of ministry at Christ Community Church (PCA) and of the things that we are learning in the process. Please take some time to read through a few of the posts.

- Zack Carden

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008

God Does Not Fail

One of my former students told me that, in her first year at a certain Christian college, she realized the stark differences between the theologies of Christian denominations. The professor who spoke in her Bible class told her that, over the course of the semester, the class would study God's attempts to save Man. At this point she raised her hand and asked (more testified), "When does God ever attempt something that He cannot do?" Good question.


This morning I was reading the first chapter of Romans and came across a verse that I have probably read over at least a thousand times. In verse 2 (and part of 3), Paul states that the gospel was one "which he promised beforehand through his Prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son," Basically what Paul is saying here is that the gospel is plan A not plan B.
There are some who believe that the Old Testament records the history of God's failed attempts to save His people. After Adam, He tries with Noah. After Noah, He tries with Abraham. After Abraham He tries with Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, etc. Then He spells out His expectations through Moses. Once again the people fail. So God sends the Judges and they fail. He sends the Kings and they fail. He sends the Prophets and they fail. So finally the people go into exile. Once they come out of the exile they still get it all wrong. So finally God decides to send His Son. This is not the correct view of the history of salvation. Paul has said that the point of Scripture is to point to the gospel. That is why, immediately after the fall of Adam, God promises the coming of the Messiah in in Genesis 3:15.
So why is all of this important? Because one view says that God fails and the other doesn't. If God fails and failed over and over with His people, then He is bound to fail with you. When you can't overcome your nagging sins, your furious doubts even after He has tried over and over to reform you, this theology says that He might eventually fail you.
Of course we know that is not true. God never fails. Though many of us would claim we believe the theology that God does not fail, I think that in practice we tend to believe the theology that says that God does fail. We just don't admit it.
We did not get a contract on our house on the 26th. Did God fail? No. He just decided that His will is different from mine. Whenever we submit our requests to God, they must always be contingent upon His Will. He is a good God and He intends to do us good. Scripture testifies that no father, when his child asks for an egg, will give the child a snake instead. Instead, God is a father who likes to give good gifts to His children. Yet, we can only hope that timing will match ours.
I have no doubt that the Lord will allow our house to sell. Will it be in the time that I think it should be sold? Probably not, but I can still ask, as long as I don't view God's disregard of my timing preferences as "failure" on His part.
Keep praying that we will have a contract soon and pray with hope that God will provide one, not only to we who are getting ready to start a new adventure in a different town, but for others you know who are about to do the same.



2 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Zack and Tennyson,

I think of you every day and pray for you all--especially now as you are seeking to live as 1 in 2 different cities. We pray that God will not tarry in providing a buyer for your home. We pray that your new job, Zack, is a blessing to you and your family. We miss you all so much already!!! Please let us know any way that we can help you during this time of being apart.

With much love and heartfelt compassion for you all!
Elizabeth Davis

P.S. This will probably say it was posted by buster--a pseudonym I used to use in blogging days gone by.

AL KAHUNA said...

Great blog, thanks for posting