The Ordinance of God

Summary: God’s arrangement speaks of His sovereignty in determining all things. Although human beings possess will, thoughts, and feelings as persons, they cannot determine the course of their own lives; everything has already been arranged by God for them.

Call to Action: We must use our thoughts, feelings, and will to learn to cooperate with God so that His will may be fulfilled in us.

Our title this time is the ordinance of God. What is meant by ‘ordinance’ is that everything has been arranged beforehand. There is no event that can be called ‘coincidental’. Whether great or important events, or small events that even escape human attention—such as a bird falling to the ground—all of these have been arranged beforehand. The ordinance of God means that everything that happens is arranged by God. Both great and small matters, both important and trivial matters in this universe, are all arranged by God. The Bible says that not a single bird falls to the ground apart from the will of the Father. The Bible even says that the hairs on our heads are all numbered by Him. This proves that God’s ordinance is extraordinary and extremely detailed.

Why is the matter of God’s ordinance important for us to discuss? This is because there is a concept that has generally prevailed in the Christian world, namely the view that bad events do not come from God; bad events come from the Devil. For example, the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, or other bad events that befall the children of God, such as accidents, disasters, being fired from work, and so on. Through this understanding, it is as if there are two forces governing events in the universe. If something evil happens, it comes from the power of the Devil. If something good happens, it comes from the power of God.

This concept or understanding is known as ‘dualism’. According to the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (second edition), page 357, dualism means an interpretation or understanding of certain events as a struggle between two opposing forces or two conflicting principles. According to this dictionary, Christian theology generally accepts this understanding of dualism as follows: it acknowledges God as the ultimate source of goodness, and acknowledges Satan as a fallen creature and the source of evil. Of course, there are variations of this dualistic understanding among different denominations. But essentially, Christian theology accepts the existence of two sources of power, acknowledging that the ultimate source of goodness comes from God, while the source of evil comes from the Devil.

In everyday life, the children of God who accept this dualistic understanding, whether consciously or not, will give thanks when good things happen in their lives, because they think God is at work in their lives. But when bad things happen, they find it difficult to give thanks, because they think they are “under attack by the Devil.” Such a believer will then rebuke or drive out the Devil for the bad events that occur in their life.

I will give a real example from a well-known pastor in the Christian world. Since it has been widely circulated on YouTube, I will mention his name, namely Pastor Niko Njotorahardjo. Pastor Niko rebuked or drove out Covid-19 as an attack from the Devil. From his attitude, his understanding of dualism is clearly visible. Because Covid-19 caused worship services in church buildings to be prohibited by the government at that time (as far as I remember, starting in March 2020), and

also caused an economic crisis, then Covid-19 must have come from the Devil. Is it true that Covid-19 came from the Devil? Or did it come from God with certain hidden purposes of God?

Let us continue our discussion of dualism. This dualistic understanding causes Christians to believe that there are two forces fighting in the universe. The good force is God, while the evil force is the Devil. Although all Christians certainly acknowledge God as the only incomparable power, the Devil, as an evil power, is still believed to be able to operate and occasionally attack human life. Why is the Devil given such a place, as if he can carry out his attacks according to his own will? Does the Devil have such ‘free will’ that he can act outside God’s control and occasionally launch his attacks? In Christian theology (the concept of dualism) that we have discussed earlier, it is as if the Devil is a “god” who has his own power apart from Elohim, even though he is certainly not omnipotent.

In my opinion, all these understandings about the Devil as if he were like “God” are caused by the doctrine of the fall of Lucifer, which has been widely accepted in the Christian world. The core of the doctrine of the fall of Lucifer is roughly as follows. Supposedly, there was an angel named Lucifer, meaning son of the morning, and this angel suddenly became proud and wanted to be like Elohim (Ezek. 28:2). Then he fell from heaven (Isa. 14:12), or was cast out of heaven by God and became the Devil, who is exceedingly evil. Furthermore, Lucifer supposedly drew one-third of the angels to rebel against God (Rev. 12:4). Of course, this story of the fall of Lucifer was embellished further, becoming a sensational drama. It is said that Lucifer was an angel of praise, a leader of worship in heaven. Some even say that his entire body was full of heavenly musical instruments…and so on…and so on. Thus goes the tale of Lucifer, which has been believed as truth in the Christian world.

Why do I call it a tale? Quite simply, because it is the fabrication of theologians in order to free God from responsibility for the existence of evil in the universe. These theologians think that Elohim is love; therefore, how could a loving Elohim cause evil to occur in the universe? So, as a solution, a “scapegoat” was sought for the existence of evil in the universe. By plucking verses here and there, the tale of the “fall of Lucifer” was formed and then believed by the majority of people in the Christian world.

Why do I say they pluck verses here and there? Because the verses cited above do not speak about angels at all. The context of Ezekiel 28 is the king of Tyre, a human being. Verse 2 explicitly states, “…though you are a man…”. Verse 13 even says, “You were in Eden, the garden of God…”. If one were to take this verse out of the context of the king of Tyre, it would be more fitting to apply it to Adam, because only Adam was in the Garden of Eden and then fell. But I do not wish to take this verse out of its context regarding the king of Tyre. On what authority do those theologians pluck these verses and apply them to a fabricated story of their own making about the Devil?

The same is true of Isaiah 14:1–23. All these verses speak about the king of Babylon. Why do those theologians dare to violate a very important principle of hermeneutics, namely the principle of context, and violate it in order to support the tale about the Devil that they have created? Likewise with Revelation 12:4, concerning the stars. The book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ and His church delivered to the apostle John in symbolic language (Rev. 1:1). And the stars are symbols of the sons of Elohim, not angels as heavenly beings. In Revelation 12:1, there is a woman (a symbol of the church) led by twelve stars, namely the sons of Elohim. Thus, in the book of Revelation, stars are symbols of God’s people—His sons.

We have discussed how theologians constructed a story about the “fall of the Devil” and then searched for verses to support the story they had already made. They took verses about the king of Tyre and the king of Babylon and applied them to a story they had previously fabricated. Although their aim in creating the story of the “fall of the Devil” was to remove God’s responsibility for the existence of evil, their actions clearly violate sound hermeneutical principles. What they did is commonly called ‘eisegesis’, that is, inserting their own understanding into the biblical text by plucking verses out of context to justify their own tale. Now we will do the opposite, namely ‘exegesis’, which means drawing out from the biblical texts an understanding of where the Devil comes from.

Let us begin with Genesis 3:1, which says, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Yahweh, Elohim, had made…” (ILT). It is stated here that the serpent is a creature that was made by Elohim. Who is the serpent in Genesis chapter 3? It is said that it can speak, has offspring (verse 15), and its food is the dust of the ground. We know that a physical serpent cannot speak. A physical serpent also does not eat dust. Therefore, the serpent described in Genesis chapter 3 is not a physical serpent.

Then who is this serpent? There are two passages of Scripture that speak about this serpent. First, Matthew 3:7, where John the Baptist said to the Pharisees and Sadducees, “…You brood of vipers…”. Then Jesus also said to the Pharisees and scribes, “You have the Devil as your father…” (John 8:44). The vipers that John the Baptist referred to are clearly not physical snakes, because physical snakes do not have offspring who are Pharisees and Sadducees. But since Jesus said that the father of the scribes and Pharisees was the Devil, it is clear that the serpent John the Baptist referred to was the Devil.

Second, Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 20:2 clearly state that the dragon (the great serpent or the ancient serpent) is the Devil. So if the serpent is the Devil, and the serpent was made by Elohim, then the conclusion is that Elohim created the Devil, or Elohim created Satan. The Devil was not a good angel who turned himself into an evil Satan. The Devil was evil from the beginning. John 8:44 says, “…he was a murderer from the beginning…”. First John 3:8 says, “…the Devil has been sinning from the beginning…”. Thus, the Devil was not originally good and then became evil due to pride, as in the theologians’ tale. Rather, the Devil was created from the beginning as an evil creature. The Devil has two titles: murderer and liar. When these titles are combined, the Devil murders humans by means of lies. That is why what we must beware of is the Devil’s lies. The Devil has even deceived the Christian world through theologians who teach that he was once a good angel, Lucifer.

Some may ask, how can Elohim, who is love, create a Devil who is so evil? I will try to explain this using Newton’s experiment called the Spectrum. Newton directed white sunlight into a prism, and the white light was dispersed into various colors like a rainbow. I used to remember it as MeJiKuHiBiNiU (red, orange, yellow…to violet). Let us liken the love of Elohim to the white light of the sun. Elohim, who is love (white light), creates / expands Himself / “disperses” Himself into “various colors.” When love is dispersed, it becomes goodness, justice, mercy, but also discipline, chastening, and painful formation. Thus, Elohim created the Devil to be an instrument in His hand to discipline, chastise, and shape His people. This is seen in the case of Job. The Devil did not have free will to attack Job at will. The Devil attacked Job only after God gave him permission. Therefore, the Devil is God’s servant. Here we also see the error of the concept of dualism.

We have explained how Elohim created the Devil with a purpose, namely as His instrument to discipline, chastise, and shape His people. The Devil cannot act at will without God’s command. The case of Job clearly shows that the Devil does not have free will. His will is governed by God according to His will. God is the One who governs everything according to His will.

Because of the concept of dualism we have discussed, many Christians do not want to believe that God is the One who made everything, God is the One who governs everything, God is the One who created everything. All of this is done so that He may be known and glorified by His creation. Romans 11:36 says, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.” There is nothing in this universe that can move, act, or plan anything outside of God’s control and ordinance. “For in Him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed His offspring’” (Acts 17:28). Elohim does not dwell in the universe; rather, the universe dwells in Elohim. That is why the universe moves in Him. He is the cause of all things. He causes everything to happen. He governs everything for His glory.

Isaiah 45:6–7 declares, “…I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity; I am the LORD, who does all these things.” For those who hold a dualistic concept, it is very difficult to accept this word of God. How can a loving God create darkness and create calamity? Even Amos 3:6 says, “…Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?” This means that God is the One who brings disaster upon a city.

For God’s chosen people, the explanation above should be sufficient to believe that God is the One who governs everything. There is no free will; no one has the power to determine the direction of his own life. Jeremiah 10:23 says, “I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.” Proverbs 21:1 also declares, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wills.” To Moses, God said, “I will harden whom I will harden, and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.” That is why Paul said, “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16).

Job is a good example of one who acknowledged God’s omnipotence—that God is the One who governs everything, that God is the One who gives and takes away. Many Christians, even denominational leaders, do not acknowledge that God who gives is also the God who takes away. Meanwhile, the Bible clearly states that Job did not sin when he said, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away.” Job did not sin with his lips when he said, “…Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 1:10).

We have explained how Elohim created the Devil with a purpose, namely as His instrument to discipline, chastise, and shape His people. We have also seen several verses that explain God’s ordinance and the case of Job, so it can be concluded that in all these things, God is the One who governs, plans, and determines everything. Now we will look at the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Did Adam have free will? Was Adam’s fall due to his own will, or due to God’s will and His ordinance?

Let us look at Romans 8:20–21: “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” The context of these verses is glorification by faith. In the previous chapters, Paul has explained justification by faith and sanctification by faith. In the Christian world, many teachers emphasize justification by faith only, and almost never touch on glorification by faith. Yet the climax of salvation is when we, as His chosen people, experience glorification by faith.

Let us look at several extraordinary truths revealed in these verses. First, all creation has been subjected to futility NOT BY ITS OWN WILL, BUT BY THE WILL OF GOD. What is this futility? Futility is a TYPE OF LIFE (DEATH) symbolized by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The Book of Ecclesiastes explains this futility as something lived by humans “under the sun” or “under heaven.” Everything done by humans “under the sun” is futile. All humans live a futile life because all humans live the TYPE OF LIFE OF DEATH, because Adam ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

The question is: did Adam eat the fruit of that tree by his own will, or by God’s will? Pay close attention. Who plunged all humanity into this realm of futility? Look again at the verses above. If we observe them carefully, it becomes clear that THE LORD designed Adam and his descendants (all humanity) to fall into the realm of futility. ADAM DID NOT HAVE FREE WILL IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN, BECAUSE HIS FALL WAS THE WILL OF GOD. But God had a purpose. Let us move to the second point from the verses above.

Second, all creation fell into the realm of futility, BUT WITH HOPE. What hope? The hope that in His time, ALL CREATION WILL BE SET FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF CORRUPTION. Do you see God’s astonishing arrangement here? All creation was subjected to the realm of futility through Satan, as A SERVANT OF GOD, so that all creation might experience the bitterness of the realm of death. Then, in His time, all creation will also experience the sweetness of the LIFE OF CHRIST.

Why did God subject all creation to the realm of futility (the realm of death), which is ruled by Satan (Hebrews 2:14)? Because how can one know sweetness if one has never tasted bitterness? Sweetness cannot be called sweet if there is no bitterness. Something cannot be called something if there is no opposite to it. That is why God designed the fall of Adam and all his descendants so they would experience the bitterness of the type of life of death. Then, when Jesus came and gave the type of life of Christ (ZOE)—symbolized by the tree of Life—humanity could give thanks and glorify God. There is still a third point from the verses above that is no less important.

Third, God uses His chosen people (the firstfruits) to liberate all creation from the realm of futility. In the Christian world, many are called, but few are chosen. Those who receive grace to be called, chosen, and faithful are the ones God will use to liberate all creation into the realm of glory. Have you seen God’s arrangement in all of this?

Let us look at God’s arrangement in the creation of humanity and His plan for mankind. Many Christians believe that Adam and Eve had free will, and they also embrace the doctrine of the fall of Satan, making the story of the Garden of Eden somewhat touching, or perhaps tragic. How could it not be? When God created Adam and Eve in His image and likeness and gave them free will to choose, then Adam and Eve chose to listen to Satan, the creation fell and everything became chaotic. Then, hastily, as an “emergency measure,” God planned the redemption of humanity through the death of Jesus on the cross. And according to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination, God chooses some to be saved, while others are left to eternal hell forever. That is roughly the story believed by the majority in the Christian world.

This story is believed by the majority of Christians because they do not understand God’s arrangement. Let us look at God’s plan and God’s arrangement in the creation of humanity. Genesis 1:26–27 (ILT) says: “And Elohim said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea…’ And Elohim is creating man in His image…” These verses are still only God’s plan for humanity. When Adam and Eve were created and placed in the Garden of Eden, they had not yet fulfilled God’s plan at all, because Adam and Eve were still in an innocent condition (pure), meaning they were not yet holy, because they had not eaten from the tree of Life, and not yet sinful, because they had not eaten from the tree of knowledge. Adam and Eve were truly pure and did not yet know good and evil. Nor had they multiplied to rule over and subdue the entire earth.

Perhaps many Christians assume that when Adam and Eve were created, they were already in His image and likeness, because verse 27 says, “And Elohim created man in His image.” Actually, the Hebrew term translated ‘created’ is in the present progressive form, not the past tense. This means that the creation itself was still in process and not yet completed. In English, ‘created’ in this verse is IS CREATING, not CREATED. Thus, God’s plan to process humanity into His image and likeness was still a long process. And God used two trees in the Garden of Eden to process humanity. Both trees had to be eaten by humans so that humans could become in His image and likeness.

We have already discussed how God Himself designed Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge (Romans 8:20). Then, after Adam and his descendants experienced the bitterness of the realm of death, Jesus came to give the sweetness of the life of Christ. The life of Christ swallowed up death in such a way that ultimately all humanity would become in His image and likeness. Thus the plan of God for humanity is fulfilled.

Pay close attention again: when God said, “Let Us make MAN in Our image and likeness,” this plan CANNOT FAIL. Once God says, “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE AND LIKENESS,” it must surely happen. Isaiah 55:11 affirms: “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish what I desire, and it shall succeed in what I send it to do.” WHAT I DESIRE and WHAT I SEND IT TO DO—this is God’s arrangement that cannot fail.

We have briefly explained God’s arrangement in the creation of humanity. Once God says, “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE AND LIKENESS,” it must happen. God did not say, “Let Us make SOME HUMANS in Our image and likeness.” For if we follow Calvinist doctrine, then indeed only some chosen humans will become in His image and likeness, while others perhaps will become in the image and likeness of Satan, the inhabitant of hell.

May we see God’s arrangement in the creation of humanity. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN ARRANGED BEFOREHAND. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN PLANNED BEFOREHAND. Even Adam’s fall was arranged, and even the death of the Lamb was prepared beforehand. Young’s Literal Translation states: “…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).

Let us look further into the issue of human free will, which has been so deeply believed by the majority of Christians. We have discussed Romans 8:20, which affirms that humanity’s fall (Adam’s fall) into the realm of futility was not by his own will, but by the will of Him who subjected it. Thus, even in the Garden of Eden, Adam did not have free will. What about Adam’s will after he fell into the realm of futility? We know that this realm of futility, symbolized by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, is actually the type of life of death ruled by Satan (Hebrews 2:14). How can we speak of human free will in this realm of futility ruled by Satan? The Bible says that humans are dead in sin. Thus, Satan and evil spirits govern human life, insofar as God allows. Even Satan is not free to do anything to humans unless God commands him to do so.

The conclusion is clear: humans do not have free will. But why must humans be responsible for their actions? The answer is because God established the law of sowing and reaping in this realm of futility. Even though Adam’s fall was not by his own will, what Adam sowed is what he had to reap. That is why Adam could be held accountable and had to reap what he himself sowed.

Then Jesus came and gave His Life (John 10:10), symbolized by the tree of Life. If a person lives by His Life, there is freedom. Jesus said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). This freedom, according to the context, is freedom from the bondage of sin—freedom from the bondage of Satan—not freedom in the sense of having free will. For even in the realm of the Life of Christ, humans (God’s chosen people) do not have free will. But humans (His chosen people) have and experience freedom in carrying out His will.

Consider Isaiah 7:15: “He will eat curds and honey until he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good.” This verse applies to one called Immanuel. It means that this chosen one of God will continually receive grace to enjoy God’s love and goodness, so that he is enabled to refuse evil and choose good. Again, this does not mean that humans (the one called Immanuel) have free will, but by the grace of God, the will of His chosen people, which was once dead and enslaved by Satan, is now enabled to choose or carry out God’s will, in freedom.

Why do we firmly say that humans, whether they live the life of the “tree of knowledge” or the life of the “tree of Life,” still DO NOT HAVE FREE WILL? Because if free will truly existed, then the OMNIPOTENCE OF ELOHIM WOULD CEASE. If Elohim truly gave free will to a creature—whether Satan or humans—and He could no longer arrange or exercise control over that creature, then He would cease to be the omnipotent Elohim. And this is impossible. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ELOHIM TO GIVE FREE WILL TO HIS CREATURES, BECAUSE IF THIS HAPPENED, ELOHIM WOULD CEASE TO BE HIMSELF. Therefore, the conclusion again is that THERE IS NO FREE WILL. The idea or concept of “free will” exists only in the minds of philosophers who are one step away from denying the existence of God. Sadly, this concept of free will has been adopted into Christianity.

We will conclude this brief discussion of God’s arrangement by talking about His arrangement for those who are called, chosen, and faithful (Revelation 17:14). This verse speaks of those who are with the Lord Jesus, waging war and overcoming. They overcome in battle because, in God’s arrangement, they receive grace not only to be called, but also to be chosen and faithful. Because the church has fallen into thousands of denominations, God calls His overcomers (Revelation 2–3).

In Calvinist teaching, summarized in TULIP, we are taught about ‘Unconditional Election’, that some people, by God’s sovereignty (will) and not by their own condition, are chosen to be saved and will be with the Lord Jesus in heaven forever. And those who are not chosen will go to eternal hell forever. Let us see what the Bible says. First, the Bible says that those who will be with the Lord Jesus to wage war and overcome are those who are CALLED, CHOSEN, AND FAITHFUL. In this fallen Christian world, many are called, but few are chosen. Second, the Bible says that this war continues until every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord. And Jesus also assures that He will DRAW ALL PEOPLE TO HIMSELF (John 12:32). And the last enemy to be destroyed by Jesus and His overcomers is DEATH, as the wages of sin. For the wages of sin is death, not eternal hell, as taught by Augustine, Calvin, and even the majority of Bible teachers today.

We now affirm that those who are called, chosen, and faithful are those who, through God’s arrangement, are ENABLED to live as the called, chosen, and faithful. This is purely God’s DECISION in His arrangement to grant grace to those who are called, chosen, and faithful—not by human effort, not by human response, and not by human FREE WILL.

I will close this exposition by reminding us: “For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring’” (Acts 17:28, ILT). Paul spoke these words when he was evangelizing the Athenians. Thus, whether the Athenians believed or not, Paul affirmed that WE ALL live, move, and exist IN HIM. Elohim does not dwell in the universe; rather, the universe and all humanity dwell, move, and exist IN HIM. This means that it is not HUMAN FREE WILL that determines everything, but God’s arrangement that determines all things. This does not mean that humans do not have will as persons, but that humans do not POSSESS FREE WILL to determine the direction and course of their lives. ALL IS GOD’S ARRANGEMENT. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN ARRANGED BY GOD. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Amen.