God's sovereignty over life and death

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Mar 18, 2021
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#1
I feel very strongly that God holds life and death in his hands regardless if we die in an accident, by someone elses hand on purpose, or by our own hand. That ultimately God know the hour of our death and he ultimately holds it his hands. Do you agree? Can you point to the scriptures to back it up? How can we answer those that our sure their lives are in their own hands through health, fitness and obedience to doctors? I mainly want any scriptures for God's sovreignty over life and death. thanks
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
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#2
The life of every living thing is in His hand, as well as the breath of all mankind. Job 12:10

For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. Psalm 36:9

‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ Acts 17:28a



Revelation 1:18 :)
 

oyster67

Senior Member
May 24, 2014
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#4
‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ Acts 17:28a
Yes, this was the first verse that popped into my head also.

The truth is that omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence is the very definition of our almighty creator. He is the source of all things. If one does not believe this and accept it by faith, then all is lost and we can go no farther.

As @Magenta pointed out, God speaks for Himself at the end of the book of Job.

Romans 1 shows us that all of creation attest to His sovereignty.

Romans
1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them.
1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
 
Mar 18, 2021
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#5
Then why are Christians scared to death of this virus and following draconian laws of masking up in church? Can we really justify that as not 'testing' God when there is so much evidence of manipulation of this virus? How do others feel about the guilt trips of holding other peoples lives in your hand when you don't mask up or get a vaccine? I can't bring myself to go to my small community church during this time due to the love of the physical life over the sovereignty of God. I feel compliance and obedience to government and legal authorities during this time is mis-guided but my community of Christian believers are dead set on the importance of obedience and safety. I feel so strongly these are the tools of the Anti-Christ and a pre-cursor to the Mark of the Beast. Am I wrong?
 
Jan 12, 2019
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#6
I feel very strongly that God holds life and death in his hands regardless if we die in an accident, by someone elses hand on purpose, or by our own hand. That ultimately God know the hour of our death and he ultimately holds it his hands. Do you agree? Can you point to the scriptures to back it up? How can we answer those that our sure their lives are in their own hands through health, fitness and obedience to doctors? I mainly want any scriptures for God's sovreignty over life and death. thanks
God knows the hour of our death, yes, since he is outside time.

But God does not decide whether you die or not. Sometimes death can happen "by chance", a phrase that appears a few times in the KJV.
 
Mar 18, 2021
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#7
Please provide scriptural references and expound more if you feel comfortable. I truly am interested in other perspectives
 

Deuteronomy

Well-known member
Jun 11, 2018
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#8
Hello @oceanbreeze, here's a verse that came to mind for you to consider.

Matthew 10
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.​

~Deut
p.s. - and here's a passage from the Psalms as well.


Psalm 139
1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.
3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, You know it all.
5 You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
12 Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
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#9
Then why are Christians scared to death of this virus and following draconian laws of masking up in church?
Good question. All Christians and Christian churches should have totally ignored the mandates of governments based upon nothing more than FEAR-MONGERING. Had all churches agreed on this, and jointly told all governments that they would not be allowed to dictate how Christians meet to worship, it could have made a huge difference.

You are quite correct in saying that Christians should not have the fear of death at all. Every person's lifespan is predetermined by God, and for the Christian "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord".
 
Mar 18, 2021
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#10
thank you Nehemiah 6, I feel like I'm in a part of the world that just doesn't get it at all. The folks I grew up with and the state I live in is under a super leftist spirit and even one of my best friends that prayed me to the Lord in my youth raised her kids on obedience and safety. Although it can be argued that meant obedience to the Lord I think the lines got super blurred with any earthly authority and now I fear the anti-Christ will use our bent toward obedience with safety and guilt people into doing things they never would have or don't even think are offending the Lord and His sovereignty. It gets lonely when you realize that your life long friends and even family don't see the urgency that God is testing who we worship. Who is number one. We think He is but we cling to comfort and our earthly life and can't imagine our loving Lord would test us or disrupt our comfort and safety. It's all very spiritual dangerous.
 

tribesman

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2011
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#11
I feel very strongly that God holds life and death in his hands regardless if we die in an accident, by someone elses hand on purpose, or by our own hand. That ultimately God know the hour of our death and he ultimately holds it his hands. Do you agree? Can you point to the scriptures to back it up? How can we answer those that our sure their lives are in their own hands through health, fitness and obedience to doctors? I mainly want any scriptures for God's sovreignty over life and death. thanks
You're unto something here. Expect the free-will crowd to have objections.

1 Samuel 2

3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.
9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

Ecclesiastes 3

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
 
Mar 18, 2021
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#12
thank you tribesman. all very excellent. I don't want to appear proud before my friends and in reality I'm not. I can be easily dismissed as a lunatic. It shouldn't bother me and most times it doesn't as I'm in good company. The world as it is crucified a sinless man/God and thought themselves justified as even Saul and a few generations of Roman emperor's had no problem putting to death these lunatic Christ followers, this 'sect'. We are friends with the world if we bathe in the fear they sell. Why are so many deceived. I love my state and home due to the physical beauty of it, but spiritually it is dead and very pagan. Please pray for me and if God want me to stay or go. thank you for all for the scriptures and just keep them coming. They are so encouraging
 
Mar 18, 2021
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#13
to tribesman, I just saw this phrase..."You're unto something here. Expect the free-will crowd to have objections." Can you expound on this more at your convenience? Lately I've been pondering if there is a difference between free will and free choice, but that could be a different topic off your point. Our wills ultimately should be surrendered to God but we still have it innately don't we? Free choice is choice of what is available or offered in accordance to our circumstance, our geography, our birth and cultural. We have to have free will to freely choose God but I sense you mean something more by this in line with my original question
 

tribesman

Senior Member
Oct 13, 2011
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#14
to tribesman, I just saw this phrase..."You're unto something here. Expect the free-will crowd to have objections." Can you expound on this more at your convenience? Lately I've been pondering if there is a difference between free will and free choice, but that could be a different topic off your point. Our wills ultimately should be surrendered to God but we still have it innately don't we? Free choice is choice of what is available or offered in accordance to our circumstance, our geography, our birth and cultural. We have to have free will to freely choose God but I sense you mean something more by this in line with my original question
Beloved, you may read my posting history here where I in many posts expound on the will of man. Neither time nor circumstances allow me to recap same here and now. Me gotta goes.
 

JaumeJ

Senior Member
Jul 2, 2011
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#15
The children of God are not supposed to be raving intellectuals relying upon what is falsely called knowledge yet they are not to be spreading abject ignorance either.

All who believe, if you wish to attract non-believers to our Lord, refrain from all appearances of evil. Sometimes this means, thou you believe one thing, if it does no harm, it is recommended, not only permissible, to not demonstrate it to the non-believer. In other words, as believers we should wear the mask.

I began wearing one immediately when the pandemic was declared here in order, first, not to possibly give something of a disease to others, and, second, not to offend others for the sake of love. God is Love.

If you believe Jesus-Yeshua, have a heart.. it will cost you nothing, and it will bless you.
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
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#16
I think when a serial killer is hacking a way at numerous victims and then takes his own life ,this is all his own doing . He is taking other people's lives and he takes his own life .
 
Nov 26, 2012
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#17
Please provide scriptural references and expound more if you feel comfortable. I truly am interested in other perspectives
Here’s my perspective:
God created men and everything to adapt or die. That is the design. Good genes perpetuate. The weak and the lame are food for others or die before they can procreate. In a way the medical field directly opposes this design. In a broad sense the Creator does in fact control populations and can divert catastrophe, or allow it to happen. All life is brief compared to eternity. Something like COVID does what God designed. It thins the herd. Everybody wants to think God is micromanaging our lives, helping us to gain favour and thrive in this world. That’s not what I read, nor what I see. He has given the imagery to understand. We are the Body of Christ, those who are in Him. We are grafted, branches to the Vine. We are part of the Living Body of the Church. We are all cells in the Body, doing what cells do; keep the Body alive and healthy. Because we are joined by the Holy Spirit we are not unto ourselves. The Spirit can heal us because we are in the Body. My immune system can’t fight someone else’s illness. There are millions of cells in our bodies, all working in synchronicity. When there is an invader, large or small, it functions to defeat the threat. Some cells prematurely die. We accept it.

Now to answer your question more directly, should we be afraid because God is in control? You shouldn’t fear death, but you don’t have to embrace it either. God picks and chooses specific people in specific places to orchestrate His will. Everyone else is just another cell in the Body, expendable.
 

Platosgal

Active member
Mar 17, 2020
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#18
If one believes in the God of the Bible
We assume that they read the Bible in its entirety
The God of the Bible
Creates EVERYTHING
Is in control of Everything
Humans do evil and what man means for evil God Uses for good
So God knows everything
This temporary life on this disposable planet is a blink in eternity
Its absurd to question the sovereignty of the Creator God

Jesus came to help us think clearly
Live free
And fearless lives
So death has no hold on us no matter when it arrives
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
36,486
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#19
God knows the hour of our death, yes, since he is outside time.

But God does not decide whether you die or not. Sometimes death can happen "by chance", a phrase that appears a few times in the KJV.
Proverbs tells us that God controls "chance"

Proverbs 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap: but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD
 

Hevosmies

Well-known member
Sep 8, 2018
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#20
I'll throw another few verses at yall:

Ecclesiastes 7:17
Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

Psalm 55:23
But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.

Proverbs 10:27
The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be cut short.

My understanding on the topic based on all the scriptures: YES, we all have an expiration date, HOWEVER, if we live foolishly or are overly wicked, we might not make it to our expiration date.