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God’s Book: Who Really Writes Your Story?

Is life a series of unpredictable choices? Are we charting our own course through the universe with the mighty force of “free will”? Or… is everything — absolutely everything — part of a divine script written by God Himself?

Let’s take a close look at Psalm 139:16:

“Your eyes saw my embryo,
And my days, all of them were written in Your scroll;
The days were formed
when not one of them existed.”

Let that sink in. Before you breathed your first breath, before your heart beat for the first time, before you even existed — God had already written your entire life in His book. Every day. Every moment. Every breath. Nothing left to chance. Nothing left to “human free will.”

If God Wrote It, You Didn’t Choose It

If God wrote all your days before even one began, then it logically follows: you’re not the author. If your story is already penned, then what you do today — and every day — was scripted long ago by God Himself.

This verse alone topples the idea of autonomous human will. Why? Because you can’t rewrite what God has already written. You can’t erase or override the divine manuscript. It’s not your pen, not your plan.

But the psalmist goes even further: “the days were formed when not one of them existed.” In other words, God not only recorded the days — He shaped them. He crafted them from nothing, designing the details of your life before you took your first step.

Choices? Yes. But Whose?

“But I make choices every day!” someone might argue.

Yes — you do. But those choices are part of the script. They were preordained. You’re not steering the ship — you’re following the course God set before you were born.

Need more biblical backup? Let’s jump to Romans 9:11–13:

“For, not yet being born, nor having done anything good or evil,
that the purpose of God may remain according to choice,
not out of acts, but of Him who is calling…”

Before Jacob and Esau were even born — before they had a chance to choose good or evil — God had already chosen their roles. Jacob was loved. Esau was hated. Their destinies weren’t decided by merit or morality, but by the sovereign choice of God.

This flips the modern narrative on its head. We like to think we earn favor, make decisions, control outcomes. But Scripture shows us otherwise: our acts are not the cause of God’s choice — they’re the result of it.

The False Idol of Free Will

Still, many cling to the illusion of human control. Worse yet, they imagine that God must adapt His will to match our decisions — as if He’s reacting to us, playing divine chess against our so-called autonomy.

But that view doesn’t make man free — it makes man sovereign. And in doing so, it reduces God to a responder, not a ruler. That’s not theology — that’s idolatry.

Free will becomes the golden calf, the untouchable idol that steals glory from the One who gives life, breath, and all to all (Acts 17:25–26).

Evil, Death, and the Days God Formed

Now let’s revisit Psalm 139:16 one more time with open eyes.

If every day was formed by God — then that includes days filled with evil, pain, and yes, even death. Have you ever lived a day untouched by struggle? Probably not.

But here’s the question: Could God form a day without accounting for evil in it?

Could He form your days without already knowing — and allowing — the moment you die?

No. Because Scripture teaches that God gives life and takes it. He is the one who gives breath, and He is the one who calls it back. If God weren’t in charge of the timing of death, then death would be able to surprise Him. And nothing surprises God.

So if God determines your last breath… then He must also determine everything leading up to it.

Living the Script With Humility

This doesn’t mean we live like robots. It means we live as creatures, not creators. We act. We feel. We choose — but within the boundaries of God’s determined will.

God is the ultimate Placer. The supreme Author. The sovereign Subjector. And we? We are the characters in His unfolding story. Living it out day by day, whether we know it or not.

So let’s give God His rightful place — and live with the humble joy that everything is of God. Every trial. Every triumph. Every tear. Every breath.

He wrote the book. We’re living the story.

Another clear example in Scripture of God planning human disobedience is the case of Judas Iscariot.

We can all agree that it was God’s intention for His Son to die on the cross to save humanity. For that purpose to be accomplished, Judas’ betrayal was necessary.

So, was Judas using his so-called “free will” when he betrayed Jesus, or was he carrying out a role purposed by God to fulfill Scripture?

During the Last Supper, Jesus quoted Psalm 41:9, saying:

“He who is eating bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.” (John 13:18)

He added, “I am aware whom I choose, but this is happening so that the Scripture may be fulfilled.”

Judas disobeyed God and betrayed God’s Son, yet the betrayal was foretold in Scripture centuries before Judas was even born. Jesus explicitly said Scripture “must be fulfilled,” and Scripture said Judas would do exactly what he did. Therefore, this act of disobedience was planned by God before Judas’ birth to lead Christ to the cross.

God planned it. Jesus knew it. Judas could do nothing else.

In fact, Jesus told Judas directly, “What you are doing, do more quickly.” (John 13:27) Judas had to betray Jesus because it was written, and God had purposed it. To add to this, Satan entered Judas to carry out this act. If Satan is actively influencing a man, how can that man truly be free?

Once again, we see that God planned disobedience to fulfill His purpose. God decides His purposes beforehand and orchestrates the circumstances of a person’s life to bring about the decisions they make at the appointed time.

Thus, human disobedience does not prove “free will.” Instead, it fulfills the sovereign purpose of God.

The Law

God gave Israel the Law, written on stone tablets, and commanded them to obey it. Yet, as history shows, Israel failed miserably in keeping the Law, which included far more than just the Ten Commandments—it governed every aspect of their lives.

Did God truly intend for Israel to keep the Law perfectly? No.

The apostle Paul makes it clear that it is impossible for humans to fulfill the Law in a way that would justify them before God:

“Therefore, by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20)
“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did…” (Romans 8:3)

Though the Law is holy and righteous, God never intended for Israel to achieve righteousness through it. Instead, the Law was given so that Israel would recognize their sinfulness and their need for a Savior.

The Law remains God’s standard, but its purpose is to reveal sin and point us to the righteousness of God found in Jesus Christ alone. The Law was never given as a ladder for man to climb to prove his own righteousness.

As Paul explains:

“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24)

God commanded Israel to obey a Law He knew they could not keep so that they would see their need for the One who could—Jesus Christ.

If Israel or humanity could have achieved the righteousness demanded by the Law, there would have been no need for Jesus. God planned for human disobedience to reveal humanity’s need for the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This plan was established long before Israel even existed, for Revelation 13:8 declares that Jesus was “slain from the foundation of the world.” Human disobedience has allowed God to showcase His righteousness and love through Christ to the world.

Thus, human disobedience is not proof of “free will.” It is evidence of God’s sovereign plan.

Romans 9 further confirms this truth: while man may disobey God’s stated commands, no one can oppose God’s ultimate purpose. Not a single human can act outside of what God has planned for them to do.

Stop the Phony Dance: Paul’s Rebuke to the Galatians and Today’s Christians

This is a continuation of my previous article titled The Christian Phony Dance Between Law and Grace. Let’s turn to the apostle Paul and hear how he addressed this very issue nearly 2,000 years ago:

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was graphically portrayed as crucified. I want to know just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
— Galatians 3:1–3 (paraphrased)

Let’s pause here.

Why did Paul remind the Galatians of Christ’s crucifixion? My view is this: Paul wanted to shake them awake. Anyone who had truly grasped the horror and beauty of Christ’s death should understand what that death achieved—it wasn’t merely a symbolic gesture. It was the very means by which we receive the Spirit of God.

Grace Begins—and Ends—with Christ

Paul isn’t vague. He draws a stark contrast: you receive the Spirit by faith, not by keeping the law. In Romans 3:20, he already laid the foundation—no one will be justified by works of the law. That message doesn’t change here.

When we receive God’s Spirit, it’s not so we can now try harder to earn what Christ already died to give. It’s so we can understand and enjoy what has already been freely granted. As Paul wrote elsewhere, “We received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit from God, so that we may know the things graciously given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

The Galatians had believed this truth. Then something tragic happened. They reverted—back to rules, back to striving, back to human effort. Paul’s words aren’t gentle here. He calls this foolishness. Because it is.

Starting in the Spirit, Ending in the Flesh?

Paul’s question cuts through time: “Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being completed in the flesh?”

What’s he saying? Simply this: If salvation began with Christ’s work, why would you think it needs your work to finish it?

That same warning applies today. Many Christians confidently claim, “Christ saved me,” but then add, “Now I must fight sin with God’s help.” Sounds spiritual, right? But it’s dangerously misleading.

Let’s break it down. If Christ made it possible for you to be saved, and now you must cooperate, strive, and prove yourself—then who, ultimately, finishes the work? You.

But that contradicts the Gospel. It is not Christ plus your victory over sin. It is Christ alone. Full stop.

When someone says, “You just have to overcome your sin—with God’s help,” what they’re really saying is: “You still need to complete your salvation in the flesh.” That is a denial of the cross, even if wrapped in spiritual-sounding language.

You Don’t “Fight” for a Gift You Already Have

Jesus didn’t come to be your “co-pilot.” He didn’t come to assist you in overcoming sin. He overcame it. On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” He meant it.

Let’s make this practical. It’s humanly impossible to be truly motivated by grace while still believing you need to earn or prove your salvation. If you think the prize is still up for grabs, your behavior will always be driven by fear or performance—not by love and gratitude.

Imagine this: A Christian says, “Christ saved me,” but believes they must now overcome sin to prove they’re truly saved. Their focus inevitably shifts away from Christ’s finished work and toward their personal struggle. Their salvation becomes something to verify through moral performance, rather than something to celebrate as already won.

True grace changes that. It removes the burden of earning. It removes the fear of failure. Only when you know that you already have the prize can your motivation flow from genuine love and thankfulness—not obligation.

The Spirit Versus the Flesh

Paul teaches that God gives us the Spirit as a gift, grounded in Christ’s work—not ours. The Spirit is not a reward for effort. It is a seal of what Christ has already done.

And so, the Christian life isn’t about finishing what Christ started. It’s about resting in what He finished, and living in response to that reality. That’s what the Spirit empowers us to do: not to “complete” our salvation, but to walk in awareness of it.

Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are not merely tools to help you improve your life. They are your life. They are the source, the means, and the guarantee of your salvation.

Any attempt to “maintain” or “perfect” your salvation by your effort—even “with God’s help”—is flesh. It denies the sufficiency of the cross. It places confidence back in man instead of God. It may sound holy, but it’s hollow.

In Conclusion: Stop the Phony Dance

Let me say it plainly:
Any teaching that says, “You must overcome sin with Christ’s help,” is a denial of what Christ has already done. It turns grace into wages. It makes the cross insufficient. And it robs you of the joy of salvation.

Salvation is not Christ plus effort. It’s Christ, period.
We live in light of that—not to earn it, not to prove it—but because it is ours.

That’s real grace.
That’s the Spirit.
And that’s the end of the phony dance.

Does Human Disobedience Prove ‘Free Will’?

Many people claim that Adam and Eve made a “free will” choice in the Garden of Eden. But let’s pause for a moment: Where exactly does Scripture say that God gave humanity this so-called “free will” to begin with? Nowhere. So why do people assume it?

The usual answer is this:

“Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the tree. They had a choice, and they chose wrongly. This proves free will.”

Okay, fair enough. They disobeyed. But does that truly prove human free will?

Think about what’s being claimed: the fact that God’s creatures can oppose His stated will somehow proves that humans are free in their decision-making. But what if I could show you from Scripture that God sometimes intends for humans to do the exact opposite of what He commands? What if I could show you multiple examples where God plans human disobedience to fulfill His purpose? What would that prove?

It would prove that human disobedience does not prove human free will at all. In fact, it proves the opposite.

The Greatest Act of Disobedience—Planned by God

Take the crucifixion of Jesus, for example. Acts 4:27–28 (CLV) states:

“For of a truth, in this city were gathered against Thy holy Boy Jesus, Whom Thou dost anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the nations and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy counsel designates beforehand to occur.”

Let’s break this down:

• Herod, Pilate, the Roman soldiers, and the people of Israel all conspired to murder God’s Son.
• This was the ultimate act of disobedience, violating God’s commandments and expressing complete hatred toward Him.

Clearly, they were exercising their “free will,” right?

Not so fast. Verse 28 says that all of these people did what God’s counsel had determined beforehand would happen. If God decided in advance that this would occur, then Pilate, Herod, the Jews, and the Gentiles were not free to do otherwise. Their “choice” was the necessary means God used to bring Jesus to the cross to save humanity.

Without this act of disobedience, there would have been no cross, and without the cross, there would be no salvation. This sin—this disobedience—was not random, but essential in God’s plan.

It wasn’t human free will at work. It was God’s will being accomplished through human disobedience.

And here’s the kicker: by definition, “free will” would require the ability to make choices free from all outside influence. Yet how can an act be “free” when God determined it beforehand?

Joseph’s Brothers: A Sin That Saved a Nation

Now let’s look at Joseph and his brothers.

In Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells them:

“You devised evil against me, yet Elohim, He devised it for good in order to accomplish, as at this day, to preserve many people alive.”

Joseph’s brothers plotted to kill him, sold him into slavery, and lied to their father—Israel himself. It’s a heartbreaking betrayal, and if you haven’t read the full account in Genesis, you should. It’s a wild story.

Here’s the short version:

• Joseph’s brothers, burning with jealousy, planned to murder him but instead sold him to slave traders.
• Joseph was taken to Egypt, where he eventually rose to become the second most powerful man under Pharaoh, managing the food supply during a devastating famine.
• The famine hit Israel’s family, forcing them to come to Egypt to buy food.
• Joseph, the brother they betrayed, ended up saving them and the entire nation of Israel—the very family line through which the Savior would come.

Now, ask yourself: Was it God’s plan to raise Joseph to power to save Israel during the famine? Absolutely.

But here’s the money question:
Would Joseph have risen to power in Egypt if his brothers hadn’t sinned by selling him into slavery?

Of course not.

God could have chosen a different way, but He chose to fulfill His purpose through their sin. The brothers’ disobedience was part of God’s plan, just as Joseph later told them: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

Their act was evil, but it was not an act of “free will” in the sense of being independent from God’s influence. God orchestrated their disobedience to preserve Israel, ensuring the arrival of the promised Savior.

The Conclusion: Only One True Free Will

These examples reveal a profound truth:

Disobedience does not prove human free will. Instead, it proves that God alone possesses true free will.

Humans sin, and they will be judged and corrected. Yet even in their rebellion, they fulfill God’s perfect plan, revealing His sovereignty over every detail—even disobedience.

So the next time someone claims, “Adam and Eve’s disobedience proves free will,” you can confidently ask:

“Or does it prove that even human disobedience serves the unstoppable will of God, who alone holds true freedom over all His creation?”

Christianity is a religion, but the cross of Christ is not. In fact, the cross is where religion—and everything else—comes to die. The cross marks the end of all religion, all striving, all human attempts to reach God on our own terms.

Think about it: the cross ends all the foolish stories people cling to, the political bets of emperors like Constantine, the imagined competition between God and Satan, the wars between religions, and the petty divisions between humans. The cross is the end of the old humanity, bringing everyone into the new creation in Christ.

Many people tragically limit the accomplishment of Christ on the cross by saying, “Christ made it possible for us to be saved if we believe or live right.” What blatant disrespect for what Christ truly achieved! To claim that His victory is only potential until a “mighty human” adds their faith, free-will choice, or good deeds reduces the cross to a conditional offer, rather than a finished triumph.

But the truth is, Christ ended sin on the cross (John 19:30). He ended the old humanity, and it is done—finished, just as He said. There is no human action that can undo the salvation Christ has accomplished. No effort, no law-keeping, no striving can add to what Christ completed through His death for sin, His burial, and His resurrection.

Picture it: the Christian religionist looks at the brutal torture and death of Christ and self-righteously asks, “What must I do to be saved?” Meanwhile, the believer looks at the cross and says, “Look at what has been done to save me.” Christ dealt with sin once and for all, and no sin will keep any of God’s creatures separated from Him forever. Christ saves us—not our righteous living, not our avoidance of sin, not our faith or actions. Christ alone saves.

As Romans 5:18-19 clearly states, the same “all” who were condemned and died in Adam are the “all” who are justified and given life in Christ. All humanity is justified and saved by the obedience of the One—Jesus Christ—not by the obedience of any other man or woman as religion claims. The work of salvation has been fully accomplished by Christ for all creation.

God gives faith to those He saves first—the firstfruits—and then, through judgment, the rest will come to the realization of what Christ has completed on the cross. In the end, all are saved by Christ’s finished work. This is the true, scandalous, and glorious message of the cross.

How God Uses Evil to Bring Salvation

As mentioned before, in order to truly become children of God, we must come to know both good and evil. That’s why God created the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In Hebrew, the word for “evil” is ra, and its root, according to Strong’s Concordance (#7489), is ra’a, which means “to ruin by breaking into pieces.”

The Purpose of Evil: To Break Us for Good

This word origin reveals something profound: God created and uses evil for a divine purpose—to break us. Not to destroy us, but to remake us. Through this “breaking,” we are emptied of self so we can fully depend on God. It is in the end of self that true knowledge of God through Christ Jesus begins.

Salvation, for all creation, comes through Christ’s death for sin, His burial, and His resurrection. As 1 Timothy 4:10 says, “God is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers.” Let’s explore how God uses evil as a means to bring about salvation for both believers and unbelievers.

1. Evil Leads to the Believer’s Salvation

Believers receive a special salvation—as firstfruits (Romans 8:23). They are given faith by God to trust in the finished work of Christ. But that faith only comes after a breaking down of self. Believers must come to the painful realization that they cannot save themselves and are completely dependent on Christ for justification and righteousness.

God often brings His people through seasons of failure, loss, and hardship—not out of cruelty, but to strip away pride and self-reliance. It’s the “King Nebuchadnezzar experience”: a humbling that leads to the acknowledgment that all is of God.

The Example of Nebuchadnezzar

King Nebuchadnezzar once took credit for building Babylon. In response, God stripped him of everything, reduced him to eating grass like cattle, and left him there until he understood a vital truth:

“The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes.” – Daniel 4:17

Likewise, every believer must face a personal Nebuchadnezzar moment—a complete collapse of self-sufficiency—before recognizing that salvation is entirely God’s work, not ours.

2. Evil Leads to the Unbeliever’s Salvation

While believers are saved early by faith, unbelievers will be saved later through judgment. Many either reject God altogether or cling to some form of self-righteousness. Since they don’t yet recognize Christ’s completed work, God brings them through judgment—not to condemn them eternally, but to correct and transform them.

The Purpose of Judgment

Religion often teaches that judgment is eternal torment. But Scripture tells a different story. Judgment is correction, not vengeance:

“When Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” – Isaiah 26:9

God’s judgments are redemptive. He reveals to the unbeliever the evil of their rebellion, as well as the evil done to them, leading them to humility and ultimately salvation. Just as with believers, God uses evil experiences to bring unbelievers to an end of self, preparing them to receive the gift of Christ’s salvation.

3. Evil as Preparation for Glory

It’s important to remember that we are not saved because we overcome evil. We are saved solely by Christ’s finished work. But our evil experiences shape us. They prepare our hearts to appreciate the riches of grace. They help us understand what it means to be truly free, not by our efforts, but by God’s intervention.

We experience defeat so we can celebrate Christ’s victory.
We encounter sin and death so we can rejoice in their defeat.
We endure evil so we can marvel at God’s ultimate goodness.

4. Religion vs. True Faith

Religion often teaches that we must conquer evil and improve ourselves to be worthy of God. But that is self-effort masquerading as faith. True faith recognizes that our trials are not tests to prove ourselves—but tools God uses to reveal Himself. God doesn’t expect us to fix ourselves—He intends to rescue us.

As Philippians 2:13 reminds us:

“It is God who is working in you, both to will and to do according to His good pleasure.”

Even our will is God’s work, not our own.

Final Thought: The Endgame Is God’s Glory

Ultimately, salvation is about God becoming “All in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28). And every experience—good or evil—is leading us toward that glorious reality. God is shaping each one of us, through Christ, to fully reflect His glory.

Grace and peace to you all!

Understanding the origin and purpose of evil is essential in knowing the one true God. Not understanding that God created evil for a specific, good purpose allows for people to create false doctrines to justify their ignorance.

God created evil (Isaiah 45:7) plain and simple. Evil, in the hands of God, works to complete and perfect God’s universe and everyone in it. After all is perfected, God abolishes evil and therefore, it no longer exists anywhere in all of creation.

On the other hand, those that attribute evil as a creation of Satan have a problem. Evil has no ultimate purpose in God’s creation and is not suppose to be there. As a result, there must be a place to hold this evil for all eternity since it is not God’s creation and has no purpose. This is the reason religion has created the false doctrine of eternal hell. The word hell never appears in the original scriptures and the concept of a place of eternal torment is found nowhere in the bible. In fact, the opposite, God saving all mankind in proven true.

As a result, since God can’t be responsible for torturing His own creation in fire for all eternity because that is sick and sadistic, Christianity says that the human being has a free-will choice to choose either good or evil. Therefore, not only does God not create everything, but He also is no longer in control of any of His creature’s denstinies. Relgion, through not understanding God’s creation and use of evil, takes God off His throne and makes Satan and the human free-will the gods of the universe. Horrific!

1 Corinthians 15: 42-58 is a HUGE KEY

In these verses, we see that evil in the form of corruption, dishonor, and death are not something to be separated from the creation of God. How do we know this? Because evil, corruption, dishonor, and death are ALL necessary for Resurrection. Does God have a hand in the resurrection? Is He responsible for it? Of course He is! Therefore, He is also responsible for everything needed to make the resurrection possible.

How can we separate what is needed for the resurrection from the resurrection itself?

How can we say that God is responsible for resurrection, but not responsible for the things that create the NEED for resurrection?

42 Thus also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is roused in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is roused in glory. It is sown in infirmity; it is roused in power. 44 It is sown a soulish body; it is roused a spiritual body. 45 If there is a soulish body, there is a spiritual also. Thus it is written also, The first man, Adam, “became a living soul:” the last Adam a vivifying Spirit. -1 Corinthians 15: 42-45

You cannot reap something that you did not sow. We reap resurrection through Christ and this is of God. Again, there is no reaping without sowing. Dishonor, infirmity, and corruption are the seeds to resurrection and are a part of the creative process of resurrection. All of God.

Well, if God is responsible for the resurrection, then He is responsible for the details that make resurrection possible. These details are evil, corruption, dishonor, and death. You can’t put a roof on a house until you build the foundation. Likewise, God cannot complete resurrection without the foundation of evil and death.

The Christian, according to the view of evil, would have the seeds and the foundation of evil separated from the resurrection. But, you can’t build the resurrection without these things. So, we must concede the true nature of evil which can only serve God’s ultimate purpose.

Evil and its results are the building blocks to justification and immortality. They are the necessary process to create perfect children of God. Not understanding Evil causes one to make evil an end in itself and must corner it somewhere in the universe. The only purpose of evil’s existence to be part of the creation process not an end in itself.

This is not a dance between heaven and hell but the necessary creation process of mortality to immortality.

Christ not only saves us from death, but through death. This means that we have to experience death and the sin that comes from it. This experience of evil is not permanent but necessary in order to be made perfect.

In God’s hands, evil is a process used to create His children perfect, not a permanent condition that separates His creation from His hands.