Wrestling With Piper

Who would say that Herod's contempt (Luke 23:11) or Pilate's spineless expediency (Luke 23:24) or the Jews' 'Crucify, crucify him!' (Luke 23:21) or the Gentile soldier's mockery (Luke 23:36)--who would say that these were not sin? Yet Luke, in Acts 4:27-28, records the prayer of the saints:

"Truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place."

People lift their hand to rebel against the Most High only to find that their rebellion is unwitting service in the wonderful designs of God. Even sin cannot frustrate the purposes of the Almighty. He Himself does not commit sin, but He has decreed that there be acts that are sin, for the acts of Pilate and Herod were predestined by God's plan. (Desiring God, 35-6)

Notice that Piper is not saying God allows sin. He says God decrees that there be acts that are sin, essentially that God Himself -- in all of his perfection and goodness -- wills that there be sin, without actually sinning. Is Our Great God a hypocrite? NO! He has made it so that in the end, we will see His Mercy and His Sovereignty, His Grace and His Judgment, and we will tremble with awe at the majesty of God! Yet this is something that is a hard hurdle to jump - a difficult idea to ponder, especially when coming to the conclusion that God is the ultimate causality of sin. Here is what Job said after losing his livestock and his family:

Naked I came from my
mother's womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the
Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the Name of the
Lord. (Job 1:21)

We all know that God let Satan enter into Job's life -- that he effectively stayed Satan's hand and did not let things happen to Job before its time -- but Job gives God the ultimate causality, not Satan. Job essentially says that it is because of God that he has lost his livelihood, his children and his livestock. And, instead of him being reprimanded, the very next verse says, "In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong."

I am not coming to any conclusions about it at the moment, but I am trying to wrap my head around it, as much as God allows anyway. I know that His thoughts are far above my thoughts and His ways are far above my ways, but I would be hard-pressed not to think about it.