When something out-of-the-ordinary happens, many people say, “Everything happens for a reason.” What do they mean by that statement and is that true? Is it a biblical idea? Whether or not one realizes it, that statement comes from the idea that all actions are controlled by “fate” or “predestination.” Here is the definition of “fate” or “fatalism.” “Fatalism is the belief that events are predetermined by fate or destiny, and that humans cannot do anything to change them.” One might also express that idea this way, “Fatalists believe that everything that happens has already been decided by some higher power, and there is nothing we can do to change it.”
The Basic Error
The basic error of the idea expressed above is that it means no human has free will. First, why would God make humans and put them on earth if all their actions were already determined to happen? This view attacks God’s nature of love. Can it be said that God loves one when He has predetermined that this person will do something contrary to God’s love? This view violates God’s nature of justice. “Justice” means that everyone is treated fairly. Is it fair that God determines that someone will do something that is contrary to God’s standard and then God punish that person because he or she has violated His standard? That is not even acceptable for humans to treat other humans in that way, much less for a loving God to treat people that way.
Human Freewill Is Taught in the Bible
Everyone who has ever lived or who will live, will stand before Jesus Christ, the judge (Acts 17:31). Why have a judgment if one does not have the ability to choose his or her action? The Bible teaches that everyone will be rewarded or punished based on his or her own deeds or actions. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Foreknowledge of God
One of the great attributes of God is His ability to know all things. The question then comes, “If God knows all things, and He does, does that mean He determines all that a person does? If that is the case, then God does make everyone do whatever one does. Again, that violates God’s loving and just nature. Can He know what is going to happen without making it happen?
Can a person know what is going to happen without causing it to happen? If one has a teenage daughter and a preteen boy and two gifts are brought for them. Can the buyer put both gifts before them and let them choose which gift each wants and yet know ahead of time which gift each child will select? Yes, parents can know their children so well that they know ahead of time which gift each will choose. Did the parents make each child choose the gift each chose? No, foreknowledge does not have to include predestination.
If you are standing at the top of a mountain which has a one-lane road to the top and you see a car going down and a car coming up around a curve, and they are about to run into each other, did you make them crash? No, but from where you are standing you can see into the future and know what is going to happen, but you did not make it happen. From where God stand and sees, He know what is going to happen, but He does not make it happen. To foreknow something does mean to foreordain.
Speaking of the death of Jesus Peter explained, “This man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:23). Because God is omniscient did not mean that He made those involved in putting Jesus to death take the action they took.
Everything for a Reason
Based on evidence that has been presented, the conclusion must be that because something happens does not mean that it had to happen. Thus, it did not happen for a reason. It happened because of circumstances where people had free will.
Lesson: Rather than saying that everything happens for a reason, one ought to say, “What lesson can I learn from what has happened. That idea looks to the future whereas the idea of “everything happens for a reason” looks to the past. Some like to say “everything happens for a reason” to avoid being held responsible for what he or she did. We are accountable for our actions.
Wayne Burger
