Ligon Duncan on the Non-Negotiables of the Gospel

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  • Tuesday, April 22, 2008

    Removing the Language of Luck

    Fox News reported on a New York mail carrier who caught a child who fell out of a second story window. The woman (within God's ordained plan and providence) certainly did a wonderful deed and was used by God in protecting the life of this child.

    That being the case, the intent of this post is to draw attention to the presence, appearances, and implications of the references in the article regarding "luck", and to suggest that Christians rather than turning the head and allowing statements like this to go unchallenged (and thereby to passively allow the thought and false doctrine to be perpetuated) should speak out and help remove such thinking and speaking from common practice and communications.

    The following remarks are found in the report:

    "Thank God the baby was OK."


    Albany Postmaster David Yanni told the Times Union that the stunning part about Harrell’s ordeal is that she was not on her normal route on Monday. On any other day, she would not have been on those steps at that time.


    It wasn't her normal time to be there," Yanni said on Monday. "The stars were aligned for that baby today.


    But for Harrell, it was just a lucky coincidence that she was able to save Niales.


    "A hero? No. I was in the right place at the right time," Harrell told the Times Union. "God was there for me and the baby."



    Question: Which was ultimately responsible for Mrs. Harrell being in the right place at the right time? Was it "lucky coincidence" or "God"? Or, was it "lucky coincidence" that was ultimately responsible and within the "lucky coincidence", God was there for her, such that God is subservient to "lucky coincidence"?

    The point is that those who refer to God but also lucky coincidence are inconsistent on some level. Either they err in suggesting God (as defined in Scripture) is sovereign but then suggest that circumstances are left to "lucky coincidence; or they err in suggesting that circumstances are dependent upon "lucky coincidence" and then suggest God is involved (at which point they must deny the sovereign nature ascribed to him in Scripture and limit his governance and role to that which serves within the greater sovereignty of "lucky coincidence".

    Hopefully, by pointing out such inconsistencies, people will be challenged not only to example the issue and give thought to their speech, but also to examine the teaching of the Scriptures that show that God does sovereignly decree all things that come to pass (and at the same time allows for human decision, responsibility and action) and not only believe according to the truth, but speak according to the truth as well.

    The danger and harm of allowing such statements to go unchallenged is that people begin to accept and adopt such thinking... and like yeast it continues to spread and have effect.

    (Note - I'm not suggesting Christians should be rude, but there is a way and there are times where comments regarding "luck" can properly be addressed.)

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