Who Killed Emma?

I once had a dog named Emma and my family loved her. Last year she became sick so I took my dog, to the vet to be euthanized. I put her in the car, drove her to the vet, walked her into the room, laid her on the table. Then the doctor came in and injected the medicine into her leg and a few minutes later she was dead. Now who killed Emma? Did I kill her or did the doctor kill her? On the one hand I determined to bring this evil upon her. It was my decision to take her to the vet knowing that she would be euthanize.

However, I did not inject the medicine into her body that stopped her heart—the doctor did! So who brought about this evil? It was by my design, my will, my plan, my determination that brought about this evil. However, I did not coerce the doctor in to bringing about this evil. The doctor acted like a doctor. It is who she is and what she does. She did not inject the medicine against her will. She injected it because that was the strongest motive at the moment of decision. So she is fully and justly accountable (responsible) for the evil brought about, but this evil was according to my determined plan.

Did it grieve me to bring about this evil? The answer is yes. Did I not know what I was doing and the pain it would cause by making the decision I made? No. I knew the pain it would cause but I also knew it was the best thing to do—it was the greater good. But, even knowing this beforehand it did not lessen the sadness I felt at the moment the evil occurred at the hands of the doctor according to my “sovereign” will.

This is true of God as well. God does ordain that evil be and governs all things, but is not the cause of evil. He does not coerce men to act against their desire to do evil, we do it because we want to do it, but God so disposes (arranges) all things so that (in accordance with moral necessity) all men make only those choices (choices they want to make and determined by those things they deem most desirable at the moment of decision) ordained by God from all eternity.

The clearest example of this in Scripture is the death of Jesus. Who killed Jesus? On the one hand Peter says, "This man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to the cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death." (Acts 2:23). Notice that the death of Christ was according to the predetermined will of God, but it was accomplished by the the hands of godless men. God did not coerce the men to kill Jesus, they wanted to kill Him, for the Romans soldiers it was thier duty. Yet this evil brought on Jesus had been ordained by God from all eternity. God does ordain that evil be and governs all things, but is not the agent or cause or tempter of evil.

The Sovereignty of God is the most comforting doctrines in all of Scripture to me. Regardless what might befall me, even death itself, God is still in control and He is eternal good and infinite love therefore I can find peace and joy regardless even in the darkest of circumstances.