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Does God decree that someone gets raped? If man has no free will, and God is sovereign over all man’s actions, does that mean that He foreordained a woman to get raped by an evil man from before the foundation of the world? Or does He simply know that the evil act was going to happen? And if He only knew, why would He allow it?
Before endeavoring to answer this loaded and valid question, it is necessary to first deal with a couple of misconceptions within the question itself.
An assumption is made in the question that “man has no free will.” That assumption is neither what I believe, nor what Scripture teaches. We do have a “free” will; we make genuine decisions and bear the full responsibility for those decisions.
There are limitations, or caveats, to that free will, however. The Bible reveals that all of humanity, prior to salvation. has inherited the curse of Adam, a sinful nature which places us under the righteous judgment and wrath of God:
📘 And you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all also formerly conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.
Ephesians 2:1-3
What does that have to do with our “free” will? Just as God cannot lie because it is beyond His divine nature, our own free will is confined to that which is consistent with our nature. The unbeliever is a “child of wrath” by nature and will therefore always make decisions in keeping with rebellion. The unconverted heart will always choose to sin, but they choose to do so freely.
It is only through rebirth, being granted a new heart in Christ, and being made into a new creation (with a new nature) that man can choose to please God.
So we need to recognize that first, before answer the rest of your questions: man does have free will, but that free will is confined to his nature.
Now, does God “decree” or ordain rape (or any other sinful tragedy) before the foundation of the Earth? To answer that, I will start by asking a different question:
What was the most unjust, wicked thing that has ever happened in the history of the Earth?
It wasn’t rape. It wasn’t the Holocaust. It wasn’t slavery or even abortion.
The most wicked and unjust thing that ever happened was the sinless, blameless Son of God being slain on the cross for the sins of those who would believe! Jesus Christ is the only man who ever lived that truly did not deserve to die, and yet He was murdered.
When did God ordain the crucifixion of Christ? Did He formulate the plan of salvation before the foundation of the world and sovereignly orchestrate all history to culminate with Jesus’ death and resurrection? Or did He, in His omniscience, simply know it was going to happen?
Scripture answers those questions. Peter tells us in Acts 2:23 that Jesus was “delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.”
Even going back to the prophet Isaiah, we see that Jesus’ death was always a part of God’s plan for the salvation of His people:
📘 But Yahweh was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If You would place His soul as a guilt offering, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of Yahweh will succeed in His hand.
Isaiah 53:10
Peter tells us again in 1 Peter 2:10-11 that Jesus was “foreknown before the foundation of the world […] so that [our] faith and hope are in God.”
📘 [God] has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity…
2 Timothy 1:9
So from eternity past, it was always God’s plan of redemption to have His Son take on flesh, live in a sinless life, and die a horrible death, even death on a cross, for us.
The most wicked and evil plan of men was laid out, by God, before the foundation of the Earth.
Does this sovereignty of God apply to rape, murder, genocide, and others sins as well? Why would it not? Does God take pleasure in men behaving wickedly? Absolutely not. He does not create the sin, but He will use it for His glory and for the good of His people:
📘 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
“All things” means all things, both the good and the bad. God regularly uses evil men to accomplish His will.
Even the horrible sin of rape can be used and redeemed by God. We do not know His ways or why He may allow certain things to happen; remember, Job was never given a reason for his suffering. God does not owe any of us an explanation.
One final thing to note, that you may have hinted at in your question.
Whether God decreed something or simply foreknew it would happen and allowed it, the end result is still that God made the decision. Whether He caused or allowed, He is all-powerful and could have changed the course of events regardless.
So everything that happens on this Earth, in one way or another, was a part of God’s plan and sovereign will.
Instead of making excuses or apologies for God, we as Christians need to come to terms with the fact that God can do as He wishes with His creation. He “owes” us only judgment and death because that is what we have earned.
📘 But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7
That is not a grace we deserve!
When we are tempted to question God’s sovereignty over even the great tragedies of our life, let us all remember Job and make his response our own:
📘 I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.
‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too marvelous for me, which I did not know.
‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You make me know.’
I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I reject myself, and I repent in dust and ashes.”
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Is it sinful to write under a pseudonym? Whether it be a book, or an anonymous social media account, would it be consider a “lie” to fail to disclose your name, or have a pretend name (like many authors do)?
Anonymous
As with many “is it a sin” questions, the answer may not always be a “yes” or “no,” but more often the correct answer turns out to be: it might be.
In Exodus 20:16, God provides a moral standard of honest: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” This commandment is repeated quite often throughout the Old Testament and quoted numerous times in the New Testament.
Proverbs 19:5 & 9 both tell us that “a false witness will not go unpunished.” A “lying tongue” is also listed as one of the seven abominations which the Lord hates (Proverbs 6:17). Clearly, deceitfulness and dishonesty are never acceptable to God.
So, when we look at whether or not it is sinful to use an alias, pseudonym, nickname, or other “false” identity, we need to keep in mind our motive. Are we aiming to deceive others? Or would a reasonable person intrinsically understand that the name under which you are writing is not real?
In the case of authors using a pseudonym, byline, or other fictional name, the general population is already well aware of the practice. I would not view that as being inherently deceptive in and of itself. That is just a common practice that is already well established. The same could be said for actors, who regularly take on a temporary identity as someone else. I do not think many would assume they’re being inherently deceitful.
The question gets a little more complicated when we start looking at social media and other online account personas we may take on. Again, however, the first test is within our own hearts, our motives. Are we intending to deceive our audience into believing we are someone we are not? Then that is a deceptive practice and ought to be avoided!
However, the internet is always not new anymore, and it can be quite dangerous to publicly expose your true identity to the masses online. Most internet users understand this and have for decades; this truth gave rise to the use of screennames, handles, and made-up account names. As with pseudonyms, I believe the general public has a general sense that whomever they’re communicating with online may be using a different name than what is found on their birth certificate. Though, in 2024, I wouldn’t be surprised if some misguided parents had named their child CoolDude69 or CatLady14.
So, do I believe using a pseudonym or false identity is always sinful? No. But if it is done with the intent of convincing others that this new persona is authentic, you have strayed into the territory of deception which God hates. And in the case of online accounts, if you hide behind an anonymous name or alias so that you can behave sinfully without revealing your true identity, I would question whether you know Christ at all, to be honest. That would never be acceptable as God hates the “double-minded” (Psalms 119:113, James 1:8)
Examine your heart and your conscience. Pray about why you feel the need to hide your identity in any given situation, and pray that the Lord will expose any sinful motives you may have for doing so.
Christian, do not lose heart as you see the world increasingly rejoicing in evil.
Remember this comforting truth: God is not surprised. He is not scrambling in panic to reign in the wickedness. He is not trying to come up with a “Plan B” for His creation.
No, our God is sovereign over it all and has already explained that we would see exactly what we’re seeing.
Probably the most explicit description of what a pagan and godless society looks like comes from Paul’s letter to the Christians living in Rome, a city still steeped in pagan worship.
Despite clearly seeing evidence of God everywhere in creation, the godless choose to ignore that evidence and rebel against the God they hate.
📘 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Romans 1:24-32
This is commonly referred to as the “wrath of abandonment.” God’s common grace, which restricts wicked men and women and allows them to behave morally, is stripped away. Without God’s restraining grace, the wicked are free to behave exactly as their hearts desire, and the consequences are disastrous, not only for themselves, but for society as a whole.
We are seeing a dramatic increase of this wrath throughout the world today.
But again, God is not caught off guard.
And because He is not caught off guard, we needn’t be either. Our loving Savior has provided His Word to instruct and guide us through these dark days.
So how can we, as Christians, endure these days and not lose heart?
📘 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:15-17
Plainly, we need to seek the Lord’s will and be careful how we walk. We need to be aware of the enemy’s snares all around us and avoid any appearance of evil.
As God’s wrath upon sinful men increases, we can endure by staying in the Word, holding fast to the Gospel, surrounding ourselves with faithful brothers and sisters, and encouraging and loving one another!
📘 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:23-25
So again, do not lose heart. The Lord has promised to persevere His children. We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit as a promise of our inheritance (2 Cor 1:22, 5:5; Eph 1:14) and our God is faithful and true: He never breaks a promise!
We will persevere and endure until we either see Christ coming in glory or He calls us home.
No one who is born again was ever a goat; you were always a lamb, lost for a time until the Good Shepherd found you!
Even while we “were dead in [our] transgressions and sins,” even as we “walked according to the course of this world,” we were still sheep.
Even as we were “doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath,” our loving Shepherd still sought us out as sheep for His flock.
📘 But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:4-7
While our old nature (as children of wrath) restricted our free will to choose only evil, God has made us alive in Christ by His grace, through the faith He has granted us.
📘 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
We now have a new nature, a new heart, and a restored mind, capable of loving God, of seeking Him, and of doing good works, none of which were possible as a lost sheep.
📘 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10
Rejoice, brethren! We once were lost, but now have been found! God has prepared good works for us to do and He has provided every blessing necessary to do them for His glory.
Things we learn from just the first 14 verses of the epistle to the Ephesians:
We have been blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (v. 3)
The father “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (v. 4)
“That we would be holy and blameless before Him in love” (v. 4)
We have been predestined “to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself” (v. 5)
Our adoption was done “according to the good pleasure of His will,” not our own. (v. 5)
The purpose of our adoption was “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (v. 6)
This grace was “bestowed on us in the Beloved,” who is Christ, by the Father. (v. 6)
Because of our adoption and the richness of God’s grace, “we have redemption through His blood [and]… forgiveness of our transgressions” (v. 7)
The Father caused His grace to abound in us in “all wisdom and insight” (v. 8)
The Father makes “known to us the mystery of His will” (v. 9)
Again, the Father does all this “according to His good pleasure which He purposed in [Christ].” (v. 9)
This redemptive grace is the fulfillment of all things in Christ, the culmination of God’s redemptive plan which began in the Garden. (v. 10)
In Him, we have obtained or been made an inheritance, again according to His purposes. (v. 11)
God is working “all things according to the counsel of His will” (v. 11)
He has done all this so that “we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.” (v. 12)
Those who have heard and believed the Gospel, all believers, have been “sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (v. 13)
The Holy Spirit is given to all believers “as a pledge [or a promise] of our inheritance” (v. 14)
To His glory, the indwelling Holy Spirit is a mark of “God’s own possession” (v. 14). He has placed His seal on us because we are His!
What glorious grace our Lord has chosen to pour out upon us in Christ Jesus, through no act of our own will, but solely for His good pleasure and to show forth His love and grace!
Often times, the answer is yes! There are limitations, of course; only God knows the heart without limit.
However:
📘You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
Matthew 12:34
📘 But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false witness, slanders.
Matthew 15:18-19
📘 So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Matthew 7:20
We need to be much slower with propping up everyone who claims the name of Christ.
Nearly every false teacher and heretic in history has claimed to be a believer.
We will know them by their fruits, the words of their mouth and the works of their hands.
📘 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand.”
Matthew 15:10
Throughout Scripture, we are told that men must both hear and understand the Gospel.
It is our job, as ambassadors of Christ, to provide the hearing through the preaching of the Gospel. Only God Himself can provide the understanding.
📘 I am Your slave; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.
Psalm 119:125
Go and tell someone of God’s love for them, how He moved to provide a means of salvation and forgiveness in Christ.
Then pray for the Spirit to open their hearts and minds to understand the word of truth.
Rest then in knowing you are not responsible for their salvation. God can use even the most flawed presentation of the Gospel to call His sheep unto Himself.
📘 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matthew 4:1
Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Spirit that led Jesus into the wilderness and gave Him the strength to resist temptation is the same Holy Spirit that dwells within us.
As you face the temptations of each day, remember the Spirit within, lean on Him for strength, courage, and perseverance.
We have not been given only a portion of the Spirit that led our Savior, but the Father has granted His entire Spirit to each believer.
And do not forget that that same Savior has been tempted just as we are, and yet He endured in the power of the Spirit.
📘 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things like we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:15
We too can resist every temptation for our loving Father has given His Spirit to provide a means of such resistance.
📘 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
What a merciful Lord and Savior we serve! The sin we hate no longer enslave us, but we are set free in Christ.
Go serve Him today in truth, righteousness, and faithfulness, calling upon the Holy Spirit’s perfect guidance in every situation.
📘 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
The Apostle Paul, while thanking the Philippians for their generous support of his ministry, reminds them that he has found contentment in both poverty and wealth.
In verse 12, he claimed to have learned “the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.“
What is that secret? How was Paul able to find strength to not only survive in great poverty but also resist temptation during seasons of great prosperity?
It was by the strength of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Through Christ’s strength, he could endure (or “do”) all things!
Christian, Paul does not have more of Christ than we do. Paul had no greater portion of the Holy Spirit indwelling his heart than we do.
If Paul could find the strength in Christ to not only endure all things, but to also rejoice in all things, we can too. Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote this, remember!
The church at Philippi was the only church to have financially supported Paul when he left Macedonia (Romans 15:26, 2 Corinthians 11:9).
📘 And you yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church fellowshipped with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone.
Philippians 4:15
Beyond merely providing for Paul’s needs as he traveled, the Philippians’ financial gifts carried a much greater significance. Paul saw their gifts as a great fruit of fellowship that profited them greatly in the eyes of the Lord.
Their gifts weren’t just to Paul, but to God Himself! What they had sent had become…
📘 … a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
Philippians 4:18
Paul made a direct comparison between the Philippians’ giving, and the pleasing sacrifices offered up to Yahweh under the OT sacrificial system:
📘 You shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to Yahweh: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to Yahweh.
Exodus 29:18 LSB
Their act of giving to Paul’s ministry was also an act of worship to our God! When we give, whether to our local church or other Gospel-centered ministries, we too are offering up a pleasing sacrifice to our God, so long as we do so with a thankful heart.
And when we give, like the Philippians, we can expect that our “God will fulfill all [our] needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
So be generous when you can, brethren. And whether you find yourself to have an abundance or are waiting on the Lord for your next meal, remember that you too can do all things through Him who strengthens you!
It can often be difficult to find contentment in what blessings the Lord has provided us (or withheld).
This is why it is so important to remember that Jesus’ atoning sacrifice has torn the veil and opened a path of communication with the Father.
The primary purpose of prayer is not to confess our sins, thank God for His blessings, or even to ask for health, wisdom, or the things we desire.
While it is appropriate to include such things in our prayers, they should not be our main focus.
The primary purpose of prayer is to bring our own wills into submission to God’s will, to find contentment in whatever our circumstance, to rest in God’s sovereignty and His loving dominion over every facet of our lives.
Even Christ Himself, who had all authority to ask and receive all things, submitted to the Father’s will in prayer:
📘 “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me, yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
Luke 22:42
Our loving Father welcomes our earnest petitions, but we must do so with a heart that seeks His will above our own.
📘 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Notice that we are to be thankful even before we make our requests known. God knows what we need even before we ask, and He has promised to work all things for our good, not only when we ask, but at all times.
And when the Lord says “no” to those petitions, be thankful regardless and He will give you peace in His will for your life.
📘 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
May we all find contentment in Christ Jesus, knowing that our greatest need has already been met to perfection in Him: our sin has been forgiven!
The Unworthy Prodigal 