Can God Make Mistakes?

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren" (James 1:13–16). As I read this Scripture this morning, I was reminded of how many times I have heard statements like this from those choosing a sin-filled lifestyle: “It’s not my fault; I was made this way.” When I hear statements like that used in order to justify a lifestyle choice, what I hear a person saying is that his or her sinful behavior is the fault of God. Is it an intentional blaming of God in order to avoid taking the blame, an excuse for being who they are, and their actions an attempt to justify their behavior by blaming God? Or is it simply because they have heard it so often they now believe it? No matter the reason, when people blame God for making mistakes, it is nothing less than a lie and heresy, for according to the Word, God is incapable of mistakes! To say I was born a woman but I am a man or vice versa or to say I was born with a desire to drink, etc., these are all lies from the pit of hell, meant to separate mankind from their loving creator. The simple fact is this: we all must choose to fight for what is right; we must be willing to defeat temptation for the sake of ourselves, if for no other reason. We are, after all, children of God. We are created in His image, and we live in a world that desires nothing less than to destroy this very truth; a world that desires to have us conform to a lifestyle that says God is not infallible, and if God can make a mistake with you, then what else can He fail at? The list never ends, and ultimately God becomes just another deity with no sovereign power or influence. He becomes something created by man as opposed to being the God who created man and all that He surveys and more. So you ask, “What is the answer?” The simple answer is this: recognize that God is sovereign and He does not make mistakes, yet we can and do. It is our responsibility to choose to avoid temptation and not accept the lies we believe. It is our responsibility to accept who we are and choose to believe God made us this way and that He is able to strengthen us in our weakness, making us stronger, and to know we are worthy to be who He made us as opposed to accepting what the world says we should be. You are worth more than the world has to offer, and God has given you the free gift of life—life eternal through the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Pastor Gene Burroughs, Missio Dei Ministries, Navarre, FL