Is God Responsible for the Crusades?

Master of the Roman de Fauvel -
Published in William of Tyre's Historia, 1337

Is God responsible for things just because they happen?

That is the idea you get when listening to many people of our day. As an illustration...

Everybody at church was praying for healing for Gladys (made up name). However, she took a turn for the worse and passed away. Overheard at the next church gathering was a well-meaning word of comfort that ended, “I guess it was God’s will to take her.” 

Was it God’s will??

I have known people who expressed anger at God for ‘taking’ a loved one or for not coming through on a desired request. However...

• Was it really God’s will (fault) that you did not get the job you wanted?
• Was it really God’s will (fault) that the person you had your heart set on did not fall in love with you?
• Was it really God’s will (fault) that your grandmother died?

I do not wish to sound unkind with my questions. Yet, it is important to see where this kind of thinking leads.

Some people follow the idea that God has everything in life mapped out for everybody (especially them). So, whenever something happens, it happened because it was God’s will. Otherwise, it would not have happened.

You cannot come to that conclusion when thinking about the idolatry of God’s people in the Old Testament. What about the crusades of the 11th century, prison camps in Nazi Germany, or the lives lost on 9-11-2001?

Did you know that the crusades were carried out in the name of Jesus Christ?! They were not merely approved, but called for by a church council in 1095 under the authority of Pope Urban II. The first crusade was over possession of the “Holy Sepulchre,” a church building erected by Constantine the Great in the 4th century, and considered a holy site by many people of the Christian faith.

In light of the crusades, reflect on the words of Jesus as He answered the Roman governor Pilate just before His crucifixion, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews.” (John 18:36) How does a fight over a building and land, regardless of its purpose/use make sense?? Does God really want His people fighting over earthly possessions? I find nothing in the New Testament to justify such a thing, even if it is done by devoted Christians and even if they devoted their war to God.

Think back to the Garden of Eden. God had instructed Adam that he could eat of every tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That was God’s will. He expected Adam and Eve to comply. When Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they opposed God’s instruction. No one could say, “Well, that’s too bad; it must have been God’s will.” Sin is never God’s will. Evil is not God’s will. Sin messed the world up, but it did not change God’s will.

God is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 

That is God’s will. 

God sent His Son into the world to repair the broken relationship between Himself and mankind due to sin. 

That was God’s will. 

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. 

That was God’s will.

Whenever something happens that you do not understand or you cannot explain or that disappoints you or is vastly different from your expectation...pause before you conclude that it was God’s will just because it happened. There are many things going on in this world today that are opposed to God’s will. Make sure you are not one of them.

Mark Stinnett

September 21, 2025

Saints by Calling

Many people in our day have misunderstood God’s calling. They consider every ‘calling’ in the New Testament to be similar to the way Jesus individually called the apostles to follow Him. With the apostles, He did indeed pick them out by name from among His followers.

Some people think that God’s omniscience, His divine quality of being all-knowing, means that no one really chooses Jesus. Rather, God has pre-chosen each follower of Jesus. After all, He knows beforehand whether you are a follower of Jesus.

The flaw in this reasoning is just that, it is human reasoning. Human reasoning is applied to things beyond creation, things beyond the scope of man’s understanding.

While it is true that there are some passages of Scripture that are difficult to explain because, on the surface, they sound like God arbitrarily chose those who would follow Jesus, they must harmonize with all other Scripture. It is apparent from many Scriptures that God does not hand-pick anyone to follow Jesus. He did not choose you or me before our birth as if to say we had no choice but to follow Jesus.

This kind of thinking is disastrous. It would say to a person who has come to faith in Jesus and who follows Jesus with all their heart that they might not be among the ones preselected. For that reason, they are doomed!

The early Christians endured mocking, “Where is the promise of His coming?” The Apostle Peter reminded his readers, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:3-9) That does not sound like God chose some to be saved but did not choose others. He wishes for ALL to come to repentance.

The Apostle Paul wrote that we who are Christians are saints by calling (1 Corinthians 1:2). That means that we are not saints by arbitrary choice, or individual choice, or by divine decree. It means that God has called us to be followers of Jesus. Then he leaves it up to each individual to respond to His call.

It really is as simple as an advertisement on television or that you receive in your email or that you see on a huge billboard along the highway. The advertisement is a call to everyone hearing or seeing the ad. It is an invitation to accept the offer. There may be terms to fulfill. There may be something to buy. It may be a limited time offer. Whatever the case, the offer is made and nothing is final until YOU make a decision and respond to the ad. You must answer the call.

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) He did not qualify His offer. It was extended to ALL people.

God really does want every person to turn to Him. He extends His arms of love to all. He offers forgiveness and acceptance to all. His mercy and grace are extended to us by calling.

Some people like to say that our salvation is all Jesus, that we can do nothing to receive salvation. Even the grocery store teaches us that we have to respond to the sale ad to receive the gracious benefit being offered.

God has done everything. He has provided a sacrificial Lamb as an offering for our sins. And He has called us to follow Jesus.

Saints by calling: 

   God has called.

   We must responded.

Mark Stinnett

December 22, 2024