If God controls all things, does He make me sin?

It is certainly true that nothing occurs in the world unless the Lord knows about it. He is omnipresent.  He knows all things (1 John 3:20). Also, the Bible tells us that God is all-powerful. Therefore, if God knows all things and is all-powerful, then that means He is in control. If that is so, and we sin, then is God making us sin?

The answer is a definite no. God created the conditions where free-will creatures would be able to make a choice between obedience and disobedience to God. God does not cause anyone to sin (James 1:13). In the freedom of our own wills, we decide to rebel against God. God simply allowed the condition to exist where sin was possible.

An analogy can be found in the relationship between a parent and a child. A parent can create the condition that makes disobedience possible, yet the parent remains innocent if the child sins. For example, if a parent tells his child to clean up his room and the child does not, he has rebelled. The parent is not responsible for the child’s sin, nor did he cause the child to sin. The child had a choice to obey or not to obey.

Likewise, God has created the condition in the world where the ability to rebel against Him is possible. Yet, He is not responsible for that rebellion once it has been committed.