A bulletin was posted praising God for Jennifer Hudson winning an Oscar.... Urges me to post a question.

If she isn't using her talents to glorify God, then how is He necessarily the source of her winning ? He gave her gifts that she is not using FOR Him. The Lord doesn't give us gifts to use for the world. He gives it to us for the building up and edifying of His people... which she isn't using her gifts for. So, will God honor something that does not honor HIM ?

What say ye ?

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Jennifer - the big picture needs to be kept in mind. God may not be pleased with a particular action, but that action has to be viewed in the macro. God uses the unrighteousness deeds of men in order to bring His will to pass. God also uses the deeds of His saints to accomplish His plan.

Is God pleased that Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar? I can't answer that question. What I can tell you is that Jennifer Hudson's Oscar is within God's sovereignty. The fact that her Oscar is within God's sovereignty doesn't mean she has God's favor, it simply means that God is sovereign.

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Bill Brown
Elder
Grace Baptist Church
Anne Arundel County, Maryland

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^ What he said.

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Chris


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Christopher Blum
Member of Trinity Presbyterian Church of Northern Kentucky (PCA) in Burlington, KY

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Thank you for the answer. I agree that it is still God's sovereignty. Should we praise God when a secular artist that constantly sings anti-God material gets an award for what they did ?

How about common grace? Contributions of secular artists/entertainers may not be "pleasing" to God in a soteriological sense, but whom do I thank when I read great secular literature or listen to a great piece of secular music? The author/musician? Where did he/she get that talent?

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DAVIDIVS DOCTVS VTRIVSQVE LINGVAE
Husband of Emilia
Member: First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham (RPCNA) - Durham, NC
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Student: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, German Literature and Classics

And some more of my thoughts:

Well, the way I see it is... For instance. God blessed me with singing ability. I don't see a need to go and sing about everything else EXCEPT my source... and the only time I talk about Him is to thank Him.

And even in Dreamgirls, she played a character engaged in premarital sex who never showed a repentance for it.

And even her blog concerns me:
I have talked often of my love and support of the gay community. I have said again and again that it was the gay community that supported me long before and long after AMERICAN IDOL...

Yes, I was raised Baptist. Yes, I was taught that the Bible has certain views on homosexuality. The Bible also teaches us not to judge. It teaches us to love one another as God loves us all. I love my sister, my two best friends and my director dearly. They happen to be gay. So what?


No adherence to the Word of God and that concerns me as well. There are a lot of people who think they are saved b/c they grew up in church and they think they are 'good' people... however, all of the above does concern me.

Yes God gives these gifts. No matter what they do with them, we should praise Him that people are getting recognized ?

I agree that He is the source, but when the gift is perverted, what should our reaction be ?

Jennifer, you should praise God for who He is. I would not praise the ungodly acts of men, but I would praise God for allowing all things to work according to His sovereignty. Should we praise God for evil? No. God allows evil to accomplish His purpose, but God's character is devoid of evil.

Gotcha. Thanks, guys, for the fruitful conversation.