UFOs and the Laughter of Faith

Therefore, God rules the farthest reaches of the universe. He rules them as Judge. And he rules them as Redeemer. Jesus Christ died and rose again. He sits at the right hand of God as Redeemer-Ruler. “He upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3). The reach of his rule and redemption extends “far as the curse is found.” No galaxy, no star, no planet, no UFO escapes his design in the plan of redemption.

John Piper "Since the Internet is abuzz over UFOs, I thought I would take the opportunity to join the woman of Proverbs 31:25 who “laughs at the time to come.” I just wrote a book on Providence, and can hardly contain myself when I get a chance to celebrate God’s purposeful, all-embracing, all-pervasive, invincible sovereignty.

"Last night I received an email from a friend asking about the recent UFO dustup. He had read an article that threw him for a loop. He was wondering how a UFO, if it proved to be true, could fit with the biblical vision of reality.
"Here’s the gist of what I wrote back, with a few comments and Bible passages added.

No Cracks in Complete Sovereignty

"One of the great joys of believing in the absolute sovereignty of God over all things is knowing that he is in control of every falling bird (Matthew 10:29) and all the movements of the farthest galaxies (Isaiah 40:26). Nothing anywhere in the universe happens apart from his plan. Whatever he causes directly, or whatever he permits less directly — everything happens in accord with his all-wise, all-just, all-merciful plan. He “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11).
"So no UFOs are showing up except by the plan of God. If they are fake, he rules over fake. If they are real, he rules over real. There are no cracks in complete sovereignty. Nothing squeaks through. God governs illusions. God governs atmospheric conundrums. God governs all the reaches of space and everything in it." . . .

John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons.