If you ask the question, ‘Does God have the right to do whatever He wants?’, the answer must be ‘Yes!’  By definition, Almighty God is all-mighty.  He does not have to ask permission from anybody nor is He accountable to a committee of angels or human beings.  The authority-relationship of God to His creation is the same as that of a potter to clay (Isaiah 64:8).  He has all authority over everything, and we have no authority over Him.

But this is not an aggressive dictatorship.  He is a wise and loving Father who knows the 'bigger picture' ahead of everything.  All His judgements are right according to His holy purposes which we are not big enough to understand (Deuteronomy 29:29).  We cannot understand the basis on which God makes His decisions, so we may be tempted to think that He is not treating us justly.  But that would be wrong, because the righteousness of God is always right!

Some might say that they are, therefore, trapped by God.  And that is true, in a good sense (Psalm 139:1-12).  We are as trapped as a child in a perfect, loving and creative home; as trapped as a wife in the perfect marriage.  Such a relationship makes us feel guilty when we sin and urges us to repent and cry out for mercy.

But those who are living under His future judgement will keep on resisting His will: the more they struggle to escape Him, the more they prove the righteousness of His decision by their refusal to repent.  However, the most wonderful thing is that God is willing to offer mercy to sinners, even though they do not deserve it: that is what the gospel is all about - telling the wicked that God will forgive all who repent.  Those who respond embrace God's merciful and gracious love.