Results 121 - 140 of 281
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
121 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99069 | ||
It's not liberty that is our downfall, but rather the abuse of liberty. If we had no liberty, we could not respond to God's love with anything but a mindless programmed routine. Hardly the kind of a passion that God wants from us, right? The "higher" view of God's sovereignty that cannot be understood nor explained is no view at all. We are called to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." God's truth, as revealed by a comprehensive reading of scripture, is coherent, understandable and practical. You said not to wait around for an answer to your paradoxical conundrum. Instead, I believe Dr. Gregory Boyd has exposited scripture to yield a satisfactory answer. See "God at War" and "Satan and the Problem of Evil". In my opinion, Boyd is right that our thinking has been influenced too much by factors outside scripture. |
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122 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99066 | ||
Perhaps the difference in our understanding is this...I hold that God has the capacity to do whatever he wants, including giving us a world in which our decisions and freedom to act are genuine because "possibility" has real meaning. Of course, He is sovereign over these possibilities and they provide authentic opportunity for us to choose Him. These possibilities are governed by His sovereignty, so overall His plans will be fulfilled. If I understand you correctly, you seem to be saying that each and every flap of each and every wing on each and every sparrow is specifically and exhaustively determined by God's meticulous control. This necessarily implies that each and every demon or wicked person is just a puppet exhaustively controlled by God, which makes Him an accessory to evil. Scripture denies this. |
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123 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99060 | ||
The idea God does not micromanage is first and foremost scriptural. With my example, which was not intended as a foundation, I was just trying to show why God's truth makes sense, to clarify what I meant. If we examine Mat 10:29 in its context, Jesus concludes His discussion in verse 31 with "So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." His point is that we are worth more than the sparrows, not that sparrows die because God kills them. |
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124 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99055 | ||
In Romans 10:9, Paul said "...if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." This is what scripture says is the meaning of being Christian, not that we adopt Augustine's exhaustively defined blueprint theology in which God is the author of evil for purposes beyond human understanding. Read scripture for what it clearly says, not what others have said it means. Clearly, the bible teaches God is eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, transcendant and immanent. Scripture also teaches that it is the very real EXPERIENCE of Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension that give our faith its meaning. |
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125 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99052 | ||
The greatest love is when we give our lives for the sake of others. Love is not an emotion, it is a command. Love is the greatest spiritual gift, without it, none of the others mean anything. Love is the fullfillment of the law. God is love. Love is doing for others what you would have them do for you. Sometimes loving others means accepting their indifference, rejection or hatred, allowing them to remain as they choose to be, however unjust, mistaken or tragic. The result is that nothing they think, say or do will hinder treating them as you would be treated by them. Love is a state of being, thinking and doing, not something we put on and take off like a garment. |
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126 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99051 | ||
I acknowledge these verses describe God's supreme authority, but not that he micromanages every detail. There is a difference between saying that what God has ordained will come to pass and that everything that comes to pass has been ordained by God. From our experience, do we not feel that leaders who cannot delegate are insecure and ultimately less respected because they feel they must dictate every little thing? On the other hand, do we not respect those who empower others, don't we feel they are secure, strong and wise? |
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127 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99049 | ||
If we believe that everything that happens is God's will, then we cannot escape the conclusion that He is the author of evil and that we cannot influence anything through faith or prayer. On the other hand, if we accept that scripture teaches us that God has left some things up to us, and other free agents He created, then we are immediately faced with the responsibility for our thoughts, words and deeds, and that our faith and prayers can make a meaningful difference in the war against the enemy. If Satan, the enemy, is really just God's hired henchman, then God is ultimately responsible for all that Satan does. Scripture is clear that this is not the case. This is why we find so little comfort in the platitudes offered when something bad happens, that is, "it must be part of God's mysterious divine plan for us." That simply doesn't hold up against what scripture teaches about how Jesus responded to demons and Satan. |
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128 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99045 | ||
I think so. Nothing can prevent God's will from being realized in the fullness of time. Perhaps this is because while He has given us genuine freedom to choose or reject him, He has not given us unlimited or eternal power/authority with which to act. So, if we choose to rebel, we can expect to have only a limited impact on His creation and His divine plan. | ||||||
129 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99039 | ||
I concur. By His resurrection, Christ has won the war against darkness, death and evil. What remains to be worked out is the mopping-up operation, that is, for us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to identify remaining pockets of enemy activity and be victorious over them through faith, prayer and love. | ||||||
130 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99038 | ||
Coming from you Hank, this is indeed high praise. Thank you for your encouragement. Parable. |
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131 | What does "being a homosexual" mean? | Rom 1:19 | Parable | 91629 | ||
I concur and emphasize that "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning". You said "Since sin is the transgression of the Law and Jesus came to fulfill (not abolish) the Law, then how could he condone the breaking of the very Law that he came to fulfill?" Of course, Jesus never condones sin, but rather always convicts it. Once convicted, though, He always offers forgiveness to those who repent and turn to Him. He then empowers them by grace to endure the struggle with the flesh. The important point is that we must die to sin and be born again in Christ. If someone has not died to sin, they are still alive to sin and they cannot be born again. This is true of all sin, not just homosexuality. Parable |
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132 | why is sacrifice the means to salvation? | 2 Cor 5:21 | Parable | 91444 | ||
Yes, of course, it is enough. I have always held that understanding comes from obedience and trust. My interest here is not perfect understanding of Gods ways, but how to give a defense for the faith that I have, and this question seems to come up a lot when I'm sharing my faith with others. I have not yet been able to articulate why atonement requires sacrifice rather than some other act we could perform. I think the relevant issue in sacrifice is the personal cost associated with it and blood is the most valuable thing in life we can give. When that cost is no longer real, then sacrifice is no longer sacrifice. Wasn't this the problem with those who made a show of their sacrifices, thus getting something from their sacrifice instead of giving all of it completely to God? When the OT prescribed animal sacrifice as a substitute for human blood, wasn't this still supposed to be meaningful because people were so dependent on animals for their livelihood? If there are any verses that support what I have just written, or another understanding, perhaps that would be helpful. Parable |
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133 | why is sacrifice the means to salvation? | 2 Cor 5:21 | Parable | 91374 | ||
Prazn, I welcome your insights! I am familiar with what you have said and agree. However, my question does not relate to what God has ordained as sufficient for the atonement of sin, my question is about why sacrifice itself, blood or otherwise, is the method God requires. What is it about sacrifice that erases sin? Parable |
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134 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89730 | ||
I was interpreting your question too philosophically, so I was unable to escape the conclusion that any choice reflects one's strongest desire among options. Now that you clarify, I think I understand what you are getting at. Upon first reading, I feel you have capably presented your understanding in the best traditions of this forum. Unfortunately, due to pressing time constraints and travel plans, I will not be able to respond in more detail until early next week. This will give me time to pray on what you have said and consider it more deeply. Peace to you, John. |
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135 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89680 | ||
You said "I take it that you cannot provide an instance where anything other than the hearts strongest desire prevails." To this I respond: "I can, and most earnestly desire to do so more than anything else, but I choose not to for fear of where you are going with this line of reasoning.... :) Will that suffice? (I don't consider fear a desire.) So, what is your point? |
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136 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89671 | ||
Isn't this precisely why free will, and hence accountability, are inescapable? | ||||||
137 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89645 | ||
Thanks for your kindness. Regarding naturalistic materialism, mechanical evolution, whatever you want to call it, those world views cannot explain such things as consciousness, imagination, creativity, language, remorse, joy and truth. Those who suggest we simply need more time to figure them out do so by faith in their worldview. Faith is perhaps the hardest thing to explain, second only to love, which is mutually exclusive to natural selection, which is the basis for evolutionary development. Parable |
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138 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89636 | ||
You asked "Is it possible for a person to choose something other than the strongest desire of his heart?" I believe the answer is yes. People choose between mundane options all the time. Or, we can choose to accept the best option available even though it is not ideal. Or, we can choose to compromise in order to work with others. Or, we can choose to avoid something we don't want. Perhaps more the issue at hand, what is the origin of our heart's desire? In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." Parable |
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139 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89624 | ||
You argue well. It is a pleasure to explore God's truth with you. I'd like to followup on your comment "But we are not dealing with a race of victims. We are dealing with a race of rebels;" Doesn't this imply that we are accountable, i.e. "not victims", precisely because WE make the choice to rebel? I hold we are accountable for our choices and this requires that our choices be genuine. For our choices to be geniuine, we must have the ability to act on them in a meaningful way and this means we have some power and authority of our own, within the context God provides. Of course, those gifts come from God. You also said "Salvation comes to those whom God shows mercy." I totally agree, especially in light of "For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." -- Romans 11:32 I take this to mean that God gives us over to our choices, i.e. He allows us to choose and reap the consequences, and His mercy is gracious precisely because we definitely don't deserve it. Then there is "he who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD , but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble." -- Proverbs 28:13-14 I take this to mean that it is WE who, in response to conviction by the Spirit, choose to confess or to harden our hearts. That is, it is possible to deny the conviction of the Spirit and thus harden our hearts. Along the same lines, "let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD , and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon." -- Isiah 55:7 Again, I take this to mean that the choice to repent and accept God is ours, not God's. Finally, you said "strictly speaking, assenting is a response to faith. If one believes something, they belive it. It is not a choice that one makes whether or not to believe." I choose not to believe this ;) Let me illustrate. In mathematics, there are repeating non-terminating decimals such as 0.999999 where the 9's go on forever. The question is, does this equal 1.0 exactly or not? I can rigorously prove via standard methods that this number does in fact equal 1.0 exactly, but unless you understand and accept the methods of the proof, you probably will not be persuaded. If you are like most people, your intuition suggests that 0.9999 repeating falls short of unity. However, once you see that your assumptions about what this number means are false, you will change your mind, i.e. repent. A converse example involves the proof that 2 equals 1. However, this obviously incorrect conclusion can only be derived by a fallacious step in the proof, i.e. dividing by the equivalent of zero, which is not permitted. If you do not recognize the fallacious step, you might choose to believe that 2 does in fact equal 1. Once the flaw is revealed, you would then repent of your error. Granted, the ability to understand logic is a gift, but the application of that gift is ours. Otherwise, it is not a gift given freely, but rather a means by which to control your thinking. Based on the significance of our choices described in Scripture, I do not hold that God manipulates us in this way. |
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140 | Is not God inside of each of us? | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 89505 | ||
Perhaps the tendency to focus on scripture you describe is a manifestation of the mission of this forum. After all, it is a bible study forum. For the owner's guidelines, see the "About the Forum" under "Show Me" on the left side of the window. | ||||||
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