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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Who created evil? | Gen 3:1 | bronx hulk | 93712 | ||
Sorry, Verses 11-23. I bring that up just as you have assumed. Esau nor Pharaoh did not play a role in the aspect of being rejected until a certain point in time when God saw fit. Could that not also apply to Lucifer and the role that he plays in the grand scheme of things? I ask this question unfairly because, truth is, I don't think it could be convincingly answered on either side. It's just a question for discussion, not one of looking for an answer. Just like the question you asked about who forced me to accept Christ? Well, no one did, but after I did, it seemed like that was what I was put here to do--serve God. I look at Eph 1:3-11. It does talk about us being predestinated. Now, how much our free will plays a part in that, I don't know. Do you have any idea? Be blessed, Sal |
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2 | Who created evil? | Gen 3:1 | TheCurtMan | 93729 | ||
Do I have any ideas?? Do a river have water?? A friendly discussion on spiritual matters where we can agree to disagree and share one another’s perspective on a matter is alright by me. But if it’s answers that you’re looking for, you could find a better resource than the CurtMan. Here’s my belief on the issue: Over in Matt. 19:3-9, the Pharisees were questioning Jesus on marriage. They wanted to know why Moses allowed them to divorce their wives if divorce was not origingally in God’s plans. In verse 8 Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been this way.” For a lack of a better way to say what I want to say, I’ll put it this way. I believe that God has two wills. An Original Will, like how things were suppose to go from the beginning, and a Permissive Will, things He allow because of circumstances, like the hardness of our heart. Originally speaking, I do not believe that divorce was part of God plans. But because of our Freedom of Choice, because of our ability to make bad decisions, God allow certain things to happen for whatever the reason, and has already planned for them. I personally do not believe that God’s original plan was for Lucifer to do the things that he did. I believe that God had to have a plan in place for when Lucifer did do what he did. Careful planning is one of the many lessons that can be found in scripture. Take Pharaoh for example. That was planned, but was it part of God’s Origingal Will, or Permissive Will?? I personally believe that Pharaoh was part of God’s Permissive Will simply based on the fact that if you read that story carefully, you’ll see that Pharaoh played a part in hardening his own heart. God also played a part in hardening Pharaoh’s heart because His plan was to make a cold example out of the man, and He did just that. Neither do I believe that God hardening Pharaoh’s heart was a voilation of Pharaoh’s Freedom of Choice. He could’ve repented at anytime, God just knew that he wouldn’t. So while regaining His children from Egypt, God showed His children a very important lesson, ‘THERE IS NO OTHER GOD BESIDE ME’. All Pharaoh had to do was open his ears and listen to his counselors who tried to tell him that his arms was too short to box with the God of Moses. Figurtively speaking that is. Let me ask you something, if God, ‘raised up Pharaoh’ to be the way that he was and violated his freedom of choice, then according with all that scripture has to say or salvation; obedience; and rebellion, it would seem that Pharaoh’s punishment was unjust. “He couldn’t help it, God made him do it.” Also, if all this is true, then how do you fit James 1:13-16 into this idea?? |
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3 | Who created evil? | Gen 3:1 | bronx hulk | 94307 | ||
Hey brother, Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you on this. I've been distracted. I also believe that there is a perfect will and a permissible will. You see that example when God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and Abraham interceded and God was willing to grant Abraham his prayers. What you brought up about Pharoah does puzzle me, I admit. Because if he was created to be rebellious, then by being that way, he was actually serving God. I have to revert back to Romans 9:18-22. in vs. 19 it says, then why does He find fault if He is the one who had done this and no one can resist His will? Then it goes on to say that we cannot question God's motives. In vs. 22, it says that God shows His wrath through these vessels He creates that are "fitted to destruction" It also says that He longsuffers with them. Which tells me that He created them even though He knows that their very being will grieve Him, He creates them anyway for the reason in vs. 23 "And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory". If you look in Prov 21:1 it says "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he TURNETH it whithersoever he will." If God really wanted to avoid all of the torment and plagues, He could have done that. But He wanted to show His power (Rom 9:22-23). The same thing applies to Lucifer, in my mind. If you read Is 46:10 it says, "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:" The phrase "Declaring the end from the beginning" tells me that God meant for all this to happen in the first place. Now as far as James 1:13-16 goes, I see it like this... It is talking to the saints of God just as is the whole Word. The Word of God is not written for the world, but His children. This passage is saying that God will not set His CHILDREN up for failure. In vs. 12 it says "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." It is clearly talking to the Saints of God. We know the world cannot endure temptaion because they do not have the Spirit of God. Even if the world does endure some type of temptation, it certainly does not mean they will receive a crown of life. So I do not believe Pharaoh, Lucifer, or any other "vessel fitted for destruction" would fall under this protection in James 1:13-16. So, all in all, this is the conclusion that I get from these scriptures... That God knew exactly what He was doing, planned all this from the beginning and is allowing the gray areas to take their course. The gray areas are where free will, permissive will of God, and man's own faults come into play. Those things that do not interfere with God's eternal plan will be my definition of gray areas. But Lucifer would not be a gray area and definately part of His eternal plan. So, my conclusion on this whole study is this: Does evil (sin) exist? Of course Did God create sin? No, it just is because there is an opposite of good. Does evil (Satan) exist? Of course Did God create Lucifer? Yes And the 64,000 dollar question... Did God plan for him to become the epitomaeh of evil? I believe so, but I can see other's viewpoint if they don't think so. However, I cannot be persuaded in that direction. This study has been a blessing!! Take care, Sal |
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4 | Who created evil? | Gen 3:1 | TheCurtMan | 94391 | ||
Well gee Sal, you have my respect if nothing else. Until our next issue. The CurtMan |
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