Bible Question:
I was in a discussion yesterday with someone of the Jehovah's Witness faith. He made a statement that God could not have known that Adam was going to sin. If so, then why would God condemn Adam for disobeying. He said that would mean that God was not a loving God. Therefore, God did not know Adam would sin. I disagreed. This would be limiting God's power if He did not know something would happen. I believe that God knew Adam would sin. But He gave him the freedom to choose for himself whether to obey God. Just like we warn our children against some things and tell them the consequences of disobeying, God does the same with us. God, as well as parents, have to follow through on our words or they are ineffective. I believe God is an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present God. It is us that fall short. I would appreciate your views on this matter. |
Bible Answer: All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. (Rev 13:8 NIV, EMPHASIS mine). God had already agreed within Himself from the foundation of the world that the Son would be sacrificed on our behalf The plan was already there. He already knew all about each of us sufficiently to know who would respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. (Many Christians would believe that God had even assigned them.) He had already predetermined that our experiences and environment would be guided in such a way as to conform us to His own image as revealed in the Son. (See Romans 8:28-29 and Ephesians 1:4-6) The revelation of God as the Creator of all men (and even adopted Father for many of us) in this case is significant. He did not choose to destroy, prior to existence, us who were not only born imperfect and unholy but who would cause Him great suffering and would temporarily mar his creation substantially with our evil practices. This is very different from the decisions made today by many parents who realize something is imperfect about a pre-born child and decide to end its life. What would I (or you) be prone to do if I knew, from the time of conception, that my unborn child was going to reject, violate, hurt and embarrass me as well as ruin a faithful reputation and honored lifestyle that I had built for myself? I know which decision God chose when he knew me (and everyone who has ever lived) millenia before I was even conceived. |