Subject: Why does Satan believe he can win? |
Bible Note: Thank you, Doc, for your insight. But what you are describing sounds to me like a god who, in your word, “decrees” that sin should exist. And that in its existence it should destroy, maim, harm, mar and twist his creation. And not stopping at that, but it should ultimately cost the life of his son. When foreseeing the outcome of sin, does God diminish His sovereignty by saying to His creation “I will not force you to remain loyal to Me. I love you, so I will allow you to choose to fill your life with pride. I would not force you to stay away from the tree that I told you not to eat of. If I force you, then love ceases to be love. But rather, when you fall, I will make a Way of redemption. It will be VERY costly. But it is because of love that I will do this.”? Can’t you here Him crying out “…I have set before you life and death…” “So choose life in order that you may live…” Deuteronomy 30:19 I believe that it was Phillip Yancey that said “The guards at a labor camp can force their prisoners to do many things. They can force them to eat human excrement, kill and bury their mother and renounce their faith. But they can NEVER force the prisoners to love them.” Love cannot be forced, or it ceases to be love. I see in what you’re telling me a god that leaves no options for his creations. He chooses the option for them. He forces them. I understand that you believe that what I’m saying is an attack on god’s character. You believe that what I am saying assails God’s sovereignty. But I see what YOU are saying as an attack on God’s character of love. We may simply have to agree to disagree and wait for heaven when we can hear the truth from God Himself. Perhaps I’m reading too much into what you’re saying. Perhaps what I’m saying seems like semantics. Perhaps. If so, then forgive my misjudgment. But I think that we should end this conversation as it’s dangerously close to being a debate. I’ll refrain from saying anymore on this topic. In Christian Love, Ocelot |