First, rape is a crime of anger, not forced love. Second, I struggle with the idea of condescending God's holiness so much as to begin and end a sentence with such a dangerous equivocation. If God is what you say he isn't (using your terms and not the accurate ones) then you're certainly a heretic, and if he isn't you've made a comparison that certainly diminishes his holiness and unapproachable nature by making such a comparison, even if only to try to prove he's NOT that.
Let's be smart though; What does the author of that statement really mean. What he MEANS is, God does not force you to love him. He GIVES you FREE WILL to choose whether or not you will love him. And what of his explanation for those that God created that he KNEW would not? Oh, well he knew they would not and they damn themselves.
This whole thought process holds together, so long as you can suspend logical conclusions and at the root of your philosophy you can maintain that it is YOU who makes decisions that matter, and not God. Certainly there are those who believe that have free-will and what they mean is, they are a sentient being, self-aware and able to make decisions. Certainly that would include a decision to "believe" in this fancy idea of an almighty God right? Certainly me choosing a latte vs a cappuccino is equally distinct and within my right as my ability to choose God right?
What does the Bible say?
John 6
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
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43"Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.'[d] Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
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52Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
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The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
Now, let's move to Romans 9.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth.
18 So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will be hardeneth.
Now, let's return to the beginning and address the point about forced love. Since the Bible does not address the topic of forced love, categorically, then we must exegetically formulate what we believe from what we observe in the Bible. To do so, I'm going to use an illustration that will reveal that you don't have a problem with forced love. I'm going to prove to you that forced love is WHAT YOU DESIRE, that it's okay, and there's nothing wrong with it, in this context.
I think that we would agree that if you LOVE your child you will discipline him/her. You will reprove them, help them endure consequences to produce obedience. Now for the parallel.
When your child makes a decision at any age, under your authority, they do so with your expressed, or implicit approval, until they are met with disapproval. When your child disobeys you, do you give him a choice on whether or not to obey the rules? You may allow your child to choose wrongly, but you do so, knowing that it will produce character, endurance and ultimately future obedience. Or you may NOT let them choose wrongly, because the consequences are too great, depending on the age of the child. Given that we may believe that we have the ability to choose God, to be his child or not be his child, then why don't you allow your child the free will to be obedient in all situations? It's a little hypocritical, don't you think, to afford yourself the ability to choose the ultimate family, or not and not afford your child the same ability with your earthly family, is it not? And isn't their free will, God given? If yours is, so must theirs also How are you better than they, that you should prevent them, their God given right to freely choose, right and wrong, to love or not, to be obedient or not? Who are you?
I'm being irrational and going to an extreme conclusion on purpose. For WE are the child and God is the Father. Do not believe that because you make wrong choices that somehow God is not in control of them. Did you get that? Re-read it. Do NOT believe that because you MAKE wrong choices that God is not the author of that. That he's not guiding that, not allowing that on PURPOSE, so that you will be obedient in the future! You might say, "my child could break the rules without me knowing, isn't that free will?" Can you do something without God knowing? The answer is no, it's not free will. It was allowed, for had you known, you wouldn't have all0wed it. If if you did allow it, it wasn't free will, because you didn't actively stop it. Your child's ability to make any decision is tempered and throttled completely by your level of knowledge and will regarding their activity and decisions. Since God has perfect knowledge and a will for his children, we must conclude that every decision, good and bad, right and wrong is guided and allowed by him...caveat, if we're his child. For not all are.
What's the result? A loved child and a well disciplined child respects their parents, loves their parents. When you think about it how can we have a problem forcing OUR child to obey us...but then have a problem with GOD doing the same? This is the lie we've been taught though; check what you think you know. That goes for everyone...most definitely me.
The deceiver has taught people, (using language that obfuscates the intent of the language), that you are EQUAL with God. You're his peer, equal in your right to choose or not choose him, equal to be or not be his child. And you're taught to use the experience of your ability to choose a latte versus cappuccino as PROOF that you have this ability. Would you let your child at the age of 1,2, or 3 decide whether or not he want to be your child? NO, they couldn't even formulate that thought, much more know the consequences of that decision.
So why, in our spiritual infancy, are we taught that we have the ability to choose to be God's child or not?
Ultimately, this is Satan' world and he has a lot of tools that he uses against the Saints. My point is the longer you believe that you are in control of your destiny with God, the less you'll seek him. Comforted by the fact that it's your works that prove your a saint. I can remember believing that, although I couldn't formulate the words or articulate it. Probably because if I had articulated it, I would have had to examine it, and thus, logically it would have been dismissed way before I was ready for the truth of God.
This is the beauty of God's plan. It's HIS PLAN! If it depended on us or me, or you, we'd be in so much trouble! His work in you, is wonderful. I write this blog for me, but I believe that if you're reading it, and it's changing the way you think; that's GOD!
Praise Him!
2 comments:
Why do you use words written to and for Israel to argue about how
God deals with mankind today?
What are you trying to say?
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