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I made spaghetti for ALL of my children today. However, not ALL my children chose to eat it.
Common sense people. Come on...
Did you choose to be born? Did you have any say in the matter? Did you choose who would be your parents? Did you choose to like or dislike the foods that you like? Did you choose what you look like. Did you choose to be born under the curse that came about as a result of Adam's sin? You think that compares in ANY way to whether your children choose to eat spaghetti on any given night?
Do you really think that God gave us NO choice in being born into a sin filled world and spiritually dead but then expected us to choose to be born again in Christ? When scriptures say that it is NOT our choice but God's choice who and when one is spiritually reborn.. Jesus had to call Lazarus out of the grave by the power of the Spirit and Lazarus had no choice but to walk out of the tomb....he had NO power to even know that he was dead till he heard the call.
It is by the predetermined will of God 'who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth" that we suffer for a temporal time the evils of this world so that we will be mature sons/daughters, complete in His image, knowing good from evil and glorifying the One who has perfectly designed the ages to bring his creation to where He desires it to be.
We have wills but they are definitely NOT free and when it is all said and done, no one will be unhappy with the fate of even Hitler for who but evil incarnate would be ok with someone being tortured forever and ever for inflicting temporary pain? As Paul said, these temporary infirmities pale in comparison with the riches and glory of living as perfected sons and daughters in the Kingdom of Heaven. God will be ALL in ALL.
Most think God OFFERS salvation and life but it is a done deal when all the instruments and weapons of evil have accomplished their task, as the fire forges and strengthens the sword.
We desire life to be easy with no pain, and I am the #1 culprit for this, but it is through the pain and suffering that we get strong. We limit God working on us to one small life span but there is NOTHING that contradicts God taking several ages to work with each person. To say that after death comes judgment does not say, however you were brainwashed into thinking so, that there is nothing more that can be accomplished. When God judges, the inhabitants of the earth learn righteousness and all glory be to God for He made no mistakes (did NOT sin) in introducing evil into the world. Man can do and does what seems evil for selfish reasons. God uses evil to accomplish His higher and greater purpose. He takes credit for it but in no way does that make Him a sinner. When a doctor cuts open a child's body to repair a damaged organ or remove an invasive threat, the child experiences temporary pain and discomfort, but it is for the long range good of the child.
Though we may feel that it is unfair of God to inflict evil on us, we can rest assured that when God is all in all no one will resent either being the recipient of evil or the means whereby evil is meted out. Many cry out that's so unfair when presented with the possibility that God inflicts temporary evil on the world in order to create sons (and daughters) but say it's ok for God to send billions or trillions of lost, desperate, lonely souls to an eternal place of torture for a few years of insolence or even for 'choosing' not to believe in something he can't see, hear, or feel, which no one can until the Holy Spirit gives life to the Spirit.
And you actually believe he only OFFERS life like you offer your children spaghetti? My trust is in a God who leaves nothing to the temporary, blind and selfish will of toddlers which we are in comparison to the spirit who truly hears and recognizes the majesty and sovereignty of the One who formed this awesome universe by speaking the Word. I will rejoice when ALL BEINGS, both in heaven and on the earth, are filled with the wonder of our most LOVING Heavenly Father.
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
I know eternal tormentors love the word "perish" to kinda prove the legend of eternal hell. If God can cause the perished years that the locusts and cankerworm have eaten, i have absolute no doubt in the ability of God to restore man back to himself, which is wonderful, but even better restore man back to his true self.
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
I know eternal tormentors love the word "perish" to kinda prove the legend of eternal hell. If God can cause the perished years that the locusts and cankerworm have eaten, i have absolute no doubt in the ability of God to restore man back to himself, which is wonderful, but even better restore man back to his true self.
Amen to that!
God will give us so much more than we can ever imagine because that is what a Father does......He LOVES. He TEMPORARILY disciplines in order to teach and bring us to repentance but MERCY triumphs over judgment.
If few ever find it then that blatantly contradicts the gospel given to
Abraham. The gospel says that Abraham's seed (i.e. children of God) will number
as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea, without number, without
measure. Certainly that is not "few".
Yes, the ends of the earth will return to the Lord, which is certainly not a few. A few are blessed to find it for a time, but in the end, all will have life in the Lord.
Quote:
God judges, the inhabitants of the earth learn righteousness and all glory be to
God for He made no mistakes (did NOT sin) in introducing evil into the world.
Man can do and does what seems evil for selfish reasons. God uses evil to
accomplish His higher and greater purpose. He takes credit for it but in no way
does that make Him a sinner. When a doctor cuts open a child's body to repair a
damaged organ or remove an invasive threat, the child experiences temporary pain
and discomfort, but it is for the long range good of the child
Amen, ScarletWren.
Quote:
My trust is in a God who leaves nothing to the temporary, blind and selfish
will of toddlers which we are in comparison to the spirit who truly hears and
recognizes the majesty and sovereignty of the One who formed this awesome
universe by speaking the Word. I will rejoice when ALL BEINGS, both in heaven
and on the earth, are filled with the wonder of our most LOVING Heavenly
Father
Yes, praise God.
God bless.
Last edited by ShanaBrown; 08-31-2014 at 02:37 PM..
The belief in the restoration of all to God sees the value of every person, no matter who they are or what they have done. God has a plan and purpose for all that will gain the allegiance of all to Himself whether they come willingly now or be made willing to come later. As someone said, the greater the battle, the sweeter the victory or something similar to this. Even the most incorrigible heart is no match for the One who created all hearts. They will say of Him, "Only in the Lord have I righteousness and strength."
Isaiah 45
Thus says the Lord,
The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:
“Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons;
And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.
12
I have made the earth,
And created man on it.
I—My hands—stretched out the heavens,
And all their host I have commanded.
13
I have raised him up in righteousness,
And I will direct all his ways;
He shall build My city
And let My exiles go free,
Not for price nor reward,”
Says the Lord of hosts
COL 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross..
Notes from one who holds to the restoration of all to God.
"John 12:32-33 (NIV)
32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross to die for the sins of the whole world. The cross of Jesus Christ has unlimited power to draw all to Jesus. Ultimately, in God’s time and His order, which extends beyond this age, all will be drawn to Christ because of the finished work of the cross for the salvation and reconciliation of all, without exception.
Please note that in the Greek Manuscripts, verse 32 above simply says: ‘But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all to myself’. This means that all fallen men and all fallen angels will be reconciled to God through the work of the cross, as stated in Colossians 1:15-20."
"It is equally true, that not a single threatening of punishment for sin, or for unbelief, not a denunciation of hell-fire, or condemnation of any kind for sin, is opposed to the promises of God. Now as those promises most explicitly assert, the final blessing of all the nations, kindreds, and families of the earth with salvation from sin in Jesus Christ, so no portion of God's law, no threatening of punishment, should be so construed, interpreted, or explained, as to contradict this. And as the doctrine of endless condemnation for sin does explicitly contradict those promises, that doctrine we may be sure is not revealed in any portion of God's word..."
Do you really think that God gave us NO choice in being born into a sin filled world and spiritually dead but then expected us to choose to be born again in Christ?
Um... Yeah. What Bible are you reading? If God had not sent Jesus to pay our debt, we would all still be heading to eternal torment in hell, and we would deserve it. It is only by the loving grace of God that He made a way out through the blood of Christ to all who believe in this life.
Jesus did not go to eternal torment for us, JJ Maxx. If the penalty was eternal hell, He would still be there in eternal hell today, never coming out.
Jesus died for us and He was raised again. The wages of sin is death and not eternal torment. We had no choice of becoming sinners being consigned to death., so there goes free will. God bless.
Last edited by ShanaBrown; 08-31-2014 at 09:02 PM..
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