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Why Did God Allow Adam and Eve to Sin?
email | April 16, 2008 | Billy Graham

Posted on 04/15/2008 10:31:33 PM PDT by perfect stranger

Why Did God Allow Adam and Eve to Sin? By Billy Graham, Tribune Media Services Q: Why did God allow Adam and Eve to sin? He must have known what they were going to do, and it seems to me that it would've been better if He had just stopped them. The world was already perfect, so why didn't God keep it that way? I've always wondered about this. -- R.M.

A: The opening chapters of the Bible tell us what happened when Adam and Eve committed the first sin -- but they don't tell us exactly why God allowed it to happen. We must be careful, therefore, not to blame God for something that is ultimately beyond our understanding.

At the same time, the Bible does tell us two very important truths about Adam and Eve's sin. First, it tells us that they were completely free to love God -- or to reject Him. In other words, they weren't robots! God's warning was clear: "You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17).

But what if they had been robots -- that is, what if they didn't have any will of their own, and all they could do was love God? Then their "love" for God wouldn't have been love at all -- because love always involves a choice or a decision on our part. God took a great risk in creating them with a free will -- but only then could their love for Him be real.

The other truth the Bible tells us, however, is that while sin's consequences were great -- God's love is even greater. The proof is that He sent His only Son into the world so we could have our sins forgiven. Have you turned to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness and new life you need?


TOPICS: Ecumenism; Evangelical Christian; Moral Issues; Theology
KEYWORDS: billygraham
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To: Gamecock

I don’t get your point. Calvinists believe in Free Will.

+++++++++++++++++++

Didn’t you once say that God chose which of us He will save and which He will not save, but we are if one of those He chose to save, have the freedom to reject being saved?


41 posted on 04/17/2008 10:59:01 AM PDT by fproy2222 ( Jesus is the Christ)
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To: fproy2222

I’m not sure if I used those exact words.

People have free will.


42 posted on 04/17/2008 11:06:26 AM PDT by Gamecock ("I find your lack of faith, disturbing" Darth Vader)
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To: Gamecock

thanks


43 posted on 04/17/2008 11:15:03 AM PDT by fproy2222 ( Jesus is the Christ)
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To: fproy2222

But here is the catch:

Before we are regenerated we are dead in our sins. The things of God are foolish. The non-Christian will always choose, out of his “free will,” the thing that is most pleasing/advantageous to him.

One regenerated by the grace of God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, the person is finally able to look outward to God and will do what his will now desires, to choose Christ. Then and only then will his free will lead him to do things that are pleasing to God.


44 posted on 04/17/2008 11:24:38 AM PDT by Gamecock ("I find your lack of faith-disturbing" Darth Vader)
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To: xJones

and you point is important to me why? this is About my faith and my personal relationship with my Lord...just ignor me...


45 posted on 04/17/2008 7:47:54 PM PDT by Turborules
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To: Gamecock
Please explain what you mean by regenerated.

thanks

fred

46 posted on 04/17/2008 11:25:01 PM PDT by fproy2222 ( Jesus is the Christ)
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To: fproy2222

Regenerated, more commonly known as “born again” is when God makes you alive (ie Ephesians 2, Ezekiel 37). God, through his good pleasure (Ephesians 1) makes us alive in Christ so that we not only can, but will accept Christ.


47 posted on 04/18/2008 1:30:27 AM PDT by Gamecock ("I find your lack of faith-disturbing" Darth Vader)
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To: Gamecock

thanks,again


48 posted on 04/18/2008 9:58:36 AM PDT by fproy2222 ( Jesus is the Christ)
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