Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: Forest Keeper; Kolokotronis; Cronos; annalex; HarleyD; Gamecock
God NEVER let's His elect go. He loves them too much

So, we must then conclude that He really didn't care for the very people He created in the Garden of Eden. In other words, God made rejects.

But, you don't have authority over her

So God has authorty to force us to love Him? The authority to change our minds and our hearts? That's love, right?

We don't have the authority to force a woman because it is morally wrong. Morality is from God. God is perfectly moral. If you think it is perfectly moral for God to make us love Him, then how morally wrong, or unauthorized, would we be to imitate God and apply the the same approach, being that we are made in His image and likeness?

You would say that God loves and respects us so much that He would let any of us walk straight off a cliff..."

God is doing everything short of forcing us to save us. But people reject God out of their own pride and will.

and


2,499 posted on 02/10/2006 7:21:10 PM PST by kosta50 (Eastern Orthodoxy is pure Christianity)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2497 | View Replies ]


To: kosta50; HarleyD
FK: "God NEVER let's His elect go. He loves them too much."

So, we must then conclude that He really didn't care for the very people He created in the Garden of Eden. In other words, God made rejects.

To be honest, I really don't know what the theology is on whether Adam and Eve eventually wound up in heaven or not, but I would like to know. My "guess" would be that they are both in heaven because God showed mercy on them by kicking them out of the garden, lest they should again partake of the fruit of the tree. God saved them from themselves. What does your side say?

Regarding "rejects", perhaps I wouldn't choose those words, but 'Yes', in essence you are correct. God does create many whom He already knows He will pass over for salvation. Glory be to God that He chose at least some as His elect. The universe is the Potter's workshop, so He makes the rules.

So God has authority to force us to love Him? The authority to change our minds and our hearts? That's love, right?

Well, YES! He does have the authority. Do you deny Him that authority? And, that IS ABSOLUTELY love. He expresses it by touching His elect and leading them to Him, with the guarantee that His elect will not slip out of His hands, even if the member at first doesn't cooperate. God has an amazing way of making His elect "an offer they can't refuse" without them even knowing it! :)

We don't have the authority to force a woman because it is morally wrong.

We don't have the authority because it is morally wrong, we didn't create her, and we couldn't anyway, even if we wanted to. (We were talking about making someone love us, right? :)

God is doing everything short of forcing us to save us. But people reject God out of their own pride and will.

Is the first part a typo? On the second part, I would say that all people will reject God out of their sin nature until God intervenes.

2,627 posted on 02/14/2006 5:46:12 AM PST by Forest Keeper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2499 | View Replies ]

To: kosta50; Forest Keeper; Kolokotronis; Cronos; annalex; HarleyD; Gamecock
So, we must then conclude that He really didn't care for the very people He created in the Garden of Eden. In other words, God made rejects.

I wouldn't conclude that any more than I would conclude the angelic host had flaws with the fall of Satan and 1/3 of the angels. God wasn't surprise by them leaving and He certainly wasn't surprise by Adam and Eve. God made them exactly as He intended and they fell just as He intended.

While there is no clear reference to the election of Adam and Eve, many commentators (and I believe many church fathers) have always held Adam and Eve to have been saved. They base this upon the following verses:

Though weak, many people interpret the statement “clothed them” to be symbolic of God covering our sins.

So God has authority to force us to love Him? The authority to change our minds and our hearts? That's love, right?

Of course it is. Don’t you try to change the hearts and minds of your kids? You do this because you love them and know what’s best for them, don’t you? If they paint the neighbor's car or jump off a roof don't you have a stern talking to them. Why? Because you love them and you don't wish to see them hurt themselves. You’re just not always successful at changing their hearts and you’re not always right about the reason you want to change their hearts. God, OTOH is ALWAYS 100% successful at changing hearts and lives.

What your real gripe is, is simply that God doesn’t do this for everyone. This is incomprehensible to your Greek thought process. Instead you would rather rationalize that God offers everyone, everything and only a few accept His offer. Sorry. This isn’t the God of scripture. He makes choices and does what He pleases. And everything is perfectly right, holy and just regardless of what we think.

2,628 posted on 02/14/2006 6:39:44 AM PST by HarleyD ("Man's steps are ordained by the LORD, How then can man understand his way?" Prov 20:24)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2499 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson