Posted on 04/01/2020 10:31:25 PM PDT by CharlesOConnell
But though God can do all things, yet He cannot lie, or deceive, or be deceived; He cannot sin, or cease to exist, or be ignorant of anything. These defects are compatible with those beings only whose actions are imperfect; but God, whose acts are always most perfect, is said to be incapable of such things, simply because the capability of doing them implies weakness, not the supreme and infinite power over all things which God possesses. Thus we so believe God to be omnipotent that we exclude from Him entirely all that is not intimately connected and consistent with the perfection of His nature.
I would think God is unable to lie for the same reason that the laws of physics are unable to lie.
Something for 1:30 a.m. on a Thursday. The traditional answer is that he is unable to lie because he is truth; it’s his very nature.
God is not human. Anthropomorphization doesn’t work, and is indicative of an ignorant mind.
My understanding is that He is letting us know, in no uncertain terms, that consequences matter. He means what He says, which is why we need to learn and obey.
God, while not letting us know His full will, does want us to know His will where it is revealed.
He is a loving. Father, who does not hide his will or desires for his children.
God cannot lie because it violates His nature.
I think Einstein and Nels Bohr settled the argument of people putting limitations on God. God is beyond rationality. Therefore the tools of rationality (argument) are inappropriate in the discussions. Believing is also not part of rationality. The idea of whether or not God could lie, presupposes that we could understand the mind of God. I stop at the idea we could fully and wholly understand the mind of God, and make a judgement.
Not sure if there is much more to say on the topic.
DK
“These defects are compatible with those beings only whose actions are imperfect; but God, whose acts are always most perfect, is said to be incapable of such things’
Is jealousy consistent with being perfect?
Exodus 20:5
“I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.”
The simple answer is that if God says it, it is not a lie. God told Jonah He was going to destroy Nineveh. Jonah, correctly, said “no you won’t”. Finally Jonah went to Nineveh and they repented of their sins, so God did not destroy them, just as Jonah had predicted. Is there a lie in any of this? I don’t think so.
Discussions such as this are in the category of “how many angels....” and are diversions from the true question: “What does God want me to do, today.”
Because God is Good in the most profound sense of the word. Also, He doesn’t need to lie. Lying can have powerful results, but it’s not a mark of strength.
What a disgusting postulation in that headline. You should be ashamed.
Dumbest Question ever.
This came up in one of our “stump the pastor” Q&A’s.
Can God lie?
The answer was yes, in certain situations when it is for a tactical reason.
For example, God tells Moses to ask Pharaoh to let his people go out to the desert to worship for three days, but both knowing full well it was for them to escape Egypt.
EXODUS 3:
“Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.’”
Another example is when the disciples ask Jesus to join them to go to the temple.
John 7:
“You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee. 10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.”
So, just as it is not unethical to lie or deceive your enemy in battle, it was not unethical for God or Jesus to lie (or have Moses lie).
A derivative of the old ‘can God make a stone so heavy that he couldn’t lift it?’ canard.
Very good.
I would not presume to judge God, Jesus or Moses. I would not presume to understand fully the “thoughts” of God. If pastors choose to, well, that is just a matter of belief. I disagree, but again, it would be arguing how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. God is supernatural. Assuming the “rules” of nature or the “rules” of man apply, is inappropriate. God is/exists further than the edge where language meets the abyss.
Of course if you want to describe something beyond language...
Freewill discussions are more interesting.
DK
“Freewill discussions are more interesting.”
Not to me - they make my head spin!
The wisdom lies in seeing the limited scope of the comparison between human and divine characteristics. The divine is primary, absolute, eternal, unchanging, while the human is derivative, relative, contingent on circumstances, and constantly variable.
However, human-God congruences are an excellent way to reflect on God. That's why He, Author and Artist, chose that method of establishing contact with us.
He actually models asking these questions about Himself.
"Am I a God at hand?" says the Lord. Jeremiah 23:23
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