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.
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
1 Samuel 15:29
"Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind."
Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.
So no, God does not lie. He said "I AM the Truth." You entertain a bit of Zen nonsense if you suppose he would lie about whether He could lie!
But there IS one out there, called the Adversary, who deviates from truth:
You are from your father the devil...When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.(Hebrews 6:18)
He’s God and like my parents he can simply say “Because I said so”
End of discussion...
I believe whan anthropomorphization occurs in the Bible, it’s God’s condecension to our understanding.
It’s a pretty ugly question for a headline, just standing alone like that. It, on it’s own is quite blasphemous.
I’ll be ashamed for you.
It’s a stupid headline.
When He says it’s true, it’s true. That’s what it means to be the one true God.
If God is not the ultimate arbiter of Truth, who is?
It is Gods nature. He aid “I change not”.
Yes it is. We are offered false choices to choose from, because the questioner is a hater of God.
That headline assumes lying is some sort of forte, talent or strength. It’s not. It’s a sin, and one of the first we, as sinful and weak, imperfect flesh and blood, learn to commit early in life. God is perfect and holy and cannot sin.
The devil, however, is the father of lies. Doesn’t get more sinful, limited and ungodlike than that.
Typical mental gymnastics while ignoring the Truth.
He doesn’t have as much free will as we do.
I knew you would say that!
“I believe whan anthropomorphization occurs in the Bible, it’s God’s condecension to our understanding.”
I agree. The Word was necessarily written *for* ignorant minds, even those that “can see”.
1 Corinthians 1:27 King James Version (KJV)
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
Yes.
I’m thinking that someone could radically misinterpret the headline, because it seems to be posed as a stand-alone question. That makes it “sound” abrupt and mocking.
The “ tone” seems sneering, or challenging.
But it wasn’t originally composed as an insolent challenge. It was composed as an honest question in a series of questions.
It might help if you consider that the answer which follows, can be summarized as “NO”.
I hear what you are saying, and though I agree that no human being can fully comprehend all who and what God is, He is the source of rationality, logic, and reason. He also imparted that ability to His human creation. Of course He often defies logic and reason for His purposes, but for the most part, He has revealed Himself to us in Scripture in rational ways, perceptible ways, and in language we can comprehend. He has revealed, in Scripture that His character exhibits the following traits:
1. Hebrews 6:17-18. People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
2. Titus 1:1-2. Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and which now at his appointed season he has brought to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
3. Numbers 23:19. God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
4. I Samuel 15:29. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.”
5. Isaiah 1:18. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
My point is that God uses rationality to reveal Himself - you expressed your view using a reasoned argument. So, it appears from Scripture God has limited Himself because of His character, His nature. So, I would not say God is beyond rationality, but that there are certain attributes of God that are beyond complete human comprehension. Does that make sense? By the way, hope you and you’re family are well and safe.
Yours is not an honest question.
I even checked back to #34. I didn't ask a question.
Seriously. What question?
Thank you and I hope you and yours are well and safe as well.
Rationality is a tool for analysis of the truth or falsity of a proposition. I would pose that you are arguing in the same vein I do, the use of rationality as a pointer of direction, but not as a determiner of truth.
I believe, but it has never been because of logic or rationality. But I do not doubt the truth of it. The deceiver would use rationality, and that is a pointer to the problem with rationality as a proper tool. Years ago in a rather worthless class in logic, I found that there was scant difference in the for vs against arguments for the existence of God. Without revisiting, if you do not know the meaning of God, it is hard to use logic to prove it one way or the other.
Argument will only get one to the water’s edge. You have to choose to fall...
Free will.
DK
However, while God cannot lie to us, this being contrary to His nature, God could allow a person to be deceived without it being wrong, like as He can slay the innocent with it being actually good, for He alone is omniscient and omnipotent, who alone knows what all the effects will be of even your next breath or the flap of the wings of a butterfly, not only for this life but for Eternity. And who alone can and will make it all work out for Good, for the good of those who love God and thus love the Good. (Rm. 8:28).
Thus no finite being can validly charge God with doing wrong (though I have in so many ways) for we are simply in no position to tell the One who gave life that He cannot take life, or charge that the relatively momentary losses of this life are unjust in the light of eternity. Unless we are omnipotent and omniscient.
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