Does God get "hurt" by people who reject him?

No, that would place God on our level. It would mean that man, the creature, has the ability to affect, in this case negatively, God, the Creator.

Plus the idea can very easily lead to the embracing of the flawed teaching of Open Theism.

[ April 01, 2003, 09:34 PM: Message edited by: Ken H ]

 

There are several instances in the Bible where GOd is shown as grieved over man's actions. I wouldn't say that this makes him "hurt" in the way that we woudl define it, though.

 

And here are the SCriptures:

Ezekiel 6:9 God is grieved by their adulterous hearts
Genesis 6:6, 7 It repented and grieved the Lord that He made man
Isaiah 63:10 God’s people rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit
Jeremiah 42:10 God is grieved over disasters
Psalms 78:40 God’s people grieved Him
1 Chron. 2:15 God was grieved because of their calamity
2 Samuel 24:16 God was grieved because of the calamity
Ephesians 4:30 Holy Spirit can be grieved
Ezekiel 6:9 God is grieved by their adulterous hearts
Genesis 6:6 It grieved God that He made mankind
Isaiah 63:10 Their actions vexed the Holy Spirit
Isaiah 63:10 God’s people rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit
Jeremiah 42:10 God is grieved over disasters
Psalms 78:40 God’s people grieved Him

Oh, and "Jesus wept."

 

Balance is everything. God is spoken of as a spiritual Being and yet we also understand that He has Personality. We as Christians do not view Him as the Deists did; a God who created the world and walked away from it to leave us to ourselves. God cares and loves sinners as shown to us at the Cross of Jesus Christ. He provided the atonement for sinners.

Jesus has given us an idea of his love and compassion in Matthew 23:37. He desired that the Israelites would see Him and believe in Him as their Redeemer and Messiah. For the most part it never happened. His response to this is recorded in this passage. Jesus said, 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . . how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!'

It appears to me as a very, great disappointment to Jesus. In the case of the Israelites it meant that they would never see the beatific vision in Heaven.

Scott Emerson jotted down many of the emotions of the Lord God.

 

Rejection always has an affect on the rejected!


Even so, God was, is, and will always remain God! So who looses when man rejects God?

 

Yelsew,

Your point is well-taken. Good.

 

Yelsew you don't attempt to teach man in God's image but rather God in man's image.

Bro.Dallas

 

Perspective dear Dallas, perspective!

 

The perspective is that God is not emotional, man is.

Bro. Dallas

 

If God is not emotional, Why does he laugh at his creation, and cry at their failures.

 

Do you suppose God created the universe and all that is in it because he was lonely? I don't think so, I am just curious as to what you think.

Someone said earlier on this forum that God has spoken (in His written word) in an understandable way to man. These things do not imply emotion but describe in an understandable way the reaction of God.

For God to be emotional as man, it would be very difficult to picture His destruction of Sodom and Gommorah...and oh yeah there was Lot's wife...not to mention the destruction of the world by flood, can you imagine the shreiks of terror He must have endured, how could such an emotional being be so heartless as to deny His own emotion in such events?

If Judgement is not determined by emotion, why would we think salvation or any other of God's works are such;

If these were emotionally based, could these works be eternal? Do not our emotions change, even sometime according to the weather.

As I said before, you envision a God who possesses the image of man, this is not Jehovah God.

(We're still friends, aren't we? )

Bro. Dallas

Look, this is #1498, I completely missed 1492; and can't remember what significance 1498 is, but the date seems familiar. Was it Columbus' second voyage?

 

Are we or are we not made in the image of God? If we have emotions, and if we are made in the image of God, how do you think we got them? Right! We got them from the creator who has them and in whose image we are made.

How do you know what God experienced in destroying sinful man?

We have feelings when we destroy that which we possess that displeases us greatly. Who among you has not experienced an emotion when discarding or destroying that which caused you dismay or displeasure. And, who among you has not experienced emotion when making or acquiring that which brings you much pleasure. And who among you does not take pride in your children when they are obedient and even loving toward you? Think of the feelings you experience. God is our father as we are parents to our own children. He rejoices and he grieves.

But of course you already know that!

 

To All,

To say that God is hurt when someone, for whatever reason, rejects Him is simply wrong.

This view implies that God somehow needs us. This is not the case. He is all-self-sufficient. He is the Creator; we are the creation.

Blessings to all,

Archangel

 

Archangel, That is but one sense of how one can be hurt. Loss of one who is needed is definitely a hurt situation, but that is not how I see God "feeling hurt" and for the reason you state. There is another sense of hurt where the sense of hurt stems from disappointment resulting from the failure of others.

For example:
Parents experience the first sense when a child is taken, dies, or rejects the parents.

The second sense happens when the child is expected to obey the parent, but fails to do so because of the exercise of the child's will. This second sense may or may not involve hurt to the child.

 

Archangel, That is but one sense of how one can be hurt. Loss of one who is needed is definitely a hurt situation, but that is not how I see God "feeling hurt" and for the reason you state. There is another sense of hurt where the sense of hurt stems from disappointment resulting from the failure of others.

For example:
Parents experience the first sense when a child is taken, dies, or rejects the parents.

The second sense happens when the child is expected to obey the parent, but fails to do so because of the exercise of the child's will. This second sense may or may not involve hurt to the child. </font>[/QUOTE]Yelsew,

Thank you for the clarification. I am pondering your post.

Blessings,

Archangel

 

The idea that God does not have emotions or feeling one way or the other fits the scenario of austere and calculating Calvinism. If that picture of Calvin that we see on cover of his "Institutes" is authentic then we can well understand his 'determinism theology.' Calvin's vindictive nature and picture comes from his harsh understanding of God who autocratically, at will, damns His well selected non-elect.

[Off topic remarks edited. You have been warned Ray. YOu know better. Stay on topic.]

Anyway, back to God. Jesus said in Luke 15:7 'I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner who repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, who need no repentance.' Notice also verse 10 where Jesus said, 'Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.'

Orthodoxy teaches that Christ is God. Do you think Christ had any emotion of pain when His body was pierced in five severe and deadly places? You might say that this was only the Son of man side of Him. But there must have been great anguish in the Being of the Son of God when He said, 'My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me!'

[ April 03, 2003, 09:10 AM: Message edited by: Pastor Larry ]

 

Hi frogman;
A quote from you;
-------------------------------
The perspective is that God is not emotional, man is.
-------------------------------
If God has no emotion then he doesn't love,hate,regret,or is jealous. All these are from emotion.

We are created in His image and have the same emotions.

Only a Calvinist would say God has no emotion since they have already made Him out to be a tyrant.

I find it intresting that all calvinist avoid matters of emotion and now they want God to be like them...
Romanbear

 

Why do the angels and saints in Heaven worship, praise and adore Him, if Almighty God has no feeling about this profound experience that passes before Him continually.

Study the 'hypostatic union' of His undiminished Deity and His unfallen humanity. Two natures are in His Being and yet independent and distinct Individuality. He is worshipped by us because He was the Son of Man and also the Son of God. This Hypostatic Union is only found in God and only once in that which we call time.

 

Brethren,

God created man to be a social creature. This is not evidence that God has a need of his creation.

God is not subject to emotion. In the flesh, of course Christ was emotional.

If we all are children of God (including the lost) the why is it that some do not love and obey their father? I believe it is because not all are his children. This does not mean I can say who is and is not, but my inability to know them does not hide them from God.

I would never permit any of my children to suffer the torments of Hell; this is due to the emotion of love. God is not emotional as I am.

Bro. Dallas