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Does God HAVE To be "fair" In His Dealings With man?
- Thread starter JesusFan
- Start date
God deals justly with man, not according to our standard of justice, but in accord with His own standard of perfect moral righteousness.
Skandelon
<b>Moderator</b>
While I agree with the content of this statement, it seems to me some use this as a blank check to justify any amount of injustice their particular theological system blames on God.
Clearly scripture reveals that God cannot lie, he doesn't tempt me to evil and that he is perfectly holy and thus without any sin. But, somehow that is supposed to be compatible with the concept that God uses secondary causes to make others lie, be tempted, and do evil in such a manner that they could not have done otherwise. I find this contradictory to scripture.
While God does hardened men in their rebellion so as to accomplish a greater redemptive purpose, this in NO way violates man's freedom. As explained, this is much like a cop hiding his presence to ensure that a speeder keeps speeding so that he can give him a ticket. Does the cop cause the speeder to speed by hiding the truth? NO. Is the cop in anyway culpable for the speeders crime because he hid? NO. This is all God does in the process of judicial hardening. He doesn't casually determine men's nature so that they can't choose otherwise, as the compatibilistic system supposes.
"While I agree with the content of this statement, it seems to me some use this as a blank check to justify any amount of injustice their particular theological system blames on God."
Whenever we blame God of an injustice, it is man, not God, who has done an injustice.
Whenever we blame God of an injustice, it is man, not God, who has done an injustice.
Skandelon
<b>Moderator</b>
Let's be clear, no one here is blaming God of an injustice. Instead, they are arguing the man-made claims about God are unjust...and unbiblical.
preacher4truth
Active Member
Amen! :thumbsup:
But God must bow to our idea of fairness, or how could He be God? (I am being facetious in describing the attitude of some)
As one on here puts it in his objection:
We don't give anything to God, not even a blank check, that is, unless we trust Him. Akin to Job? Case closed.
To the OP? No, God doesn't have to bow to what we consider to be fair, nor to our reason, nor to our logic.
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What man-made claims are you referring to?
Skandelon
<b>Moderator</b>
T - Men are born Totally unable to willingly receive God's appeal to be reconciled.
U - God Unconditionally chose a select few to effectually save, leaving the rest in their Totally unable condition.
L - God Limited the atonement to those He unconditionally elected.
I - God Irresistibly calls those he Unconditionally elected to be saved
Ok thanks. Now how does that tie in with the OP about the fairness (justice) of God in dealing with man?
freeatlast
New Member
Man operates on fairness out of his own clouded mind-set, God operates on mercy and justice. I prefer God's way.
preacher4truth
Active Member
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quantumfaith
Active Member
:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:
quantumfaith
Active Member
See Post #9
Tom Butler
New Member
I don't want God to be fair. I want him to be merciful. If God were fair, then he would give me what I deserve. And outside of his mercy and grace, and the blood of Jesus, all of us deserve condemnation.
Please, God, don't treat me fairly.
Please, God, don't treat me fairly.
God would be perfectly just in condemning all mankind. Yet He shows mercy to some, redeeming them from condemnation. Therefore, some receive justice, some receive mercy, but no one receives injustice at the hand of the Lord.
quantumfaith
Active Member
Yes, I am so glad that He offers mercy to all.
Skandelon
<b>Moderator</b>
True.
Actually he shows mercy to all.
"For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." - Romans 11:32
"The wonder of God's mercy and grace is NOT that He doesn't save everyone; it is that He even saves ANYONE!"
This is the very essence of what I believe, even as a non-Calvinist. God is not in any way morally obligated to save anyone because we deserve it. Again, this is a point upon which we can all agree.
However, God has obligated Himself, both morally and judicially, to save whosoever will come (believe). Not because they deserve it, but because He sent forth His Son to be a propitiation for sins of whole world, which is to be applied only through faith. His universal call to "every creature" to faith and repentance obligates him to save whosoever repents and believes. The doctrine that teaches that God only grants this ability to willingly repent and believe to a select few while appearing to call "every creature" is what causes the non-Calvinists to cry, "Foul!"
I don't believe the Calvinistic view of God is unjust because he condemns certain people to hell. I believe the Calvinistic view of God is unjust because He offers a pardon to all mankind while only granted a few of them the ability to receive it, all the while expressing a desire for all to come to repentance and a frustration for those who remain unwilling.
It is deceptive to offer someone a gift you've determined they cannot willingly receive. Especially if you, the giver, are the one who determines the receivers natural abilities. That type of offer cannot be genuine.