Quote me saying that "God forces people to sin."
Honestly, if you read the Bible, sin doesn't need anyone to force it to sin. Sin willingly sins, because it is opposed to God. All God has to do is let it go, unrestrained. (Read Romans 1).
So, in the martyrdom of these 6 Christians, did God get caught by surprise? Was God unable to restrain sin? The answer to both questions is...no.
Therefore, we ask...for what purpose, oh God, did you bring about the deaths of your children?
Tim, was this killing by accident? Was God not aware of the killers heart and motivation? Are God's words to Cain not just as relevant today as then? ("sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you.")
The mystery is that God chose to give sin the right to commit its wicked act and God did not restrain the one who acted like Cain. We do not know why, and, frankly, knowing why wouldn't change anything. But, God tells us that there is a good purpose for this evil taking place and killing His children. Will we believe this truth, or will we try to philosophize the issue and try exonerate God, but in so doing, make God to be less than Sovereign? No! God is Sovereign and in His Sovereignty He removed the restraints of Sin to do the work that He knew Sin would do. And God did this for a purpose. A purpose we do not grasp or conceive of, yet God tells us it is a good purpose.
*Romans 8:28-30*
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Will you trust God or will you make God to be less than Sovereign because your theology won't allow God to hold that position?
Are you now back tracking on your original quote?
Your quote: "Whether or not you like it, these persons died because
God chose to have them die by this demonic means."
That is not the same as God stepping in and working to mitigate the trouble for those who are the called according to His purpose for good.
Your quote does not embody Romans 8:28-30.
You obviously expected people not to like your quote.
Do you not notice the order God set up in His Sovereignty?
All humanity are covered in election.
The group gets smaller at the predestined step.
Then smaller at the calling step.
Then smaller at the justification.
Those glorified are the smallest group.
Certainly a choice is made by each individual in the process to allow God to continue to work, or to completely reject God's process. God does not force us to resist, nor is the means of our resistance.
God did not start out making all of humanity glorified, then they dropped out and the foreknown/elected is the smallest group.
The point about an earthly kingdom and Israel ruling with Christ after the Second Coming is that humanity is on earth still and not glorified. Israel and those in the Millennium are still justified. They are sin free.
Yes, God chose steps in the restoration of Adam's disobedience. The verses you quote point that out.
But that is not even what you posted, that I had contention with. You did post God chose that demonic act to happen, whether Believers like it or not. Since you pointed out some would not like it, that is what I was doing. Not liking the point you made.
Then you justified "God's choice" (alledged by you) with the wrong interpretation of Scripture.
Are you now saying you don't even like your own quote? Why assert it if you don't like it? God's Sovereignty seems to be so humanity would like God, not so they can be at enmity with God.
Besides it is sin that makes us enemies of God, not His Sovereignty. Why turn Sovereignty into something it is not? God's Sovereignty is the justice and punishment of sin. Punishment is not evil. Punishment is for our good. You cannot even know the mind of God to say He was even punishing those that day in Nashville. That is the mindset of Job's friends. Job acknowledged God's Sovereignty, but Job did not state God's specific intentions. At least not until the debating started.
I am not saying that in some cases God cannot step in and take a person's life.
"And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost."
"And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things."
"Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband."