The Problem of Evil.

[Yeshua1]

Agreed. But there are things that God cannot do because if He did them, He would no longer be God.

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yes, such as "deciding" to no longer being sovereign!

 

[Yeshua1]

First, People are in Hades because they chosen to reject God. God loves you too much to force you to spend eternity with Him.

Second, I believe that God is the omniscient, righteous, and perfect judge. There are no calls for appeals. I believe that everyone who is thrown in Hell will only blame themselves because God would have explained it so perfectly why they are at fault that there would be no denying that God is good, His justice is good, His wrath is good.

Third, goodness is not merely a trait that God has....He is goodness and the source, declarer and standard of ALL goodness. Thus, evil is defined simply as a privation (lack in something that ought to be there). Sin is merely choosing separation from God (the source of goodness).

You see, denying the omnibenevolence of God will no longer allow God to be God. Because if God is not "omni" good, you are implying that there is a moral law that is above God. Which would imply a moral lawgiver above God. Which would mean God isn't God...the superior "moral lawgiver" would be God.

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At the GWT Judgement, ALL will be condemned by their own words and deeds, and none shall offer anything to refute that!

 

[Yeshua1]

Although synergists like Lewis being with the idea that "self-surrender" is a prerequisite to the new birth, there is no scriptural evidence for such an idea. Indeed, salvation is necessary because men do not surrender their wills to His.

Ask Paul how much of His own willpower was inlvolved in getting himself saved!

 

[Yeshua1]

I do not think the people taken to Hades would agree. As long as we are physically alive, we have an opportunity to put our faith fully in God, but if, while still lost our life is cut short by a flood, or storm, we would never see that calamity as good for us as individuals. And to repeat, it is the meaning of "all good" that is the problem, God is not good to all the people consigned to Hades.

God is just towards them all, correct?

 

[Van]

Perfect justice is good from the point of view of the judge!!!

 

[agedman]

Perfect justice is good from the point of view of the judge!!!

Is not "perfect justice" good from any point of view?

 

[Van]

Is not "perfect justice" good from any point of view?

Good golly miss molly, why did you ask for mercy instead of perfect justice?

 

[utilyan]

Ask Paul how much of His own willpower was inlvolved in getting himself saved!

Well you Calvinist say Regeneration Occurs on hearing the gospel.

Jesus shows up on a beam of light. Blinding UNREGENERATE Paul.

UNREGENERATE PAUL COOPERATES.

If he does not cooperate, he does not hear the gospel, if he does not hear the gospel he does not regenerate.

Game Over, thank you for playing,

 

[agedman]

Well you Calvinist say Regeneration Occurs on hearing the gospel.

Jesus shows up on a beam of light. Blinding UNREGENERATE Paul.

UNREGENERATE PAUL COOPERATES.

If he does not cooperate, he does not hear the gospel, if he does not hear the gospel he does not regenerate.

Game Over, thank you for playing,

Who gives ears to hear?

Who gives the heart of understanding?

Who gives faith to believe?

"ALL the FATHER gives me WILL come to me..."

Paul was given by the Father. "1Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,..."

Game over? yep.

 

[Yeshua1]

Well you Calvinist say Regeneration Occurs on hearing the gospel.

Jesus shows up on a beam of light. Blinding UNREGENERATE Paul.

UNREGENERATE PAUL COOPERATES.

If he does not cooperate, he does not hear the gospel, if he does not hear the gospel he does not regenerate.

Game Over, thank you for playing,

Paul had no choice inthis manner, as God had selected Him to be the last Apostle of Jesus chosen!

 

[SheepWhisperer]

1. If God is omnipotent, He would have the power to stop evil.

He does.

2. If God is onmibenevolent, He would be willing to stop evil.

He is

3. If God is omniscient, He would have foreseen the existence of evil and would have prevented it.

Not necessarily.

So if God is both willing and able to stop and prevent evil, why does evil exist? I am interested to hear your thoughts.

We don't know. We do know the Bible says things like God "creates" evil and that He "intended to do evil", for instance, to Nineveh. All "acts of God" like hurricanes, tsunamis, tornados etc. are "evil" because, in the King James, "evil" simply means "bad". Too many times we confuse "evil" with "sin". "sin" is indeed "bad", but not all "bad" is "sin".

The Bible, in the Book of Genesis, says that when Adam sinned, he had the "knowledge" of good and evil. I take that to mean not only that we know what things are good and bad, but also what DEEDS are good and bad.

As to WHY evil exists, I have no idea, God had His reasons. But I think the main question we should ask is the same one that God asked in Deuteronomy 30:19. God has set before us both good and evil, blessing and cursing: which of these will we choose? Will we choose and love the sin, suffering and death or will we love life? I'm reminded of the mindset people of today seem to have. They're more worried about the life of a great white shark, a killer whale, a wolf, a dog or "Cecil the Lion" than they are a helpless baby in the womb. You know? They seem to worship the cruel killers in nature more than the innocent.

Just remember that God is love. He wants us to choose life and the life is in His Son.

 

[Yeshua1]

He does.


He is



Not necessarily.


We don't know. We do know the Bible says things like God "creates" evil and that He "intended to do evil", for instance, to Nineveh. All "acts of God" like hurricanes, tsunamis, tornados etc. are "evil" because, in the King James, "evil" simply means "bad". Too many times we confuse "evil" with "sin". "sin" is indeed "bad", but not all "bad" is "sin".

The Bible, in the Book of Genesis, says that when Adam sinned, he had the "knowledge" of good and evil. I take that to mean not only that we know what things are good and bad, but also what DEEDS are good and bad.

As to WHY evil exists, I have no idea, God had His reasons. But I think the main question we should ask is the same one that God asked in Deuteronomy 30:19. God has set before us both good and evil, blessing and cursing: which of these will we choose? Will we choose and love the sin, suffering and death or will we love life? I'm reminded of the mindset people of today seem to have. They're more worried about the life of a great white shark, a killer whale, a wolf, a dog or "Cecil the Lion" than they are a helpless baby in the womb. You know? They seem to worship the cruel killers in nature more than the innocent.

Just remember that God is love. He wants us to choose life and the life is in His Son.

Eternal Life for all, or for just some?

 

[thatbrian]

Paul had no choice inthis manner, as God had selected Him to be the last Apostle of Jesus chosen!

Yes. I've always wondered how Arminans would deal with God blinding Paul and boxing him into a corner as He did. Whatever happened to "wooing"???

 

[utilyan]

Yes. I've always wondered how Arminans would deal with God blinding Paul and boxing him into a corner as He did. Whatever happened to "wooing"???

If that is the case he doesn't even have to show up.

Who is God trying to prove his power to?


Calvinist say a person is required to be regenerated to accept God and regeneration only comes after hearing the gospel.

PAUL has to accept to hear the gospel.



Either a person can be regenerated without hearing the gospel or not. You can't insist one way then make up exceptions here and there.

You guys talk A LOT. Swear its one way. And now you say its not.

 

[Reformed]

Yes. I've always wondered how Arminans would deal with God blinding Paul and boxing him into a corner as He did. Whatever happened to "wooing"???

Many Synergists would simply say that God looked down the corridor of time and saw that Paul would accept Jesus, so God elected him and commissioned him as an Apostle.

 

[thatbrian]

Many Synergists would simply say that God looked down the corridor of time and saw that Paul would accept Jesus, so God elected him and commissioned him as an Apostle.

They would not get away with that answer, if they tried it with me.

 

[InTheLight]

They would not get away with that answer, if they tried it with me.

Please give us a link to someone, anyone, that has used the "corridors of time" argument here on BB.

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[Reformed]

They would not get away with that answer, if they tried it with me.

Now, why does that not surprise me?

 

[SheepWhisperer]

Yes. I've always wondered how Arminans would deal with God blinding Paul and boxing him into a corner as He did. Whatever happened to "wooing"???

According to the second account(there are three) Paul was not actually "converted" until AFTER he arrived in Damascus.

Acts 22
11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus.

12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,

13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.

14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

"Boxed in a corner"? God did that to me on May 11, 1986. I won't go into details but due to conflict, at the time, I had reached the end of my rope. And just like Paul, no one else present heard the "voice" but me. But also just like Paul, no one forced me to "call upon the name of the Lord" either.

 

[SheepWhisperer]

Many Synergists would simply say that God looked down the corridor of time and saw that Paul would accept Jesus, so God elected him and commissioned him as an Apostle.

God "inhabits eternity", so He DOES know who will or will not be saved or who will become apostles. He also knew who would be child molesters and mass murderers. Just because God KNOWS what shall happen does not mean He causes ALL of those things to happen. So, one does not become one of the elect until they choose to obey God by repenting/trusting Jesus as savior.(even though God knows whether they will or not). Why is that so hard for some people to comprehend?