My only input is when people have freewill they complain about people using it to choose evil, but if we were forced into being obedient robots, people would then complain about how they don't have freewill. You can't have both.
Which is more meaningful to a parent: a child willingly saying I love you when the child doesn't have to, or a child being required and forced to say it? Of course the first, and I believe it's likewise more meaningful to God when we willingly choose to follow and obey Him. God loved us enough to allow us to choose, knowing that many sadly would choose to deny and disobey Him.
We live in a world and bodies that are corrupted by the effect of sin.so, therefore, we have diseases, pestilence, disasters, tragic accidents, criminal behavior, etc. as a result. God does direct these results of sin in such a way to accomplish His purposes, but He does not do evil.
Also, allowing us to have free will does not enhance God at all. It benefits us in that we know that our worship of Him is by our love and choice, not forced and His revelation of Himself in history benefits us because otherwise we would not know Him well enough to comprehend how worthy He is of our love and worship by our own choice. God's wisdom in making us how we are is far above what we could ever understand. That is why trust is so important in our lives. We can trust God with all that we cannot understand and have hope in Him when we see such suffering, and we can have faith in Him when we feel burdened by our sinfulness.
My second answer to this question about suffering is the original sin. Adam and Eve broke the covenant with God, violating His rules, and as a result of the consequences, life on earth is no longer a paradise it originally was. The curse of childbirth, curse of struggle and toil to make ends meet, the curse of death and declining health. It's a result of sin that life is hard, and I believe that this scenario is also used as a test of character which I think character will stay with us into the afterlife.
It's like this Genesis: GOD gave dominion to man over the Earth, including sea. Gen. 1:28, It's a ' stewardship ' that all men will give an account for. Matthew 25:31-46, yet the Earth still belongs to GOD : 1Corinthains 10:26,
GOD gave Moses a set of "Best Laws" That if people obeyed, would cut down on suffering. Instead many have rebelliously rejected, mocked & ignored & refusal to enforce. Whose then to blame for suffering in consequence? Proverbs 3:27,
I think it amazing that GOD intervenes on our behalf so many times. Exodus 3:9, Psalms 12:5,
& ultimately gave us Salvation John 3:16-18, Ecclesiastes 5:8,
He created us with FREE will. Like Adam and Eve we can choose to obey and follow God; or we choose to follow our own wills; often to our own HURT.
God does not forcibly prevent us from making hurtful choices. But He stands at the Ready, for us to come back to Him. To apologize for being self-willful. He doesn't walk away from us. We walk away from Him.
That "voice" of rebellion and chaos, is straight from Satan's suggestions. Learn to recognize it. He wants us to suffer and blame God for it. He wants it to build a wall of mistrust between you and God. Psalm 23 says, "THOU art with me. I will fear no evil."
From my own failures, I come to remember the exact moment that I chose my way..and not Gods. Sometimes we make terrible heartbreaking choices, that we have to live the rest of our lives remembering. But we can be restored fully__if we accept it. Choices. Satan wants us to absolutely Blame God for our choices. Resist that. Own it. Go forward, a wiser person. Like Jesus on the Cross, step on Satan's head. Genesis 3:15. The last part of Genesis 3:17.
Let us turn back to Jesus and be restored newer, more wise of the pitfalls. LOVE covers a multitude of sins. Be wise in Gods eyes; not your own.
Life returns to Joy. Like Jacob had to do_build a memorial of stones and leave the hurtful memories of sin There. You know it's out there. Just purpose to leave it there. You wrestled and came away a little bruised. God changed your name.
Scriptures are not pretty stories. They tell us how to live through hard, hurtful times. How to be restored with more than enough; as Job was in the last chapter. Faithful is He that promised.
Don't give your hard won joy, to satans attempts to cloud your mind with resentment and regurgitated memories. Think upon the memorial mound of stones. It's buried. Leave it there.
You are the object of Gods Love; and Jesus's sacrifice.
My only input is when people have freewill they complain about people using it to choose evil, but if we were forced into being obedient robots, people would then complain about how they don't have freewill. You can't have both.
Which is more meaningful to a parent: a child willingly saying I love you when the child doesn't have to, or a child being required and forced to say it? Of course the first, and I believe it's likewise more meaningful to God when we willingly choose to follow and obey Him. God loved us enough to allow us to choose, knowing that many sadly would choose to deny and disobey Him.
We live in a world and bodies that are corrupted by the effect of sin.so, therefore, we have diseases, pestilence, disasters, tragic accidents, criminal behavior, etc. as a result. God does direct these results of sin in such a way to accomplish His purposes, but He does not do evil.
Also, allowing us to have free will does not enhance God at all. It benefits us in that we know that our worship of Him is by our love and choice, not forced and His revelation of Himself in history benefits us because otherwise we would not know Him well enough to comprehend how worthy He is of our love and worship by our own choice. God's wisdom in making us how we are is far above what we could ever understand. That is why trust is so important in our lives. We can trust God with all that we cannot understand and have hope in Him when we see such suffering, and we can have faith in Him when we feel burdened by our sinfulness.
Genesis 8:21-22, Gen. 9:9-17, therefore HE made a covenant of mercy. Yet HE also makes promises of giving an "account"
Genesis 9:5-6, Psalms 37, Isaiah 61:3, Romans 12:9, Hebrews 10:30, Jude 1:7,
It's like this Genesis: GOD gave dominion to man over the Earth, including sea. Gen. 1:28, It's a ' stewardship ' that all men will give an account for. Matthew 25:31-46, yet the Earth still belongs to GOD : 1Corinthains 10:26,
GOD gave Moses a set of "Best Laws" That if people obeyed, would cut down on suffering. Instead many have rebelliously rejected, mocked & ignored & refusal to enforce. Whose then to blame for suffering in consequence? Proverbs 3:27,
I think it amazing that GOD intervenes on our behalf so many times. Exodus 3:9, Psalms 12:5,
& ultimately gave us Salvation John 3:16-18, Ecclesiastes 5:8,
Hopefully this is helpful
He created us with FREE will. Like Adam and Eve we can choose to obey and follow God; or we choose to follow our own wills; often to our own HURT.
God does not forcibly prevent us from making hurtful choices. But He stands at the Ready, for us to come back to Him. To apologize for being self-willful. He doesn't walk away from us. We walk away from Him.
That "voice" of rebellion and chaos, is straight from Satan's suggestions. Learn to recognize it. He wants us to suffer and blame God for it. He wants it to build a wall of mistrust between you and God. Psalm 23 says, "THOU art with me. I will fear no evil."
From my own failures, I come to remember the exact moment that I chose my way..and not Gods. Sometimes we make terrible heartbreaking choices, that we have to live the rest of our lives remembering. But we can be restored fully__if we accept it. Choices. Satan wants us to absolutely Blame God for our choices. Resist that. Own it. Go forward, a wiser person. Like Jesus on the Cross, step on Satan's head. Genesis 3:15. The last part of Genesis 3:17.
Let us turn back to Jesus and be restored newer, more wise of the pitfalls. LOVE covers a multitude of sins. Be wise in Gods eyes; not your own.
Life returns to Joy. Like Jacob had to do_build a memorial of stones and leave the hurtful memories of sin There. You know it's out there. Just purpose to leave it there. You wrestled and came away a little bruised. God changed your name.
Scriptures are not pretty stories. They tell us how to live through hard, hurtful times. How to be restored with more than enough; as Job was in the last chapter. Faithful is He that promised.
Don't give your hard won joy, to satans attempts to cloud your mind with resentment and regurgitated memories. Think upon the memorial mound of stones. It's buried. Leave it there.
You are the object of Gods Love; and Jesus's sacrifice.
Mishael
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