Musings
Let's see. I'd appreciate your input on the following:If God is love, and we are made in the image of God, how come there is so much evil in the world (and in us, for that matter)? And how come that God, in whose presence evil cannot stand (according to the Bible) and who can't stand evil in his presence (like the language twist here?) could have made Lucifer? I know he was an angel first but if God knew how it was all going to end up, why did he bother in the first place?
Oh and in case you're wondering, I am not expecting "the" answer, I am just interested in how you guys handle these things...and what your attitudes are to them.
So go on, let me have it!!
posted by Kat @ 10:57 pm
4 Comments:
Kat,
It underlines my point(s) to answer the last question first ...
Question 3
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"If God knew how it was all going to end up why did he bother in the first place?"
Ref: "In the beginning was God"
Consider: The juxtaposed use of 'beginning' and 'was' ... implies God was there BEFORE the beginning. Underlines: God exists outside of (beyond?) our fourth dimension. So our understanding of God's decisions and - particularly - our social prediliction for viewing His decisions as something that occur 'within' a dimension that doesn't constrain Him (ie: at a date and time) leaves us with all the conundrums implicit within the concept of predestination (Ephesians 1) ...
Question 2
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Lucifer _when_ (and here is the conundrum!) he was made was not evil. The one thing I have not yet figured out: man (woman) was made with free will, angels were not ... how can the angel Lucifer (who by his very nature does not have free will) will himself to be God's eqaul (and thus fall from grace)?
Additional Note: all of Lucifer's failings stem from his choice to set himself up as a contender for God's position (like Pinnochio rejecting his maker [the carpenter] simply because: a) he has strings and b) they are attached to his maker) ... and all of our failings (our sin) comes from the exercise of our will in a similar fashion ... why Lucifer (the Serpent in early Genesis) incites us to a failing that is at it's core the same as his is another question I will be asking God when I see Him ...
Focussing back on a direct response to Q2: to ask 'when' (in terms of our preoccupation with entropy and calendars) Lucifer was made is irrelevent when you consider that the event of Lucifer's existence in our fourth dimension (time) is merely a detail of history.
God made Lucifer by the act of 'speaking' the Word (ie: through jesus) that predestined Lucifer's existence ... that 'speaking' has occured/occurs/is occuring outside of time.
CONTRAST: Since Lucifer exists *within* time (**) then the detail of the measured event within time when Lucifer decided to defy God is something God knew but God, himself, did not enforce .. Lucifer had a choice.
The logic failure(s) in what I am saying are obvious here (angels making choices ???? ... *sigh*) if someone can help with this question ...?
(**) Lucifer did not exist 'before' the beginning - ***only*** God is not contsrained by time by existing 'before time began'
Just my two pence worth ...
Trevor
*double declutching my brain*
Trevor! You have just managed to raise more questions than were in my original post :-D
Hope you and Phillipa are well!
Ok let's see...
1) If God is love, and we are made in the image of God, how come there is so much evil in they world (and in us, for that matter)?
Yes, God is love and yes, we were made in His image. But the fall of man destined man to be sinful. And instead on saving the world right away with His grace, He chose to wait. Jesus came so much later after the fall of man and Jesus will come again at a time when only the Father knows. Why? I don't we can really answer that. The part of the mysteries of God is yet to be known. That's just the way He wants it to be. So why does not God just get rid of all the evil in the world? While God hates the sin in this world, we are not His puppets. He allows man to have free will and those who ultimately choose evil will go to hell and those who choose God will go to heaven.
2) Lucifer? I asked this question before and no one can really answer it. The closest that I ever even got to any kind of answer is that maybe... just maybe, in order for good to exist, evil must exist as well. If so why? That I have no idea. Also, why, if God is all knowing did He create man if He knew man would fall? True, but God also knew from the Beginning that He would prevail in the end (when Jesus comes). Perhaps the end is the answer to why and how evil can be truly conquered.
Gee. All I know is His truth and whatever else that remains a mystery should stay that way :)
God is love...we were made in his image.... We have the ability to show that love to others, yet we choose not to. That's where free will comes in to play.
Evil can not stand in God’s presence because God can’t stand evil. --And that’s why we need the blood of Christ to cleanse us whiter than snow removing all evil from us so that we may stand before Him. Lucifer’s pride got the better of him. That pride got him tossed out and evil was born. Hence the saying “pride cometh before the fall” Jealousy tends to make even the sweetest turn rotten.
Why did He bother in the first place? Well, I ask you this…Why not? If you could do anything just by breathing it into place, wouldn’t you let your creative juices flow?
Lisa
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