Why must I be forgiven for my sins by You, who has committed sins far greater than those of which I am capable? I have not unleashed a flood, killing the entire planet's population save for a handful of people who worship me unquestioningly. I have not asked a man to sacrifice his son to prove his loyalty to me. I have not allowed another man to be tormented, causing his family and property to be destroyed, solely so I could prove to someone that the man would remain devoted to me. I might have told my boss I was sick and went skiing instead. But how can mine be the greater sin requiring forgiveness?

In a related question, why do people worship a God who would kill millions who do not follow Him, with floods or fire rained down from above, but those same worshipping people will cry ‘Madman’ when a country's leader eliminates millions in a program.



And one more question, why does your personality seem to depend upon the personality of Your followers? People who have a kind, caring personality tend to believe You are a kind and caring God. Those people who are hard and angry tend to believe in an angry and vengeful God.


Just wondering.... btw, I'm not trying to be sarcastic or demeaning of God.

Good honest question, I had to read them a couple of times to capture what you were saying...

Yes, great questions, and deserving of serious answers.

I'd begin by asking you what you would do if you were God and loved everyone in the world yet knew that every single person on it was going to die forever without any hope if they didn't learn to obey, trust, and love God and His laws.

Hmmm and why should I trust you to speak for God John?

mel

Firstly, with the Flood, the entire planet was given 120 years to repent....

Had they done so, there would most likely have been no flood. Witness what happened at Ninevah when Jonah was sent to warn of impending disaster that could only be diverted by repentence. Nothing happened because the city repented. Jonah was peeved indeed!

Noah built and preached for 120 years. In 120 years only Noah and his family were freely worshipping Abba and following His Will.

Unlike the Adversary, Abba will never force someone to worship Him... He wants only those who will freely love Him and worship Him as the Creator.

As for Abraham... although he was asked to sacrifice his son, what was really happening in those chapters is almost totally alien to our Western way of thinking because we do not recognize the validity of the Blood Covenant. Abraham did. He knew, and Isaac also knew, that what was being asked was an honor beyond comprehension. Isaac knew from the moment he was circumsized that his life, just as Abraham's life, was forfeit should Abba ever require it. That is part of the nature of a Blood Covenant.

Faith is what was demonstrated by both Abraham and Isaac. Both men knew that Abba had promised to make them patriarchs of nations. Not just one nation, but NATIONS. Therefore, somehow, someway, Isaac would be restored to Abraham, either before, or after, the knife came down. Either way, their lives were already Abba's to do with as He chose. The Blood Covenant symbolized by their circumcisions was already in force.

Job? Ahhhh Job was and is the amazing proof that no matter what befall us, we are always free to choose to worship someone other than Abba. Job is the amazing proof that the Adversary has the power to attack us through natural forces of weather, disease, even to reaching out and actively causing death... and Abba in His goodness and mercy extends His protection round about us for the asking.

Job proves that even in the most paramount choice of our life, to whom will our allegiance belong?, Abba will not force us... no matter how it looks, no matter how many deceptions, trials, or snares the enemy brings, Abba will not force us. Instead, He offers us His strength to bear the burden, never leaving us, nor forsaking us, and offering us His peace.

This whole world is a battleground, and an aberration. We must be fit to live in Abba's kingdom, and that means being loyal to the Creator. Not to those who attempt to usurp His sovereign right to govern.

The more I think about it, the more I'm sure there must be some kind of mental illness or something... I mean... a Creator could choose to be despotic, capricious, and cruel, simply because He created.

Instead, He offers us every possible opportunity to come to Him, choosing freely His way or some other way.

Clio

I don't think anyone on CA is "speaking for God," Mel. What people are doing is reflecting on what the Bible says about God in order to find answers to questions like the ones charis asked. All views are welcome here.

I don't have the answers, and I'm not going to pretend that I have even part of the answers...in fact, I don't think these questions can be easily answered with convenient one-size-fits-all answers.

But I would like to add my voice to the questions.

I recall the late Mother Teresa saying something like...God would have a lot more friends, if He treated those He already has a bit better.

aldona

It seems to me those answers to those particular questions are key to this entire war. After all, it was begun as a war of character assassination, and those questions go directly to the Character of Abba. Either He is Love and all things He does springs from Love, or the Adversary is right.

It seems crucial to me, to have true answers to those questions. Otherwise, how can anyone possibly know that no matter what, Abba is trustworthy?

Abba treats those He loves with Love. We may not always allow Him to work His Will in our lives because we cannot see His View of things, but I'm absolutely convinced He blesses and shepherds my every single step.

And I can say that regardless of the trials I've been led through. Each person's pain is different, but my life and my walk has not been easy. In spite, or because of, I don't know. But I do know that He is an on-time Abba, Who never makes mistakes.

How much of our discontent is of our own making?

Clio

I think the answers to these questions - and I am not presumptuous enough to think I have them - depends on the frame of reference of the questioner. Asking from the current, earthbound point of view or the cosmic, eternal point of view.

I am aware this will open up a whole new series of questions, but it is my starting point when I try to make sense of the way things are.

I think that one possible answer could be that God wants our attention so that He can guide our lives. Sometime He has to do something very drastic in order to gain our attention. We are all different. What grabs my attention is probably something so very different to what would grab your attention. And sometimes God really has to S H O U T in order for us to even begin to take notice! Sometimes I am too engrossed with the problems of everyday living when all He wants is the OK to let Him help with those problems.

I am just so slow!!

Beryl