Deception

[newton3003]

Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” John 8:44 says, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

That doesn’t sound too encouraging for the rest of us, now does it? Add to that what God said in Genesis that our hearts are of evil from the time we are born. It is what we all on earth have to endure in acceptance of the gift of life here that God has given us.

God could have made us so we avoid being influenced by the devil. He could have not put the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden so they would be tempted by the devil to eat from it. Instead, we are now all cursed with knowing what evil is, and we are cursed with the devil’s temptations to turn away from God.

So, God has given us the Law and Jesus, and He tests us to see if we would abide by them. We are His experiment, just as sure as He said to the devil, ‘Here is Job. As you requested, let’s see how loyal he is to me regardless of what you do to him.’ And thereafter, God has effectively said the same thing to the devil regarding the rest of us, to see if we are truly God’s loyal servants or we will be overcome by the devil’s temptations.

Having been made just in God’s image instead of as duplicates of God, we find ourselves tempted from time to time. If we are strong enough in our devotion to God, such temptations will be minor enough that we will be forgiven by the time our day of Judgment comes along. Some, though, are so desperately sick that they will give all in to evil temptation, and they will die with their flesh, never to see the light of God’s Kingdom.

For they have ignored the Law and Jesus. The Bible tells us not to deceive our neighbor, yet there are those that do anyway, even after being taught God’s Word. But there are others who do not have access to God’s word, so there may be hope for them if they can be made to see the light as the Heavens declare God’s Glory and God has made us all potential prophets to spread the Word, as inferred in Jeremiah 1:5. For God wants that we all be saved and experience His Greatness.

God has invariably given us a choice: We can either love Him and eachother and spread His Word, or we can share the ground with others whose flesh end up there. We can live in peace according to the spirit of Christmas, or we can allow ourselves to be entwined with what the devil will gladly give us in the name of evil.

 

[lastofall]

[for me anyway] for this cause does our Lord tell us that if any would follow Him, we must deny our own will, lest we be found deceiving ourselves, so that we may submit to and rely upon the Word of God without distraction.

 

[Joidevivre]

I am not God's experiment - I am His product.

All I am, I owe to His touch upon my life - not for anything I've done. If I've obeyed Him, it is only because He has inspired, motivated and compelled me.

 

[trofimus]

.

God could have made us so we avoid being influenced by the devil. He could have not put the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden...

Having been made just in God’s image instead of as duplicates of God...

God has invariably given us a choice...

God, in His unending wisdom, created the best possible world to exist. Everything that exists is precisely planned to be just where it is, to make the most imposant grand picture we will see after all will be finished.

 

[Dino246]

...
Having been made just in God’s image instead of as duplicates of God, we find ourselves tempted from time to time. If we are strong enough in our devotion to God, such temptations will be minor enough that we will be forgiven by the time our day of Judgment comes along. Some, though, are so desperately sick that they will give all in to evil temptation, and they will die with their flesh, never to see the light of God’s Kingdom.

It appears to me that your understanding regarding the nature of humankind, salvation and sanctification is not biblical. We are not subject to temptation because we are made in God's image (instead of as duplicates of God). Rather, we are subject to temptation because we have inherited the sin nature from Adam, who acquired it by rebelling against God.

The strength of our devotion has little to do with our resistance to sin. It is the Holy Spirit within us Who changes our hearts and removes the "hooks" that makes us vulnerable to temptation. It is God Himself Who provides a way out so that we may not sin. Without the Holy Spirit, we are powerless to resist temptation.

Your statement, "such temptations will be minor enough that we will be forgiven by the time our day of Judgment comes along" is just wrongheaded. Our status as "forgiven" in Christ is established already; it is not partial or variable over time. To borrow a thought from Chuck Missler, when Jesus died on the cross, how many of your sins were yet in the future?

The judgment we will undergo at the end of the age is not based on the temptations we have faced. It is based on whether we believed Who Jesus is and accepted His sacrifice in our place, believing that He died and rose again. Adam was tempted to eat of the Tree of Knowledge; had he not eaten, he would not have sinned. Being tempted is not a sin! To give a simple example, what judgment should there be on a child, who, when told not to take a desired cookie, doesn't take the cookie? The obvious answer is "none".

Further, the degree to which a temptation is "minor" or not has no bearing on the result. However, giving in to temptation, no matter how significant, is called sin, and the wages of sin is death. Only the consequences vary in degree.

I may guess that you've read the Bible, or at least some of it. Read all of it, and I would also encourage you to invest a few hours to read a good summary of Christian theology.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

I am not Gods experiment, I am his beloved, “for God so loved the world”

 

[MattforJesus]

That is true we are not an experiment,for God had the plan to give us salvation before He laid down the foundation of the world,and knows what He is doing,and Jesus is the reason that creation is successful.

In the beginning was the Word,and the Word was with God,and the Word was God.All things were made by Him,and without Him there was not anything made that was made.

In the beginning was the plan of God to come in the future in flesh,and that plan was with God in the beginning before He laid down the foundation of the world,and that plan was God manifest in the flesh.All things were made with the plan of God to come in flesh,and without that plan of Him coming in flesh He would of not created anything that He created,for Jesus is the reason that creation is successful,salvation.

The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world,and the prophets blood shed from the foundation of the world,and all the works were finished from the foundation of the world,for God calls things that have not happened yet,as though they already happened,for if it is a plan of God to happen in the future it is the same as if it happened in the beginning for it will surely come to pass with no hindrance.

The Bible,word of God,is God revealing Himself to people by words written down,and the Word of God is God revealing Himself to people by manifesting Himself in flesh which He is God with us,and Jesus is God's visible relationship to the saints for eternity,for there is one throne,and one who sits on that throne,which is the throne of God and the Lamb,God in the glorified body of the man Christ Jesus.

Old Testament,Adam made in the image of God.New Testament,Adam made in the similitude of Christ.The image of God is the image of Christ,an innocent nature in flesh.God had the plan to come in the future in flesh,and created Adam in that image.

Jesus was the first plan God had before He created anything,so Jesus is the firstborn of all creation,although He was not born until 4000 years later.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was put in the garden because God gave them a choice,for without choice there is not true love for we have to choose to love God for there to be true love.

God did not fail at His creation but He gave mankind a choice,and some are rebellious,which creation testifies there is a God,and of His attributes,which one of them is love,for He provided food,and the means to make clothing,and shelter,and covers the 2 greatest laws,love God,and love people,so the world is without excuse.

Adam and Eve would of not sinned,and it would of never entered their mind to sin unless an outside source tempted them,so God allowed Satan to tempt Eve and he convinced her that she would not die,and would be greater than her current situation,for they shall be as gods,and Eve was the outside source that tempted Adam by showing him she did not die.

We are not blamed for Adam and Eve's sin for that is on them,but when they ate of the tree they had a choice between good and evil,so all their offspring has a choice between good and evil,and are born not knowing God,and not having a relationship with Him,and will sin before they have a relationship with God when they choose to love Him,and repent of their sins.

God has mercy on us and knows that it is not our fault for our situation,for we are born knowing good and evil,and will sin before we choose God,and do right,but there is still no excuse for we can correct it,and do right,for we know to do good.

We are not an experiment for all the works were finished before the foundation of the world,for God had all things figured out,and the plan of salvation for mankind,before He started creation.