Ever wonder Why?….

Lafftur · Jun 18, 2023

Here is the mercy of God... there are sooooo many GOOD choices available to us yet, God only placed one evil choice.... and when God put FRUIT on that tree.... it was just testing time...

God wants His children to be wiser than the serpent and harmless as the dove.... choose the good, refuse the evil. Be humble and teachable, and lead by the Holy Spirit... the Spirit of Truth... We are to have NO FEAR of evil, it is just a test.

When we are in an uncomfortable position of choosing between good and evil.... it it just a test. We must learn to choose the good and refuse the evil.

Magenta · Jun 18, 2023

Lafftur said:

Are you teachable? What is it you want me to learn? That God authored evil?

I would rather you acknowledge that evil came as a result of humanity's choice.

That is what Scripture actually teaches. God defines evil. Man perpetrates it.

Sin is evil. Sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death
through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.

Lafftur · Jun 18, 2023

Magenta said:

I have likened life to a chess board, with our self will juxtaposed against God's omniscience, for there are
only so many possible moves at the beginning of any game, and each move in turn eliminates a number of
choices. At any given moment, God is aware of the moves that are open to us, and as we make another choice,
again, He is aware of the moves that remain available to us. He sees every possible end to the game at every
single move, from the beginning to the end. That He sees the end does not mean He is dictating our moves

True, because each move we make... is our CHOICE and will determine how the game ends.

Niki7 · Jun 18, 2023

Magenta said:

I agree. God is not the creator of evil. Evil is not a created thing, but a lack of goodness. God does define what is good, and what is evil. Someone here once said, good and evil must co-exist, as in, there cannot be an up without a down, there cannot be good without evil type of idea. I do not see that taught anywhere in the Bible. In fact, God alone is good and pre-existed everything else, so good very much existed without evil existing. God could have drawn a line in the sand and said, do not cross this line. Adam and Eve's evil was in their act of disobedience. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not evil any more than a line in the sand would have been evil. They already knew good through knowing God and His creation, which God had proclaimed as being good, and very good. They came to know evil because of their actions, and right away were aware of it, ashamed, sought to cover their sin and hide themselves from God.

Right. That reference to good and evil co-existing sounds similar to the Chinese yin-yang symbol. I can't find it in the Bible either, probably because it is not there.

We do agree.

Niki7 · Jun 18, 2023

Lafftur said:

I'm hoping, at this point, that you truly do not know the import of your words or the repercussions if such a thing were true.

In my entire existence I have never heard anyone express this devious twisting of God's true nature such as what you are saying.

Niki7 · Jun 18, 2023

Lafftur said:

Game? If you consider life or death a game.......smh

Listen: God is far more in control then what you give Him credit for. You have both made Him the creator of evil, which would make Him responsible for sin and the liar in the garden.

What are you really on about?

Magenta · Jun 18, 2023

Lafftur said:

Adam and Eve had one choice to make in regards to the two Trees.

Obey God, and live, or disobey God, and die.

They chose the latter. God did not force that decision on them.

They could have chosen to eat from the Tree of Life. Satan lied to Eve.

Eve was deceived, but Adam was not. That is why he was held responsible, and Scripture proclaims
that sin entered the world through him and him alone. Nothing about God having created evil.

God did know in advance what choice they would make, and a plan was already in place whereby we
could overcome that consequence by grace through faith in the shed righteous blood of Jesus Christ.

Niki7 · Jun 18, 2023

Lafftur said:

How does your above affirmation of your error agree with the scripture that tells us that God made all things good?

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. I Timothy 4: 4-5

Do you believe that evil is sanctified by scripture and our prayer over it? You are not thinking things through at all.

Lafftur · Jun 18, 2023

Magenta said:

God created Evil for our GOOD. We are to learn to overcome evil with good. We are to learn to NEVER fear evil. When evil comes, it is just a test and time to make a choice. We are to learn to choose the good and refuse the evil.

At the end of days, there will be a great evil on the Earth and God wants us to have NO FEAR and to hold fast to Him and know that it is only a test. God wants to prepare us to face EVIL with NO FEAR and know the RIGHT CHOICE to make.

Magenta · Jun 18, 2023

Lafftur said:

I will not agree with that. Evil came as a result of sin. Adam is responsible for that.

That is what Scripture teaches, and why I will not agree with your view.

“The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.”

Niki7 · Jun 18, 2023

I've already posted about the following a couple of times. Please pay attention if you are inclined to think God created evil.

If everything God created was good (Genesis 1:31; 1 Timothy 4:4; James 1:17), why does Isaiah 45:7 say God created evil? The Hebrew word translated as “evil” (ra‘) in the King James Version of Isaiah 45:7 has two applications in the Bible. The term can be used in the sense of moral evil, such as wickedness and sin (Matthew 12:35; Judges 3:12; Proverbs 8:13; 3 John 1:11), or it can refer to harmful natural events, calamity, misfortune, adversity, affliction, or disaster. It is in this second sense that Isaiah speaks, and his meaning is reflected in most modern Bible translations of Isaiah 45:7 (emphasis added): “I make success and create disaster” (HCSB); “I make well-being and create calamity” (ESV); “I send good times and bad times” (NLT).

God does not create moral evil. For one thing, moral evil is not a “thing” to be made but a choice or intent contrary to God’s good purposes, His holy character, and His law. Moral evil does not conform to God and His will. God is good (Psalm 34:8), holy (Leviticus 11:44; Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:16), and loving (1 John 4:8); therefore, His plans and purposes are good, holy, and loving. source

God did not create evil. It would mean He created sin and is responsible for it.

Lafftur · Jun 18, 2023

Magenta said:

God created Evil for our GOOD. God is GOOD. EVERYTHING He does or creates is GOOD according to His Plan and Purposes concerning us.

Lafftur · Jun 18, 2023

Niki7 said:

I've already posted about the following a couple of times. Please pay attention if you are inclined to think God created evil.

If everything God created was good (Genesis 1:31; 1 Timothy 4:4; James 1:17), why does Isaiah 45:7 say God created evil? The Hebrew word translated as “evil” (ra‘) in the King James Version of Isaiah 45:7 has two applications in the Bible. The term can be used in the sense of moral evil, such as wickedness and sin (Matthew 12:35; Judges 3:12; Proverbs 8:13; 3 John 1:11), or it can refer to harmful natural events, calamity, misfortune, adversity, affliction, or disaster. It is in this second sense that Isaiah speaks, and his meaning is reflected in most modern Bible translations of Isaiah 45:7 (emphasis added): “I make success and create disaster” (HCSB); “I make well-being and create calamity” (ESV); “I send good times and bad times” (NLT).

God does not create moral evil. For one thing, moral evil is not a “thing” to be made but a choice or intent contrary to God’s good purposes, His holy character, and His law. Moral evil does not conform to God and His will. God is good (Psalm 34:8), holy (Leviticus 11:44; Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:16), and loving (1 John 4:8); therefore, His plans and purposes are good, holy, and loving. source

God did not create evil. It would mean He created sin and is responsible for it.

Who said anything about "moral evil"? I never said "moral evil."

I simply ask you, WHO CREATED the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and EVIL?

Magenta · Jun 18, 2023

Lafftur said:

You are calling evil good.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light
to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. Isaiah 5:20

Niki7 · Jun 18, 2023

Lafftur said:

At this point, it would not be hard to convince me you would drive the wrong way down a one way street and when the collision would occur, you would get out of your car and blame the other person for your error.

Yes, you have asked your 'special and anointed' question multiple times now and been given consistent and correct answers but they do not suffice in your economy because you have to be right or your world view will fall apart.

Most people understand that evil is immoral. It is significant if you do not.

Lafftur · Jun 18, 2023

Magenta said:

No, evil is evil, NOT good. However, God created evil for OUR GOOD. God is teaching us, His Ways... to hate evil and choose the good.

Niki7 · Jun 18, 2023

Lafftur said:

But yet you think God created evil and called it good. Remarkable.

Referring to sanctification as a dodge ball game with evil is just really really bad hermeneutics

maxwel · Jun 18, 2023

Cameron143 said:

In theology, what constitutes a GREAT QUESTION?

1.) I think that if you have questions about these things... then it's important to seek answers.

2.) However, none of these questions are really beyond basic systematics or apologetics.

3.) If point #2 is an accurate assessment, then we are only addressing these questions because churches are failing to teach basic theology. And if we look at current surveys of Christians... it seems the average church is teaching very little.

4.) So after thinking this through, what exactly, in theology, constitutes a GREAT QUESTION?
a.) I think that any question you don't understand, should be asked.
b.) However, just because we don't know the answer, that doesn't mean the question is difficult.
c.) So what actually DOES make a great question? Well, I don't think there can be any greatness IN a question, but there may be greatness in the willingness to seek answers.
Seeking answers may show greatness in our attitude.

Interesting topic.
I hope you all have a great week ahead.

.

Magenta · Jun 18, 2023

Lafftur said:

You have plainly said God created evil, and all He created is good.

Lafftur said:

Isaiah 5:20

ResidentAlien · Jun 18, 2023

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil didn't have some fruit that represented "good" and some that represented "evil." As God's creation it was all good. We know this because God's word tells us everything He created was good. There was nothing evil about the tree per se; but when Adam & Eve ate the fruit their eyes were opened and they became aware that what they had done was evil. This is evidenced by the fact that they subsequently tried to hide from God.

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