Many people wonder "If your God is such a loving God then why is there all this suffering in the world?" That is a loaded question. It reaches beyond. To me at least.
God gave us the freedom to make our own choices. If you disagree, think about this. How much glory would it bring to God if he made us glorify Him? Say you could make someone love you, does it really mean anything when you make them? Wouldn't you rather them love you based on their own choice? Same concept. So we have this freedom of choice..red or blue, hot or cold, East or West...whatever. Our choices affect someone else. The decision not to tutor someone in a class could cause that person to fail the course and become depressed. Look at Columbine massacre. Our choices affect others, period. Obviously, others are not the only one affected. The decisions we make affect us. If we make a poor decision we will have to live with those consequences, whether it's a punishment from God or just a result of the action.
This topic always brings up the question in my mind "If God is omniscience (all knowing) then He already knows what I am going to do, regardless of free will. Therefore, our destiny is already decided, right?" I've thought on this for many years and the more I read and the more I understand I have an answer that I feel is accurate. [Correct me if I'm wrong someone]. Even though God knows all, we still choose. God never chose for us. Therefore, even though He knows what the end will bring for each of us, we are the ones that chose our destiny. I personally find it hard to believe that God would create people with the intent of them going to Hell. He gives us all the opportunity we could ask for to choose Him, but many still turn away even though they 'believe'.
The whole thing still blows my mind just because I have a finite mind (while God's is infinite). His ways are not mine and my ways could never match up to the path He desires for me...that will benefit me more than I can image.
Later :)
If there is a heaven, there should also be a hell. We can not have just a heaven because if person A decides to become a serial killer, should that person be allowed into heaven? If so, then anyone can do whatever they please and still get into heaven since God will forgive them in the end anyway, right?
ReplyDeleteWhen Christ died on the cross, all of our sins have been forgiven. We have been given redemption. However, unless we accept that gift of our own free will --through repentance of our sins and living a holy lifestyle (turning away from our old ways of sin and faithfully keeping the commands Christ gave us, through His own example)-- we will suffer the damnation of eternal separation from God.
God loves us for who we are, even if we're vile and wretched. However (in my opinion), those who do not recognize and repent their sins reject God’s love for them, and those persons who reject love have no place in heaven.
I know this is a topic about free will, but in the end our decisions on how we live our life and treat others will determine our fate with Christ.
You are correct in that if there is a heaven then there is a hell. However, living a "holy lifestyle" will not get us into heaven. Salvation through Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to heaven. As for people that genuinely accept Christ but stray by not following the lifestyle or later reject Him, I am unsure how God will deal with them. I would imagine that they would still get into heaven (NOTE: they must be sincere). Even Peter denied Christ three times.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment!!