Dallas wrote:I'm in school and I come across basically two arguments. "If God Loved so much, why did he allow this to happen." And "There's is no proof."
Honestly, the no proof one is just ridiculous. I see so much proof, but only because I got the Holy Spirit. So no help there.
And for the If God loved..., I just don't know what to say. The best I can come up with is "It's Gods will." He knows what he is doing.
So what's your guys's? I'm happy to see what you guys say
Thank you,
-Dallas
Hi Dallas,
Problem comes with how people define love in this modern era. The meaning of love has shifted to mean
unbridled complete tolerance. It no longer means love. Next, I think it was around the 1940’s though the 1980’s, agape (Greek work for love) was popularized and defined as an unconditional or self sacrificial love. What was intended by defining agape as unconditional love was what John 3:16 meant; that God loves and does things for the whole world of humanity, animals, earth, the universe without condition – taking care of it. Pertaining to humanity, God love is for all humanity so that some may be save who place their faith in Christ due to God’s own sacrifice – not ours.
The word sacrifice has also changed. The Hebrew word
Korbon, sacrifice, meant –
giving up something of great value that prevented one from drawing near into deep relational fellowship. The giving up something of great value was retained while the drawing near into deep personal fellowship has been largely left out in modern understanding of this word. Able offered a sacrifice of something that involved which was keeping him out of fellowship with God – an animal. Herding animals is a 24/7 job - feeding watering, watching leaves little time for much else. Lot of activity involved in tending animals that kept one away from fellowshipping deeply with God. Cain, on the other hand, gave something, harvest, which also takes effort but has lots of down time while you wait for the harvest to be harvested. See the difference between the two sacrifices?
God gave his own sacrifice, demonstrating the length he goes to draw people back into fellowship. That act was done out of love to draw people back into fellowship with the Godhead. Self sacrifice is only but one action of agape style love from God’s nature – not the sum. It is unconditional because God tosses people the life line, the rope of faith, to all people. His agape love also lets all people decide to take that rope or not, despite foreknowing those that refuse – he still sends all that rope of faith. If not, then that would not be love either. So by faith in Christ as Jesus said, is what is needed to draw nigh unto God back into fellowship.
The point is this; we have limited the meaning of agape love and redefined it. That is why people misuse the love of God –
in order to get away with what they are doing in order to reject the personal fellowship and nurturing from God, who, drew nigh to us. That is why they claim –
God loves me and all people – so he can’t punish for an eternity – therefore, they can reject God, live as they please with no regard for the price of fellowship it cost of God’s love to draw nigh to us all (Philippians 2:4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and John 3:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 36c and 1 John 4:10c).
God’s agape love does not coerce – nor force – it seeks to demonstrate gently to persuade because if not, love ceases to be love by not giving honor to the gifts, callings, promises made to humanity which grants us the use of free moral reasoning needed to govern our own little worlds which we make for ourselves. Love does not seek its own ways; therefore, it does not coerce, or force. Instead, Love woos, seeks out, offers, demonstrates the nature of love in order to win, freely, a being.
Greeks used four words to translate love and the Hebrews used several also in various grammar forms. When combined with the translated word Agape a word picture emerges that only begins to reveal deep vastness of God’s love. The old KJV version of the Bible often used the word Charity to define Agape. Again, the Old English word Charity meant more than giving – it meant cherishing. The Hebrew word for love and Greek Agape all point to Love as acts of cherishing, nurturing, helping to grow/mature, edifying, helping, guiding, honoring, respectful, tends too, fostering, etc and etc, building up kinds of cherishing that is all relational and omni- personal. That is the type of Agape Love God has as part of his nature. It is these aspects, just mentioned, that has been left out of the modern interpretation about God’s love.
The modern translation of God’s love, Agape, or just agape, now means –
unbridled complete tolerance. Blind acceptance of all who reject the nurturing / fostering that God offers through – Jesus Christ – that whosoever believes (Faithing) in him will not perish but have eternal life with God – restored/reconciled back into a personal living relationship with God again, reject. Those that reject – well – love angered righteously is more fearsome than our limited imagination can fathom so please note what John 3:36c says.
When people demand God to accept themselves and their ways by demanding him to acquiesce to their terms, conditions, and definitions of what love is and how it must act (according to unbridled unconditional tolerance), such do not realize that angers Love itself from God. It seeks to manipulate God’s love to avoid fellowship with God and the life altering reconciling sacrifice and sealing God offers. It is an affront to God. Such people, if allowed into heaven in their eternal state, would corrupt heaven by eternally manipulating and gaming all aspects of God’s own goodness against God himself, in order to – make God subservient to them and their desires.
That is one meaning from Isaiah 26:10 and why God’s wrath rest upon people. He knows what we don’t about ourselves. The love God has will not tolerate being used and gamed again in order to lovingly protect those who have come to their senses and sealed by the sacrifice he gave to reconcile those that accept his offer of grace and prove his own name sake as Isaiah 45:21, 22, 23, 24, 25 reveals.
Note also - Eph 2:15 – 2 Co 5:17 – Gal 6:15,,,
A new creation involves change. It is not an excuse to justify remaining the same old way you ( you-meaning people here not any individual) are. Such attitude as that is an attempt to game God’s goodness to remain the old man who pits attributes of God’s love against itself, in order to remain unchanged. That is a great affront to God.
-
-
-