photo: a Mattel talking doll. Notice the pull string on her right hip.
Free Will
Much human suffering is rooted in free will, human free will that is misused.
Yet, free will is the chief ingredient in real love.
When I was young boy in the 1960's, little girls had dolls with a pull-string.
The string triggered a recording which would say various things, like, “I love you!”
Is a toy capable of love?
No.
Would a functional adult feel loved by such a doll?
No, love requires free will.
.
God made humans - for companionship with Him.
God too, wants to be loved. He made us capable of loving Him and loving others.
But real love requires a free will, which also enables us to reject, harm or hate others.
Newton's Third Law of Physics: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Here is a parallel spiritual law: If we have the free will to love, we also have the free will to hate.
And the decision to misuse free will is the root of all sin and much pain.
So why does God allow us to use our free will negatively, if it hurts others?
Well...what are His options?
Even God has boundaries, which He sets for Himself.
If free will could be other-controlled, it wouldn't be free will.
.
Though God knows the future,
what should He do when he knows that one person is going to harm another person in some way?
Should God kill the offender before the would-be victim is harmed?
If He did that, people would say, “Why did God kill that person? He never did anything wrong!"
If God killed people before they sinned, neither Moses nor Paul would have lived long enough to assume the positions of leadership they were given in leading God's people.
How can God punish-kill someone before they do something wrong?
So, what about an electric zap; a divine taser, perhaps?
That would be my choice, but it must not be God’s way.
God gave us the Golden Rule and a conscience,
He gave us childhood training and the Bible.
He expects us to use all of them do to what is right.
And history tells us that God leaves us alone quite a bit,
to experience the repercussions of our free wills, and the free wills of others.
I don’t understand why God lets us do wrong without immediate consequences,
Yet, free will is the chief ingredient in real love.
When I was young boy in the 1960's, little girls had dolls with a pull-string.
The string triggered a recording which would say various things, like, “I love you!”
Is a toy capable of love?
No.
Would a functional adult feel loved by such a doll?
No, love requires free will.
.
God made humans - for companionship with Him.
God too, wants to be loved. He made us capable of loving Him and loving others.
But real love requires a free will, which also enables us to reject, harm or hate others.
Newton's Third Law of Physics: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Here is a parallel spiritual law: If we have the free will to love, we also have the free will to hate.
And the decision to misuse free will is the root of all sin and much pain.
So why does God allow us to use our free will negatively, if it hurts others?
Well...what are His options?
Even God has boundaries, which He sets for Himself.
If free will could be other-controlled, it wouldn't be free will.
.
Though God knows the future,
what should He do when he knows that one person is going to harm another person in some way?
Should God kill the offender before the would-be victim is harmed?
If He did that, people would say, “Why did God kill that person? He never did anything wrong!"
If God killed people before they sinned, neither Moses nor Paul would have lived long enough to assume the positions of leadership they were given in leading God's people.
How can God punish-kill someone before they do something wrong?
So, what about an electric zap; a divine taser, perhaps?
That would be my choice, but it must not be God’s way.
God gave us the Golden Rule and a conscience,
He gave us childhood training and the Bible.
He gives us government with rules for citizenship.
He expects us to use all of them do to what is right.
And history tells us that God leaves us alone quite a bit,
to experience the repercussions of our free wills, and the free wills of others.
I don’t understand why God lets us do wrong without immediate consequences,
except that if God punished everyone immediately for sin,
the world would be full of orphans, and many adults would lose the opportunity to repent.
And whether or not it seems fair, God looks for repentance from all, so He can forgive.
Amazing Grace.
The Bible says that Satan is a major source of the misuse of free will.
Some people say the devil doesn’t exist.
Jesus said this about Satan in Luke 10:18:
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome
the world would be full of orphans, and many adults would lose the opportunity to repent.
And whether or not it seems fair, God looks for repentance from all, so He can forgive.
Amazing Grace.
The Bible says that Satan is a major source of the misuse of free will.
Some people say the devil doesn’t exist.
Jesus said this about Satan in Luke 10:18:
He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome
all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you,
20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you,
but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Jesus and the disciples believed that Satan and demons exist.
Satan is the author of human temptation.
Luciferians think that Satan is the commander of Hell.
As I read it, when Satan is finally locked in Hell, he will not be Hell’s commander,
he will be its chief prisoner.
What was Satan’s big sin? He wanted to live in God’s house but be in charge of his own life,
Jesus and the disciples believed that Satan and demons exist.
Satan is the author of human temptation.
Luciferians think that Satan is the commander of Hell.
As I read it, when Satan is finally locked in Hell, he will not be Hell’s commander,
he will be its chief prisoner.
What was Satan’s big sin? He wanted to live in God’s house but be in charge of his own life,
which means being in charge of the entire house. A lot of people are like that.
Notice: Eventually, everyone who tries to run their own life while depending on someone else for their existence, will revolt against their provider(s), and try to turn their providers into slaves.
And this is what Lucifer-Satan tried.
Then why do we have a free will?
It is a necessary ingredient for love.
Notice: Eventually, everyone who tries to run their own life while depending on someone else for their existence, will revolt against their provider(s), and try to turn their providers into slaves.
And this is what Lucifer-Satan tried.
Then why do we have a free will?
It is a necessary ingredient for love.
