But who created Satan? Is Satan running free of God's control, or is Satan a creature who exists by the will of God alone? When we struggle to free God of His responsibility in creation, we demote Him to bystander. The world is not God against Satan, thesis vs. antithesis, because that would give Satan power equal to God's power.
Huh? :) I just meant to agree with Kosta that God is not a tempter of men. Also, he and I have been talking about whether God is an author of evil, and my position (though not always believed :) has been that He is not. So, I agree with the characterization the God allows it. God could have any level of control above zero, and it could be said that "He allows sin". Full-control God allows it because He could prevent it, but in specific cases it suits His purposes. Partial-control God allows it, perhaps because He doesn't care, or He doesn't want to interfere with free-will choices even when they thwart what would have been His plan. I am most assuredly in the first camp. :) satan's power is nothing compared to God's power.
So ultimately, as difficult as it is to grasp, God is the first cause of all things.
There is nothing wrong with this statement. And, there are still plenty in the loyal opposition who try to hang the "God causes evil" thing around our necks. It's a loaded term, and any admission can be used to restate or repeat as it was never meant. I have sort of evolved into only referring to "cause" as God zapping evil into an individual, meaning a direct infusion of evil. God doesn't have it to give, so I really don't think God does that.
To avoid the situation of all of us emulating satan in all that we do, I figure that God must sustain all people, even the lost, to some degree. I also think that such sustenance can be turned up (as to salvation), or turned down (as to evil acts out of previous character). In the latter, I don't happen to call this "causing" because there is no duty to sustain at all. It is God's sovereign right to dial down and let man "cause" for himself. However, if God chooses to dial up, then that IS causation because the default level of protection owed by God is zero.
God planted the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil smack in the middle of Eden and told two naifs not to eat it. That's pretty tempting.
Well, for some unknown large number of years I suppose, it did not prove to be much of a temptation at all, as far as we know. However, when the serpent entered the Garden to DO the tempting, then they lasted about 5 minutes! :)
The point isn't that God doesn't tempt men because the truth is men are tempted every day of the week by a thousand distractions that deny and demean the Triune God.
Yes, you are absolutely right. I was quick to agree with Kosta that God doesn't tempt men to FURTHER show that I do not believe God is the author of evil, and that I am aware of:
James 1:13-14 : 13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
I think "testing" and "tempting" are two different things. From God's POV if a test "succeeded" then the person did the Godly thing. If a temptation "succeeded" then the person sinned.
Thankfully, Scripture tells us that those who have been "bought with a price" will be able to withstand temptation... [1 Corinthians 10:13] ... He is an amazing Creator. He thought of everything. 8~)
Indeed, Dr. E.! Amen! :) God has the way to escape.
Yes. When I first became a Calvinist, people would tell me God was completely in control down to the last atom. I found this difficult to grasp until you start thinking about how everything MUST be in His control otherwise He would not be all knowing or all powerful. If you lose this concept (and many have or are) then you slip into Open Theism.
I think you're going digital, and I'm still on analog. 8~)
My husband says he's stopped his technological march through time at 2000, and he's not going beyond it. I've agreed to join him in his stubborn resistence.
Thus, we won't be text messaging, even if we knew how.
Amen to the rest of your post, FK. 8~)
But, then, evil cannot be evil, can it? if it's from God it's not evi.
Dr. E, as far as God not tempting, it's in the Bible; it says so on numerous occasions. Perhaps you search engine can find it. Then, again, a Calvinist model may not have that feature. Or maybe it's in those parts of the New Testament the Refromed never read.
God didn't tempt Adam. He planted the tree and told Adam not to eat of it. So, just because my neighbor has a hot new car doesn't mean I can just take it. It's not my neighbor's fault that his car is tempting me. I am the one who allows myself to be tempted.
The same with Adam and Eve. They could have said no (oh, goodness, free will! impossible!). God did not force them to say yes (what a weakling!). Of course that is not possible in the bizzarro control-freak Reformed theoogy, where evil is not evil because it is from God, as if evil were a creation of God and not absence of God!