Posted on 03/05/2015 10:46:00 AM PST by Gamecock
And what might that be?
Then why not let Judas be a farmer in China rather than condemn him to Hell??
God could have,
1. made us (and angels) with no moral standard or sense or deprived us from the moral ability to respond to or choose good [morally insensible].
2. granted us free moral agency, but never have given us anything to choose between [negation of moral choices].
3. called man to make the Creator their ultimate object of spiritual affection and allegiance and source of security is what is right and what is best for man, versus finite created beings or things, and provided moral revelation and influences. But always have moved us to do good, and never have allowed us to choose evil (such as make believing in God and choosing good so utterly compelling — like God appearing daily and doing miracles on demand, and preventing any seeming evidence to the contrary so that no man could attempt excuses [effective negation of any freedom to choose].
4. allowed us to do evil, but immediately reversed any effects [negation of moral consequences].
5. allowed us to do bad, but restricted us to a place where it would harm no one but ourselves [restriction of moral consequences].
6. allowed us to choose between good and evil, and to affect others by it, but not ultimately reward or punish us accordingly [negation of eternal consequences, positive or negative].
7. given us the ability to choose, and alternatives to chose from, and to face and overcome evil or be overcome by it, with the ability to effect others and things by our choices, and to exercise some reward or punishment in this life for morality, and ultimately reward or punishment all accordingly [pure justice].
8. restrained evil to some degree, while making the evil that man does to work out for the good of those who want good, and who thus love God, who is good.
9. in accordance with 8, the Creator could have chose to manifest Himself in the flesh, and by Him to provide man a means of escaping the ultimate retribution of Divine justice, and instead receive unmerited eternal favor, at God’s own expense and credit, appropriated by a repentant obedient faith, in addition to the loss or gaining of certain rewards based on one’s quality of work as a child of God. And eternally punish, to varying degrees, those whose response to God’s revelation manifested they want evil, [justice maintained while mercy and grace given].
http://www.conservapedia.com/Theodicy
Then why not let Judas be a farmer in China rather than condemn him to Hell??
That is part of the mystery that Romans 9 teaches.
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, (Romans 9:21-23)
"The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." (Proverbs 16:4)
However, this does not mean God made them evil, but that He gave them light to obey, and ability to obey light, (Gn. 4:7) but let them reject it to do what they wanted, while others were given more grace, or of a greater kind.
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:21-22)
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; (Proverbs 1:23-26)
Thus Judas and all the lost go to Hell due to their own choices, while the redeemed are so because God drew and convicted them, opened their hearts, and granted them repentant faith, (Jn. 6:44; 12:32; 16:9; Acts 11:18; 16:14; Eph. 2:8,9) both enabling and motivating them. so that in conversion man does what he otherwise could not and would not do.
Which is not unjust, as God owes no one any grace, and as in the parable of the labourers, (Mt. 20:1-16) He is free to give more grace to some than others, while the damned have rejected light and grace given to them.
God could have even brought Sodom to repentance, while with more grace and blessings comes more accountability.
And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. (Matthew 11:23)
..For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:48)
In such cases of giving more grace to impenitent souls, they would have been better off if they did not see so much grace.
Yet as the story of John Newton examples, great grace can be given to an opposer of God so that he repents and believes on the Lord Jesus unto salvation.
But it is all of grace, and the judgment of God is according to righteousness. (Rm. 2:2)
Since Scripture makes it quite clear that it was foreordained one of Jesus' disciples would betray Him, that would mean from the time that Jesus chose Judas, Judas was destined to betray Jesus, thus having "no real choice" in the matter, correct? Or could Judas prevented his betrayal, and not dipped right after Jesus at the Last Supper?
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