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To: Jim Scott
God explicitly directed Satan to take action against Job: "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD."

Subsequently, Job does not attribute his fate to Satan saying: "The LORD gives and Satan hath taken away" but says: "...the LORD hath taken away". Scripture then affirms Job's testimony: "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly". I don't think we're simple robots either. We're unfathomably complex robots :-) created in the image of the omnipotent Creator. Our choices are not made in a vacuum but are determined at the confluence of innumerable secondary causes most of which we are not even conscious. I have taken the Lord's name in vain. I did not do so with malice aforethought, but in exclamation of pain or frustration. I committed this sin because of my depraved nature and not by a deliberative choice. I think that many people justify themselves by virtue of the fact that they are not aware of any particularly diabolical motives in their lives. This state of mind is the most powerful detriment to evangalism: "I'm living a good life, I don't choose to hate anybody"

I vehemently disagree with your statement: "Good people die every day". By my reckoning, one good person died only once.

135 posted on 08/12/2002 12:09:24 PM PDT by Theophilus
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To: Theophilus
Well, if we must nit-pick, I'll state that God didn't explicitly instruct Satan to do anything to Job in the first instance, He lifted His protection from Job. God knew what Satan would then do to Job, of course. Granted, Satan couldn't have done it if God did not lift His protection from Job. Is that what you're saying? Then we agree.

We already know that God is in control of all. How that control is manifested through human beings doing good and ill and how our choices are made is the source of much debate but yes, it's mostly quite unknowable to mortal minds, that's generally understood by most, as I stated earlier.

Of course we are all sinners (Jesus called mankind "evil") and no one is good, as God would define the term. As the Apostle John stated; All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This is why we need a Savior. However, I used the word in a casual, secular sense. While Mohammad Atta was evil and his act was evil, Todd Beamer was considered 'good' and his act of heroism was certainly considered 'good', although in God's eyes, Tood was as much a sinner as you and I. Understood.

We have to be careful to not mix the bibical and secular definitions up when discussing these matters. I did, and I apologize. No need to become vehement over it.

136 posted on 08/12/2002 12:54:18 PM PDT by Jim Scott
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