Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: stfassisi; MarkBsnr
FK: “”Reformers hold that God does not will all people to be saved to the extent that He will cause it to happen, which causing is fully within His power.””

The Reformers are wrong because God would have two wills -one that wills bad and the other that wills good. Also God would be moved from being all things good

There would be no requirement for God to have two wills here. I would agree with you and Aquinas that all God wills is good. It's just that part of what God wills is that not everyone He creates is going to be in Heaven. Maybe it's natural for us humans to think that sounds bad, but it isn't, by definition, because it's from God.

I think most people would agree with me that at least some of the actions God took in the OT sounded pretty harsh under the circumstances. For example, the poor guy who got zapped for only trying to prop up the ark as it was falling. That sounds kinda mean, doesn't it? But do we say that God wished and did a "bad" thing? Of course not. We are the ones who have to adjust our mindsets to trying to understand it as a good. Likewise, I think it is the same with God not wanting all to be in Heaven with Him to the point of making it happen. Somehow, that is actually good.

...... 2. The will cannot will evil except by some error coming to be in the reason, at least in the matter of the particular choice there and then made. ......

I think I agree with all of this from Aquinas and it seems consistent with Reformed theology (even if also in agreement with Latin theology) as far as I can tell.

5,163 posted on 12/11/2010 2:07:06 PM PST by Forest Keeper ((It is a joy to me to know that God had my number, before He created numbers.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5005 | View Replies ]


To: Forest Keeper; MarkBsnr
It's just that part of what God wills is that not everyone He creates is going to be in Heaven.

Since God knows our free decisions in one NOW eternally, this is true, "that not everyone He creates is going to be heaven" since God knows our free decisions.

Eternal creation of God , "who is love" means that God creates everyone wanting them to be in heaven while knowing eternally that those who will not be heaven is completely their own free decisions,not connecting them to the will of God that wants all creation to be heaven.Hell without freedom to end up in hell would mean that hell is part of God's essence,fk

Try understanding that God does not think first than create or God would be not all knowing eternally

5,173 posted on 12/11/2010 4:09:43 PM PST by stfassisi ((The greatest gift God gives us is that of overcoming self"-St Francis Assisi)))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5163 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson