“I set out a number of texts which conclusively tell you that God is managing your every move.”
No you didn’t. You quoted a few texts that you INTERPRET to mean that, and then ignored texts that I posted in response which contradict your interpretation. Don’t confuse your interpretation with the Word of God.
“You argue back with philosophy...”
No, you retreated from the Scriptures that I posted and began the philosophical argument yourself in post #178. If you want to go back to Scripture, then you’ll have to deal with the contradictory verses that you never answered, such as this one:
“16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
1 John 2:16
According to you, God is causing everything we do, including sins, but according to that verse, those things are not from God. Can you explain the contradiction? If not, then your interpretation cannot be correct, for a proper hermeneutic doesn’t produce contradictions.
Think about it. You wrote that John teaches everything of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, comes from the world, not from God the Father. If I am not mistaken, you are understanding this to say John is arguing that the “origin” of all of these sinful passions are from somewhere other than God. That is one possibility. However, if this is what John is arguing, then he contradicts himself in John 1:1ff wherein there is nothing that has come into being apart from Him.
If he is not contradicting himself, what other argument could he now be making? Let me suggest that what John is getting at is that if I hunger after a woman who is not my wife (lust of the eyes), that lust is not something I should say matches what the Father is directing me in the Scriptures to do. The cult, Moses David and the Children of God, fell victim to this errant thinking. If I follow this cult’s view and say that lust must be good because God created everything to be gratefully enjoyed, I would be ascribing to God a directive that He did not issue. I would be putting false words into His mouth. But that is not to say that God is not managing me (or the cult) to fail.
But, John cannot be saying that that the “pride of life” which infects all believers and unbelievers is not a creation of God, nor is it used by God. How can I know this? First of all, he has already said everything that is, is created by Jesus the Word. And, the Word IS God. But, secondly, all throughout the Scriptures God uses evil on both chosen and unchosen folks to accomplish all kinds of outcomes that fit His plan. One example:
I Kings 22:19-23
And Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left. And the Lord said, “Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?” And one said this while another said that. Then a spirit (remember these must have been the good angel messengers surrounding God since the demons had long been cast out) came forward and stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice Him.” And the Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ The He said, “you are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do so.’”
Really? Go and entice? I thought you said nothing like this came from God. This is just one of several examples of enticement being managed by God to accomplish His end. God Himself does not say anything to tease the man, nor directly try to fool him. But, He does apply His control to get it used. That circuitous application is what the Bible is calling “tempting”. And while it originates from God, it is not Him directly teasing someone.
For example, “tempting” is what Satan did to Jesus. But, did the Father direct this? Evidently. How do I know this? Well, notice
II Sam. 24:1
Now again the anger of the Lord burned against Israel and it (God’s anger at work) incited David against them to say, “Go and number Israel and Judah.”
There is no question that the stated will of God is that Israel NOT number themselves so that they did not rely upon a “strength of forces” view for their protection. God said He wanted them to rely on Him, alone. But, as He foments their rebellion, His anger grows (yes, all part of His plan) and He specifically causes David to tell them to sin. And, who do you think God directed to incite David?
I Chronicles 21:1
Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.
Yes, God pushes Satan around like kid on coaster wagon. Even Satan is used as God’s agent. Whatever paradigm we hold for God at work, we must be willing to recognize these clear teachings from the Scriptures. These are His words, His Spirit-breathed disclosures, not mine. You may believe you are representing a more “noble” perspective of God, but you are not accommodating the clear words of Scripture.
Over the weekend, additional texts came to mind which dispute your claim that John is teaching God never manages believers’ or unbelievers’ hearts toward sin. Notice:
Is. 63:17a
Why, O Lord, dost Thou cause us to stray from Thy ways, And harden our hearts from fearing Thee?
(”causes” straying in the chosen people)
Habakkuk 1:6-11
For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans…then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, they whose strength is their god.
(”raises and directs” pagans to do exactly as God plans)
Notice, as Vincent Cheung argues, one can be maneuvered to sin and still held guilty. He asks, “Where did we get the idea that one must be a completely independent being, choosing by our own unaffected wills to sin, BEFORE we can be held guilty?” Answer: Purely from our humanistic philosophical frameworks, NOT the Scriptures. God can, and does, whatever He wishes and He has said He is not guilty and we are. So, will we impugn God? May it never be. So, if that bothers us, I suggest we get over it, if we can.
Is 46:9-11
…For I am God, and there is no other (god, controlling beings, ultimate powers); I am God, and there is no One like Me, declaring (pronouncing, determining, announcing, controlling) the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not (yet) been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’…Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it.”
This helps clarify why…
Prov. 16:9 The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps
Prov. 16:1 The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
Prov. 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
I am aware that there are dozens and dozens of passages which say, “Choose, behave, obey, follow, etc.” No argument there. But, those passages are subsumed by the stronger and more dominant perspective that ultimately God is the One doing the directing. That is the Gospel we must present…if we are to present the full counsel of God.