So you're saying God can lie, that God does not have to keep any promises he made.
No I did not say that. Take off the anti-Calvinist blinders. I am not a Calvinist.
What I was saying, however, is that it is rediculous to suggest that God is culpable even in the hypothetical. From revelation we can tell that God acts according to his nature, which is perfectly just and loving. Where did I say that he is evil?
This is your opinion, man has the ability to do what is right as much as the ability to do what is wrong.
And this is
your opinion, as well as a humanistic philosophical reasoning that you are reading into Scripture as to how the human will functions.
Gen 8:21 - And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
This verse says "from his youth" NOT from his birth, so men are not born sinners. Furthermore this verse does not even remotely hint that men are "totally depraved" and can only do evil.
Again, take off the anti-Calvinist blinders. I am not a Calvinist. I never said that man was born with an evil nature.
But still, you have to admit that his nature and capacity for willing and acting is so damaged that needs divine grace, right?
Gen 4:7 - If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
God Himself shows that men have the ability to well, so again, men are not 'depraved' as to be able to do only evil.
If the whole point of the concept of sin is for man to want to ignore God and act in a fashion that he believes is autonomous, why would he even want to do any
spiritual good?
This verse, as well as others in which God reveals his will, it is just that, a revelation of his will. This sets the standard whether man has the ability to obey or not. It is a decree of God's prescriptive will. I would argue that he cannot obey without the aid of divine grace.
If man had no free will, he could not make his own plans to begin with. "A mans heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." If man had no free will, the first part of this verse would be false. Because God works His plans out does not detract one whit from man's ability to plan "his way", man can devise a plan that he can exercise. If man had no free will he could only plan what God wants him to plan, he would only have God's plan and plan God's way, he would be in essence a preprogrammed robot.
The robot trope is tired and old and you know this very well. It does not lend credibility to your argument and only indicates the histrionics with which you approach this topic.
I never denied that man had the ability to exercise his will. Where I disagree is how it seems that you are defining "free will." The concept that man has the intrinsic ability, apart from the effects of sin and temporality, to rise above all conditions and influences and act independently towards the good is one that is appropriated from pagan, Neoplatonic philosophy. It is also a trickle-down product of the conditions of Western societies whose people believe in total freedom in the political realm. It is quite foreign to the Judaic roots from which the Bible was written and from which Paul understood human nature when he wrote about the will.
If God ordained evil them he is not a Holy God. You cannot have it both ways, God both ordaining evil and being perfectly Holy at the same time. Evil cannot be attributed to God in anyway, Hab 1:13.
More histrionics and emotionalism. If God cannot deal with and control evil, then he is not omnipotent or omniscient or sovereign over his creation. Are familiar with primary and secondary causes?
Genesis 50:20
20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
No wishful thinking to it, God does not ordain evil no matter how much your theology tries to make Him do such.
Again, take off the anti-Calvinist blinders.
Before it was "wishful thinking" now you say "human reasoning". If we back up to your post, all you did was post some verses and then "assume" those verses say what you think they do. You offered no explanation or proof at all. You even posted a verse about casting lots which has nothing to do with a "sinful nature' or man being depraved. Here you offered no rebuttal to my "human reasoning' at all. You continue to try and attribute evil to God and you lose your argument right there.
Again, take off the anti-Calvinist blinders. I did not say that man was born with a sinful nature. But it has been damaged severely, to the extent that it needs the aid of God to reorient the will. This was the point of me posting those verses, not to back up your hated shibboleth of "total depravity."
I have not attributed evil to God.
Again, take off the anti-Calvinist blinders. Do not slander me like that.