I'm asking, not making a statement.
I was replying to this:
John P. Alexander said:
↑"No more ludicrous than God creating people he knows will reject him before they're ever created, thus landing them in hell."
RaymondG:"Yes, I too, find that idea equally as ludicrous."
I said:So God either:
A. Doesn't create people who will reject him? Or
B. He doesn't send anyone to hell?
I believe God does of course create people whom he knows will reject him, before they are created, not because he created them unable to choose him, but because he is all knowing. I'm trying to figure out what John and Raymond mean by their statements.
Whatever they are saying I think you hit the nail on the head. God gave his creation the capacity to choose. A choice does not have to be explicitly announced. You can make a choice by your own behavior, without saying a word or announcing anything. God, as Creator and author of time, and knower of all possible outcomes in time, "knows" some people will reject him, but rather than simply do away with them and save the hassle, in infinite grace and patience, STILL gives all the opportunity to make the right choices.
This is not "complicated" theology. A government for example may announce a generous amnesty for a crime, with an easy, generous deadline to do the right thing. Alas, based on past experience, the govt knows by the historical stats, that a percentage of people will not take the generous amnesty, and will, when the deadline passes, have to pay the penalty. Everyone STILL gets a shot, at getting it right. But once the deadline passes, you have to pay the price. You were informed, and given multiple opportunities, with huge amounts of decision time, yet you still chose, either explicitly or by your behavior, not to take the offer on the table. You waved it all away as superstitious nonsense. When you cross death's portal and find out it isn't, should'nt you admit that you were wrong and accept the penalty?
And yet some atheists, agnostics and non Christians argue that this is "unfair." How is it "unfair"? If you scorned God's grace and offer of salvation in Christ, after multiple warnings, and multiple decades to get it right, how is it "unfair" that you pay the price you were earlier warned about?
It can be likened a bit to the Last Judgement. Christians do not appear there. The Last Judgment is for the lost. It says in Revelations 20:
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"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is that of life. And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged each according to their works:
and death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of .
And if any one was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire."
Rev 20: 12-15
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Notice that the "judge" in this scene already has all the facts of the case, and the plaintiffs (including various religious hypocrites and false pretenders) certainly already realize their guilt. On resurrection they fled before the face of the judge. If they were not guilty, they would not be there. No one complains of "unfairness"- they can't. ALL the facts are on the table. Sadly, they have no advocate, no one in their corner- many having rejected the Mediator of God and Man, Christ Jesus, during their time on earth. One might ask- what more is there to say? But notice- in infinite fairness, before the entire universe as witness, a last final check is made, against the Book of Life. It is a suggestion of the infinite fairness of God, that even when He doesn't have to, He makes that last, final check. And then, each is judged, according to his works. That is perfectly fair, and perfectly just.
