If "The Flood" was a literal event that happened, was the need to start over the result of things not going according to God's Will? Or was The Flood always a part of God's plan?
Did God know that there would be unrepentant sinners and that He would punish them with the Flood leading to His exaltation when He decided to create man?It’s always God’s plan to punish unrepentant sinners. How He choses to do so varies. But the end result is His exaltation.
Yes.Did God know that there would be unrepentant sinners and that He would punish them with the Flood leading to His exaltation when He decided to create man?
More like man's will was not alighed with God's will.If "The Flood" was a literal event that happened, was the need to start over the result of things not going according to God's Will? Or was The Flood always a part of God's plan?
I appreciate you helping me try to make sense of all this.More like man's will was not alighed with God's will.
Does God know what demons will do before they do them? And does He have the power to prevent their actions? You suggest here that He can limit that access if He wants to, at least.It is evident that mankind had unlimited free will before the flood. However the demonic world had access to the human mind as well, thus the evil that resulted. After the flood God limited that demonic access.
Does God know what demons will do before they do them? And does He have the power to prevent their actions? You suggest here that He can limit that access if He wants to, at least.
If "The Flood" was a literal event that happened, was the need to start over the result of things not going according to God's Will? Or was The Flood always a part of God's plan?
Absolutely, I agree it is great speculation. And thank you for speculating with me. We couldn't understand the "mind" of God and with His complete picture of, well, everything, who would I be to say that demons and Satan and what not aren't necessary for the best possible existence? But I am curious if, with that in mind, things like the Flood and the fall of man, and all that are explicitly part of God's plan and was all along. Because sometimes it can seem that the way we read the events of the Flood it's as God reacting to prior events, which doesn't make sense considering He would be omnipotent. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense. Haha!God hasn't revealed exactly why he has chosen to do things the way he does, but it will all work out in the end. I don't question God's motives or methods. It makes for great speculation however.
An excellent point. Could God have done a better job creating humanity then? Or was this more like He was disappointed it had to be that way but that was still His will?God said it grieved him that he made humanity. That doesn't sound like someone who's having their will accomplished.
Absolutely, I agree it is great speculation. And thank you for speculating with me. We couldn't understand the "mind" of God and with His complete picture of, well, everything, who would I be to say that demons and Satan and what not aren't necessary for the best possible existence? But I am curious if, with that in mind, things like the Flood and the fall of man, and all that are explicitly part of God's plan and was all along. Because sometimes it can seem that the way we read the events of the Flood it's as God reacting to prior events, which doesn't make sense considering He would be omnipotent. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense. Haha!
There are two theological views on what free will really means. This has been exhaustedly debated between Armenians and Calvsnists. For what it's worth, I lean Arminean.I appreciate you helping me try to make sense of all this.
So is it true that man's will can override God's will? Or wouldn't it be the case that anything man does outside of God's will can only occur if God allows it? And if that's only the case when God allows it, wouldn't that still be within His will?
Here you go..I appreciate you helping me try to make sense of all this.
So is it true that man's will can override God's will? Or wouldn't it be the case that anything man does outside of God's will can only occur if God allows it? And if that's only the case when God allows it, wouldn't that still be within His will?
I don't know where this idea comes from that everything that happens on this Earth is God's will.An excellent point. Could God have done a better job creating humanity then? Or was this more like He was disappointed it had to be that way but that was still His will?
Very interesting. Thanks for your answer.I don't know where this idea comes from that everything that happens on this Earth is God's will.
It's irrational as far as I'm concerned... You can't read the Bible honestly and come to that conclusion.
Thank you, that makes sense to me. It doesn't seem that omniscience and free will go together.God's "omniscience" is a man-made idea and flies in the face of free will. God indeed reacts to prior events. God didn't know Lucifer was going to rebel (and Lucifer likely didn't realize that he was 'rebelling' at the time).