Did God send this virus into the world

[Dave L]

I thought I did, what forum should it go in?

I would try Controversial Christian theology. It's the least restricted I know of. Controversial Christian Theology

 

[ZNP]

I would try Controversial Christian theology. It's the least restricted I know of. Controversial Christian Theology

I'll request they move it.

 

[ZNP]

OK, it has been moved, anyone who has access to this thread should have access to that one.

 

[renniks]

Paul.

No he doesn't. Does Paul say God planned your every thought? That he rendered certain your every sin?

 

[Dave L]

No he doesn't. Does Paul say God planned your every thought? That he rendered certain your every sin?

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 (KJV 1900)

many more if interested.....

 

[renniks]

I am open to moving it to a thread that everyone has access to, I thought everyone did have access to that one. But, I am pretty sure it doesn't belong in Current events and News. Yes, it is a reasonable question to ask based on the current events, but it is a question about the bible, not the news.

I'm not worried about that thread. I don't think it is a reasonable question for a believer to ask. Our current events are no worse than 5000 other events in history. If Christians in those days still trusted that God was good, why shouldn't we?

But back to Job... Before we got derailed on when Satan fell, we were discussing why God allowed Satan to attack job. Some people take that to mean that Satan has to ask permission every time he does some nefarious deed. Personally I believe that's total nonsense. The reason Satan had to ask was because God had put a protection around Job.
Job 1:10
So, Yes, God gave Satan permission in this case, but even then, he did not allow Satan to directly attack Job.
The whole book is about God warring against Satan, using strategy, and it actually shows how much power we have to influence that battle. God was betting on Job in this cosmic poker game, because he knew Job was his servant.

 

[renniks]

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13 (KJV 1900)

many more if interested.....

That doesn't even come close to saying what you claimed...and it's conditional on the sentence before it:
"therefore my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,"

God only works in us if we work with him.

 

[Dave L]

That doesn't even come close to saying what you claimed...and it's conditional on the sentence before it:
"therefore my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,"

God only works in us if we work with him.

“Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?” Romans 9:19 (KJV 1900)

 

[Kaon]

How do we answer unbelievers who ask Christians, why our loving God would (allow or send) this microscopic enemy to reek such devastating havoc on the world.

There's a lot of disagreement among professing Christians on, whether God sent this virus or whether it was manufactured in a lab and sent out to be used as a weapon of war. Or whether it's neither of those and it's just a random quirk of nature.

I'm not claiming to know the exact origin, but I do believe that God is sovereign over all of His creation. And nothing happens apart from His predetermined will.

So even if it was created by someone will evil intentions, God still uses evil to accomplish His good purpose. I found this very hard to accept, until I realized that I was trying to conform God to my own image.

I can't think of the Bible passages right now, which say that God has only revealed a very limited amount about Himself to us at this time. But He will reveal a lot more in eternity so as hard as it is, we just have to keep trusting in Him.

You tell the truth: that we allowed this to happen with our own folly and ignorance. Humans created their own demise this time - the Most High has likely been trying to give us warnings and ways to escape - but of course we pride ourselves on agnosticism (even as believers) and ability to be amazed by simplicity.

The Most High didn't have to do anything, nd reall6 neither did the enemy: we allowed all of this through generations of human behavior. We spent as much time as we could ignoring the signs and dismissing the alleged fantastical - until the absolute end. Now, we are trying to understand things...

We were told this would happen (parable of of the 10 virgins and lamp); in order for us to elegantly prepare our demise as we have, we would have to ignore most everything said. Even Nineveh got their stuff together, realized their folly and repented. We think our degeneracy is progress, so we are being bathed in our own "progress" until we wake up and realize how off we are.

 

[renniks]

“Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?” Romans 9:19 (KJV 1900)

That's not Paul talking... That's a person who's opposing Paul talking. So by using that verse you're actually arguing against Paul, who then says "who are you to talk back to God?" Confirming that we do have the free will to do so.

 

[Dave L]

That's not Paul talking... That's a person who's opposing Paul talking. So by using that verse you're actually arguing against Paul, who then says "who are you to talk back to God?" Confirming that we do have the free will to do so.

That's Paul talking.

 

[renniks]

That's Paul talking.

Wow, really? You need to study your Bible, dude.

"One of you will say to me"
One of you, not Paul.

 

[Archivist]

encased?

You are learning how to spell—very good! Now, care to explain how what you wrote in post 186 relates to you claim that it is God who sends pandemics and disasters?

 

[Dave L]

You are learning how to spell—very good! Now, care to explain how what you wrote in post 186 relates to you claim that it is God who sends pandemics and disasters?

Give a precise quote so I know what I'm answering.

 

[Dave L]

Wow, really? You need to study your Bible, dude.

"One of you will say to me"
One of you, not Paul.

“So one of you will ask me: “Then why does God blame us for our sins? Who can fight his will?” You are only human, and human beings have no right to question God. An object should not ask the person who made it, “Why did you make me like this?” The potter can make anything he wants to make. He can use the same clay to make one thing for special use and another thing for daily use.” Romans 9:19–21 (EXPNT)
Paul quotes it as his position on the subject.

 

[Archivist]

Give a precise quote so I know what I'm answering.

I provided you with the post number. You can look it up.

 

[Dave L]

I provided you with the post number. You can look it up.

I won't answer blindly. Present it.

 

[renniks]

“So one of you will ask me: “Then why does God blame us for our sins? Who can fight his will?” You are only human, and human beings have no right to question God. An object should not ask the person who made it, “Why did you make me like this?” The potter can make anything he wants to make. He can use the same clay to make one thing for special use and another thing for daily use.” Romans 9:19–21 (EXPNT)
Paul quotes it as his position on the subject.

It's about God using Israel's rebellion to bring the gospel to the gentiles.
Yes, God has that right. Paul says the person asking why God used his rebellion still blames him, and Paul says that person is talking back to God.
How can a person talk back the God, if, as you claim, God plans and causes his every thought?

 

[Dave L]

It's about God using Israel's rebellion to bring the gospel to the gentiles.
Yes, God has that right. Paul says the person asking why God used his rebellion still blames him, and Paul says that person is talking back to God.
How can a person talk back the God, if, as you claim, God plans and causes his every thought?

It's about God electing some to salvation and electing the rest to damnation.

“(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth” Romans 9:11 (KJV 1900)

 

[renniks]

It's about God electing some to salvation and electing the rest to damnation.

“(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth” Romans 9:11 (KJV 1900)

That's about election to a certain job. And you're totally avoiding my questions.