If God is omnipotent, why can't He smite the devil?

[Davebuck]

The asnwer to your second question is, what is in their hearts? Peter was a man of God and failed. The Pharisees were not men of GOd. Let me ask you to reason something for me. What do you think the difference was? (Either way I'll answer your question, but I'd like to give you an opportunity to see if you can first.)

oops, I didn't want to skip out on a direct question.

By 'hearts' I presume you mean what is one's intention. So, those who promoted slavory who truly believed in their hearts that the bible said it's ok would be christians. They really intended to follow their bible and if it had clearly said that slavory is wrong, they'd not be doing it. Same for the soldiers of the crusades. I'm sure they believed their orders were divine. Same for those who stoned children, even after Jesus lived because it never said to stop it. And, same for same-sex folks who marry but believe that the old testement rules are resolved by the death of jesus.

But, someone who does all good deeds purely because they want the world to be a better place and believes in a DIFFERENT god or no god is not going to heavan. Again, that is just a nasty mythology. Don't see how one could respect such a deity, except out of pure fear of being blasted.

So, I guess, if I interpreted 'heart' correctly, then Yes, people can be a christian and not a christian on and off over time or even in a day as their intentions change (e.g., doing something for jesus and then doing something not for jesus).

It's still all nuts to me. It's ok to stone a child as long as your intentions are good. Nope. Doesn't fly. Just like the smiting stuff doesn't fly.

 

[TheOriginalWhitehorse]

You keep avoiding the questions. You aren't looking at the quality or validity of your beliefs and I understand that now.

Avoiding questions? Which ones? Show me and I will. I also would ask that you answer mine.

You want me to provide evidence that Yahweh doesn't exist but you don't worry about evidence that all the other deities named throughout time don't exist AND you don't see the faulty reasoning here.

Faulty reasoning? We have filled threads and threads and threads of this same question over and over and over.

If you make a claim that something exists, it's on you to back it up. I don't worry about your atheistic beliefs about other gods so don't worry about mine.

Atheistic. See, when you use terms like that it loses credibility.

I'm not jealoous of you and I don't know what would give you that impression unless, perhaps it was a form of projection.

Well then why do you keep calling me arrogant? Especially when the accusation is groundless? You keep saying I'm arrogant because God gave me the truth. Having truth does not making me arrogant. And I have given you absolutely no grounds to believe this. So, there's only one otherconclusion one could draw. *shrug*

You now say that a bunch of the old testiment laws 'aren't in practice' yet you tell me to read the bible and see what it says is right or wrong (e.g., killing or homosexuality). You are inconsistent, which scares me only in that you're morality is thus, inconsistent and could end up harming those around you.

Get some understanding on the Bible, and then you'll have a better idea of what you're denouncing. Your lack of understanding regarding the difference between ceremonial and moral law does not make me inconsistent. It just means you need to do your homework.

And, you have no problem with supernatural wrath being contradictory with omnibenevolence. You are blind.

I think you're overlooking what love is. But even so, where is it written in the Bible that God loves everyone? Does it not rather say that God is sovereign? That Jacob God has loved, but Esau He has hated? It never says God loves everyone. It says He is sovereign. That's why I encourage everyone to seek His favor.

Finally, while you probalby have big problems with slavery and laws against interracial marriage, you DO have a problem with same-sex marriages. Yet you don't see that passionate christians prayed over the issues long ago and 'in their hearts' they came to believe that the bible said slavory was ok and it was wrong for whites and black to marry.

Once again, you are going by what people say, and not by what God Himself has to say. Melanin levels in the skin are not a moral component. Homosexuality is. And how is it loving a homosexual person to applaud them into doing something that is ruining their lives? How is it loving to not help them deal with the issues of acceptance that often underlie something like this? Would you do that to someone who is suicidal? Or would you gently listen to them and let them tell you why they are struggling and help them make discernments about different types of love and how to relate to others in a healthier way?

I'll bet you that in not too long a time, the future generation will look at you and your anti-gay marriage belief as 'not truly christian or jesus-like'. My point about arrogance remains. How could it be that just this generation has the right ideas about christianity but the ones who stoned kids or had slaves or the future ones who say gay marriage is ok, are the ones who are wrong. How are they so inferior to you?

And you refuse to look to God. It doesn't surprise me that you continue to make this wild accusation about my character. You've done it to God Himself. If you're not above accusing a perfect God, it's a given you'd do the same to me.

At this point, we should agree to disagree.

Suit yourself.

 

[Davebuck]

Man, you don't get it Whitehorse. You don't believe in Thor, Zeus, Ra, and 1000 other deities. Thus, you are atheistic towards them like me. You'd find it odd, then if one of their believers said you 'refuse to look to god'. You'd find it absurd because you are skeptical of their existence or you don't believe they exist so why would you 'look to them'. Yet, it is perfectly fine to bring up issues with their mythology, don't you agree? Were they moral myths or were they mean nasty myths? Those are good questions and what I'm asking.

You also don't seem to think that christians, throughout time, continue to interpret the bible differently (even after careful reading) and act according to these interpretations (SLAVERY! is just one example. look at history and christian theologians for more that are different than yours). If I hear you say that you're unsure or don't know that your interpretation is definitely correct and the others are wrong, then I'll stop using the term 'arrogance'.

But, you still are down on homosexuality even though in your earlier quotes you said that jesus's sacrifice resolved the old laws (including 10 commandments and leviticus stuff). So, pork eating is ok by you but homosexuality isn't. (and I posit that the wearing of mixed threads was NOT symbolic in those days. How come you say it's symbolic when millions of other christians (and jews) said (and may have believed in their hearts) it was literal?).

Now, regarding the lack of a belief in deities: Most atheists don't claim that they have proof that any of those do NOT gods exist. They simply see no evidence that one deity exists over any of the others. Nor do they see decent evidence that any deity exists. So they say they have reasonable doubt about these deity claims. They don't hate these gods nor do they 'turn their back on them' which infers that they are seen and purposely ignored.

That's rational right? I mean, you doubt that ra exists don't you? You haven't 'turned your back on Ra. That's what I mean about you being atheistic (without belief in a particular deity) towards Ra, Thor, etc... That's appropriate use of the word (unless you believe they exist). That is, when I say 'Whitehorse is atheistic towards all deities except Yahweh' folk know what I mean.

So, please stop telling me to look to Yahweh unless this fellow comes down and becomes clearly visable and starts talking to all of us as clear as day. You don't look to ra or thor or mithra or any other deities right? As an outsider, I'm making points about your beliefs and asking how you rectify the problems. Turns out, you don't see any of them as problems.

As far as the bible, I've read and studied it and my conclusion is that many of the stories, acts, and events are definitely immoral by cultural standards and sometimes immoral by its standards (viz, contradictions and 'glorious paradoxes' like 'it's wrong to kill but please go out and kill all the first borns for me).

I know I know, you say I can't use man's standards and am supposed to use Yawheh's standards to measure Yahweh's acts OR that man cannot use any standard because everything Yayweh does is good and we have our own standards that he created but then jesus resolved when he died. If that is close to your answer than we can't continue. You live in that paradigm and I live in a different one.

 

[Davebuck]

WHitehorse wrote: Melanin levels in the skin are not a moral component. Homosexuality is. And how is it loving a homosexual person to applaud them into doing something that is ruining their lives? How is it loving to not help them deal with the issues of acceptance that often underlie something like this? Would you do that to someone who is suicidal? Or would you gently listen to them and let them tell you why they are struggling and help them make discernments about different types of love and how to relate to others in a healthier way?

What percent of homosexuals commit suicide and what percent of Jesus's disciples committed suicide? hmmmm. maybe following him was bad for their health? A portion of women who have babies suffer from postpartum depression. Should we look for a cure for the depression or should we stop them from having babies? Of course we treat the depression and not the latter! My point is, you have a bad argument against homosexuality. When the world comes to see that homosexuality is fine and accept folks, then we'll see less depression and suicide. If this trend occurs and you see data that show that homosexuals tend to have the same quality of life as heterosexuals, are you willing to change your position? Or, will nothing change it?

My guess is that, like slavery, and women's right to be preachers and other stuff, folks will reintrepret the bible and find ways to support homosexuality to match with cultural beliefs.

 

[Rhayna]

Check this-Good and evil. For The Bible to work there has to be TRUTH, RIGHT and WRONG.

 

[Davebuck]

Rhayna, what do you mean?

 

[luvmyirishman]

I think it is because everything must have an opposite, Good/evil, Jesus/satan, Light/dark, Day/night, hot/cold,Right/wrong, etc. If something had no opposite- it would just BE. You would have no choice but to except it- there would be no choice. There must be an opposite for us to be able to have free will..
DISCLAIMER- this is my opinion, I am only human, I cannot explain what cannot be explained.......

 

[orange pickle]

If God is omnipotent, why can't He just smite the devil and be done with it? Why do we have a devil? Is perhaps, the concept of A DEVIL, or THE DEVIL, a metaphor for something inside of each of us?

dude. God gave evyone free will.. that's why there's existence of evil in this world. with good comes evil. GOd wouldn't want robots to love, so he gave us free will. and the devil abused it and messed him self over. too bad. but he's getting his punishment soon. as will all of us if we don't repent.

not a metaphor.

 

[Davebuck]

dude. God gave evyone free will.. that's why there's existence of evil in this world. with good comes evil. GOd wouldn't want robots to love, so he gave us free will. and the devil abused it and messed him self over. too bad. but he's getting his punishment soon. as will all of us if we don't repent.

not a metaphor.

Can't you imagine a world where folks can make choices and this Yahweh fellow smites this devil person? Supposedly, Yahweh smitted all kinds of people (men, women, children). Why not smite this devil?

And, you say this devil guy will get his punishment soon. How soon? 6000 years? 12,000 years? Why wait? Doesn't sound all that benevolent to me.

And, if you were some god, would you **** folks to hell if they don't 'repent'? sounds like kind of an *** or jealous narcisist. Any evidence in your bible that your god thought himself very jealous?

 

[orange pickle]

Can't you imagine a world where folks can make choices and this Yahweh fellow smites this devil person? Supposedly, Yahweh smitted all kinds of people (men, women, children). Why not smite this devil?

And, you say this devil guy will get his punishment soon. How soon? 6000 years? 12,000 years? Why wait? Doesn't sound all that benevolent to me.

And, if you were some god, would you **** folks to hell if they don't 'repent'? sounds like kind of an *** or jealous narcisist. Any evidence in your bible that your god thought himself very jealous?

So every time someone does something wrong, do you say that GOd can just smite them? Since GOd is perfect and wants nothing less than perfect, don't you think seeing something like someone saying a white lie will infuriate him. Then will he smite everyone, since every one sins all the time? so then there would be no humans (or creatures for that matter) if God decided to smite everyone. GOd chooses when to do things. everything is done towards God's will. There is a time for everything. somethings happen this time, some the next, and in time it will be finished.

Satan will get punished in due time. At the end of the world. Read Revelation and you will see the Devil being punished once and for all along with those who did not confess Jesus Christ as Lord during their life. All will be punished soon enough, but GOd gives time for people to repent and turn from their ways, thats why GOd didn't end the world right after Adam and Eve sinned because he wanted to give them a chance and since he gave them a free will, GOd has accepted the consequences. With all choices, there are the benefits and the losses. Benefit: GOd gets people who love him on their own and not by force and not having ot love robots who do everything right and controlled and can't be free. BUt the downside is free will allows for people to mess up. Read revelation.

And GOd doesn't want people in hell. He never wanted epople to go to hell. He wants you out of hell so much that he sent his only SOn to get you out of there. and repent of your sins, well GOd is perfect, and he can only have perfect, and you can only become perfect if you repent. and be forgiven by God. And it's not like GOd is forcing you to go to hell. it's your choice. believe in God or not., go to hell or not. really, it's not like he wants you there in hell.

 

[FBI78]

My view on this. Its not in His plan to do it right now. Plus who are we to question God! Everything God made and it is His and He will do what He wants when He wants if we like it or not period.

 

[Davebuck]

So every time someone does something wrong, do you say that GOd can just smite them? Since GOd is perfect and wants nothing less than perfect, don't you think seeing something like someone saying a white lie will infuriate him. Then will he smite everyone, since every one sins all the time? so then there would be no humans (or creatures for that matter) if God decided to smite everyone. GOd chooses when to do things. everything is done towards God's will. There is a time for everything. somethings happen this time, some the next, and in time it will be finished..

This is circular reasoning. "Yahweh hasn't smited the devil (or other evil folks) because he his perfect. Yahweh is perfect therefore he doesn't smite the devil or other evil folks." It doesn't explain anything!

And, this devil fellow supposedly isn't some joe-schmoe that has impure thoughts once and a while. We're not saying it's surprising why Yahweh doesn't kill every human. But, given his track record... So, it's reasonable to wonder the logic behind Yahweh previous actions of drowning babies or killing all kinds of folks in his various wrathful stages but continues to let this devil guy hurt everyone. (You know, lots of folks think the devil stories are myths and that the devil doesn't exist. That makes more sense to me).

Satan will get punished in due time. At the end of the world. Read Revelation and you will see the Devil being punished once and for all along with those who did not confess Jesus Christ as Lord during their life. All will be punished soon enough, but GOd gives time for people to repent and turn from their ways, thats why GOd didn't end the world right after Adam and Eve sinned because he wanted to give them a chance and since he gave them a free will, GOd has accepted the consequences. With all choices, there are the benefits and the losses. Benefit: GOd gets people who love him on their own and not by force and not having ot love robots who do everything right and controlled and can't be free. BUt the downside is free will allows for people to mess up. Read revelation.

And GOd doesn't want people in hell. He never wanted epople to go to hell. He wants you out of hell so much that he sent his only SOn to get you out of there. and repent of your sins, well GOd is perfect, and he can only have perfect, and you can only become perfect if you repent. and be forgiven by God. And it's not like GOd is forcing you to go to hell. it's your choice. believe in God or not., go to hell or not. really, it's not like he wants you there in hell.

What you say must be false. If an omnipotent god didn't want something to happen (e.g., folks to go to hell) he could get rid of hell. But, according to you, not only does he not get rid of this hell thing, he makes it so the only way to avoid it is to believe that his son is his son. Again, that's messed up! Instead of believing that this Jesus guy is a god, how about making the rule this: you avoid hell if you are good person. Still not much of a "choice" either way. It's like hitler saying to a Jew, OK, you can stop believing in your religion or you go to the gas chambers and so do your kids. HITLER SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD GAS CHAMBERS!!!

So, it's still a very good question of why this so called Yahweh would not stop this devil guy from hurting people and why he doesn't do away with hell. Is all the suffering that this devil causes just to teach him a lesson? That's also not very nice to use people's lives as means to an end.

No matter how you look at it, the whole business about the devil and hell and Yahweh's decisions for how he set up these rules you believe are just unethical.

 

[Davebuck]

My view on this. Its not in His plan to do it right now. Plus who are we to question God! Everything God made and it is His and He will do what He wants when He wants if we like it or not period.

FB178,

That's fine but its a copout. It's "panglossian". That is, you just accept everything that occurs as "the will of Yahweh" because he's all knowing and this is the "best of all possible worlds"/

See, I think that it's good to question some of this stuff you believe If it doesn't make logical sense or ethical sense, then perhaps it's wrong. For example, many christians and jews don't believe in hell or the devil. Perhaps they're right and you're wrong. Perhaps the concepts of the devil and hell were added later as the bible was reinterpretted. There is evidence that the early versions didn't contain the word "hell" for example.

What do you think? Could you have been given misinformation?

 

[FBI78]

I dont think i have been given the wrong info. What i believe if you are christian you believe in heave and hell. Us Christians do believe God is omnipotent. HE will do what he wants when He wants just like i said before and we are not suppose to question. Why do u have to question everything. Do you believe in anything have faith in anything? That is why dont question God cause i do have faith. Being Christian is having Faith in the Bible and in God. Those Christians that say they dont believe in the Devil or hell arent really Christians.

 

[orange pickle]

This is circular reasoning. "Yahweh hasn't smited the devil (or other evil folks) because he his perfect. Yahweh is perfect therefore he doesn't smite the devil or other evil folks." It doesn't explain anything!

no. you are not taking my meaning. not what i am trying to say. what i am trying to say is that GOd is perfect, that's why he has high standards. and what i am saying is that one little thing we do must be huge to him since he never sins! so no, i'm not saying that he's perfect so he doesn't smite, but that every sin before GOd is tremendous.

And, this devil fellow supposedly isn't some joe-schmoe that has impure thoughts once and a while. We're not saying it's surprising why Yahweh doesn't kill every human. But, given his track record... So, it's reasonable to wonder the logic behind Yahweh previous actions of drowning babies or killing all kinds of folks in his various wrathful stages but continues to let this devil guy hurt everyone.

dude. GOd does things for purposes. he's uncomprehensible, thus, you'd never understand Him and as somewhere in the BIble states, "My ways and thoughts are too lofty for you to obtain.' You'll never understand why. It also seemss crazy that God takes people away so suddenly. i mean, a mom dies of cancer, a family dies in a car crash, a brother commits suicide, a volcano plummets down a mountain, etc. You never really know why GOd takes people away at the times that He does, but trust me, he has a purpose on this earth, under or over this earth, to fulfill by that. so keeping the devil around must have a purpose, but we'll never understand it i guess, because GOd is so above us.

What you say must be false. If an omnipotent god didn't want something to happen (e.g., folks to go to hell) he could get rid of hell.

May I quote C.S.Lewis:

'...He is a strange GOd, you will say... how can anything happen contrary to His will?
...anyone who has been in authority knows how a thing can be in accoradance with your will in one way and not in another. It may be quite sensible for a mother to say to the children, 'I'm not going to go and make you tidy the schoolroom every night. You've go to learn to keep it tidy on your own.' Then she goes up one night and finds the Teddy bear and the ink and the French Grammer all lying in the gate. That is against her will. She would prefer the children to be tidy. But on the other hand, it is her will which has left the children free to be untidy. The same thing arises in a regiment, or trade union, or school. You make a thing voluntary and then half the people do not do it. That is not what you willed, but your will has made it possible.
'It is probaly the same in the universe. God created things which had a free will. That means creatures which can go either wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong; I cannot. If a thing is free to be good, it is also free to be bad....'

so every time some person evil pops up- kill him! ... totally not radical.
y'know, some good rises out of every situation. good came out of the holocaust, persecution, etc. You know, Christians have been and are persecuted cruelly in some countries- does God kill all the persecuters? NO, because good came out of it. Strengthened Christian leaders, great missionaries, inspired Christians, converted Roman soldiers, converted Muslim captors, etc. I mean, living in the Roman days, no one could ever see what good could come out of burning Christians at the stake, sawing in half, tearing apart by lions, etc come to be of God's will. But it was. However crazy it may seem man, it was.

Something good comes out of everything, however long it takes. take a look at the way groovy butterfly. a catterpillar seems to disappear and never come out of a cocoon. but lo and behold, soon enough, a beautiful butterfly pops out. it seemed to have been the butterfly's death in that nasty cocoon, but when it emerges out, what happens- something good. wonderful, is it not?
And take the story of Joseph in the BIble. Joseph was traded off by his mean brothers to some slave traders. God's nice little boy- how could this happen? How come God didn't smite the brothers? Perhaps soon enough, Joseph moved on and grew up to serve God and save all of Egypt and the latter parts from utter death of starvation. So that's why Joseph's apparent good-for-nothing-evil brothers were not smitted (smitten?).
the more powerful the being, the higher the potential for the person to be good- or bad. sure there have been HItlers and Stalins in this world, but there have also been Martin Luther King Jrs and Mother Teresas. I can't seem to see how you can have the lattter without having the former. If you have the potential to oppress and slay millions, you also have the potential to liberate and love millions. so it was with Satan.

So something good does come out of Satan- us seeing how much we really need God. et cetera.

But, according to you, not only does he not get rid of this hell thing, he makes it so the only way to avoid it is to believe that his son is his son. Again, that's messed up! Instead of believing that this Jesus guy is a god, how about making the rule this: you avoid hell if you are good person. Still not much of a "choice" either way. It's like hitler saying to a Jew, OK, you can stop believing in your religion or you go to the gas chambers and so do your kids.

Believing in Jesus as the Son of God is like an admission slip, a key, a ticket, etc to heaven. Heaven is amazing. You know how expensive it would be in worldy dollars? Everything in the world would never amount to any admission to heaven. but in order to get in, you have to pay the fare. Because of our sins, we've lost our ticket. We've been so ignorant, careless, sinful, etc that we have lost our admission. Jesus is offering you a second chance- for free. Jesus is saying, the only way to get to the Father is through me. So come through me. I'll give you a ticket. Just ACCEPT IT. Accept the ticket. That's all you have to do.

and about HItler. it's got nothing to do with this situation.
that's because Hitler's ideas were wrong in saying that. He was telling no truths. God was, is and always will tell the truth. God has the best in mind for you. He loves you. Whereas Hitler wasn't.

Instead of believing that this Jesus guy is a god, how about making the rule this: you avoid hell if you are good person.

in addition to what was said above,
may i quote from a book:

'Morality can keep you out of jail, but only Jesus's blood can keep you out of hell.'

just because you are a good person, doesn't mean you are heaven-bound.

HITLER SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD GAS CHAMBERS!!!

well then. Ask God. I don't know. For the moment anyways.

So, it's still a very good question of why this so called Yahweh would not stop this devil guy from hurting people and why he doesn't do away with hell. Is all the suffering that this devil causes just to teach him a lesson? That's also not very nice to use people's lives as means to an end.

Not just to teach the devil a lesson. God can use all things for good. God can use the devil's temptations to bring you closer to Him. God can use the things that the devil does to bring a sinner into a situation in which he finally repents his sins. God can use someone elses sins to get something good out of it all.

No matter how you look at it, the whole business about the devil and hell and Yahweh's decisions for how he set up these rules you believe are just unethical.

well you're wrong.

 

[guitarchick]

God is like my father. He loves me and takes care of me, yet he disciplines me when i need correction. its not hate..its tough love. now, i understand where you're coming from when you say that its mean/hateful of God to destroy people because they don't honor him. God is love...and his love is showered everyday. he could kill me right now if he wanted, but he hasn't. he could kill you right now, but he hasn't. i think that's love..pretty sure. he gives us a new day. sure, he created the flood, and the plagues in egypt...but God is just. because of our sin we deserve to go to hell, i admit it...i deserve to go there, but God has rescued me from that hell. he's all knowing...he knows everything. its like putting a puzzle together. you don't see the full picture until you complete it. thats how it is with God. you don't know what he's up to, you don't know why he sends rain to whipe people out..but its all in his plan. i know its hard to grasp...took me forever. i haven't always been a christian...i know the doubts and the confusion...thinking God is hateful and not fair. but i've learned that he doesn't reveal everything to us. i guess i'll just have to wait til i see him in heaven to figure some stuff out. we don't have all the answers...i know i don't. but i step in by faith: knowing that God knows what he's doing, even though i don't fully understand. if God told us everything, we'd be just like him. God is holy, set apart from us. God doesn't have to tell us everything...he has the right to do whatever he wants. but he does give us his Word to rely on. for example: my friend died about a month ago, at his funeral 16 people came to know Christ. now, when he had just died, i questioned God wondering what he was thinking!! but then when i saw all those teenagers come to know Christ the reason he died was obvious. it was in God will. i know God sounds like a tyrant when we say he can do whatever he wishes. but it also shows how powerful he is...and how worthy he is, and how fearfully awesome he is. but what tyrant loves at the same time as hate? You want to know love? he sent his son to die for us, the most gruesome and horrible death ever imagined. nailing his wrists and his feet to a tree....pushing a crown of thorns in his head...whipping him countless times, more than any human could withstand...pulling his hair out, mocking him...making him carry his cross to his death...and you think this isn't love? God didn't make his Son do this, his Son, Christ, chose to...because he looooooooooves us!!! For God to watch his son die for the world, with their every sin upon him, for God to do that...is LOVE! could he have done it another way, yes....but how would we ever know that he loves us that much, if he had just saved everyone...and sent his spirit upon them? we would never know that he loved us that much to sacrifice his only son. now we can see how much he truly loves us...i'll never fully understand God..not even close. i'll never be able to fathom how much he loves us. and fathom him all together. let the Word of God speak for myself:
job 11:7-9
7 "Can you fathom the mysteries of God?
Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are higher than the heavens-what can you do?
They are deeper than the depths of the grave [1] -what can you know?
9 Their measure is longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.
Eph. 1:7-10
7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
rom. 1:20
By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can't see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.
GOOD NEWS:
Ephesians 3
5None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God's Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. 6The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. (MSG)

you've probably heard all that, just thought i'd remind you. have a GRRRREAT day!!

 

[Joveia]

According to Isaiah God is in the middle of a 'strange work', an 'alien work'. Again in revelations an angel says the 'mystery of God shall be finished' when the devil is cast into the abyss. The devil is very much a part of God's plan and God's mystery. There is no official explanation in the bible (I think) as to why God let's the devil test people. I have my own theory:

A person who turned to God if there was no devil, and there was no temptation not to be a christian and to disobey God's/Jesus would be winning less of a victory, than if someone turned to God and Jesus when all the odds were stacked against them. This could be the 'pearl' of great price that God wants.

 

[Charles Darwin]

he cant cause theyre playing "hide and seek" and he hasta find him first

btw, welcome to CF, here's some blessings

 

[luvmyirishman]

He has to get the stage ready.........all in His good time buddy!

 

[Netpreacher]

Another reason God has allowed evil to continue on earth is to give us a chance to exhibit the qualities of Christ and the qualities of God in this present world that normally would not be manifested in a world of good, such as longsuffering, meekness, etc. When every opportunity for these qualities to be expressed is done, we shall the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with fire and great glory!

In Jesus name,
Danny