Why God didn't stop Adam and Eve from sinning

[childofGod31]

I have a theory, see what you think.

I think the reason God didn’t stop Adam and Eve from sinning in the Garden of Eden was because God was trying to make something that required a few steps (a process). That something could be “a person with free will and experience”. (Adam was “a person with free will” but not experience)

Imagine that you are baking bread. First you get ingredients, then you mix certain ones, then you wait for a chemical reaction, then you add that to something else, and so on…until you get a perfect loaf of bread.

Well, in order for God to create a human being with a free will and experience, first He had to create him/her and give them free will.
Then He had to wait for them to disobey (since it was basically impossible for someone who does not have experience, but does have free will, to never disobey). So God let Satan tempt his created people (while knowing that what Satan is doing is just one of the steps in God’s process, but Satan probably thought he was ruining God’s handiwork…)

The next step was to show people how they would get along without God and without the law, and what will happen if angels have their way (when angels came to women and corrupted all the people). 2PE 2:3 -5, GEN 6:2

Then having shown what would happen in that case, God made the first end of the world to come – by flood. 2PE 2:3 -5, 2PE 3:3 -9 (In a sence, He erased that part of his “drawing” and started over.)

Then there was a time with no law. Then there was a time “under the law”. By giving people the law, God showed them just how sinful they were and that they couldn’t obey it. (Rom 7)

Then came redemption time. HEB 9:15, GAL 3:14

(And again, Satan probably thought he was winning during crucifixion, but it was a part of God’s process …)

Then comes a mystery: Christ and Church. Gentiles as well as Jews. Rom 11:25, Eph 3:3, Eph 1:9
(The part I don’t understand is why it has to be mutually exclusive relationship. Why national Israel had to be rejected so that Gentiles could be saved… Paul was amazed at the wisdom of God in this case, he must have understood it then. ROM 11:33 Unless of course, the church would be in spiritual bodies and national Israel will still have physical bodies at the end. Then you couldn’t mix “apples and oranges”. Church would be the “bride of Christ” living in the New Jerusalem and the national Israel would be “His people” living on the earth.

So here comes the part of “partial free will” as far as salvation of a person is concerned. Partial is because it seems like we are the ones making a decision to repent. But at that moment we didn’t realize that God first had to open our spiritual ears and make us alive in order so that we could hear the message. We are spiritually dead in our transgressions “EPH 2:1” and we can’t do the good we want to do (Rom 7:18). And Jesus said: "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, JOH 6:44 (and we can also see that people were not able to obey the law all by themselves. (Romans 7)
Jesus said: many are called, but few are chosen. (I think it means that salvation call is going out to many people, but only a few respond (the chosen ones).
Paul said that after they preached the gospel “all who were appointed for eternal life believed.” (ACT 13:48)
Also, faith is a gift from God. God has to give it to a person, before a person can have it.
People were blinded by the darkness. And that is why God had to find his chosen ones and wake them up from their sleep. EPH 5:14

The old covenant didn’t work, where God gave people a rule book and told them to obey. So God brought in the new covenant, a new birth. This time “He will write His laws in our hearts and then we will obey him” ( HEB 8:10-13). This time He will actually help us to obey Him, by giving us His Holy Spirit.


This is just a supposition:
Before the fall, people had free will to choose or not to choose to obey God. (They chose to disobey because they didn’t have experience (of knowing what will happen if they do).
After the fall, people became slaves of sin, dead spiritually and lost their free will. They could only disobey God, as slaves to sin. (Rom 6:20, 6:6)
After redemption, people get their free will back. (1PE 1:3, JOH 3:5-7) And the reason they all choose to obey God is because now they have experience as to what will happen if they don’t. Once they see the light, they would have to be out of their mind not to choose God and choose Satan instead. Who would want to pick a losing team? (I believe backsliders were never truly God’s children to begin with. Just because somebody is a church member, doesn’t make them a child of God. Jesus will tell some of those: away from me, I never knew you. (even though they healed in His name).


So what is the end result?

God has created himself a people who choose to obey him, who have experience with evil and know that it’s not good and who were tested, and still chose God even at the cost of their life. That is the genuine faith and devotion God desired in the first place. 1PE 1:7 God had to be patient and wait 6000 years before he could get his “perfect bread”. It is interesting to note that Jesus himself went through suffering and became perfect.
HEB 2:10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

 

[IntoTheCrimsonSky]

Hi,

I think you made a lot of good points, and I agree..to an extent. I very much understand that way of thinking though, because it's where my base idea about the salvation plan came from.

The only thing that stands out with that theory though, is that it would mean for God to 'plan' for this to happen He would be willingly sacrificing billions of His children to sinning and ultimate death. He loves them with a love we cannot ever begin to imagine, right? So, to set so many of us up, knowing we would all die..Seems somehow strange to me.

Now, just to be clear, I believe God always knew the future. When we were created and He gave us free will, He knew most of us would chose to sin over following Him. 'However', every single person has the option to chose to follow Him any day of their lives..So it's not completely pre-destined, right?

Now, here's what my theory is for why He let Adam and Eve sin and gave us all free will in the first place. Because only 'true' love can come from choice. We can program any robot to love us, but it's pretty much pointless unless that being has the option to leave us..but choses not to. Sure, stopping us from sinning would make things a lot easier on everyone invloved including God..But it would destroy the whole point of loving Him, right?

I believe that everytime anyone choses sin over God, it hurts Him deeply. He probably wishes He could just stop it all. Actually, He has a very hard desicion when He 'does' decide to stop it all (The second coming). Can you imagine the importance of saying "Okay, no more chances. If you're not saved yet, you never will be"?? That would be awful. Which makes me question if when it 'does' happen..it will only be when no more will chose Him. If He knows the future, He would know if Satan has gained enough to stop new people from being converted. Of course, that's only my own personal thought.

Anyway, back to what you were saying. You mentioned that after redemption we all would never chose to sin again because we'd experienced the bad stuff it brings, right? One question, though...God is supposed to wipe away all the memories that are negative so we won't hurt after that point, right? And sin will never arise again. From my understanding, no one will even remember 'how' to sin. Like Eve before the fruit. That fruit litterally showed her and Adam the truth that is good and evil. If our negative memories are erased how will we be able to remember evil to chose against it?

Or do you mean before we are redeemed? Like, only those who truely 'want' no more sin will be redeemed? That I agree with. It's actually something I speak of a lot. God wants to be fair to us, so unless we fully want everything that Heaven and He is, it wouldn't be fair on us in the first place to be saved.

Also something to think about: If Satan did not exist, would Adam and Eve ever have eaten the fruit in the first place? Granted, the plan of salvation also gets rid of Satan and shows everyone that God's plan is the better one. That God's character is of love and not unfair, like Satan tries to show us.

Anyway, so basically..I believe that the plan of salvation was only needed after the first sin and that had they 'not' sinned, we could have been fine otherwise. I don't think it's 'neccisary' for us to chose Him and be saved. I think that from creation, God hoped we would never sin in the first place.

Oh, and about the backsliding thing. I can see what you mean by it, but I also believe that full believers can also backslide. Satan has very powerful ways to persuade us into sin..and sometimes that can be by making us believe that the intentions for doing so are pure. Even witchcraft/wicca is often practised with a love for God and a wish to help and do good, afterall. It's how some people follow God. According to the Bible it's wrong. Are they backsliding? In their mind they aren't..They're growing closer to Him. I think Satan has a way to attract and trick even the strongest of believers away from truely following God. That's why we can only stay saved with God's help.

Good topic.

Blessings and Love,
Sarah

 

[IntoTheCrimsonSky]

So God let Satan tempt his created people (while knowing that what Satan is doing is just one of the steps in God’s process, but Satan probably thought he was ruining God’s handiwork&#8230

Just to add quickly. I agree with that. God factored in that when He allowed Satan to tempt them. I just think that it wasa backup plan incase we did sin, with full hope that we wouldn't.

 

[A Brother In Christ]

Paul example in acts is very good!

please read acts 21:7-14

act 21:14 determintive will be done

yet as you see God sent 7 people to talk to him not to Go ...So Paul freely sinned

And God thru this sin had a plan to bring for Good form his sin!

the power of God!

 

[Steve Petersen]

I don't think that Adam and Eve were real people. I believe that the story represents 'loss of innocence', that is the point in human development when we began to act deliberately rather than instinctually.

 

[A Brother In Christ]

So you say that God lied when He instructed Moses to write this

 

[childofGod31]

Well, it's always like that. Some people believe a certain story and some people don't.

Well, if Adam and Eve was not a true story, then genealogy is not true either?

And what makes you think it's not a true story? Is there any reason to believe that it's not exactly the way it happened? (any reason besides evolution).


GEN 5:1 This is the written account of Adam's line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.
2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man."
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.
4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.
5 Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh.
7 And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters.
8 Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan.
10 And after he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters.
11 Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel.
13 And after he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters.
14 Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died...

 

[raider79]

First of all, it is my belief that absolutely every thing that has ever happened was fore-known by God. He has had a plan from the very beginning (that is the predestination part). God is God, and as God, deserves praise and adoration. (for a wonderful description of this idea, please read at the end of Louie Giglio's book I Am Not, But I Know I AM.) In order to be worshipped and adored, God had to create beings who would do that. I agree with things Sarah earlier said -- "Now, here's what my theory is for why He let Adam and Eve sin and gave us all free will in the first place. Because only 'true' love can come from choice. We can program any robot to love us, but it's pretty much pointless unless that being has the option to leave us..but choses not to. Sure, stopping us from sinning would make things a lot easier on everyone invloved including God..But it would destroy the whole point of loving Him, right?"
(Again, for a really good explanation of this, please read Mere Christianity by CS Lewis.) I definitely do believe that God knew that by giving us a choice, he created the distinct probability that many would choose against him. That is why, I believe, that redemption was a part of the plan from the very beginning -- in order to give us free will so some would choose to obey God, God had to allow sin to be a part of the plan too. Notice I said ALLOW, God did not and could not have created sin because of His holiness and purity.
Jesus was in the plan from the beginning as well. He was the planned redemption all along - and many events (quite possibly everything) in the OT are preparation for his arrival and the circumstances of his life, death and resurrection. Daniel prophesied events that would set the stage for Jesus' arrival. The so-called "silent years" (the time between the OT and NT) played out these events -- setting up Greek as the language that would take the gospel around the known world, causing the riffs that created the Pharisees and Saducees, even sending out the Essenes who would hide the scriptures in a Qumran cave to be found hundreds of years later and give credence to the Bible. This 400 year period brought into being all the conditions, both cultural and political, that would cause Jesus to be denied and hated by both the Pharisees and the Saducees, who would convince the Roman authorities to put Jesus to death, so that he could be our perfect sacrifice and the completion of redemption.

I believe that the flood was a judgment and a lesson -- but had nothing to do with "angels corrupting women" or seeing what it was like to get along without God or the law - it had to do with people who had free will choosing to disobey and not to follow God and then receiving the consequences promised by God if they did not follow Him.

Free will is just that - our ability to make our own choices. It has not been lost - it is what allows us to answer to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The same thing that led us to sin also leads us to redemption.

I believe the situation with the Jews and the Gentiles is much the same as the question about why let Adam and Eve sin. It was again all part of the plan - the Jews had to reject Jesus in order for the gospel to go outside the Jewish circle - to the Gentiles. Probably not fair, but there are a lot of things that aren't fair, and most of them are unfair because of CHOICES MADE.

One last thing - Jesus is and always has been perfect - he is fully God. For "made perfect through his suffering" - I give you Matthew Henry's Commentary:
God the Father made the Lord Jesus Christ the captain of our salvation (that is, he consecrated, he appointed him to that office, he gave him a commission for it), and he made him a perfect captain: he had perfection of wisdom, and courage, and strength, by the Spirit of the Lord, which he had without measure; he was made perfect through sufferings; that is, he perfected the work of our redemption by shedding his blood, and was thereby perfectly qualified to be a Mediator between God and man.

 

[A Brother In Christ]

Paul example in acts is very good!

please read acts 21:7-14

act 21:14 determintive will be done

yet as you see God sent 7 people to talk to him not to Go ...So Paul freely sinned

And God thru this sin had a plan to bring for Good form his sin!

the power of God!

has any on e read act 21:7-14

proverbs 16:9

 

[childofGod31]

Anyway, back to what you were saying. You mentioned that after redemption we all would never chose to sin again because we'd experienced the bad stuff it brings, right? One question, though...God is supposed to wipe away all the memories that are negative so we won't hurt after that point, right? And sin will never arise again. From my understanding, no one will even remember 'how' to sin. Like Eve before the fruit. That fruit litterally showed her and Adam the truth that is good and evil. If our negative memories are erased how will we be able to remember evil to chose against it?

I don't know. But somehow the Lucifer became the evil one even though he used to be perfect. I am assuming he didn't eat from the tree...who knows. And angels followed him. If they knew where they would end up, would they do it?

I just can't believe that all our experiences will be in vain (if we can't remember them). We will be rulers so I thought we would need to remember in order to be merciful and wise rulers. Somehow, we must remember or be aware or something...

The only thing that stands out with that theory though, is that it would mean for God to 'plan' for this to happen He would be willingly sacrificing billions of His children to sinning and ultimate death. He loves them with a love we cannot ever begin to imagine, right? So, to set so many of us up, knowing we would all die..Seems somehow strange to me.

God knows the future, so He must have known. Is that setting us up? Or is that simply the only possible way to accomplish what He wanted? He also knew that ALL would not die, because He prepared a rescue plan.

I personally believe in predestination (objects of mercy and objects of wrath (Rom 9). So I go as far as to say: not one of His chosen ones would die.
Although I have no idea why He would predestine some people to salvation and let others be condemned. There could be something in the Heaven's rule book regarding this spiritual war, that perhaps one party could only chose a number of souls...I don't know. After all, the devil told Jesus that he would give him this world if only he bows to him, so the world belonged to the devil. I guess God couldn't just take the world from the devil, but Jesus had to pay the price...

Also something to think about: If Satan did not exist, would Adam and Eve ever have eaten the fruit in the first place? Granted, the plan of salvation also gets rid of Satan and shows everyone that God's plan is the better one. That God's character is of love and not unfair, like Satan tries to show us.

Well, Satan didn't make them sin, did he? They had a choice. Satan simply told them that they might like the fruit and that God might be lying to them. So he just used power of reasoning. I am sure, somewhere along the line, the power of reasoning would be used by the people (perhaps like it happened with Lucifer) and they would disobey God (and that is called sin).

Oh, and about the backsliding thing. I can see what you mean by it, but I also believe that full believers can also backslide. ... Even witchcraft/wicca is often practised with a love for God and a wish to help and do good, afterall. It's how some people follow God. ...

Witchcraft is getting involved with demonic spirits (although some don't know that). So one couldn't be further from God, then at the point when he is actively involved with God's enemy.

Using the term "Christians" is confusing in case of a backslider. Let's use the term God's chosen one (chosen from the foundation of the world).

Here is God's chosen person. He could grow up to be an agnostic at first. But because he is chosen, he will (at some point in his life, even a death bed, be led to become saved.)

Here is another God's chosen. He grew up in Christian family and became a Christian. Then when he was 30, he decided to try witchcraft. Then he might repent right after that, or he might repent after 5 years, but he will repent before he dies, because he is chosen and it is his destiny to be saved. (and you HAVE TO repent before you can get saved)

Therefore, some backsliders ARE God's chosen, and therefore, they WILL come back to God at some point.

On the other hand, there are some Christians who are not chosen. They will become church members and be actively involved in God's ministry. And in the end, (because they were never chosen) God will tell them: away from me, I never knew you. (even though they did miracles in his name)

 

[childofGod31]

A brother in Christ,

I find it hard to believe that Paul has sinned there. I see it as: people knew of Paul's fate because the Spirit told them. People decided it would be bad for Paul to go. Who wants to die? So they begged him not to go. But Paul was ready, he didn't care. So it's like he was not afraid of the prophesy. He was not afraid of his future.

In the verse where it implies that the Holy Spirit was the one who urged Paul not to go, I think it must have been incorrect translation. It probably meant that "through the Sprit they knew, and therefore, they urged him not to go...

 

[IntoTheCrimsonSky]

I personally believe in predestination (objects of mercy and objects of wrath (Rom 9). So I go as far as to say: not one of His chosen ones would die.
Although I have no idea why He would predestine some people to salvation and let others be condemned. There could be something in the Heaven's rule book regarding this spiritual war, that perhaps one party could only chose a number of souls...I don't know. After all, the devil told Jesus that he would give him this world if only he bows to him, so the world belonged to the devil. I guess God couldn't just take the world from the devil, but Jesus had to pay the price...

Here is God's chosen person. He could grow up to be an agnostic at first. But because he is chosen, he will (at some point in his life, even a death bed, be led to become saved.)

Here is another God's chosen. He grew up in Christian family and became a Christian. Then when he was 30, he decided to try witchcraft. Then he might repent right after that, or he might repent after 5 years, but he will repent before he dies, because he is chosen and it is his destiny to be saved. (and you HAVE TO repent before you can get saved)

Therefore, some backsliders ARE God's chosen, and therefore, they WILL come back to God at some point.

On the other hand, there are some Christians who are not chosen. They will become church members and be actively involved in God's ministry. And in the end, (because they were never chosen) God will tell them: away from me, I never knew you. (even though they did miracles in his name)

Don't have too much time to reply right now, but this stood out to me so I thought I'd say something in responce. I'll reply in more depth when I get the chance.

As a fellow believer in predestination I can understand where you're coming from, but I really can't fathom the idea that God qould actually predestin people to suffer! When I think of that concept I tend to relate it more to events within ones life like meeting someone or being in a certain place to help someone in need. The problem is that it takes away free will, though. I won't get too in depth about it right now, but isn't having the free will to chose the main gift God gives us?

I can't imagine that He could create someone, and no matter how genuinly they loved Him and desired to do right in His eyes..Because they were predestined not to enter Heaven it would all be pointless. That's hardly a fair and just God in my eyes.

It would be like a parent deciding before their child was born that their child would be a murderer and no matter how great and kind that child was their parents would force them to kill someone just to live up to their plan for their kid. Probably not the best example, but I'm tired. lol.

Please don't take this as an attack in any way. I'm really just puzzled at that concept of predestiny to the extent of not having the choice to love and be with God in His Kingdom.

Also, that goes for someone who would be predestined to be with God. What if they actually didn't want to? He would then be forcing them to love Him.

Just curious, but if you can't think of why He would predestin people like this, why do you believe it? From my understanding (agreed a limited one) of God's character He would much rather see 'Every' human saved than any single one, even Lucifer whom He created and loved dearly, perish because of this awful thing that is sin.

Also, why create Lucifer in the first place if He knew Lucifer would do all of this and therefor create a need for billions of people to die without an option?

I know you mentioned something along those lines and I'll talk about my thoughts next time. It's certainly something to think about, though.

Blessings and Love,
Sarah

 

[A Brother In Christ]

A brother in Christ,

I find it hard to believe that Paul has sinned there. I see it as: people knew of Paul's fate because the Spirit told them. People decided it would be bad for Paul to go. Who wants to die? So they begged him not to go. But Paul was ready, he didn't care. So it's like he was not afraid of the prophesy. He was not afraid of his future.

In the verse where it implies that the Holy Spirit was the one who urged Paul not to go, I think it must have been incorrect translation. It probably meant that "through the Sprit they knew, and therefore, they urged him not to go...

Acts 21:4 And finding disciples, we hurried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.


acts 21:11 And when Agabus was come unto us, he took Paul's belt, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jersalem bind the man that owneth this belt, and shall deliver him into the hands of the gentiles. acts 20:16

Acts 21:12 And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place , besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am rady not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem.

Acts 21:14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The determinitive will of the Lord be done.

The Holy Spirit was sent among the brethren to warn him from going #1 in acts 21:4 and a 2nd time from the prophet Agabus... giving Paul a choice to Rest in the heavenlies or toil on earth.

thus by Paul Determination.. Matt 20:16 Agabus also understood that by faith God wanted him to warn Paul not to go... So that when God would tell him something He would listen.. Yet this is free will on Paul's part God also by the Holy Spirit's guideing words to Luke ... that God determined Paul to not to listen to the warning a clear.... mark 4:9-12 but a deafening of a believer

 

[childofGod31]

A brother in Christ,

I see it this way: some people have a gift from God to see visions and/or to see the future. Sometimes they act on it and tell somebody and warn that person and sometimes they don't (it depends).

So it's not like the Holy Spirit visited these people specifically so that He could warn Paul. The Holy Spirit just visited these people as He usually did and showed them the future about somebody.

It's just in this case, these people happened to know Paul and THEY DECIDED (not the Holy Spirit) that they should warn Paul (since they saw the future about him).

But it turns out, they shoudn't have bothered, because Paul was not afraid of his death and wasn't going to hide.

 

[childofGod31]

IntoTheCrimsonSky,

Predestination seems cruel to me. I have a hard time reconciling it with the loving God who taught us to love our enemies.

But if the Bible says that predestination is a fact, how can I not believe it? (No matter what my feelings are on the subject.) The more I study it, the more verses I see that support it. (There is always a possibility that I am not interpreting verses correctly, but I can't help that.)

So at this point, I think this: perhaps there is no hell. Then predestination is not wrong. But having people tortured (when they didn't have a choice) just seems way too cruel. But, I don't see the big picture. I see parts of it and I don't understand it. So perhaps things are not as they seem. And there is a verse that says: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Pro 3:5. So I take that to heart and believe that God must be good, like He said. And that there must be some kind of explanation and I just don't understand what's going on.

But I cannot say: there is no predestination. Because the way I see it, there is. No matter how unfair it seems.

Because I do not have any proof to the contrary, at the moment I believe that those Christians who truly love the Lord and OBEY Him (not just read the Word, but actually DO it) those ALL are the chosen ones.

The non-chosen, will not be capable of truly loving the Lord and obeying him.

There are always people who SEEM good Christians to us, but they are not (according to their heart). All pastors seem like good Christians UNTIL they are caught in sin. Those pastors were never God's children to begin with.

If you are interested, I would love to share all those verses that led me to believe predestination. There is a multitude of them.

 

[A Brother In Christ]

A brother in Christ,

I find it hard to believe that Paul has sinned there. I see it as: people knew of Paul's fate because the Spirit told them. People decided it would be bad for Paul to go. Who wants to die? So they begged him not to go. But Paul was ready, he didn't care. So it's like he was not afraid of the prophesy. He was not afraid of his future.

In the verse where it implies that the Holy Spirit was the one who urged Paul not to go, I think it must have been incorrect translation. It probably meant that "through the Sprit they knew, and therefore, they urged him not to go...

until you can prove in greek ... I will believe the scripture

 

[Bick]

please read acts 21:7-14

act 21:14 determintive will be done

yet as you see God sent 7 people to talk to him not to Go ...So Paul freely sinned

And God thru this sin had a plan to bring for Good form his sin!

the power of God!</DIV>

I read and re-read the Acts 21:11-14 account, and I only see that the prophet, Agabus from Judea, taking Paul's belt and binding Paul's hands and feet with it, says, "The Holy Spirit says, In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles." NIV.

The Holy Spirit didn't command Paul to not go up to Jerusalem, it only gave a warning through Agabus.

Therefore, IMO, Paul committed no sin.

Bick

 

[A Brother In Christ]

james 1:13-14

 

[Bethshaya]

The answer is simple...

...free will

Here is an example

Lets say you are a parent and you kneel down next to your small toddler child and keep requesting them to say "I love you" over and over until they respond in the same.

Now lets say you are that same parent, but you never ask them for a hug or to say I love you. Instead, you model that behavior to them and somehow, they come running to you with their arms thrown open wide and with a big "I Love YOU" unprompted and of free will.

Which one means more to you? The response you forced, or the response that was from the heart?

 

[A Brother In Christ]

pro 16:9