Hi Claypot,
Welcome to the forum
Here are a few more emails that might help in this discussion.
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3570.0.html ------
Dear Hugh:
There are many things that God has created that are not a part of His "heart." Evil is not a part of God's heart. The death of the wicked is nothing something God cherishes in His heart. Sin is not something that God endorses, yet He created all the circumstances for its use.
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3211.0.html ----
Why would got create Sin if He will eventually eraticate it?
Dear Reader:
Nowhere does it teach, and so neither do I, that God "created" sin.
Sin is the result of spiritually weak humans being tested by the pulls
and lusts of their flesh. God did, however, create spiritually weak humans.
It is necessary to have a knowledge and experience of "evil" in order to
possess true character that is "good."
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=224.msg1868#msg1868 ---
I have explained this many times, but there are few who can understand it. God created man subject to VANITY (failure). God made mankind that way. It is absolutely stupid for theologians to deny it. God plainly tells us this in Rom. 8:18:25.
Man has naturally a natural mind, a mind of flesh, called in Scripture the "carnal mind" and it naturally HATES God and cannot keep His law (Rom. 8:7).
But if you or anyone does not even believe these Scriptures, why go further? God made man is testerone. His natural inclination is to have sex with pretty women--OFTEN.
Then God turns around and tells man to not have sex with pretty women AT ALL--only in marriage. God doesn't MAKE OR FORCE man to desire sex with women. Man desires that all on his own. Some men desire sex with children. God doesn't MAKE OR FORCED men to have sex with children. Some men do it naturally. Are you following me?
God could stop all men from having sex with children. But He doesn't. That's because God has a plan for the human race that involves humans doing things so horrible, that they will eventually learn to never trust their own heart and mind again. They must have faith and trust in God through His Holy Spirit.
All men would have sex with little children, if they grew up under the same circumstances as the men who do have sex with little childrfen. This is a sobbering thought that few theologians alive have ever contemplated for more than 2 and one half seconds. And women have their particular natural inclination to commit horrible sins. This is God's creation, not mine. This is God's plan with humans, not mine. I can justify God in all His ways. Most can't. God will rectify and reconcile all things that has ever been committed.
http://bible-truths.com/emails.html#tempt ----------
God does many, many things through OTHER channels. There are no contradictions, we just need to always be completely honest and open with the Scriptures. Let me give you an example that I am sure you will understand that will also clarify all the other apparent contradictions such as the forbidden tree in the Garden, and many others.
Are we all totally agreed that GOD DOES NOT LIE? Good!
"In hope of eternal life, which God, THAT CANNOT LIE, promised before the world began" (Titus 1:2).
Now, I Kings 22:22,
"And the Lord said unto him [a spirit], Wherewith? And he [the spirit] said, I will go forth, and I WILL BE A LYING SPIRIT in the mouth of all his prophets. And He [GOD] said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: GO FORTH, AND DO SO"!!!
So God, Who does not, will not, cannot LIE, agreed to have this LYING SPIRIT go out and LIE!
I realize that many of these things are too high for many Christians to comprehend and accept, but God does operate in such ways, and God does right by doing so. God never makes a mistake and God never sins. It was not a sin on God's part to make man so spiritually WEAK than he can't possibly live righteously and please God in his present carnal condition.
God did not directly entice Adam or Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit, Satan did. But notice, Who planted the tree? Where was it planted, in a far corner somewhere? Who made the tree LOOK good and desirable to make one wise? Who knew that Satan would take the first opportunity to tempt them? Who had ALREADY PREPARED HIS SON AS A LAMB to be slaughtered for these sins even before they committed them? Well, yes, of course, it was GOD! God did NOT tempt Eve. Satan tempted Eve. Eve's own carnal nature tempted here.
God didn't need to even be present--although even unseen, God is always present. God had marvelous, good, and righteous, and unfathomable WISE purpose for creating things as He as.
It would be impossible to create this world, mankind, Satan, and the whole heavenly host, any better than God did it the first time! Can we not believe this? This creation, this world, this generation of wicked and evil people, with all the terrorists and frightful things happening all around us is EXACTLY AS GOD PLANNED IT. What power in heaven or earth could possible THWART GOD'S ORIGINAL PLAN AND PURPOSE? God IS SOVEREIGN!!!
Just because we don't always understand things, does in no way ever diminish God's Sovereignty. God plainly tells us that He knows and sees and prophesies, THE BEGINNING AND THE END. Nothing has ever surprised God. God is a billion times smarter and wiser than most ever give Him credit.
I hope that helps your understanding a little better. I is a pleasure to discuss this matter with those who are sincerely interested in the truth.
God be with you!
God be with you,
Ray