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[Donald]

Yes, I now know that, without a shadow of a doubt, for the majority of my life I have been force-fed lies from the church (fitting as that is), and although preaching that Hell is a real place is one of the most evil lies Satan ever told... It was being told that I have no free-will that was my biggest wound.

Makes perfect sense, but it does leave me feeling empty; for example, if God truly is (and He IS, I know that now) the source of my every thought, does that mean anything I ever do, good or evil, is what God wants me to do? It seems like the answer is yes, but that is when the emptiness starts in.

I seriously have trouble accepting that, which means I am doubting God, but if I don't have free will, then my purpose of life is to question God, which is a very bad thing.

Just feel sick after a while.

[rk12201960]

Hi Donald,
Welcome to the forum.
Listen not all mountains are climbed at once,.
God works in steps as our flesh is weak and can only handle a little at a time.
As you said most of the lies are so deep inside of who we are that's its like whacking off a hand or something.
On my side it helped me understand why things just didn't work out for me as others.

Its good to be wise and study the true scriptures and don't take anything for granted as the truth, this is what the watch tower demands. As a witness to question their beliefs is not tolerated but they can come to your door and argue on what they believe... what a raw deal that is.... seems to me that if they are so sure on the truth this shouldn't be a problem but show them God created evil and they don't believe the scriptures.

Keep asking for understanding and get a firm grip on what God has allowed you to understand at this point in your journey.

Its not a easy thing to strip off the old ways but with Gods help you can, its the only way to please Him.

In Christ.
Randy

[Kat]

Hi Donald,

Just because we have no free will doesn't mean we don't think for ourselves and make decisions.  True everything has a cause, but we are highly intelligent beings capable of very complex thought processes to imagine, analyze, reason and learn highly complicated science and math.  We are in a process right now of learning through experience, both good and bad, to gain knowledge. 
We also have emotions where we can feel love, joy and excitement. Yes we also have sadness, fear and hate, but it is for a contrast and part of the learning experience too.
And all this is what we are going through to experience this human life.  Though right now with mankind being deceived and all the suffering in this world, it's easy to see that this is for an "experience of evil."

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens:it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it.

But with the hope God has given us, we can look with expectation to what is in store for this human race when God has brought salvation to all.

1Co 2:9  But as it is written:
       "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
       Nor have entered into the heart of man
       The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

Here is an email that might be helpful.

http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,1493.0.html ------

Hundreds of totally deceived and spiritually blind Christians have told me that: "God does not want robots to love Him--He desires people to love Him by their OWN FREE WILL."  Oh really?  And can the carnal mind indeed love God by its own nature; its own heart; its own desires?  NO IT CAN'T.  And so the very thing that Christians demand as necessary for our love for God to be genuine, is the very thing that totally disqualifies it from being genuine.  The natural mind is totally incapable of  loving God:  "For the carnal mind is enmity [deep-seated HATRED] AGAINST GOD..." (Rom. 8:7).
 
It all starts with God, not with us:  "We love Him [God] because He FIRST LOVED US"  (I John 4:19).
 
God created mankind spiritually WEAK--subject to the lusts and sins of his own heart, so that man will learn that he CANNOT love God first;  he cannot obey spiritual laws and commandments;  he cannot please God;  he cannot accomplish anything of lasting value through his wicked and deceitful heart. (Jer. 17:9).  And therefore God's ways will justify His means.  The rewards and the blessings are not even to be compared with the glory that God is creating in the human race (Rom. 8:18).
 
And so here is the answer to your question:
 
BEFORE spiritual conversion man FALSELY THINKS that he has free will and is for all intent and purpose a god unto himself.
 
AFTER spiritual conversion man will be eternally thankful that God never gave us such a foolish concept as "free will," or he would never ever reach the marvelous heights of power and glory that God has in mind for him.
 
And presently, you and some few others, are in between these two extremes of human understanding. I will pray for God to grand to you a "spirit of wisdom" so that you will comprehend and apprehend the marvelous and mysterious working of our God.

God be with you,
Ray
 

[Donald]

Now, thank you for that, as it is a very good thing to know, but it feels like my question wasn't quite answered.

Of course, then again I am still Spiritully blind, so I probably can't see the answer.

[Kat]

Hi Donald,

if God truly is (and He IS, I know that now) the source of my every thought, does that mean anything I ever do, good or evil, is what God wants me to do?

This is not something that is easy to wrap your mind around, so if you are just having your eyes opened to this understanding then you have to give it time to sink in, so to speak.  If God is truely sovereign then He must be in control of everything or He won't be sovereign, and I know that is a hard concept.  But yes God directs our steps.

Pro 16:9  A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.

My post above was to try and express why I believe we are going through so much suffering in this present world... "it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it."

But here are a couple of emails that might be of some help.

http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2695.0.html ---

I am now going to teach you something very very profound, so listen carefully:

EVERYTHING that happened in your life, in the past, WAS God's purpose for your life at that time.

EVERYTHING that will happen in your life, in the future, WILL BE God's purpose for you at that time.

Then why do anything? Why try? Why care? Why be good? Why study?  Why pray? For WHAT?

Here is where viritually all Christians and all theologians and all ministers turn their minds off.

What you did in the past was influenced and caused by your environment of the past.

What you do in the future will be influenced and caused by your environment of the future.

What you are hearing and learning from bibletruths.com is one of those environmental

happenings that will have an effect on your future. You may not see how, but God does.

If God is choosing you as one of the called/chosen/elect/few, then you WILL respond

to the information and circumstances that God Himself will be directing in your life.

If you desire to stop sinning and start obeying God, then that being CAUSED in your

heart and mind, and you have no idea were and when it really began. God knows.

This is a subject for a 300 page book, not a short email. Hope you understand. Keep reading.

God be with you,
Ray

http://bible-truths.com/email11.htm#character -------

[Ray Replies]

God is SPIRIT. God is interested ONLY in spiritual things. All this physical creation is not something that God takes great pleasure in--it is but a means to an end. Well, what does He want then? He wants CHILDREN! SPIRITUAL Sons and Daughters in HIS VERY IMAGE!

But, how does He get them? Create them? Yes, CREATE them. But how does He create them. Instantly? No. To be in the IMAGE of God means that we will have the very same CHARACTER AND LOVE of God. Character and Love cannot be created instantly; it can only be developed over a period of time under severe pressure and duress.  And so God creates severe pressure and duress, which produces GODLY CHARACTER.  Imagine creating "patience," INSTANTLY?  Why the very thought is self-contradicting. Patience by its very nature means that something must be WAITED FOR even though it is desired NOW.

God knows what He is doing. Now then, there is a second part to all this. We ourselves would never ever really appreciate the qualities of character, virtue, and love, that we will possess if we did not have to "sweat blood" to get them. There is no virtue that you can name that is not the result of overcoming some form of evil.  And so this physical, human, temporal existence is as beneficial for US, and it is to GOD.

Hope this helps your understanding a little better.

God be with you,

Ray

[Roy Monis]

Hi! Donald

Q.......Why did God create me in the first place?
A.......To do His will
Q.......What is God's will for me?
A.......To grow spiritually to conform to the image of His Son

This I believe is the purpose of each and every individual male and female.

Q......Why male and female?
A......"God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He 
        created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the
        earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over
        every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Gen.1:27,28).

This is how I believe God is creating sons and daughters to grow spiritually in the image of His Son.

God is only interested in the growth of the spiritual, the physical is just a tent for the spirit on its travel along its spiritual journey to be discarded and returned to the earth at journey's end. Simply put I believe this is God's breeding ground for sons and daughters. Of course I could very easily be wrong.


God bless you my brother in our walk in Christ. 

Love in Christ Jesus.

Roy UK     








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[Phil3:10]

Donald,
I do so believe that all is of GOD. As Ray said, "Everything that happened in the past was GOD'S purpose for your life at the time. Everything that happens in the future will be GOD'S  purpose for you at that time."
I so often wonder why GOD has blessed me so wonderfully and why I was not born into circumstances that I see among others which scare me to death.  GOD is directing my life. I just need to know HIM more and more each moment and seek to obey HIM in all that I do. This is a tough task in my fleshly state but praise be to HIM that this is not my finished state. TO GOD BE ALL GLORY!
Phil3:10

[Heidi]

Kat...thank you for your post (reply) to Donald.  Like him I also feel as though I am in a place...lets call it...transition.  Your reply answered a lot of questions for me.

God bless
Heidi

[EKnight]

Hi Donald,

Here is my take on things.  God is creating us to be like him.  Every challenge put forth and every evil to be overcome, brings us closer to God's image when we acknowledge that we fell (or sinned) and make effort to correct the mistake.  So yes, God wills us to sin so that we can learn and be humbled.

Eileen