Dear Ray,
Thank you for answering my questions so quickly. Hope you guys had a great Mother's Day, too. My Mom cooked her own Mothers' Day dinner today [lamb and roast with all the trimmings] FOR TEN PEOPLE and it was the best she ever did! She's incredible. She'll be 100 this year [born Dec 19th, 1906]
I have just one question left, then, which still bothers me, and I would appreciate your input. Ray, I am in the process of reading all your interesting material. I guess I have not quite figured it out yet. Maybe you can help me.
You say in your last letter to me, "Not one of us has a 'free' will; and not one of us can make a "FREE" choice.
You explain that, "of course we have a will and of course we can make choices, but neither is "free"--our will and our choices are CAUSED by many things over which we have absolutely no control whatsoever. God is that ultimate controlling Force."
You then "give dozens and dozens and dozens of Scriptures proving that we cannot make an UNCAUSED choice, and whatever it is that CAUSES our choices is in control, NOT US."
You write: "For it is GOD [not us, GOD] which works in us BOTH to will and to do of HIS good pleasure" (Eph. 2:13). We MUST believe the Scriptures."
Question: What if there was a man who really believed this, and he thought to himself, "Great! My neighbor, Sally, is always wanting to get together with me for a little adultery, but so far I have been afraid of God's Judgment! But Ray says that I cannot make an "uncaused choice, and whatever it is that CAUSES our choices is in control, NOT US. "For it is GOD [not us, GOD] which works in us BOTH to will and to do of HIS good pleasure" (Eph 2:13).
This man thinks to himself, "If later, I get any guff from having committed adultery with Sally, I will accuse my accusers of not believing the Scriptures that, as Ray says, "God is the ultimate controlling Force, and that I could not make an UNCAUSED choice, and whatever it is that CAUSES our choices is in control, NOT US. "For it is GOD [not us, GOD] which works in us both to will and to do of HIS good pleasure' (Eph. 2:13). "We MUST believe the Scriptures."
Ray, my question is this: If God is that "ultimate controlling Force, since our will is not "free" and our choices are CAUSED by many things over which we have ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL WHATSOEVER, as you say here, and whatever it is that CAUSES our choices is in control, NOT US," Ray, are you teaching that it is really God who has caused "this man to commit a little adultery with Sally?"
Thanks again for answering my last email so quickly.
Bless you both, Hope you had a great Mothers' Day, too!
Ralph
Dear Ralph: I have answered this question for abou the two hundredth time now. You cannot corner or trap God by using His Own Laws. However, millions have foolishly tried.
"Let no man say when he is tempted [to fornicate with his neighbor's wife], I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts He any man: But EVERY man is tempted when he is drawn away of HIS OWN LUSTS, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin..." (James 1:13-15).
God doesn't MAKE anyone sin. Mankind VOLUNTEERS to sin, he desires to sin, he wants to sin, and will go to great length to sin, and without the power of God's Holy Spirit, man is a SINNING MACHINE.
Granted, these truths are way way too high for the carnal mind to understand. Men have always "questioned" God's morality: "Therefore has He [God] mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardens. YOU will say then unto me [Paul], Why does He yet find fault [with mans' sins]? For who has resisted His will [Gk: 'intentions'--His foreordained purpose and plan which cannot be altered one iota. Yes, Who? Answer: Absoluely NO ONE!]? Nay but, O man, who are YOU that replies against God? Shall the thing formed [that's you and me--the pot] say to Him that formed it [God--the Master Potter], WHY have you MADE me thus? Has not the Potter power over the clay, of the same lump to MAKE one vessel unto honour, and another uinto dishonour?" (Rom. 9:18-21).
We are judged by God because we have a will, and we will to do wrong (Rom. 8:7). We are judged because we DO WRONG, even if we could not have done differently. Men from their very soul and HEART desire sin and hate God, and therefore they will be judged for this. However, they are not "responsible," but rather "accountable." God takes full responsibility, and that is why God is make right all the wrongs of the universe, but those who have voluntarily FROM THEIRHEARTS committed those wrongs, will be judged and will be purge of all such evils. This is GOOD in the sight of God and those of us who have learned to justify God in all His ways. Remember this when you are tempted to charge God with folly, when in reality it is we who are the foolish ones, not knowing our right foot from our left when it comes to righteousness and morality. We must be TAUGHT of God's Holy Spirit. We are not "robots"--we LEARN, we are capable of deep and profound emotional capacity, virtue, and love. Robots possess and know nothing of such things.
God be with you,
Ray
