2007-02-21 17:10:49 · 19 answers · asked by worldpeace 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Sir,
Yes, He has a plan that was set in motion before the universe was created. God has always known what actions we would take and how things would end up. That things have went badly came with the price of human freedom.
If God were to 'get involved' and start influencing human actions for the better, then human actions wouldn't be free any longer. Human freedom means that God cannot guarantee human perfection.
This requires that free will be a good in itself, greater than the evil it costs to allow such freedom. Why should it be better for God to respect human freedom? What's so great about free will? The response is that free will is what makes us valuable moral agents, and that, if God were to deny us our freedom, human society would be in a deep sense, like an assemblage of robots: not only incapable of evil, but incapable of moral choice in general. Though value would exist in such a world, the free moral agency possessed by God and actual humans is argued to be far greater. All the cruelty that we humans freely perform is indeed regrettable, but it is the price of freedom.
God's plan accounted for our bad choices and yet the plan remained in synergy with God's perfect justice and righteousness.
In order to understand why just being "good" is insufficient; you would need to understand the concept of a perfectly holy and righteous being. Such a being would hate ALL sin and would be bound by the being's perfectly just nature to render judgment for the unjust. Just as we expect justice in this world, albeit imperfect at times, so does this being, God. Fortunately, a perfect being like God will render perfect justice, too.
While it is hard to hear, there are none righteous in the perfect God's eyes, even the "innocent children" or "good" people.
So how is a perfect God's demand for justice for sin reconciled with our own imperfections? Here we find that God came up with a perfect solution. He became flesh, lived a perfect life, and acted as our representatives in God the Father's court of justice. There He was judged and crucified, carrying all the past and future world's sins with his crucifixion. God the Son, Christ, became our sin bearer and we need only acknowledge that sacrifice to be made "justified" in God's eyes and in God's demand for justice for sin.
Think of it this way. Your son does something like breaking a neighbor's window. Yet your son is too young to be made to pay for his crime. Society demands that the parent then act in the son's role and pay for these crimes. Likewise, God the Father allows God the Son to be humankind's representative. Christ paid the price for us all; it is there in the justice bank of God. We need only claim our "share" of that account's balance and present ourselves to God.
This solution was crafted by God before mankind existed.
I have simplified much of the doctrines behind these concepts. I suggest you do some careful study of the attributes of God to digest these hard sayings. Start with some basic introductions to theology, especially the attributes of a perfect being (God) and go from there.
2007-02-21 17:24:05 · answer #1 · answered by Ask Mr. Religion 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, He does, and, we are currently living
during the fulfillment of a significant part of Bible prophecy ...
What Will the Future Bring? :
- A Brighter Tomorrow?
- Where Is This World Heading?
http://www.watchtower.org/e/200601/article_01.htm
The next step being ...
The End of False Religion!
- What Is It?
- How Will It End?
- How Will You Be Affected?
http://www.watchtower.org/e/kn37/article_01.htm
The step after that being ...
“The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth”---HOW? http://www.watchtower.org/e/20041001/article_02.htm
The Hereafter--Where Will It Be? :
- Earth--Just a Testing Ground?
- Eternal Happiness--In Heaven or on Earth?
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20001001/article_01.htm
The Marvelous New World of God's Making
- Righteousness Replaces Wickedness
- Perfect health Restored
- The Dead Return
- A Truly Peaceful World
- Earth Transformed Into a Paradise
- Undoing the Past
http://www.watchtower.org/library/dg/article_10.htm
"God's Kingdom will MORE than make up for ALL the suffering mankind has endured!" (;
What IS the Kingdom of God? [answers] :
1 Where is it located?
2 Who is its King?
3 Do others share in ruling with the King? If so, how many?
4 What shows that we are living in the last days?
5-7 What will God's Kingdom do for mankind in the future?
http://www.watchtower.org/library/rq/article_06.htm
Please compare the above,
with what the Scriptures say in your own Bible.
2007-02-22 01:11:33 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, God has a plan for us as individuals and for the world as He tells us in the Bible. Bad things are a result of Sin that entered the perfect world. God's plan was for man to live and enjoy fellowship with Him. Man's sin destroyed this fellowship, but God thru His loving Mercy made a way for us to have this lost fellowship with Him restored! You can accept His Truth or reject it, it's a free choice we have and will be judged accordingly. Sometimes God allows bad things to happen for reasons that surpass human understanding, but a promise is given to believers in Romans 8:28. "In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose". The greatest parenting comes from Our Father in Heaven who uses what we may call bad things to make us stronger in the spirit. The Lord is with us thru our trials and promised never to leave or forsake us.
2007-02-21 17:37:38 · answer #3 · answered by connie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
world: Yes - God really does have a Plan formulated for the human creation. This Plan is contingent upon the human race coming into the realization, that they aren't God. That the human race needs a relationship with their Creator. Finally; that the Gospel [Good News] goes out to the entire world first. To learn these lessons, sadly, people will have to taste of the dire fruit of their ways (Global warming, disease pandemics, starvation, nuclear war - to name some of these lessons), - all because of our choice to look at our selves [self-reliance] for solutions to problems in the "light" of rejecting Devine revelation [God]. God of course fore-knew this (He designed the human mind). But it is not sufficient enough for God to know this and not the human race. Therefore, we will have to suffer first, then God will send His Son, Jesus Christ to where the trouble and problems will be - that is this earth. Jesus will straighten out the mess here on earth and then happiness will abound for all humans ever born from Adam and Eve, onward ! In the end - we ALL WIN !!!
P.S. "Mr Religion" sums it all up rather, nicely !
2007-02-21 17:28:13 · answer #4 · answered by guraqt2me 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm so sorry for whatever struggles you are going through right now. I know that trials are definitely not fun, especially when you can't seem to see the end in sight! Even the prophet Elijah once felt this way and even prayed that he would die - "I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life..."
God helped Elijah, and He will help you too if you trust in Him. We were never promised that we wouldn't have to face hardships in this life - in fact, God said we would. The good news is that He is faithful to help us overcome them. God does have a plan, and I think His word answers your question best.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." -John 14:27
"I have told you these things, so that IN ME you may have peace. In this world you WILL have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -John 16:33
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:26-28
2007-02-21 17:49:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. God's will and plan exist with or without us.
2. Most of the misfortune we face in the world is a result of our straying from the path or plan God has set.
3. The remaining minority of our pain and discomfort is designed to make us stronger.
2007-02-21 17:16:54 · answer #6 · answered by Privratnik 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Sometimes, bad things continue to happen to a person because they continue to make bad choices in their lives. There are always consequences of our actions, even after we receive forgiveness. i.e., a victim can forgive a perpetrator, but there are still consequences of the criminal act. The same is true of us and our relationship with God.
2007-02-21 17:14:59 · answer #7 · answered by lizardmama 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Isa, 9:6,7; Matthew 24:14; Dan. 2:44: Psalms 37:9-11; iCorn 15:24;25;
Rev 14:7,9,14 and Rev 21:3,4. This is just for starters go to
2007-02-21 17:17:28 · answer #8 · answered by Goodfor52 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Of course He does. Again, people can choose not to follow His plan and the result is often "bad things". But, make no mistake, God's plan will prevail.
2007-02-21 17:13:45 · answer #9 · answered by Scott B 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Hey perhaps he's planing on killing another of his children who are really himself!
After all God knows everything so every bad thing must have been in his plan!
2007-02-21 17:20:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋