Q: You didn't create us to love us because you wanted us to choose to love you, therefore making the love genuine and real. However, you also pass storms and trials in our lives so that we can learn to turn to you and grow in Christ and ultimatley love you. But isn't that basically tricking us into loving you? Explain this please....
The answer i'm guessing it would be: it's not tricking us into loving him- it's God simply trying to push him towards what's best for us- Himself. However....it's still trickery in ways.
2007-09-28 14:23:49 · 19 answers · asked by ? 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
In response to punch- if there is no love involved, why is it that I am saved before birth, and saved again in the life I live right now? And I mean, I was literally saved in this life becuase of God, and before birth when He died so I could live
2007-10-03 17:06:47 · update #1
in response to david v- wow. one who still answers with sarcasm...
2007-10-03 17:08:11 · update #2
There is no trickery involved. You can turn away from God anytime you want. There are many atheists and pagans and Muslims who are perfectly happy in this lifetime. I cannot say the same for the next. God gives you trials because he wants you in his Kingdom, not where these other groups spend eternity. If you turn from him, he tries to save you and bring you back.
2007-09-28 14:28:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
God is the creator of Love, and so he loved us first. He loves us even when we don't love him in return. It is Satan that tries to trick us. If you read the book of Job you will find that Satan is the one that puts all of the trials and tribulations on us, but God takes what Satan has meant for evil and turns it into good for those that love and serve the him. So when Satan is trying to trick us into going to hell, God simply takes those situations and helps us learn from them. It is through those situations that we become wiser, and stronger and we become a new creature in Christ. God loves us no matter what, and he made a way for us to spend eternity with him,by sending Jesus to the Cross and then Satan took Christ into hell illegally because hell was designed for sinners and Christ never sinned, and it is at this point that the old covenant passes away and the new one is put in place. When one of the two people that have a covenant breaks it, then the one that breaks the covenant looses all rights,they are usually put to death for breaking a covenant. This is how Christ gets to set up the new covenant. So you see, God never tricks any one into loving him. He stands at the door and knocks and if any one hears his voice and opens the door, then he will come in, God never forces his way in or tricks us into letting him into our lives. Only Satan does that. Any more questions please feel free to ask.
2007-09-29 01:52:00 · answer #2 · answered by gigi 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are confused because someone has given you false doctrine.
(1) God did not create us so that we would choose to love Him. (That is decision theology. It is false doctrine. It is very unfortunate that much of Christianity has erroniously accepted this false doctrine.) God didn't need to be loved. There was enough love as God is three persons, Father loves Son & Holy Spirit, Son loves Father & Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit loves Father & Son. God didn't need glory, same idea as above.
Our creation was indeed merely an outgrowth of that already existing Love. (Much like in a healthy marriage, procreation is an outgrowth of the love a man & woman have for each other. The analogy has problems only because we humans are sinners.) God ceated us in order to love us. If someone tells you different, they are spouting lies.
(2) God does not send trials into our lives as if He were some giant cosmic scientist in the sky, testing out what trials are more likely to bring us to our knees. No, He sent Jesus Christ His Son to do exactly what He required of us (perfect inward as well as outward fulfillment of the Law); then die on the Cross to die *for us once for all* (Hebrews 9:26b-28), so that we are saved from sin, death & the power of the devil; and rise again, so that we may also have eternal life.
The fact that we have trials in our lives is because we are living in a sinful world. The reason that we are living in a sinful world is because God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9; Matt. 13:24-30; 36-43). Now does that mean that God doesn't have the prerogative to turn our trials into something for our ultimate benefit? No (Romans 8:28).
At the root of these false doctrines you've unfortunately been given, is man turning God's Gospel into a law which has deprived you of God's true & pure Gospel, the Gospel that requires absolutely nothing from you.
Kudos to you for seeing through this false doctrine! But don't get too cocky, it was the Holy Spirit who gave you the ability to question it.
Are you ready for God's pure Law & Gospel? You will find it in the historic Lutheran Confessions & hopefully (most likely) the present day LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) or WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod) or any of their partner churches apart from the U.S.A. I thank God for Luther almost every day. It was for people like you that Luther (by God's Grace) had the utmost compassion.
In response to the first part of your question, here's a good audio on the very topic of Creation & Salvation: http://www.kfuoam.org/ie_main.htm (Look for Sept. 6, 2007, "Creation & Salvation" Rev. Charles Lehmann). Issues Etc. is an excellent radio program that you can listen to online or MP3. You will hear God's Law & Gospel properly distinguished there on KFUO AM.
2007-09-28 22:16:48 · answer #3 · answered by Sakurachan 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
tough question.. let's look at some facts.
1. God is "God"... He makes the rules
2. His ways are above our way of thinking. He is smarter than we are.
3. We need to learn to trust Him for all our needs, but He isn't a genie in a bottle.
I have learned over many decades that my life goes allot better trusting and leaning on God. When things go bad(my view point) I look for what God is trying to teach me. Not always an easy thing to do. I don't think He tricks us. That implies deceit. I trust and have faith that God has my best interest at heart just as I have faith the sun will rise in the morning. Good Luck
2007-09-28 21:52:08 · answer #4 · answered by Justin H 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The Bible says, "We love Him because He first loved us." The storms and trials are not meant to MAKE you love God. To tell you the truth, the storms and trials don't end after one accepts Christ either. We just know how to deal with them more effectively. I am a lot more peaceful since becoming a Christian, but I still get trials and tribulations. Being a Christian DOES NOT make those go away.
2007-09-28 21:30:50 · answer #5 · answered by Maximilian Septillion 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Is it trickery for the mother bird to push her babies out of the nest in order to teach them to fly? Does she care for them? Do they already care for her and trust her? Why would she do such a thing?
Is it trickery for a father to check out the boyfriend, his parents, etc. before he allows his daughter out with him? Does he love her? Does his daughter love him because of this or has she already established that love? Why would he do such a thing?
And why would a parent let a kid who broke the law, spend the night in jail or pay for that neighbor's window he broke, or ground a kid for disrespecting a teacher? Could it possibly be love that compels a parent to enforce consequences on wrong behavior? So that that child will grow up and be a responsible contributer to the world we live in and learn to live in harmony and consideration of the community around them? Love has to be tough a lot of the time. It takes real love to do the hard things instead of always rescuing or covering up for our kids. God is a loving parent and his children are His treasured possessions. But, He, unlike us humans, makes right choices concerning us every time......He never takes the easy way out, but will do the hard thing if it is for our good...........thus the sacrifice of His very Son, Jesus, on our behalf.....the only way to redeem us and bring us back to Him.
2007-09-28 21:44:41 · answer #6 · answered by Joyful Noise 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
that was nice , but you can find trickery in anything if you look hard enough . the shepherd always rounds up the sheep
but it is the collie who teaches the tricks
2007-09-29 12:10:13 · answer #7 · answered by Jezabel 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God created us because He loved us. He gave us free-will because He wanted us to choose to love Him. He allows storms and trials, knowing they will strengthen our faith. As our faith is strengthened, more and more we will turn to Him in our times of need. The closer we draw to God the closer He draws to us. As we bask in the holy of holies, we experience his incredible love. No tricks - just grace.
2007-09-28 21:53:23 · answer #8 · answered by Mercedes 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
So you think that God put tricks on you, that He is not just and prudent.
Isaiah 55:8-10
King James Version (KJV)
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
God cannot lie and will never lie. You have your free will and so is God.
He will do what pleases Him but He was never unreasonable.
He wants us to be obedient to His will, but He did not made us robots. Justice is punishing those who transgress the law, now to everyone who reads this, I challenge them to e-mail me if they have not transgressed one law.
2007-09-28 21:51:39 · answer #9 · answered by Mikey 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It isn't tricking us, it's testing us. Is having a spelling test in second grade tricking you to study, no! It's testing how much you know and because you want the test to be good for god to love you, you love him. "Draw close to god and he will draw close to oyu"- James 4:6 (I think)
2007-09-28 21:28:47 · answer #10 · answered by ? and ?: The Light of the World 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋