I received this question from a seeker:
Quote:
I am very disappointed of your interpretation of Gen.
Quote;”God creates a deceitful, talking snake, and places it in the garden.” “God created us to be vile, wretched, foul, evil people that deserve much worse than to be tormented and tortured for all of eternity.” (God cannot create sin, for it is an contradiction of His very nature.)
Deceitful; These are sins; “Tending to mislead, deceive or ensnare; as deceitful words; deceitful practices.” Favor is deceitful. Prov 31. Full of deceit; trickish; fraudulent; cheating; as a deceitful man.
Quote; “Of course, since they don't know the difference between right and wrong, they have no way of knowing that it is wrong to disobey God.” (We must understand that God created law for Adam and Eve, Their knowledge of this law was recognized by both, so there was no excuse.)
Quote; “Some demon-worshiping Atheist scum might read all of this and then be arrogant enough to question God.” Unquote.
Scum; The refuse; the recruitment; that which is vile or worthless. (We must remember that we all at one time or another were sinners and lost. Didn't Jesus also die for these people that are called worthless?)
(Any Atheist, again, at one time or another, will become an agnostic, which will open up a door to conversation, and reasoning. We must control our urge to separate those from God who we do not agree with, but rather reprove them in love and an understanding that they are not useless, but mistaken in the ways of the Lord.)
Quote; “Here is a summary for any slow heathens who might be reading this (I realize that 'slow' and 'heathen' are redundant -- I cant imagine why a person with a healthy mind would reject Jesus Christ).”Unquote. (We must be careful in our conversations, for by our words we can draw all men to Christ, and by our words we can also separate the willing to learn form the truth of the Gospel.) 1Pe 1:15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
Just a thought. Rev.A.R.Smith
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I replied with this answer:
Hello Tony. Thank you for your comments. I'm sorry that you were disappointed, but I will try to address your objections.
"God cannot create sin, for it is an contradiction of His very nature."
Friend, no true statement ever begins with the words "God cannot...". There is nothing that God cannot do. Perhaps if you phrased it as "God
would not create sin, ...". However, even then, the statement is still false. God created everything that exists. Man can't create. The Devil can't create. Only God can create. If something exists, it can only be because God created it. Isaiah 45 tells us as much:
I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me ... I am the LORD, and there is none else. ... I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
God is not deceitful. God
will not lie, for it is a contradiction of His very nature. God is not a man, that He should lie.
However, He frequently wants folks to believe things that aren't true. The Bible is full of stories about God sending strong delusion or putting lying spirits into the mouths of prophets. So, God doesn't lie Himself, but He can and does cause others to lie for Him.
"We must understand that God created law for Adam and Eve, Their knowledge of this law was recognized by both, so there was no excuse."
Amen! There was no excuse. God was 110% justified in cursing all of mankind, womankind, and serpentkind for this transgression.
"We must remember that we all at one time or another were sinners and lost. Didn't Jesus also die for these people that are called worthless?"
Amen! Not only that, worthless sinners are precisely who He died for. I remember very clearly what a miserable wretch I was before I was saved. I praise the sweet name of Jesus every day.
"We must control our urge to separate those from God who we do not agree with, but rather reprove them in love and an understanding that they are not useless, but mistaken in the ways of the Lord."
But we
are useless to the Lord as long as we remain in opposition to Him. Not one of us is capable of doing any good. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. It is not until we repent of our sins and choose to do His Will, that we can be saved.
I hope I have cleared up any misunderstandings, Brother. God Bless.
Pastor Billy-Reuben