This one (no pun intended) has been on my mind for awhile and before I actually say what my view about this and how it is related to the Bible, I am curious about what other peoples views on this are on what part of the Bible they base in one.
The goal here is NOT to argue, but to shake out the truth about this topic based on the word of God and please keep that in mind when you post on this one.
I 100% believe that God bring people together. I am not disagreeing with that statement. At the same time if we don't participate than whatever God has for us regardless.
"...be mad at them for marrying the wrong person. "
I 100% believe that God bring people together. I am not disagreeing with that statement. At the same time if we don't participate than whatever God has for us regardless.
"...be mad at them for marrying the wrong person. "
I 100% believe that God bring people together. I am not disagreeing with that statement. At the same time if we don't participate than whatever God has for us regardless.
"...be mad at them for marrying the wrong person. "
I 100% believe that God bring people together. I am not disagreeing with that statement. At the same time if we don't participate than whatever God has for us regardless.
"...be mad at them for marrying the wrong person. "
I 100% believe that God bring people together. I am not disagreeing with that statement. At the same time if we don't participate than whatever God has for us regardless.
"...be mad at them for marrying the wrong person. " This is the part that I am trying to address. If someone else married the wrong perso, then where does that leave you? Single? If that person was suppose to be your "one" than wouldn't that make God a liar? Which He is not! The Bible is also very serious about divorce so even if they did divorce their wonderful Bible believing spose marry, then would you be sinning because the Bible says not to do it? I believe God place people in your life for a reason, but it is our responsibility to find the reason out. If we miss the person we are suppose to marry than it is our fault not God's and then that would mean that A, God who have to try and get through to us again, or B send us someone else. God is directional and it is our choose to use wisdom to follow that.
Is God a dictator? Or someone that wants us to choose to love him? Yes, 100% God know every out come of every decision and neither you nor I will can understand all of His ways. I am not saying that he doesn't what I am saying that we need to use wisdom and the word so that we make the right choices to please God and that means participation. Choosing to make God s priority. When choose to make him #1 He gives you ideas and other things to grow yourself and His kingdom. Two verses come to mind.
Luke 19:16-18 (New King James Version)
16. Then came the first, saying, �Master, your mina has earned ten minas.� 17. And he said to him, �Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.� 18. And the second came, saying, �Master, your mina has earned five minas.�
Psalm 37:3-5 (New King James Version)
3. Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4. Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5. Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
I am going to run this one by you because it is a bit more complex. Lets say that you decide to take a different way to work and you get a ticket for speeding so now there is a possibility that your going to be late to work and since you were late you did not get the promotion that you were hoping for and you had plans for that money to start something big in another nation. Does that now mean that your out of the perfect will that God had for your life? It does not change the fact that you may still do that in your life time, but you may have not been able to help as many as you could if you had got the raise. I mean your goal and desire didn't change, but circumstances did.
I hope that better clarifies what I meant by "tricked God".
I could go on and on and on, but I'll stop here. haha.
I really don't understand your argument at all. Nowhere in the Bible do I see anything that would lead me to believe that God has a "one" out there for us and that we are tasked with finding them on our own. We see God arranging the circumstances again and again and again to bring about his specific will, however. It's far more believable that God actively brings people together and works in their hearts to cause them to make the choices he desires in order for all things to work together for good. You may think there are five possible wives, and from your perspective if may look like you have a choice, but God's gonna close the door with 4 of them and either open the door with the fifth or close that one too.
Even if you choose to believe in an impotent God who just sits there hoping we do the right thing but doesn't intervene, it's still illogical to think that there are multiple options because God is all knowing. He would have known before the beginning of time which of the five you would choose, and if he knows the outcome, do you really have a choice? You can't surprise him. He doesn't have a contingency plan. He knows exactly what you're going to do and what she's going to do, even if he never intervenes.
There's plenty of precedent for God intervening and overruling people's desires. It happens multiple times in Acts 16. He doesn't just ask them politely, either. The words used are "forbidden" and "did not allow." They tried to go into Bithynia, but they were not allowed. Again, we can only resist the Holy Spirit as long as God allows. When he specifically wants something to happen, he doesn't have to just cross his fingers. He is intimately involved in our lives. How else could he work all things together for good?
You seem to think that I am arguing that God creates a "one" for us who we are supposed to find, but who may accidentally marry someone else, or we may not find them. Either I'm not communicating clearly something, because that is far from what I'm trying to say. What I'm trying to say is that if God has a person for someone to marry, he will arrange the events and work in their hearts to bring the two of them together and into marriage.
Is God a dictator or someone who wants us to choose to love him? Neither and both. You can't apply human definitions to him, because despite being all knowing, everywhere at once, and all powerful, he is also all that is good and right and true and loving and just at the same time. Romans says he works all things together for good for those called according to his purpose. So in a sense, yes, He is a dictator. He IS sovereign. Like John 3:8, the Spirit does what it wills. But is that a bad thing? Not in the least! The Spirit works to bring us what is best! He may not give us what we want, but he gives us what we need! Is that not more loving?
Out of everything, circumstances are the most under God's control. I would argue that God put that cop there because he has something better planned for me than that promotion I was going to get. Does any of this negate personal responsibility when faced with a choice? By no means! Choices are presented to us every day, and we are, as you showed, called to make the right choice, to choose Christ, to do what is most honoring to God. To think that God just sits there hoping, waiting, wishing that we would do something without intervening is kind of preposterous.
I think your missing what I am saying. I am NOT saying that God can't stop us in our path, but at the same time God wants us to choose him. How can we choose Him if He does not give us the option. He know everything, yes, but have you ever wondered what happened to to people that didn't listen to God? If God knew that they were not going to choose to do God's word from the start and maybe not start church where He wants than why did He tell you to do so from the start?!?!? There is a path that God ones you to take, but you can choose not to follow and He is a forgiving, just, and righteous God. What verse in the Bible does He say that He knows the choices you will make? If there is one then I am wrong! If we choose not to serve God than He moves on to the next person. If God wants us to do something than He CAN force us to do it, but than what is the point of freewill and the spirit. I agree that if God does not want you to something than He will stop you if He desires, but often times He doesn't otherwise Christians would NOT sin, but we DO! God knows that we will, but doesn't stop us, than the question is why? Does it not destroy our walk with Him? Does God cause us to sin and walk away from Him? NO! He wants us to seek Him not run from him. So God would be a Liar if cause us to sin and He would not be God. Yes, He can do whatever He wants and even places us wherever He wants, but if we are not submissive and CHOOSE to do what He says than the path that we are on is not "valid".
I think we are misunderstanding each other on what we are saying about the topic of the "one". I better understand what you are saying now though. I do agree that God will place a girl in our life that we should marry, but like I stated above if we are not listening to God than we don't see that "neon sign" and we miss our chance with that person and God will have to bring another in our life. WE get in the way of God's plan!! NOT God. I am not saying that God does not have a plan for us by no means, but what I am saying is that WE CAN miss it. WE are human and not God.
I did a quick search on all the verse in the Bible that talk about Sovereignty: http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=sovereign&version1=51&searchtype=all&limit=none&wholewordsonly=no
I understand that there is more and I could most definitely do more research in greater dept, but this is what I read through in a short time. None of them describe God as a dictator King, but as a great ruler that is a just and fair savior. I understand that He puts His "foot" down at times, but to say that He hovering over us like a mother to a child makes freewill useless and irrelevant in our lives then.
I read John 3:5-9 (NKJV) and I think your not reading it in context. Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus about salvation. Verse 5-7:
5. Jesus answered, �Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7. Do not marvel that I said to you, �You must be born again.�
In verse 8 He talks about the fact that NO one can be saved unless it is not in him. 8. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.�
So this verse is not even talking about being lead by the spirit, but the Spirit is reacquired for salvation. I understand what you are saying and I challenge you to take a look at John Bevere's Driven By Eternity series. He goes into greater dept about what I am saying and uses many verse to explain this.
