Saturday, August 30

THE DIVINE PURPOSE OF GOD



THE DIVINE PURPOSE OF GOD continued
Act 2:23 
"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God,"
"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have  taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed by pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." 


In our last post we closed with the introduction of election out of sinful men.  Before God in Eternity past could determine the election and salvation of those God gave to Jesus, there had to be the fact of sin.  That election was out of sinful men.  So where did sin come from?  We would certainly not charge God with sin.  Yet He was not taken by surprise.  Sin was the product of Lucifer in Heaven.  We are told of the rebellion the angel Lucifer made.  He sought to dethrone God, and God cast him out of Heaven.  Satan was not created evil,  He was the morning star.  Iniquity was found in his heart, and he sought to dethrone God.   

It was this Satan then in the Garden of Eden that tempted Adam and Eve to sin.  Still farther back, before Adam and Eve could yield to temptation and sin, they must be created, for there was not a man on earth.  Fact is there was no earth for Satan and Adam and Eve to dwell on.  It required that God create the earth.  Satan was not the only angel in Heaven. He led a revolt of the angels against God.  Those non elect angels are now reserved in Hell for judgment, but the other elect angels are still in heaven and are the ministers of God to our salvation.  Still farther back there had to be a Heaven for those elect angels.  Now Adam and Eve were not forced to sin; they did so by their own choice and free will.  Even Satan did not force them to sin; he tempted them, but their sinning was of their own deliberate choice.  Does not all we have said above indicate that it was all determined by the foreknowledge and determinate counsel of God?  Also does not Adam and Eve's sinning by choice and their own free will, demonstrate the human responsibility of Man? 

So what do you think of this?  Do you have questions or comments?

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