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> you take it upon yourself to interpret and understand His divine will, and second guess Him God's complete will is absolutely beyond human understanding (as

> you take it upon yourself to interpret and understand His divine will, and second guess Him God's complete will is absolutely beyond human understanding (as he is infinite), but deducing facts about him and his will based on what he has said about himself is not human arrogance or second-guessing him. It's just straightforward thinking. > I would be interested to see canonical scriptural references for this statement. Ok, got some direct scriptural examples of a few categories of things God cannot do, because they are inconsistent with his character. 1) God cannot lie. - Titus 1:2: "... in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began" - Hebrews 6:18: "... so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us." 2) God cannot deny himself - 2 Timothy 2:13: "if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself." This implies that he can't go against his own word or his own express will. 3) God cannot be tempted with evil and does not tempt anyone. - James 1:13: "No one undergoing a trial should say, 'I am being tempted by God.' For God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself doesn’t tempt anyone." --- This isn't to say he is restricted to doing only what he wants to do or actually does. Other passages refer to his ability to do things that he doesn't end up doing. One example is Matthew 3:9: "... God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones!" -- something he didn't do and never said he would. Please understand, AFAIK when the Scriptures speak of what God can't do, it's always meant as a comfort and encouragement to his people. E.g. from the above examples -- if he can't lie, deny himself, or be tempted with evil (much less do it), and if he is all-powerful to accomplish his holy will, then his words can be taken as rock-solid and trustworthy. [Quotations from the HCSB translation.]

flukus 8y ago
> God cannot be tempted with evil and does not tempt anyone. Is creating evil in the first place not being tempted by it?
- TimTheTinker 8y ago
  God didn’t create evil. Is there something specific you’re thinking of?
  - flukus 8y ago
    God created everything directly and indirectly, everything includes evil. Even if it was indirect, being omniscient makes him ultimately responsible for it. Either that or you start to get into pantheistic territory.
    - TimTheTinker 8y ago
      He created several classes of beings with the capacity for free will, since love freely chosen is the only kind of real love. Knowing that some would choose to hate him (or do anything else, for that matter) doesn’t shift responsibility away from them for that choice. Actually, the existence of evil is one of the biggest arguments for God’s existence via showing that there are universal, objective moral values and duties. Summary is —- one cannot call some actions evil except by contrast with what is morally good. We all know certain things are absolutely evil (although some atheists deny that). And moral accountability is impossible without a moral law and a moral law-giver.
      - flukus 8y ago
        > He created several classes of beings with the capacity for free will, since love freely chosen is the only kind of real love. Knowing that some would choose to hate him (or do anything else, for that matter) doesn’t shift responsibility away from them for that choice. If you knew your child was going to be the next Hitler would you conceive a child? If I told you I was buying a gun so I could go on a shooting rampage would you sell me a gun? Knowing the outcome of your actions makes you at least partially responsible. > one cannot call some actions evil except by contrast with what is morally good But if evil didn't exist we wouldn't need to contrast it with anything, it's not like it makes being good any better than it would have been in an evil free world.

flukus 8y ago

> God cannot be tempted with evil and does not tempt anyone. Is creating evil in the first place not being tempted by it?

TimTheTinker 8y ago
God didn’t create evil. Is there something specific you’re thinking of?
- flukus 8y ago
  God created everything directly and indirectly, everything includes evil. Even if it was indirect, being omniscient makes him ultimately responsible for it. Either that or you start to get into pantheistic territory.
  - TimTheTinker 8y ago
    He created several classes of beings with the capacity for free will, since love freely chosen is the only kind of real love. Knowing that some would choose to hate him (or do anything else, for that matter) doesn’t shift responsibility away from them for that choice. Actually, the existence of evil is one of the biggest arguments for God’s existence via showing that there are universal, objective moral values and duties. Summary is —- one cannot call some actions evil except by contrast with what is morally good. We all know certain things are absolutely evil (although some atheists deny that). And moral accountability is impossible without a moral law and a moral law-giver.
    - flukus 8y ago
      > He created several classes of beings with the capacity for free will, since love freely chosen is the only kind of real love. Knowing that some would choose to hate him (or do anything else, for that matter) doesn’t shift responsibility away from them for that choice. If you knew your child was going to be the next Hitler would you conceive a child? If I told you I was buying a gun so I could go on a shooting rampage would you sell me a gun? Knowing the outcome of your actions makes you at least partially responsible. > one cannot call some actions evil except by contrast with what is morally good But if evil didn't exist we wouldn't need to contrast it with anything, it's not like it makes being good any better than it would have been in an evil free world.