The Divine Experiment

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

In this thread I wish to propose somewhat of a hypothesis. My proposal is that God's creative endevour was enacted with life being the initial idea as well as the desired end result.
The above is a real 'duh' declaration until one considers who and what God is as well as considering what the necessary ramifications of creating sentient life forms with the freedom and ability to choose right or wrong would be. God had to know that sin would be a result and that because of sin much pain, many evils, and ultimately death would be the result.
With the above in mind a thinking person may wonder whether or not sentient life even deserves to exist. Can life thrive without infecting its habitation with evil? Can free sentient beings ultimately be good? Those questions are the basis for what I term The Divine Experiment. I believe God created us knowing and believing sentient and free beings were in fact worthy of being given life and that His trust was finally proven and rewarded in Jesus.

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

any thoughts on this idea?

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

Is sin possible in isolation? If God had only created Adam and not given Adam the prohibition concerning the tree of knowledge (or simply not have given Adam access to it) would Adam have even been able to commit acts of evil?

 

[Deborah13]

The above is a real 'duh' declaration until one considers who and what God is as well as considering what the necessary ramifications of creating sentient life forms with the freedom and ability to choose right or wrong would be.

I don't have time right now to think to much about all you have said but I will. Just a quick thought, when one decides to have their own children they do it with the knowledge that is probably not going to all be fragrant roses with no thorns. But many do it anyway, taking the chance is worth it to them. Maybe our Father in heaven had the same thoughts?

Gotta go, Donkey Kong time.

 

[pugsly]

any thoughts on this idea?

I see it in a similiar way.......God plays with wisdom and sees us from "afar" (in a dark imagination)....then a Perfectly Wise God considers a single Perfect Act that will mercifully bring us ever to His side in Heaven.....Jesus the Way.

 

[Mike S]

I've always considered that there are questions of this nature - why did God create mankind - for which we will never have a good answer. The usual attempts to answer it include something like "God created mankind in order for us to love Him, or to serve him, or to share His creation for His glory as creatures made in His image." The truth is, these answers are less than satisfying and are necessarily inadequate. God as creator of the universe, creator of time and space, is sufficient unto Himself, He has no unmet needs.

We are imperfect creatures of limited ability to understand some elements of God's design, some questions are unanswerable and will remain among the mysteries of our faith. But, we don't have to understand the first principles of creation to know how we're expected to behave within the reality of that creation. The scriptures are filled with answers to THAT question, from the prophet Micah

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly<sup class="crossreference" value='(A)'></sup> and to love mercy
and to walk humbly<sup class="footnote" value='[a]'>[a]</sup><sup class="crossreference" value='(B)'></sup> with your God. Micah 6:8

to Jesus's

<sup class="versenum">37 </sup>Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
<sup class="versenum">38 </sup>This is the first and greatest commandment.
<sup class="versenum">39 </sup>And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
<sup class="versenum">40 </sup>All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.†Matthew 22:37-40


The fact that there are unknowables in God's creation does not diminish my faith in His goodness and His Grace.

 

[Deborah13]

I believe God created us knowing and believing sentient and free beings were in fact worthy of being given life and that His trust was finally proven and rewarded in Jesus.

I think this...

NASB
Psalm 29:2
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in holy array.
Psalm 79:9
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.
Psalm 104:31 Let the glory of the Lord endure forever; Let the Lord be glad in His works;


John 17:1
[ The High Priestly Prayer ] Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
John 13:32 if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Romans 15:6 so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 6:20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
1 Peter 4:16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.

God made man in His very own image. We were made to glorify Him. Rather like the crowning touch, or the cherry top, of all His glorious creation. We were to see His creation and know of Him. We were to look at the stars in the night sky and think of Him. When we see the red hawk soaring through the sky, we were to think of Him. Be in awe of Him. Glorify Him.
We were to walk with Him, in a relationship with Him, be a perfect image of Him, to glorify Him.


SIN
Romans 1:22-23
<sup class="versenum">22 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value='(A)'></sup>Professing to be wise, they became fools, <sup class="versenum">23 </sup>and <sup class="crossreference" value='(B)'></sup>exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and <sup class="footnote" value='[a]'>[a]</sup>crawling creatures.

But Jesus came so that man could be restored and put on the mind of Christ and the incorruptible Seed in us, so that we can glorify God.

 

[Sparkey]

God made man in His very own image. We were made to glorify Him. Rather like the crowning touch, or the cherry top, of all His glorious creation.

That's quite something, Deb!

I also see you striving to follow after your Savior and become "the crowning touch, the cherry top, of all his glorious creation." There is no way that when the saints are revealed any will say, "What a good work they have done," but, and as you say, they will necessarily give Glory to God.