Incomparable!

I wanted to share something that I’ve touched on before concerning the omniscience of God. I believe His foreknowledge of all things supplies answers to learning His Word more than any other concept! For example, since He knew man would choose to sin and that He would allow it, I find no confirming refutation to consider against the idea that this is how He chose to begin manifesting Himself and teaching His mind. Thus, it wasn’t that man wasn’t supposed to sin, because He knew He would be using it to manifest His Holiness. So, His commands manifest right and wrong (Gen 2:16, 17), which leads to manifesting good and evil (Gen 3:7).

Thus, I believe it was God’s way for us to experience Himself—by us experiencing that which is antithetical to His divine nature. It’s difficult for me to think that, how this life transpires, is not God’s choice concerning its occurrences (all for learning). Nothing happens without Him first allowing it to take place (or He could have chosen a different way). Even though it is not His desire that most will not choose His way (Mat 7:13, 14), His will (not His desire - 1Ti 2:4; 2Pe 3:9) for the lost is that they be resurrected unto damnation, and the saved unto life; neither of which can be altered (Jhn 5:28, 29)!

I’ve come to experience peace in everything occurring in believing His controlling hand is orchestrating the outcomes all that transpires to “work for good,” especially using evil to manifest good! Therefore I have learned that even if the concept herein discussed were not true, it supplies great encouragement for me to learn from God that this is His will for man to use in choosing which way we want to go—His way or not.

For many years now I have been using this as truth and it has been most encouraging to in manifesting my love for God, by willingly enduring the infirmities of possessing the sin nature, in order that His nature be manifested! Believers in Christ are no longer in the old man (Rom 8:9), and though it is in them and yet effects them, they are not considered in it, which answers to Paul’s declaration, “it is no more I that do it,” (Rom 7:17, 20) because it is the “old man” who is doing it (at the root, desiring it). We continue to see God’s nature when we see the contrast and effects of the old nature. But what matters now is that we are not our old nature but our new nature! The Spirit—via using the Life of Christ and our new nature keeps those reborn from ever again desiring evil (though we still see the desires of the old nature), shown in the lifestyle of no longer “sinning willfully” (Heb 10:26).

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18).

Yes, it is beyond expressing the worth of living His way now, in order to live His way latter!

 

Thanks for the reply! That was my understanding until about 15 years ago when I realized something that His omniscience showed me. His command was how He began teaching man, by revealing what was right and wrong. Otherwise the command would be in opposition to the fact that He knew that they would sin. He couldn't reveal to Adam that He knew He would sin, e.g. "Adam, I already know your going to eat of Tree, but do not do it (too confusing). Ultimately, right and wrong revealed good and evil, so that His holiness could be seen and understood. That's just the reasoning of understanding omniscience. We can't imagine God saying "I wish He hadn't done that!"

 

That's the point. It's my belief that they would not have learned wrong and right apart from the command; and once that knowledge is acquired, good and evil can be known after breaking the command, as it wasn't until they sinned that they knew evil (shame). God chose for man to comprehend good and evil by becoming a part of it. If He didn't want to do it this way, He would have done it another way.

 

We're saying the same thing. They would not know evil apart from its knowledge. Which answers to why to start it all with a command that revealed first, right and wrong, e.g. they learned it was evil to do wrong. It's also my belief that the evil of "pride" was in them, and that Satan revealed it by his temptation.

The woman saw that "the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes;" which was God's declaration in (Gen 2:9), but the pride was seen before the sin committed, as she saw it was "a tree to be desired to make one wise" (3:6) to be like God, as the serpent said - 3:5).

But my point is that God saw the way everything would go and chose that way, or He could have done it another way.

 

Thanks for your reply and comments, even though we disagree with this issue. I agree my concept is speculative (I believe, 1st paragraph, second sentence), but not humanistic to me unless I intended it to be humanistic (which I didn't).

It's my understanding that God allowing to transpire what He foreknows would occur, is His choice of revelation to us for learning. Regardless of what occurs He has already planned it to be used to manifest His goodness.

I've come to believe that Adam and Eve did not know good and evil until they sinned and saw what evil was (Gen 3:7).

To me, this is just part of being in God's image, "to know good and evil" (Gen 3:22), because they had yet to experience them. Good is learned by contrasting it with evil, as they go together, for without the one, the other isn't known. God's holiness is manifested when contrasted with evil. He created man with the need of knowing His holiness, and of God indwelling him!

What we share with one another concerning our beliefs is at times speculative, thus how we respond is significant in how we learn.

As it has been wisely admonished, “in essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity” (Rupertus Meldenius, circa
1627).

 

Unless we're discussing separate issues, they we're not familiar with good and evil until they sinned.

 

Thanks for the encouraging reply!

 

I see what you mean and thanks for your comments. My point is that God wants us to know His holiness by knowing our sin nature.