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a well lived bland life
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Love, Free Will, Grace, and Faith
Time has really flown by the past few weeks as I've been preoccupied with work, reading, and working on different projects for different bible studies. Between the Monday night bible study at the Larson's (Tim's parents), Wednesday night mid-week church meetings, Saturday morning Pentateuch study, and Sunday morning Sunday-School class (currently studying a series over biblical wisdom for a fruitful life work, marriage, and family - very beneficial) I hardly find time to write. I feel overwhelmed at times, but I feel I'm making up lost time and for years wasted in complacency.
The Pentateuch study has proven informative thus far; I finally completed the book of Genesis. While reading the book at a slower pace and taking detailed notes I found many things that I have overlooked in the past such as the possibility for the existence of super-human life before the time of Noah and the flood (antediluvian era) (Genesis 6:1-8) in which the author refers to the offspring of "the sons of God" and "the daughters of man" as being "mighty men who were of old, the men of renown". Some may not find this as interesting as I did, although I can see a possible origin to the titans of Greek mythology. Either way its not important as Yahweh put an end to them through His flood.
I've been hammering around different ideas in my head over the past few weeks related to what I've read in Genesis and just from observations in life: Love, Freewill, Sin, Grace, and Faith and how they are related. It's not a new topic by any means, but I really wanted to empty my thoughts on to paper and see what emerged.
I'm sure many people have heard someone at sometime say, 1)"I don't believe in God because I don't believe a loving God would allow all the pain, evil, hurt, death etc. - in the world" or even 2)"I don't understand how a loving God would send people who don't believe in Him to hell." Well first of all if someone told you they didn't believe in your existence, you would instantly die because either you would cease to exist or your brain would explode from exertion in your attempt to comprehend their statement. You cannot tell someone they don't exist and be right (unless you're not really talking to someone, in that case you should probably see a shrink). I will address the first question which will in-turn answer the second without actually having to acknowledge it as a viable question.
Love. Definition: unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another; the fatherly concern of God for humankind; brotherly concern for others; a person's adoration of God
The above definition of 'love' was found on Marriam-Webster's On-Line Dictionary, along with many other definitions but this is the one I want to address. The english word for 'love' has many translations in Hebrew, one of which is the verb 'aheb' (used over two hundred times in the Old Testament), which denotes both divine and human love. Greek is the same in that the word we know as 'love' is translated many different ways , one of which is 'agape' which may be more accurately translated as unconditional love. This is the love I refer to, the love a parent has for a son or daughter, or in this case the love God has for us.
Love cannot be forced. If anyone has seen the movie Bruce Almighty one thing I really liked about the movie is how Morgan Freeman instructed Jim Carrey that he could do basically anything he wanted, except force someone to love him. Why? In the movie it was said because of free-will. Which is true, but I believe it's actually the other way around. Love is not confined by free will, but free will creates love.
Free Will. Definition: freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention
When God created man he gave him free will. He set Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden which was lush with fruits and food of all sorts and very prosperous, a tree of Life (which sounds even better than a money tree), and the forbidden tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The question arises: Why even put the forbidden tree in the garden? Wouldn't it more sensible to place this bad tree outside the garden walls or at least in a corner where no one would find it? Because of free will and love. If God trapped Adam and Eve in the garden and spoiled them with everything they needed would they really love Him? Just as if you shut your teenager in his/her room until they were 18, would they love you? Through the addition of the forbidden tree and the commandment that man and woman could "eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat", God asked them to choose to follow Him, to choose to love Him.
Sin. Definition: a vitiated state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God
When Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree "the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked". Leon R. Kass writes a very provocative interpretation of this new found knowledge:
"To be naked means, of course, to be unguarded and exposed, a sign of our vulnerability before the elements and the beasts. But the text makes us attend, as did our ancient forebears, to our sexuality. In looking, as it were, for the first time upon our bodies as sexual beings, we discover how far we are from any thing divine. More concretely, we discover, first, our own permanent incompleteness and lack of wholeness, both without and within. We have need for, and are dependent upon, a complementary yet different other, even to realize or satisfy our bodily nature."
Leon R. Kass, The Beginning of Wisdom; pg 106
When man and woman ate of the forbidden tree they became aware of their faults and incompleteness, as God had always known, while at the same time defying they very God who created and provided for them. Sin separates humanity from the love of God. Just as if you gave your son a new car and they used it to run you over. Defiance and disobedience hinder love.
Grace. Definition: unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification
The Pentateuch declares that the punishment for sin is death. When the 'law' was given from God to man, it was commanded that for different sins you sarcrificed an animal of your possession as atonement, such as a sheep (as the sheep cost the sinner because it was part of his flock). Because punishment for sin is death, to conquer sin someone or something would have to die. Christian scripture declares that this was done in God's son, Jesus Christ. Throughout Old Testament scripture you see the momentous build up to this pivotal event. Many prophets foretold this very act centuries before. God gave unmerited assistance to the human race to blot out our transgressions, and told us all we had to do was believe.
Faith. Definition: firm belief in something for which there is no proof
Faith is the magical piece of the puzzle. As stated in the definition faith is something without proof. If we had reoccurring reminders of all that God had done for us: from creation through His grace through Christ, then sure we'd all believe, because you'd really have no reason not to. Everyone would have the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ starring Jesus of Nazareth on DVD sitting between The Creation of the World and Moses Parts the Red Sea. But then again we'd be in the same predicament we started out in: there would be no choice, because not believing would be ignorance. Which brings us back to the purpose and definition of love, as I will now define as: "Chosen affection and obedience to God."
So here comes the 'so-what'. So what? What do these things have to do with suffering, pain, death etc.? Things that transpire on the earth happen because man has free will. If God stepped in and kept everything we deemed bad from happening, then that would interfere with love. Some may say that life should be more important than love, and God should protect life. But without love, what would be the purpose of life? Is not the purpose of life to love?
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Blando's Blog
Disciple of Christ, Husband, Father, and IT-guy.
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