Putting Faith In A Faithful God

[cardero]

Greatest I Am’s thread on Satan got me thinking, especially the scripture from 2 Peter.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

I have repeatedly wondered why religions promote a god that reserves judgment and sentencing only after a physical existence has concluded. If a person has been “sinful” most of their life, there really isn’t much reported about the fate of this human’s life and not much we can discern about God’s sense of justice, forgiveness or mercy.

If the sinner has committed sins against another and the consequences of their victim(s) are final (for example the sinner commits murder) what justice or sense of peace can we conclude for the victim or the survivors from a scripture like 2 Peter 3:9. Religions would prefer to practice faith and leave it in the hands of God mostly because they cannot understand the workings of their God.
It is this sense of fear (not awe), ignorance (read: un-knowing) or misunderstanding that keeps religions practicing and preaching morality.



What purpose or good is a God that exemplifies faith in humans?

What purpose or good is a God that does not know the truth of whether or not humans will sin and does not have the knowledge to know whether we will repent?

What does the faith that this God represents do to the safety and security for a human living and growing in a physical existence?

What does it entail for God’s sense of justice and love for all human beings?

Would it not be better for God (and potential human sinners) to enact immediately on sin rather than wait for someone to repent or wait for their life to cease?

Would it not be better for God (and potential human sinners) to enact before a sin has been committed rather than wait for someone to repent or wait for their life to cease?

Why would a religions promote a God that waits, that is powerless against time itself?

How does your religion account for these questions?

Are humans to continue putting faith in a faithful God?

 

[strange]

"Our [Are] humans to continue putting faith in a faithful God?" What makes this question so difficult is "faithful God?" God does not have faith, not if God is the first cause. Faith in what? Faith in mankind?

A poem I once read stated that, If you have to say you're sorry you don't mean it. This discussion could easily gravitate towards "free will." "Free will," like Creation is as God intended. All creation is in motion, constantly changing, life and death scenario. This "sense of justice" is a part of what morality is about. That is the "sense" I see as if speaking about one's or the world's spirit. I don't see God interfering with Creation. God no more guarantees normal births anymore than God protects us from crossing the street.

 

[cardero]

I understand what you are saying but as the scripture suggests it is God that is "not willing to see anyone perish". As the many religions describe about God's will, it ususally does not go undone. So the point that I am wondering is, does our free will have anything to do with our salvation and securing a position in heaven or is this scripture describing a hopeful, clueless God who has no idea whether we will we go to heaven and is waiting for us to decide?

 

[strange]

I understand what you are saying but as the scripture suggests it is God that is "not willing to see anyone perish". As the many religions describe about God's will, it ususally does not go undone. So the point that I am wondering is, does our free will have anything to do with our salvation and securing a position in heaven or is this scripture describing a hopeful, clueless God who has no idea whether we will we go to heaven and is waiting for us to decide?

It is complicated and yet probably so simple that mankind just can't see it, salvation. A lot of what I write, comment on are bits and pieces of the answer. A literalist would accept the Bible passages, word for word. Often the issue has conflicts in the Bible. There are different genre in and then there are those that take offence to those of us that view Genesis and Revelation as myths. What is the best understanding that I have comes from two great theologians. And, of course, there are differences with theologians too. It all depends on one's environment and the educational background.

Here's my take on a faithful God. It begins with accepting that there is a God. We can only know that there is a God because of God's effects. We are one of God's effects, the water you drink is God's effect; essentially God's effect is Creation. We may know that God exists through Creation but we the effects are not enough to comprehend God. What this tells us is that God does not exist in time and space. Analogy, I created a new source of energy but I do not exist in that energy source. God exists somewhere, nowhere, that mankind can comprehend. We don't know any more where God exists than we can know what God is. God is the first cause and we Creation is God's effect.

Now, what does this have to do with a faithful God? If God is the first cause and Creation is God's effect and mankind cannot comprehend God because God does not exist in time and space, Creation; then consider that if God is perfect, Creation is also perfect. There is no need for God to interfere with Creation. So, for God to be a faithful God, would indicate that God would in some way interfere with Creation. But why should God interfere with what is perfect. Everything must be as it was meant to be.

So God does not promise that you won't get sick; nor will God promise that every birth is normal; nor does God promise riches. There is a theology of God and Human Suffering (which happens to be a book by Douglas John Hall) and it pretty much explains that suffering is our lot. To conquer suffering a Christian looks toward the Doctrine of the Trinity. The Word of God, the living Word, Jesus is about our relationship with God and Creation and our relationship with each other. The greatest commandment is to love your God. The second commandment of the NT is to love your neighbor. The Word of God is about relationships, about our spirit, our life, about morality. It is about our interaction with each other. Lives are made better by those who help out the disabled, the sick, those that are suffering. If this is what a faithful God is about then mankinds interaction is truly heaven on earth.

 

[cardero]

strange writes: So, for God to be a faithful God, would indicate that God would in some way interfere with Creation. But why should God interfere with what is perfect. Everything must be as it was meant to be.

So would this also describe a God without judgment or sentencing?

 

[strange]

So would this also describe a God without judgment or sentencing?

The short of it, Yes.