Choose or Refuse ~ by Reverend RV
Isaiah 62:5; For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the brides virginity, so shall God rejoice over you.
In debates with Atheists, I come across some who genuinely want to know a Christian’s answer to their objections. Questions range from the simple to the complex; and sometimes the simple questions are those that need the complex answer. Bill the Atheist asked, “What is God’s real goal in creating Mankind?” Bill didn’t want answers like ‘The chief end of Man is to Glorify God and enjoy him always’. Bill objects that if this is the reason, then God could have made us in such a way that he would not eternally destroy us in Hell for our Sin. The ‘Shorter’ Catechism answer is correct, but Bill wanted a ‘lowest common denominator’ type of answer that will satisfy his objection. I responded by saying there can be more than one satisfactory answer, but I will give him my answer;
“God’s real goal in creating Mankind was to give his Son a Bride”…
There are a few Theological Doctrines that come into play in answering the question; a complex answer to a ‘one liner’ question. One Doctrine is the Immutability of God; he doesn’t change. In eternity, God is a Trinity; the Son proceeds from the Father, and the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son. Since this is described as happening in eternity, it tests the Mind to think of a time when the three are not one. Because God doesn’t change, he cannot produce a Bride from his Essence like God produced a Son from his Essence; IE the Doctrine of Consubstantiality. A Bride must then be Created; thus she is the weaker vessel. This is where the Doctrine of God’s Incommunicable and Communicable Attributes come into play. A Creature cannot have all of God’s Attributes, or the Creature would be God. For instance, God is said to be ‘from Everlasting to Everlasting’; a Creature can only be from Creation to Everlasting. But a Creature can possess Gods Communicable Attributes, IE ‘Cogito ergo sum’; which means ‘I think, therefore I am’. ~ Man was Created a little lower than the Angels but through a relationship with God, our station is made higher than the Angels; making us closer to God. We will always be less than Divine, but through a Marriage with God’s Son; ‘the two become one’. This is how God’s Son gets a Bride…
Now as to why this couldn’t be achieved apart from the Fall of Adam, a Bride must be able to choose or Refuse her Groom, or the Marriage is not a true relationship. Mankind was Created Good; with freedom of Will. God gave Man dominion in the world, and this makes it necessary that we are free to exercise our dominion. The downfall is; Man can choose to Sin. ~ Because of Pride, Lucifer fell into Sin even in the pure environment of Heaven; and remember that Man was made weaker than the Angels. There comes a time we need to ask, ‘Can God have a relationship with a Mankind who can’t choose him without an option to resist?’ Would it be worth it for God to force himself on Humanity? ~ Are you Proud? Have you forced yourself on anther person? Go to God’s Risen Son Jesus Christ through Faith, for forgiveness of your Sins and you will become a pure Virgin by being Born Again; fit for marriage. When it comes to your Righteousness, God will rejoice over you! Repent of your Sins and join a Bible believing Church. ~ You have to admit, you’ve previously resisted his advances and he hasn’t forced himself on you yet; perhaps your Will is bound, just the other way around? Exercise your dominion; Choose him or Refuse him…
Matthew 22:1; Jesus spoke to them, saying: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a King who prepared a wedding banquet for his Son.
