God does not sin because...
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raekwon
Puritan Board Junior
I look at both and see them as both being true, but I'd phrase it "God does not sin because he is not a sinner."
On the other hand, we do sin (ie: commit sinful acts) because we are sinners (at heart).
---------- Post added at 12:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 AM ----------
I should add that it's often seen that the committing of sinful acts is what makes one a sinner, and that such a view is backwards.
On the other hand, we do sin (ie: commit sinful acts) because we are sinners (at heart).
---------- Post added at 12:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 AM ----------
I should add that it's often seen that the committing of sinful acts is what makes one a sinner, and that such a view is backwards.
The first isn't a reason - it's a tautology. I would suggest that 'sin' and 'God' are mutually exclusive concepts: 'sin' simply isn't a legitimate category to apply to God. If for no other reason, because sin is the transgression of the law; but God is the lawgiver, not a subject of that law, and so 'transgression' has no meaning with reference to Him.
Don Kistler
Puritan Board Sophomore
God does not sin because He does not desire to sin. Before anyone does anything they must first choose to do it. Before they can choose to do it, they must have a desire to choose to do it. God has no such desire, therefore He can make no such choice. Sin never looks good to Him, therefore He can never choose it.
That doesn't explain how sin could look good to Adam and Eve, however, which I know is a problem. But Adam and Eve were mutable, changeable, and God is not. So, since He is always and only holy, He cannot change to being unholy at any time.
That doesn't explain how sin could look good to Adam and Eve, however, which I know is a problem. But Adam and Eve were mutable, changeable, and God is not. So, since He is always and only holy, He cannot change to being unholy at any time.
Can we say this a bit better? This sounds an awful lot like the arbitrary god of Islam, whose will is perfect not because it flows from his character or his nature but because he is the definer of right and wrong and those definitions may change at any time.
Josh's remark is quite in line with Polanus:
"God does, what by His own law He prohibits us; He passed the law for us, not for Himself. E.g., He does not bring it about that we admit no sin while living here, though He might most easily have done so.
The supreme rule of divine righteousness is His most perfect and infallible will. God is a law to Himself. Whatever He wishes done, it is right by the very fact that He wills it. Whatever God does He knows and wills."
My point was in line with the first part of that quote: Josh's with the second. Not that I disagree with the second, or that Josh would disagree with the first.
As Heppe says, "Since holiness like all other attributes of God is the divine nature itself and so present in God in absolute perfection, it cannot be conceived as God's agreement with the law of the good. God Himself is rather the essential idea and principle of holiness."
I understand the desire to be different from Islam, but if I may say so without being taken as reflecting upon you personally, is it not a lack of trust in God's holy will that would seek to bind it to something beyond itself? What concern is there that the will of the immutable God will be different today from what it is tomorrow? Heppe again, "...the divine willing is the divine nature itself."
Mushroom
Puritan Board Doctor
The confessions define sin as any disobedience of or lack of conformity to the law of God. He is the Sovereign of sovereigns, fully just and holy to reign over His creation as He sees fit. He gave His law to men, not Himself. It reflects His holiness and justice in how it requires subordinate creatures to conduct their affairs, who are categorically altogether different beings from Himself. Our sin is disobedience and non-conformity to the declared will of the ultimate authority over us. There is no authority above God for Him to disobey or lack conformity to, so sin is an incoherent concept to apply to Him.
And the amazing thing is that out of love for His chosen people, He condescended to us in becoming a man, born of a woman, under the law, and kept that law that was never in any way required of Him, so as to provide for us an alien righteousness, willingly gave His life as the propitiation for our sin, rose to give us new life, and ascended to ever make intercession for us, so that we may stand before Him as His spotless bride, fully justified. Praise His holy Name!
Just felt like sayin' that.
And the amazing thing is that out of love for His chosen people, He condescended to us in becoming a man, born of a woman, under the law, and kept that law that was never in any way required of Him, so as to provide for us an alien righteousness, willingly gave His life as the propitiation for our sin, rose to give us new life, and ascended to ever make intercession for us, so that we may stand before Him as His spotless bride, fully justified. Praise His holy Name!
Just felt like sayin' that.
God's will is His nature.
God can not sin because His nature is Holy. He is totally good. He is purely Holy. He is Perfect in Omniscience, Omnipotence, Omnipresence, and Omniessence. Even the Heavens are unclean before him. Holy, Holy, Holy is Elohim Adonai Yahweh. You can not derive anything more pure or good but from Him. It is His being and nature.
Can God lie? No. Why? Because he is the Truth.
Can God lie? No. Why? Because he is the Truth.
That's the ultimate answer. We bow to the will of God as good because it stems from His nature, which is holiness itself. His will will not change because He is holy.
Again, the Muslim agrees. The difference is that in Islam, god is not holy.
We bow to the will of God as good because it is His will.
The point is that saying "whatever God does is right" is not sufficient. His will is good because it stems from His nature, which is goodness itself. We do not serve an arbitrary God, but a righteous and holy God. We cannot speak of the will of God being good in isolation from His holiness.
Does God then will His nature? Upon what then would He base His will?
Not in the human dock to be judged by a human standard---yet He always holds Himself to His own standard. Throughout the Scriptures we see God telling humans to test His promises and see that He will keep them.
And how do you define that?
Not sure this is true. It is like asking what came first in my opinion. The chicken came first before the egg. He has to be before he can will. At the same time we are speaking of existence in relation to will. I am thinking like a man. Nothing can be willed without a being.
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