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Reasons
for God's Dispensational Dealings ...Continued from Dispensation - A Moral Time There are a number of reasons why God deals with free moral agents, using various dispensational or probationary tests. A few reasons are: 1. God created free moral agents with a free choice, instead of mere machines that He could cause to run forever without any choice of their own. God's dealings with man must be on the basis of a cooperative plan for the common welfare of all, or His universe would become chaotic and could not continue. 2. The wills of all free creatures must be tested to see if they are willingness to cooperate with God for- the greatest good of all. Moral agents must prove themselves true by such tests and thus become worthy of the confidence of the Creator, before being entrusted with the eternal administration of the universe. 3. All free moral agents must have their wills tested of all possibility of falling, so there can be mutual confidence in each other. In this way there would be no possibility, on the part of man, of marring God’s plan sometime in eternity, through the misuse of man's will. 4. Free wills must be put through all possible tests so that there can be no possible transgression against any part of the eternal plan, at any time. This is the only sure way that the plan can have a guarantee of success, forever. 5. All free wills must eventually learn the following lessons: (1) That God must be respected and obeyed. (2) That His laws are final and just. (3) That sin does not pay and will never be excused. (4) That God's form of government is the only correct one. (5) That a loving and free submission to " is the highest and most noble principle of free moral government. (6) That justice and righteousness must prevail, or no society can be eternally preserved in the universe. (7) That consecration to the greatest good of all is the nature and highest glory of the creature. (8) That God is merciful and forgiving to rebels who will be penitent, and who learn obedience through their experiences. (9) That God is the only absolutely just and perfect Being, and the only one capable and worthy of unquestionable authority. (10) That all the accusations of present rebels against God are untrue. (11) That God does only those things that are for the common good of all creation. (12) That He should, by virtue of His own position as Creator, Preserver, Governor, and Lordship, and His own history of justice and righteousness in all of His dealings, be recognized by all as the supreme Moral Governor of the universe. Until free moral agents of all kinds learn these lessons, they naturally are in ignorance of certain facts and need such training. 6. One of the chief reasons for God's dealing with man is to bring him back to the place where he was before his fall. Having purged man of all possibility of falling in the future, God will place redeemed man back in his original position of having dominion over all things. Thus, God does not have the slightest doubt as to the future of His plan for man. 7. God's dealings with free moral agents in holiness and absolute justice to all alike, gives God a sound basis of punishing rebels who refuse to conform to the plan, and of blessing those who do conform. God can still be just and holy in the judgment and confinement of rebels to everlasting punishment, since they have refused all merciful dealings. They have hardened themselves against all that is holy and good. There is nothing else for God to do but mete out justice according to deeds committed, for the continued good of society, forever. God must make examples of both cases, the good and the bad, for the sake of all generations who come into existence in eternity. God cannot excuse rebels and bless them, contrary to His revealed plan, or there would be no end to the breaking of His eternal laws. He would have to continually excuse all wrongdoing forever if lie should start such a program, and under such circumstances free wills would have no true restraint. If He excused some and not others, and showed any degree of respect of persons, then free agents would lose proper respect for Him as the Moral Governor. If He failed to reward for obedience or punish for disobedience, or in any degree carried on government contrary to prescribed laws and common justice to all and for the best good of all, there would be no true incentive for free wills in all eternity to conform to the eternal plan. The Bible plainly reveals that rebels in everlasting Hell will be an eternal monument of God's wrath toward sin, in order to cause coming generations to conform to the highest good of their own being and of the universe (Isa. 66:22-24; Rev. 14:9-11). Why should not present free wills co-operate with God to the best interests of all, if there is such a place as an eternal monument of God's wrath? Why should they not do it, since it is the creative purpose and the only natural and normal life for each creature? Why should not God punish rebels who persist on destroying themselves and the eternal society planned by God? Why should not God finally take action, and confine all eternal rebels away from such society? Why should not God bless all who voluntarily and whole-heartedly cooperate with Him and His plan for the highest good and well-being of the universe? This plan of rewarding obedience and punishing disobedience is the-only just plan, and it is the only one that could be used with free moral agents. Everyone can be blessed, if he so desires or can be cursed if that is his choice. Therefore, punishment is not compulsory for anyone. It is the free choice of the individual, and he alone is to blame for his eternal choice and destiny. God's will is that none should be lost (1 Tim. 2: 4-6; 2 Pet. 3: 9; John 3: 16). 8. God's dispensational dealings are necessary to assure lasting benefits for the eternal society. They guarantee the preservation of God's eternal purpose, which He purposed in the Messiah (Christ). Paul expressed the purpose of God's dealings with man thus: "That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in the Messiah (Christ) by the gospel ... to make all men we what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Yeshua (Jesus Christ); to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ “Jesus our Lord" (Eph. 1: 10; 3: 1-11). 9. Another chief reason for God's present dealings with man is to make it eternally possible for Him to be all-in-all. This will guarantee the eternal working of His predestined plan for all creation now and for all, generations that shall yet be brought into being. Back to Understanding
Dispensations Back to Free
Moral Agency Thank you Finis Jennings
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