|
The
mistake however is that the above answer is based on
the assumption that mankind’s relationship to his
nature is similar to the God’s relationship with His
Nature. As man we are restricted by the nature that
was given to us when we were conceived in our
mother’s womb. It determines and defines our
abilities and our limits. But God is unlike us and
unique.
Luke 1:37
“For with God nothing will be impossible.”
God is not Good and Loving because His Nature forces
Him to be so. From all eternity God chooses for His
nature to be Being Itself and to be infinitely
consistent, good and holy.
There is no outside force, fact, or quality that
requires for Him to be this or that. God is
all-powerful. He has no limits. There is no outside
being or fact can force Him to be non-contradictory,
loving or true.
There are several proofs that God chooses his Nature
from all eternity to be as it is.
Proofs
:
1.
God is Love. And for love to be true love it must be
freely given. Therefore, God freely chooses to be
loving, good and honest. These are not qualities
that are forced upon Him by His Nature.
If
we say that God is honest, good or loving because He
has no other choice in the matter then we would be
insulting His Goodness and His Love. It would not be
true love if it was not freely chosen. Therefore, He
freely choses to be who He Is, True Love.
2.
A God who freely chooses to Love is greater than a
God who is loving only because He has no other
choice. God is greater than we can imagine.
Therefore, God has to be the better of two
opposites. Therefore, God freely chooses for his
Nature to be Love.
3.
John 5:19
“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you,
the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only
what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does,
that the Son does likewise.’”
At the temptation in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus
freely chooses to continue his path of Goodness.
Jesus feely chooses to conform His will to that of
the Father. Jesus only does what he sees the Father
doing. Therefore, the Father must also freely choose
to be Love.
4.
If God is constricted in some way by His Nature,
then His Nature is greater than He is. God has
complete free will. Therefore, God freely chooses
His Nature to be as it is from all eternity.
So, the correct answer to the question,
“Can God Lie ?” is …
God is all-powerful. He chooses to be Truthful,
because He chooses from all eternity for His Nature
to be Love, Truth, and Beauty, Goodness, and even
Being itself. And the fact that He freely chooses
to be that points to how beautiful His Love is.
Hebrews 6:18
Sometimes Hebrews 6:18 is quoted to affirm God
cannot lie. (also see Titus 1:2)
Some
translations do a better job than others in
capturing what is meant.
Translations
God
did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot
lie when …
GWT -God’s Word® Translation
so that by two unchangeable things in which it is
impossible for God to lie …
NASB
Two irrevocable assurances, over which there could
be no question of God deceiving us …
Knox
God is all powerful
Luke
1:37
“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Cf.
Jeremiah 32:17
While our nature does constrict us God is all
powerful. He cannot be bound or restricted by
anything.
Or
else that law, principle, or force would have to be
greater than God. And that would contradict the
very definition of who God is.
He
purposefully always chooses to be Good, Honest, and
Loving, etc.
God
is Love. It is His Nature to love. However, if God
was forced to be honest or to love because it is His
Nature then His love would not be true love.
Love
is freely chosen. God freely chooses to be loving
and to always be honest.
He
freely chooses that His Nature be as it is. Since
His Nature is so unlike ours we cannot use the same
words or types of thinking for Him that would apply
to ourselves.
See
another article about Islam which claims their god
does lie because “he is so powerful” that his nature
allows for self-contradiction.
God’s Omnipotence
“Can God Contradict Himself?”
|
