It's All About Choices

Ponder thought:

The war in heaven and on earth is not actually a good vs. evil war.  Christ has already redeemed us—all of us from sin.  He has overcome the effects of sin for all men, so we don’t really have to fight about that.

The war is about personal agency—choice.  Our Father wants us to learn to follow Him by choice, to choose to follow Him from among all other choices offered to us, and to do this despite obstacles, abuses, scorn, or even physical danger.  If we will do this, and follow Him because we love Him; He will give us all that He has, and He will erase all of the mistakes that we have made along the way as we were learning how to humble ourselves, master our own wills, and become one with Him.

In order to be like Him, we have to be willing to accept and allow the same personal agency for everyone else.   We are not allowed to limit anyone else’s agency or to block their progress or their choices--whether we agree with them or not.  If we do, we are sinning, and we are not following God.  We are supposed to love everyone the way that God loves us.  That means that we should allow each person choices and opportunities. We should love and set a good example.  We should teach and be patient, but we should never force or coerce a person to do something that is against their will.  We are not to become angry or vindictive or contentious with people who disagree with us or who may make choices or conclusions that we disapprove of.  We are to be calm and loving and patient and long suffering and enduring.  We are supposed to learn to be one with Jesus Christ and receive His Spirit, which will then lead us to all truth.  When we have the spirit of truth with us we will not be deceived or fearful, or afraid, and I believe we cannot then be forced to act against the direction of the spirit by any man or spirit being.

Ponder thought:

Man is not good by design; he is good by choice.

God is not good by design; He is good by choice.

God knows all things and understands all things, both good and evil.  He chooses to be perfectly good.  Intelligence is on the side of God—not man.  Man limits intelligence by rejecting God.  God is not naïve.  He does not choose good because of a lack of options, but because He understands consequences.