The Complicating Effect of Sovereignty

I think I'm getting a better sense of where the thrust of your argument is. It appears to be rooted in the doctrine of God's complete sovereignty, or perhaps more precisely, his perfect self-sufficiency. God needs nothing. Nothing can affect, influence, change, impact, or disuade God.

That is a good doctrine, and a good doctrine to hold tight to.

But it yields a valid conclusion, one I think you've reached: God is not affected by our sin. Granting that he is affected by our sin diminishes his sovereignty, and affords us a small sliver of our own. And that can't be, provided one holds to the original doctrine of complete sovereignty of God.

For my part, I'm willing to concede that God is not affected by our sin. I'm not ready to concede that he's not concerned. "Worried" is not the word I was reaching for when I selected "concerned." What I was trying to convey was that the Bible clearly directs us to seek God and avoid sin. There must be a reason why God has chosen to communicate so clearly the consuming nature of sin avoidance in our lives.

Example: "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." (NIV, Matthew 5:29-30). Very likely not meant to be taken literally, this passage provides a graphic and powerful image of the measures we must consider to avoid sin in our lives.

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As for the "Thou Shalt not Kill" vs. "Thou Shalt not Murder" debate, it is useful to go to blueletterbible.org and see the original Hebrew, which was "ratsach" (Strong's 07523). By my reading of it, it appears that's a primitive root. And the usage of the root in other parts of the Bible suggest that "murder" is the more common meaning. There appears to be a suggestion of intent with the purpose of revenge. So I do not believe the original Hebrew of the commandment broadly prohibited the taking of life.

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Now, on to the ending question, which I paraphrase here: "Why did God create us -- for his benefit or ours?"

Here I must speculate, for I can't know the mind of God. But I am of the belief that the act was purely altruistic. And, interestingly enough, my thinking on this subject starts with the Trinity.

Note: I recall speaking once with a pastor of a church, and we were talking about those elements of the Christian doctrine we felt were the critical cornerstones. This pastor commented that as he matures in the faith, he is coming to understand the true importance of the Trinity. It's a complex and mysterious doctrine, but it is fundamental to Christianity.

For all eternity, God has existed as three distinct "persons" within a single "Godhead." One God, one essence, three personalities ... deep mystery. We are to understand that there is and always has been a deep, personal communion -- a love -- that exists between the members of the Trinity. Given that God is perfect, that love is perfect.

Note: "Perfect" is a difficult word to really grasp, isn't it? Imagine love as we know it, improved to infinity.

I believe the angels were created so they could experience the joy and glory that is the love that exists between the members of the Trinity. In that sense, God created the angels so he could share -- or give -- that love to others.

In the same way I believe we were created so we could experience and enjoy the joy and glory that is the love of God.

An act of pure and perfect altruism ... just like Christ on the Cross was a pure and perfect altruistic act, done out of his perfect love without regard to any benefit he himself might derive.

This might be why God has commanded us not to sin ... or not to disobey him. For one of the things sin does -- and I know this from personal experience -- is that it separates us from God. It's not that he leaves us; it's that by sinning we ourselves can't draw close to him.

Honestly ... think about the times you've engaged in willful disobedience of what you know to be God's commandment to you. In that state of sinfulness, do you feel close to God? Do you have a clear conscience? Do you feel motivated to go to him with an open heart? I know for me the answer is a clear "no." When I willfully win, a dark cloud descends on my relationship with God. It's awful. It's only when I come to truly reject the sin that I have a sense of return to him.

However, when I am able to avoid the more egregious willful sinning that plagues me, and I start to draw nearer to him, there is a profound sense of his presence about me. I'm certain that God is unchanged by my presence or absence; but I am clearly changed. I clearly benefit.

So I think the answer to the question about why we were created is just this -- God wished others to share in the Glory that is the love that exists between Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This is what I think is meant when God says that he is a "jealous" God -- not jealousy in the flawed human sense of the word. He is not himself jealous. He is jealous for us. He so wants his creation to benefit from his love and presence that he "yearns" (not literally) that we obey him so we can draw near to him.

Could he just "force" us to draw near? (The equivalent of invalidating free will.) Sure. But that would be akin to forcing a hug upon your daughter when she did not seek it. There's some value in it, but not nearly as much as when she comes to you with an open heart and clear conscience, when no dark cloud of disobedience hangs over your relationship. When she seeks you in love as her father, and you are there to give her the love she seeks, the experience for her must be near bliss. How much more the experience must be when we do the same with our heavenly Father.