by Zeke Flores<\/p>\n
One of the objections many have against God is that He seems so … mean.\u00a0 Indeed, throughout a reading of the major prophets, God has consistently warned about the catastrophic devastation He would bring not only upon His own people but also upon pagan nations. Again and again, He denounced their behavior, whether it was sexual immorality (God gave the sexual urge to humans, and since He “invented” it, He has the right to regulate it), greed, oppression and extortion, theft, murder, or idolatry.<\/p>\n
The implication is that man has a choice, which determines not only his immediate gratification but also his future condition. “But why can’t I just get to do what I want?” some wonder. The truth is, you can. God gives each of us the will to choose and the information regarding the consequences of our choice. He’ll punish offenses and reward obedience. And that’s His right.<\/p>\n
While some may grumble at a “mean” God who denounces and punishes what He doesn’t like, it’s important to realize that, as the Creator and Sustainer of all, He is absolutely within His authority to regulate human behavior.<\/p>\n
So, we can heed His word and live according to His good pleasure, or we can ignore it and live according to our own selfish desires. But living according to His will doesn’t mean life will be unbearably dull. You may find that it’s the best decision you could have ever made. Choose, but choose carefully.<\/p>\n
“I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you. … According to their conduct I will deal with them, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will will know that I am Yahweh.<\/em>” (Ezekiel 7:3, 27).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Zeke Flores One of the objections many have against God is that He seems so … mean.\u00a0 Indeed, throughout a reading of the major prophets, God has consistently warned about the catastrophic devastation He would bring not only upon His own people but also upon pagan nations. Again and again, He denounced their behavior,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[37,90],"class_list":["post-70142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-apologetics","tag-god"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13239,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-i-reconcile-with-my-ex-husband-who-is-addicted-to-marijuana\/","url_meta":{"origin":70142,"position":0},"title":"Should I reconcile with my ex-husband who is addicted to marijuana?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 8, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Should I reconcile with my ex-husband although he has issues with smoking pot? I divorced him over three years ago and I discovered biblically I was wrong because it was not for adultery. He since then continues to smoke but seems to have changed in other areas. I despise\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9880,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-role-of-obedience-in-salvation\/","url_meta":{"origin":70142,"position":1},"title":"The Role of Obedience in Salvation","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 17, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jack Holt Obedience is an obligation each human being sustains to God. This is so because God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe, and we are his creatures. Beyond the fact that God is Creator and Ruler, love places us under a moral obligation to obey. As\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25690,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-fornicator\/","url_meta":{"origin":70142,"position":2},"title":"What does it mean to be a fornicator?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 23, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What does it mean to be a fornicator? Does it mean, \"I\u00a0committed\u00a0it today, but I won't tomorrow,\" but doing it the next day anyway? If repentance is changing habits, then such a person remains as a fornicator and is a fallen brother or sister. That person can't keep on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":21716,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-i-make-the-right-choice-in-returning-to-my-old-boyfriend\/","url_meta":{"origin":70142,"position":3},"title":"Did I make the right choice in returning to my old boyfriend?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day! I have a long time boyfriend. I\u2019m a Christian, and he is not. That he is not a Christian is a big deal for me. Even though he has been my boyfriend for almost five years, I keep praying to God to give me a godly man.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28116,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/my-boyfriend-and-i-keep-falling-into-sexual-sin-what-should-we-do\/","url_meta":{"origin":70142,"position":4},"title":"My boyfriend and I keep falling into sexual sin. What should we do?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 16, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My boyfriend and I have been dating for about half a year. When I first met him, I was backsliding and hardly going to church. He and I started going to his family's church together. His mother and father are both people of God. My spirit started talking to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2340,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-god-change-his-mind-about-sexual-sins\/","url_meta":{"origin":70142,"position":5},"title":"Did God change His mind about sexual sins?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Did God change? How is it that God that was so quiet about fornication, adultery, and polygamy in the Old Testament and then suddenly changed in the New Testament? 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