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Originally Posted by a mere housewife  Rev. Winzer, I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, and I know the verse was referenced before -- I probably just didn't understand how it was addressed. In light of what you said above, could you expand more specifically on how you would explain the statement in Titus that refers to God as One 'that cannot lie', seemingly referencing His character as underlying and adding an additional force to His promise? (Is not His promise made before the world began His 'decree'? How can His character add force to His decree if there is no 'necessity' or assurance of anything outside of His decree? Surely He didn't 'decree' His being as truthful and unchanging? Would His constantly complete self-actualization reconcile His freedom and 'necessity' to some degree so that we can speak of things He 'cannot' do?) |
Mrs. Zartman, It is certainly the case that there are things which God cannot do. He cannot change and He cannot lie. He would not be God if He could do these things because these are characteristics of moral weakness. But there is a difference between saying God must be true and then saying He must act in this or that way in order to be true. In the former God is the standard of truth, whilst in the latter a second standard is being imposed upon Him.
To refer this back to the original thought concerning God's justice -- it is undoubtedly true that God cannot be unjust, but it is going too far to say that it would have been absolutely unjust of God to forgive sin without satisfaction. Such statements bind God to external standards and effectively create a "second" God. We know that God has decreed to manifest His justice by requiring a satisfaction for sin. This should content us.