Justin Matthew Reid

Bible Teachings - Can God Change His Mind?

Can God change His Mind?

Genesis 6:5-6

*And God saw* that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented (change of mind) the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.

Genesis 22:12

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for *now I know* that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

When God sees something happen (like Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice) and says "hey, now I know!", the only way that can be a true statement is if God did not know that information before it happened. Otherwise, if God is a God of Truth, He would be forced to say "you did what I knew you would all along".

Jeremiah 32:35

And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, *neither came it into my mind*, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

It shocked God when Israel started sacrificing their sons and daughters unto Molech. God says that never entered His mind *until they did it*. If God knows all actions of all people past, present, future before they are even born, how can God say *anything* is not in His mind? Either it wasn't in His mind or He's lying to us.

Jonah 3:4

And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Ninevah shall be overthrown.

Jonah spoke to Ninevah as the anointed prophet of God. God made a sure statement: "because of your wickedness, Ninevah, you will be destroyed in 40 days".

Jonah 3:10

*And God saw* their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented (change of mind) of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not.

The people of Ninevah turned from their evil ways and God was able to change His mind about destroying them as a result. God would be a complete liar if He had said that Ninevah would be destroyed in 40 days if He knew that they were going to repent and change. The only fair deduction: God didn't know, but changed His mind when He saw the reactions of the people of Ninevah.

I'm not sure why so many people make statements like "God lives outside of time" and "God has to know *everything*, or He wouldn't be God!!". The Bible never makes those statements. Men have felt the need to invent those doctrines. Let's take a look at what happens when those statements are taken to their logical end:

1) God knew exactly what would happen with His creation before He ever created it.

2) Ok. That means we can say that God knew that 1/3 of the angels would fall, including Satan. It would mean that He knew Adam and Eve would certainly sin against Him. That would mean He knew that He'd have to wipe out nearly the entire population of the world with the flood.

3) Yet, with all this knowledge, He creates the world anyway! The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 that God is not willing that *any* should perish without Him.

4) If He knew the future choices of men, He had the knowledge that if He did not create the world and mankind, then He'd prevent BILLIONS of people from going to hell for ETERNITY. He could have willed not to create mankind.

5) Genesis 6:5-6 says that when God had to destroy the pre-flood world, it *grieved Him at His heart*. He was broken-hearted that the people He created to serve Him chose to serve themselves and sin. If He knew that they would do this to Him, then He was the author of His own pain and suffering. He'd be a masochist (someone who willingly inflicts pain on himself, because he likes pain).

The end of the statement "God knows everything that will happen in the future" is "God is more evil than Satan". For if He knew that Satan would fall and take 1/3 of the angels plus the vast of majority of humanity to hell with him, and didn't stop that, He's the one ultimately responsible for it! Knowledge=responsibility. God defines sin based on knowledge. "Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him *it is sin*" (James 4:17). The end of the statement "God knows everything that will happen in the future" is "God is a sinner". There's no getting around it.

Even in our court system, there is accountability based on knowledge. We have first degree murder, second degree murder, manslaughter, etc. The punishment given is based completely on how much knowledge the person had in advance. Is your God a murderer of billions of human beings?

Who is God really? He knows everything that can be possibily be known at any given moment. He's all powerful, but not arbitrary. He only uses His power for just, moral, righteous causes and reasons. He's the perfect judge of all mankind. He also lives perfectly in the standards of righteousness that He holds us accountable to.

The God I serve is living in time with mankind, here and now. He's not some impersonable supercomputer. He's watching the decisions of men and reacting to them based on their actions. He rejoices when a sinner *chooses* to turn to Him. He's a God of supreme love and unselfishness. He doesn't create people to die. He creates people to live in Him forever. Because He's a God of love, He gives people a choice in the matter. That's the only way anyone could truly love God. If we have the *opportunity* to sin, yet *choose* to live for God supremely, then God *knows* that we love Him by our *actions*. Jesus says, "if you love me, keep my commandments". (John 14:15)

God says, "come now, let us reason together". (Isaiah 1:18). God is reasonable. Please read the Word of God with an open mind and heart, laying aside the doctrines and dogma of men. You'll be amazed at what God will teach you.

Justin

May 2nd, 2007