The Virtue of Submission?

Originally posted by whodey
Because love demands choice. God could have simply taken away your ability to reject him. Why did he not do that do you suppose? The cross simply allows you to choose God now.

Love does not demand choice; love allows choice. Love does not insist that you suffer the consequences, and certainly does not impose consequences—except as it enhances the well-being of the beloved (which eternal condemnation, by definition, cannot).

You are looking at it from the point of view of the beloved faced with the choice of whether or not to return love; I am looking at it from the point of view of the lover.

If the lover sees the beloved about to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge, s/he does not shrug and say, “Oh well, free will, too bad.” The lover certainly does not say, “Since you refused my love, I’m going to have to push you off a bridge.” If the beloved does jump off the bridge and drowns, the lover will do everything he can to resuscitate her—even if she has refused his love.

You see death as a more radical break, and eternal suffering as a more radical necessary consequence, than the radical power of God as love. (We are talking about eternal condemnation, right? And death as a break after which God’s love is no longer efficacious?)

Also, love is not a juridical concept. That is why a soteriology of healing—based on the actual meaning of the word soterias—makes more sense within the framework of agape.

Originally posted by vistesd
Love does not demand choice; love allows choice. Love does not insist that you suffer the consequences, and certainly does not impose consequences—except as it enhances the well-being of the beloved (which eternal condemnation, by definition, cannot).

You are looking at it from the point of view of the beloved faced with the choice of whether o ...[text shortened]... ctual meaning of the word soterias—makes more sense within the framework of agape.

When I say that love demands choice, what I am meaning to say is that to have love their MUST be free will involved. I am not attempting to say that love insists that you love back. In fact, Christ is Biblically seen as knocking at the door of your heart and not breaking it down, so to speak.

You say that love does not impose consequences, however, there are guidlines in every loving relationship are there not? To say that a loving relationship cannot be severed is in error. That is not to say, however, that one need not stop loving the other. In fact, God is seen as loving everyone and such love never dies. The only question becomes what of the other party? What is their will?

In terms of the person committing suicide, I do not think Biblically you can argue that God is pushing you off the bridge or even being indifferent. In fact, he has given his very life for ours and stands pleading with us as he knocks at the door of our hearts.