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Is the Bible God’s Word? Click here: /Apologeticshtml/Is the Bible the Word of God.htm
Why does God Allow Evil? Click here: /Apologeticshtml/Why Does God Allow Evil 0908.htm
Is Christian teaching from ancient paganism? /Bookhtml/Paganism influence issue article Journal 013003.htm
Should God’s existence be proven? /Apologeticshtml/Should the Bible and God Be Proven Fideism vs WCG.htm
Does the Bible teach blind faith? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Gospel of John Theory of Knowledge.htm
Can
God Change His Mind?
God
can and does change His mind. However,
that only seems to occur when people repent and change theirs. God would have done the same action anyway
(i.e., extend mercy), if He knew what actions people would undertake (i.e.,
repent). So God will choose at times to
not actually punish someone after having told a prophet that He would. Since God is merciful, He responds readily
when people really repent.
For
example, consider the case of Nineveh, the capital of the ruthless Assyrian
Empire, while Jonah visited the city.
Jonah said repeatedly, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown”
(Jonah 3:4). Unlike the hard-hearted
inhabitants of Jerusalem on so many occasions, the pagan idolaters of Nineveh
started to repent, put on sackcloth in order to humble themselves. They proclaimed a fast, which even the king
endorsed with a royal decree. According
to verses 9, the king said: “‘Who
knows, God may turn and relent, and withdraw His burning anger so that we shall
not perish?” Then God decided not to
punish the Ninevites: “When God saw
their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented
concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.”
Another interesting case of God changing His mind concerned when King Hezekiah asked to live after the Prophet Isaiah told him that he would soon die. (See II Kings 20:1-11). Isaiah told Hezekiah, “Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.” But then Hezekiah prayed to God, mentioning that he had served the Lord well and cried. Then God told Isaiah to return to visit the king, and tell him, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. . . . And I will add fifteen years to your life.” In another case, the evil King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel repented some after being told all his descendants would be killed. He wore sackcloth as an act of humility, fasted, and went around despondently. As a result, Jehovah said, “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days” (I Kings 21:29). These cases show that we should pray to God even when our situations seems hopeless since God could still choose to help us.
So it’s clear that God will change His mind sometimes. God knows everything, but He will choose to change His mind about His planned actions when people decide to think and act differently in response to a warning that He gives them. If we change our minds, God can change His.
Eric
V. Snow
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Why does God Allow Evil?
Click here: /Apologeticshtml/Why
Does God Allow Evil 0908.htm
May Christians work on
Saturdays? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Protestant
Rhetoric vs Sabbath Refuted.htm
Should Christians obey
the Old Testament law? /doctrinalhtml/Does
the New Covenant Abolish the OT Law.htm
Do you have an immortal
soul? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Here
and Hereafter.htm
Does the ministry have
authority? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Is
There an Ordained Ministry vs Edwards.html
Is the United States the
Beast? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Are
We the Beast vs Collins.htm
Should you give 10% of
your income to your church? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Does
the Argument from Silence Abolish the Old Testament Law of Tithing 0205 Mokarow
rebuttal.htm
Is Jesus God? Click
here: /doctrinalhtml/Is
Jesus God.htm
Will there be a third
resurrection? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Will
There Be a Third Resurrection.htm
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