Does God need/demand humans' faith for them to be saved? If so, why?
score:2
One has to argue the premise - God doesn't necessarily need faith, he might just want it.
A truly compassionate and loving God who understands his people, may simply desire what is best for them. If God is the best, then it would be His desire that his people come to him- willingly and without coercion.
As an analogy, a father may understand that his children learn the value of money. That would entail getting the child's attention, showing correct courses of action, and rewarding desired / punishing undesired behavior. But, before any of this training can occur, the child must first believe that the parent knows how best to deal with money. Without that implicit faith, nothing can be taught.
Likewise, God demands faith (1) in order that he might help his children to be better.(2)
(1) Heb 11:6 without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him
(2) Heb 12:6 - 10 the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness
Yes, it does sound a little bit like an old Army ad, but its true: God wants you to be all you can be.
In order to accomplish that, however, one must choose (via free will) that God is in fact the best authority you can emulate.
Upvote:-2
God doesn't need our faith, he already has plenty of his own, it is we who need to develop faith. The question is why.
Every particle in the Universe ever acted upon by an intelligent being, is done through faith (at the very least we have to have faith that our perceptions are real). Every miracle ever performed was done through the power of faith – "by their faith they were healed.” Once in the celestial kingdom we will be able to create worlds of our own according to our faith.
Hebrews 11:5. “By Faith Enoch Was Translated that He Should Not See Death."
Upvote:2
Remember that the idea of salvation is that God saves us from the penalty and power of our sins that He may have a loving relationship with us. Trust is an important foundation for any relationship to form and prosper. For instance, is any marriage relationship sound in which the spouses do not trust one another?
God has already gone out to us through the offering of His Son for our salvation. Faith on our part, trusting God, is our response to what He has done. (We believe in His finished work because believing in our works-righteousness will ultimately be fatal.) When we believe on the Son, when our hearts are hooked, then the "romance" begins.
Remember, too, that heretofore we have trusted in many other things, like in ourselves, society, mom and dad, money, good looks, and so on, to get us where we want to go. But God wants to take us in an entirely new direction, in which His kingdom values are to ultimately prevail within us. Trust will be key as we transition from one state to the next, groping along as we let go of cherished notions to grow in this foreign thing of trusting an invisible being. Faith in this God is important because we haven't been this way before.
More post
- 📝 What is the origin of the account of Lucifer found in Milton's Paradise Lost?
- 📝 What does it mean of 1 Corinthians 2:8
- 📝 What would happen if the Pope were to abuse his power?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, how did Clement of Rome become a Pope?
- 📝 What do those who practice the gift of 'tongues' consider the purpose to be?
- 📝 Which Jesus' movie is shown in this image?
- 📝 How do the vestments of the pontiff emeritus compare to those of a bishop emeritus?
- 📝 What are the "correct" steps for a layman to be a Christian?
- 📝 Converting from Russian Orthodox to Roman Catholic in 1820
- 📝 How are the bread and wine explained by those who forbid images of Jesus?
- 📝 What are the requirements for a teacher in the Baptist church?
- 📝 Man Exists in earth
- 📝 What is an overview of the similarities and differences between the Catholic doctrine of Original Sin and the Reformed doctrine of Total Depravity?
- 📝 What are the "common-place utensils" that SSPX says occur in a Novus Ordo mass?
- 📝 Overview of countries using the Gregorian calendar vs the Julian calendar for calculating Easter?
- 📝 Is there any reference regarding the use of these extra-biblical sources in Mennonite congregations?
- 📝 Why is Primacy of Conscience taught and what degree of certainty is it in the Catholic Church?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis that Noah died just before the birth of Abraham?
- 📝 What is the technical understanding of the assertion of Jesus dying on the cross?
- 📝 How do Roman Catholics reconcile Acts 15:20 with transubstantiation?
- 📝 What arguments does the Catholic Church use to require Trinitarian intent on the part of the baptizer for a 'valid' baptism?
- 📝 How do Mormons interpret Isaiah 43:10?
- 📝 Does the RCC view 'prevention of ovulation' in the same light as 'abortion'?
- 📝 What is the earliest mention of how often the Eucharist was celebrated?
- 📝 Why is Green Martyrdom green?
- 📝 How do Biblical Unitarians, who deny the Son's pre-existence, understand Hebrews 1:2's "through whom He made the universe"?
- 📝 Popes' Coat of Arms and Saint Malachy Prophecy of the Popes
- 📝 How would a Christian explain the contradiction of loving but calling h*m*sexuality a sin?
- 📝 Does The Book of Mormon contain Jewish literary techniques?
- 📝 What are the "evangelical counsels"?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Does God need/demand humans' faith for them to be saved? If so, why?
- 📝 Since God provided for the forgiveness of sins in the Old Testament, why do we need Jesus?
- 📝 According to Calvinists, does God command the non-elect to do what is for them impossible?
- 📝 According to Protestant interpretations why does God want people to serve Him when He doesn’t need it?
- 📝 Did most of the people that Jesus heal believe he was God? If so, why does the Bible not record them asking for salvation?
- 📝 If God cannot change, then why does His wrath need to be appeased?
- 📝 If Christ Has Been Given All Authority Why Does He Need to Make Intercession For Us?
- 📝 Why does God promise descendants for Hagar?
- 📝 Why does God punish us for sin
- 📝 For Those who deny the deity of Jesus Christ why does He at Revelation 1:8 identify Himself as the Lord God Almighty?
- 📝 Why does God promise something that satisfies our greed for longevity?
- 📝 Why is there a need for a perfect sacrifice? Why does Jesus have to be perfect?
- 📝 Why does God punish us for our will?
- 📝 Why has God punished every human for one person's sin?
- 📝 According to Roman Catholic doctrine, why does Mary refer to God as her Savior if she was born without sin?
- 📝 Why was God so upset with Moses for striking the rock the second time in the desert?
- 📝 Why did God kill a man for picking up sticks on the Sabbath?
- 📝 Are there theological explanations for why God allowed ambiguity to exist in Scripture?
- 📝 Does God need our praise and glory?
- 📝 Why does Jesus value leap of faith more than those who rely on direct evidence?
- 📝 Why does God command the Israelites not to boil a goat in its mother's milk?
- 📝 If we are saved by grace, then why does Jesus say we must be baptized in both spirit and water?
- 📝 According to Calvinism, why does God give mercy to some and not to others?
- 📝 Why does God have a chosen people?
- 📝 Why did God make garments of skin for Adam and Eve when they had already made clothing for themselves?
- 📝 Why does God not show Himself beyond reasonable doubt?
- 📝 Why does God command us to have children?
- 📝 Why did God need to plant the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden in the first place?
- 📝 Why does God resort to genocide and destruction?
- 📝 Why does any Archbishop get to decide if alligator is okay for Lent?