Yes, be assured that our Creator, our Father in Heaven is a loving God and forgiving God. He loves us because He created us and wants to have a relationship with His creation, but He wants that relationship to be one of choice. Yes, He loves us ~ Praise the Lord! In return, He wants our love for Him to our free choice... to choose to love Him. If you were to marry, wouldn't you want your spouse to love you freely of his/her own choice or would you want their love for you to be forced or perhaps programed? Maybe some of you would say, "I prefer programmed, no risk/hurt". Down the road, speaking as a sociologist and social psychologist who spent time in eastern Europe, living with a robot, a program that does not have free will to choose who/why it relates to, leads to doubt in us in our identity as there is no 'real' relationship. Really! How or Why? Because, we would lose sight of our own identity.
It is amazing to know/realize just how complex a creation we are. Our identity is not just a program. It is only possible through social interaction that we have personhood. We know who we are and are not through social interaction in which we are making choices, good, bad and ugly ones. Yes, even those that we might look back on and categorize as bad or ugly ones actually contribute to our character and identity as a person - a social creation. Our Heavenly Father is social too. He is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He also wants a social relationship with His creation. One that glorifies Him as the Creator and one that brings us close to Him- Our Glorious Creator.
Our Father in Heaven is a forgiving God. He sent His son to atone for our sins, so that we can have eternal life. However, our Father wants us (out of choice) to remain faithful to Him, as He chooses to remain faithful to us. He wants us to be with Him forever. However, we have been corrupted (from the beginning) and now for us to live with Him eternally, our sins must be overcome, dealt with. Yes, that is why He sent His son who died for our sin once and for all; but still God asks that we choose not to sin. In this fallen world, He knows that is nearly impossible but we should show that our choice is not to and though we will fall down and make bad choices, we continue to strive to make good choices, we strive to not sin. We can do that knowing He loves us. Our faith in Him helps us; knowing that He loves us and forgives us helps us to not want to chose sin. In every sin instance, we must run to Him and ask for forgiveness... it is freely given and it should be freely received ~ Matthew 10:8
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