Thank you for the feedback on that broad question that I asked. Dad-that is a very concise, holistic summary. I still think that you should continue your blogs (though they have always been ridden with spelling errors). Bill O, good point about media bias, I did not consider that. The reason why I want this question to be answered on my blog is to provide a light to the world, the actual Christian perspective on what the Bible says about God.
I have a few burning things that I want to offer to my Dad’s comment (on the last blog).
“IE, with respect to 9/11- where was God? Why didn’t He stop it? How could He have let this happen?
Dozens of Christian books have been written to answer the question of evil and I sure won’t come up with anything new or profound. It gets back to the fallen nature that all humans have. Man’s heart is against God and God allows him to do evil.”
The thing I want to focus on is the last part of this section my Dad mentioned, “God allows him [us] to do evil.” This is a beautiful part of God. Maybe you don’t think so, but maybe you will after you hear this argument. I pray that God fills me with wisdom on this matter.
Genesis 1:27: “So God created human beings in his own image…and he saw that it was very good!” Our wonderful creator, God, is like us. With our very dear friends, are we forced to love them, or is a choice? What if your best friend was a robot and had no choice but to submit to you and love you, would this love be passionate? NO! Of course not, we would even think it to be morally wrong. God is the same way, but being God, he had control of giving his “friends/creation” (Adam and Eve) a perfect life in Eden.
Genesis 2:9 “Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he made. The Lord made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground-the trees that were beautiful and produced delicious fruit.” God was and is worthy of praise! It goes on, “In the middle of the Garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” 16: The Lord God warned him, “You may eat the fruit of every tree in the Garden-except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat this fruit you will surely die.” This is the characteristic of God: He is passionate for us and intended for us to have a perfect life, but wants us to choose him and choose to love him-no robots allowed Heaven! He desires passion! Do you see Arnold demonstrate passionate love in the Terminator movies? He is simply programmed-our difference from machine. God doesn’t program a chip in our brains that force us to love him.
God is said to be sovereign. Whenever I hear this word I instantly become confused and sick and I want to throw up each time someone uses it. God is involved in everything-even 9/11 was filtered through his hands of love. Does this not make sense? Let me explain. For us humans, born into the “sin nature” caused by Adam and Eve eating from the tree, we are quite inclined to choose evil. Gradually, we have become even more evil and more prone to reject God and his perfect plan with our lives in society-Dad you touched upon this “we live in a world of sin and death. Evil, pain and suffering seem to go unchecked. Remember that scripture clearly predicts that the things will get worse and worse as the Lord’s return gets closer.” In our state of evil, why would we choose God if we didn’t see a need for him in our PRESENT lives. Why would we choose to love something we cannot see? Without Jesus coming to die for our sins, we would have no hope and continue to spiral downwards in our sin.
Have you ever heard of an alcoholic that has hit rock bottom? God allows this person to choose evil…evil…evil…for a reason. When a person hits rock bottom, they begin to look not to themselves anymore to solve life’s problems. They look elsewhere! What a perfect opportunity for God to reveal his true plan with a person’s life when they have finally looked outside themselves for answers. HERE IS HEAVEN! God screams during this time. I BEG YOU, FREE YOURSELF FROM BONDAGE. CHOOSE ME!
I agree with mah fathah: “My response to 9/11 is one of intense sorrow at the suffering that man inflicts on each other because of sin. I groan inwardly, as I see the effects of sin, and long for the Savior to return to complete redemption (Rom 8:22-23). I pray that many will turn to God when they see such sorrow, because He has provided a solution (and that’s what many did after 9/11).” God allows these wicked things to occur from the decisions of men so that, in the form of two towers, our securities in this world come crashing down so we look to life after death.
We truly have a loving Father,
“Til’ on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied —(our punishment for our choice of sin erased!)
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live.”
“No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from his hand
‘Til’ he returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand.”
Amen! Praise to our Creator! Thank you for reading. I hope this brings an answer from the Church and Gospel itself to the much sought after question. Have a great week!
-Joe Carter
