October 29, 2002
Again we are asking the same big questions we asked during 9/11. Why do terrorists attack buses and night clubs, hold hostage hundreds of people? Why do people shoot people, at random, with no apparent reason? Why do people do terrible things? Why do innocents suffer?
We hear answers. Some say “these are evil acts committed by evil people.” The perpetrators might explain that their victims “deserved it.” The thoughtful are not satisfied with either answer yet we want answers. We want to know the causes, the reasons why.
People were not created to live meaningless lives. Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung, said when people “cut themselves off from the root of their being, from God, then life turns empty, inane, meaningless, without purpose.”
God created us to live in a fulfilled way, but as Jung says, people who abandon God experience emptiness. Life no longer makes sense.
As I think about the acts of terrorism around the world, I have to conclude that sin is simply not rationale. It might be logical in the mind of a terrorist to blow up, shoot, or terrorize others in order to gain some supposed end, but if viewed from the perspective of God and eternity, this is totally meaningless. There really are no answers to those why questions.
However, we must ask them. Why does a bullet intended for an opposing gang member fly into a home and kill a sleeping child? Why does a car stall and a mother of four fail to escape before being hit by a train? Why do children starve to death while their nation is at war? Do we suppose that knowing why will fix it, or at least make us feel better?
The illogical is making this world a place of unpredictable and random acts of violence. While God can produce good out of seemingly senseless suffering, and can use pain in ways we do not understand, He is not the cause of this suffering. It is sin, and sin makes no sense.
Even at that, sin cannot escape the rule of cause and effect. Rebellion against God and His intention for us has consequences. Because Adam sinned, because his descendants sinned, because you sin, and because I sin, the world is set askew. As it wobbles, everyone staggers out of kilter, bumping into each other. We are on a collision course with human foolishness.
Jesus warned His disciples. He said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
He also said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Is it possible to live in a world run by terrorists and not be afraid? Christians can say yes. Two of them, a couple from Vulcan, Alberta, were watching the latest news on the Washington snipers, happy that they lived in a small town away from all that. Suddenly a young man burst into their home, threatened them with a knife, and demanded they drive him to Calgary.
These folks may have initially felt fear, but the news story indicated they were far more concerned about this “terrorist” than they were for themselves. The wife called the episode a “joyride” and told young man that “it’s not too late to change, the Lord can help you.”
They are Christians (relatives of my sister-in-law) who know the reality of God’s “peace that passes understanding.” They took Jesus up on His offer of “abundant life” and found their faith tested in this most unusual way. Inner peace overruled fear.
I suppose to some, this inner peace makes even less sense than sin, but if God actually takes care of His people as He promises, then He can put into our hearts a full assurance of His power. He is in control over even the most bizarre situations.
With His peace, we can watch the evening news, pray for the people held in bondage both by terrorists and by their own fears, and not be pressured by any urgent need to know why these things are happening.
Showing posts with label source of evil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label source of evil. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Friday, December 30, 2016
What about angels? .......... Parables 530
October 22, 1996
Angels are everywhere. They are fashioned into stick pins, earrings, tie tacks, cross stitch designs and wall plaques. They are the topic of books and poems. Three “angels” even star in a television series. Of course all are “good” angels, who do kind deeds and have beautiful faces.
Far from being figments of human imagination, angels are described in the Bible as created beings who do the will of God and act as His messengers. There are referred to more than 300 times in both the Old and New Testament. Most bring messages to God’s people, some are warnings and others, like those who appeared to the shepherds near Bethlehem, bring good news.
There is a negative category of angels too. Jesus’ disciples excitedly reported, “even the demons submit to us in Your name.” To this, Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven . . . Do not rejoice over this but rather that your names are written down in heaven.” Jesus downplayed their focus on demons but did not deny that they exist.
Fallen angels are not like those people who go astray and we call “fallen angels.” People have hope—Christ promises to save and give new life to any who come to him—but the angels who fell from heaven are not similarly blessed.
Jude 6 says, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” These angels are doomed. God “hurled” them out of heaven without offering them a second chance.
The prince of these fallen angels has many names. Revelation 12 calls him, “the great dragon,” “that ancient serpent,” “the devil,” “Satan,” and the “accuser” of God’s people. In another passage of Scripture, Jesus calls him “the liar” and “the father of lies.”
While some say there is no devil, Jesus describes him as an actual personality, a created being who resists God. Others think he is behind every corner and all evil. The Bible keeps a balance. Satan does exist, but we are capable of doing wrong all by ourselves. Furthermore, Satan is not a counterpart to God; he is not all powerful nor does he know all things. He cannot be everywhere. He can disguise himself as “an angel of light” but since God “hurled him out of heaven,” his domain is darkness and lies.
The prophet Isaiah described his rebellion this way: “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”
With those expressions of pride, Satan lifted himself above God but his ambition backfired. As Isaiah says, God “brought (him) down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.”
Before he is finally judged, the devil “roams the earth, like a roaring lion.” His main activity is putting untrue ideas in our heads in such a way that we think they are true, even that they are our own thoughts. He is subtle and powerful but we are not helpless. Through studying Scripture, we can learn to detect his schemes. Through “the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and by not loving our lives” we can overcome him.
Christ death and shed blood guarantee forgiveness and eternal life to those who believe in Him. Christians can give testimony to His saving power and we know Satan cannot ruin what God has done for us. Our fear of death is broken. Unlike fallen angels who have been cast into outer darkness, we know when we are “absent from the body, we will be present with the Lord.”
Angels are everywhere. They are fashioned into stick pins, earrings, tie tacks, cross stitch designs and wall plaques. They are the topic of books and poems. Three “angels” even star in a television series. Of course all are “good” angels, who do kind deeds and have beautiful faces.
Far from being figments of human imagination, angels are described in the Bible as created beings who do the will of God and act as His messengers. There are referred to more than 300 times in both the Old and New Testament. Most bring messages to God’s people, some are warnings and others, like those who appeared to the shepherds near Bethlehem, bring good news.
There is a negative category of angels too. Jesus’ disciples excitedly reported, “even the demons submit to us in Your name.” To this, Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven . . . Do not rejoice over this but rather that your names are written down in heaven.” Jesus downplayed their focus on demons but did not deny that they exist.
Fallen angels are not like those people who go astray and we call “fallen angels.” People have hope—Christ promises to save and give new life to any who come to him—but the angels who fell from heaven are not similarly blessed.
Jude 6 says, “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.” These angels are doomed. God “hurled” them out of heaven without offering them a second chance.
The prince of these fallen angels has many names. Revelation 12 calls him, “the great dragon,” “that ancient serpent,” “the devil,” “Satan,” and the “accuser” of God’s people. In another passage of Scripture, Jesus calls him “the liar” and “the father of lies.”
While some say there is no devil, Jesus describes him as an actual personality, a created being who resists God. Others think he is behind every corner and all evil. The Bible keeps a balance. Satan does exist, but we are capable of doing wrong all by ourselves. Furthermore, Satan is not a counterpart to God; he is not all powerful nor does he know all things. He cannot be everywhere. He can disguise himself as “an angel of light” but since God “hurled him out of heaven,” his domain is darkness and lies.
The prophet Isaiah described his rebellion this way: “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’”
With those expressions of pride, Satan lifted himself above God but his ambition backfired. As Isaiah says, God “brought (him) down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.”
Before he is finally judged, the devil “roams the earth, like a roaring lion.” His main activity is putting untrue ideas in our heads in such a way that we think they are true, even that they are our own thoughts. He is subtle and powerful but we are not helpless. Through studying Scripture, we can learn to detect his schemes. Through “the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and by not loving our lives” we can overcome him.
Christ death and shed blood guarantee forgiveness and eternal life to those who believe in Him. Christians can give testimony to His saving power and we know Satan cannot ruin what God has done for us. Our fear of death is broken. Unlike fallen angels who have been cast into outer darkness, we know when we are “absent from the body, we will be present with the Lord.”
Friday, July 15, 2016
Nature or Nurture or ? .......... Parables 458
January 31, 1995
“From the day your baby is born, you must teach him to do things. Children today love luxury too much. They have detestable manners, flout authority, have no respect for their elders. They no longer rise when their parents and teachers enter the room. What kind of awful creatures will they be when they grow up?”
A quote from a modern psychologist? or a Junior high school teacher? or a disgruntled mother? None of the above. Socrates (a Greek philosopher who believed doubt was essential to discovering truth) said it in 399 B.C.
Nothing has changed. Children still must be taught manners, respect and how to do things. In contrast, awful behavior has psychologists and philosophers arguing. Can the blame for it be put on nature/genetics or nurture/environment?
Certainly most of them agree that genetics are the cause of eye, hair and skin color and even the predisposition to certain diseases; however, environment and training are powerful factors that also influence the way people think and live.
As they argue, many experts ignore two other reasons for bad behavior. One is the human ability to make choices. Even though they will not remove genetic flaws like deformities, or erase bad experiences, good choices can help people overcome both. We can decide to make the best of a bad thing, profit from it and go on to reach our goals.
Concerning behavior, making choices requires taking responsibility for the way things are. If someone realizes they are rude, greedy, or selfish, taking responsibility for their actions sets them free to choose other options. Anyone who continues to willfully do wrong and at the same time blames poor parenting or a bad background is irresponsible. Unfortunately, “choices” and “responsibility” are not popular terms these days. Society prefers “dysfunctional” and “abused.”
Another reason for bad behavior is connected to a doubted, and almost completely rejected, biblical principle. According to this principle, children and everyone else has an incredible tendency to love luxury, disobey authority, and fail to respect other people. It is called the sin principle.
Sin is not a popular topic but it is real. Sin is God’s terminology for the bad things people do. It is also His explanation for why those bad things happen. We do sinful things because there is sin in us. This is the sin principle.
Sin means that by nature, we fall short of the Godlikeness we were intended to reflect. Sin expresses itself in actions ranging from fibs to rape and murder. No matter the extent or damage done by sin’s expression, the Bible says “all have sinned...” and “there is no one that does good”... all have sin in them.
Socrates thought the solution was education, but even educated people can know beyond a doubt something is wrong and still do it. He also suggested loving luxury was an issue, but even a happy pagan in a loin cloth sins. Desiring the finer things can encourage evil but taking luxury away will not necessarily drive anyone to do good.
Proper teaching, respect for authority, and contentment without luxury are virtues that we may choose, but no matter how much we desire them, they are elusive. The sin principle is always at work.
The Bible says we need to take personal responsibility for our own sin. When we do, God’s remedy is a relationship of faith and trust in Him. Without this relationship, we will doubt God and take matters into our own hands. Sin will then multiply and those “awful creatures” Socrates talked about will always be a problem.
“From the day your baby is born, you must teach him to do things. Children today love luxury too much. They have detestable manners, flout authority, have no respect for their elders. They no longer rise when their parents and teachers enter the room. What kind of awful creatures will they be when they grow up?”
A quote from a modern psychologist? or a Junior high school teacher? or a disgruntled mother? None of the above. Socrates (a Greek philosopher who believed doubt was essential to discovering truth) said it in 399 B.C.
Nothing has changed. Children still must be taught manners, respect and how to do things. In contrast, awful behavior has psychologists and philosophers arguing. Can the blame for it be put on nature/genetics or nurture/environment?
Certainly most of them agree that genetics are the cause of eye, hair and skin color and even the predisposition to certain diseases; however, environment and training are powerful factors that also influence the way people think and live.
As they argue, many experts ignore two other reasons for bad behavior. One is the human ability to make choices. Even though they will not remove genetic flaws like deformities, or erase bad experiences, good choices can help people overcome both. We can decide to make the best of a bad thing, profit from it and go on to reach our goals.
Concerning behavior, making choices requires taking responsibility for the way things are. If someone realizes they are rude, greedy, or selfish, taking responsibility for their actions sets them free to choose other options. Anyone who continues to willfully do wrong and at the same time blames poor parenting or a bad background is irresponsible. Unfortunately, “choices” and “responsibility” are not popular terms these days. Society prefers “dysfunctional” and “abused.”
Another reason for bad behavior is connected to a doubted, and almost completely rejected, biblical principle. According to this principle, children and everyone else has an incredible tendency to love luxury, disobey authority, and fail to respect other people. It is called the sin principle.
Sin is not a popular topic but it is real. Sin is God’s terminology for the bad things people do. It is also His explanation for why those bad things happen. We do sinful things because there is sin in us. This is the sin principle.
Sin means that by nature, we fall short of the Godlikeness we were intended to reflect. Sin expresses itself in actions ranging from fibs to rape and murder. No matter the extent or damage done by sin’s expression, the Bible says “all have sinned...” and “there is no one that does good”... all have sin in them.
Socrates thought the solution was education, but even educated people can know beyond a doubt something is wrong and still do it. He also suggested loving luxury was an issue, but even a happy pagan in a loin cloth sins. Desiring the finer things can encourage evil but taking luxury away will not necessarily drive anyone to do good.
Proper teaching, respect for authority, and contentment without luxury are virtues that we may choose, but no matter how much we desire them, they are elusive. The sin principle is always at work.
The Bible says we need to take personal responsibility for our own sin. When we do, God’s remedy is a relationship of faith and trust in Him. Without this relationship, we will doubt God and take matters into our own hands. Sin will then multiply and those “awful creatures” Socrates talked about will always be a problem.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Why all the evil? ............. Parables 398
November 30, 1993
Remember the question Gordon Sinclair often asked guests on Front Page Challenge: “If there is a good God, why does He allow so much evil in the world?”
Some viewers were annoyed with him, but this is a legitimate question. After all, the Bible says God is not only loving and merciful but all powerful. Since there is nothing impossible for Him, why do people suffer? Why do we have wars and accidents and illnesses? Why does He let criminals victimize innocent people? Doesn’t God care?
The guests on Front Page Challenge had various responses. One pastor even asked Mr. Sinclair another question: if God were not “good,” why do we call anything evil? In other words, the standard we have for goodness is based on God’s standards. He says love is good, kindness is good, justice is good, so we also call them good. Some might think human beings know goodness instinctively (God also gave us a conscience), but there are people-groups in the world who think it is “good” to betray someone or “good” to kill female children.
Certainly that pastor’s response argued for the existence of a good God, but it does not answer why He allows evil. A better answer might be a cartoon I saw somewhere. It pictured a man on his knees with hands stretched up toward the sky. He says, “Oh God, why do you allow so much evil in the world?”
The next frame shows the answer booming down from heaven: “I might ask you the same thing.”
Why insist the fault lies with God? He did give dominion of the earth to people and if people fail to choose goodness (even just the goodness they know), then people are responsible for the lack of good that exists.
That answer is difficult too. Most of us do not like the idea of being responsible for evil, particularly if there is any suggestion that as victims we brought it on ourselves. However, is that what the cartoon intends?
Try this; God has determined certain cause/effect relationships. Those who make poor choices find out they were poor by the results. For instance, His people were drifting into idol worship so He told them, “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword” (Isaiah 1:19-20).
Clearly, there would be consequences for either choice. If the people obeyed God, their lives would go much easier than if they did not. He did not promise a rose garden but they could avoid certain thorns.
Think what life would be like if God didn’t permit those consequences. Can we even imagine such a world where people could do whatever they liked and no one would suffer? God would have to intervene in every detail to avert the suffering. For instance, if I didn’t feel like making supper, God must miraculously make it instead or my family would suffer. If a gangster felt like robbing a store, God would have to construct more money so the owners would not suffer any loss.
In that kind of world, where God undid bad, would anyone ever obey Him and do good? Would anyone ever be encouraged to make unselfish choices? Would anyone turn to Jesus for forgiveness and the power to defeat sin?
Perhaps our concept of a “good” God needs to allow Him the freedom of when to “fix” our mistakes. Otherwise, we might never quit making them, nor have the desire to repent so that He can change our lives.
Remember the question Gordon Sinclair often asked guests on Front Page Challenge: “If there is a good God, why does He allow so much evil in the world?”
Some viewers were annoyed with him, but this is a legitimate question. After all, the Bible says God is not only loving and merciful but all powerful. Since there is nothing impossible for Him, why do people suffer? Why do we have wars and accidents and illnesses? Why does He let criminals victimize innocent people? Doesn’t God care?
The guests on Front Page Challenge had various responses. One pastor even asked Mr. Sinclair another question: if God were not “good,” why do we call anything evil? In other words, the standard we have for goodness is based on God’s standards. He says love is good, kindness is good, justice is good, so we also call them good. Some might think human beings know goodness instinctively (God also gave us a conscience), but there are people-groups in the world who think it is “good” to betray someone or “good” to kill female children.
Certainly that pastor’s response argued for the existence of a good God, but it does not answer why He allows evil. A better answer might be a cartoon I saw somewhere. It pictured a man on his knees with hands stretched up toward the sky. He says, “Oh God, why do you allow so much evil in the world?”
The next frame shows the answer booming down from heaven: “I might ask you the same thing.”
Why insist the fault lies with God? He did give dominion of the earth to people and if people fail to choose goodness (even just the goodness they know), then people are responsible for the lack of good that exists.
That answer is difficult too. Most of us do not like the idea of being responsible for evil, particularly if there is any suggestion that as victims we brought it on ourselves. However, is that what the cartoon intends?
Try this; God has determined certain cause/effect relationships. Those who make poor choices find out they were poor by the results. For instance, His people were drifting into idol worship so He told them, “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword” (Isaiah 1:19-20).
Clearly, there would be consequences for either choice. If the people obeyed God, their lives would go much easier than if they did not. He did not promise a rose garden but they could avoid certain thorns.
Think what life would be like if God didn’t permit those consequences. Can we even imagine such a world where people could do whatever they liked and no one would suffer? God would have to intervene in every detail to avert the suffering. For instance, if I didn’t feel like making supper, God must miraculously make it instead or my family would suffer. If a gangster felt like robbing a store, God would have to construct more money so the owners would not suffer any loss.
In that kind of world, where God undid bad, would anyone ever obey Him and do good? Would anyone ever be encouraged to make unselfish choices? Would anyone turn to Jesus for forgiveness and the power to defeat sin?
Perhaps our concept of a “good” God needs to allow Him the freedom of when to “fix” our mistakes. Otherwise, we might never quit making them, nor have the desire to repent so that He can change our lives.
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