tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095742558326940511.post4980488244074056204..comments2012-11-02T19:18:55.922+00:00Comments on All Sufficient Christ: Objections to Christianity 1 – Evil and sufferingMartinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12423733138696540615noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095742558326940511.post-16122435213849068372009-10-27T22:32:30.447+00:002009-10-27T22:32:30.447+00:00The answer to the dilemma is the Gospel: He sent H...The answer to the dilemma is the Gospel: He sent His son Jesus who took on our human nature and yet who perfectly obeyed God's commands on our behalf. Then evil men hated Him and killed Him even though He done no wrong. Yet God allowed this and accepted the suffering of His son as the punishment that is due to us in our place. Because of this God raised Him from the dead as the 'firstborn' of all those who will one day be resurrected through faith in Him. So in that amazing event God's justice has been satisfied and now He is free to welcome very sinner who comes to Him. However, your final question overlooks a vitally important point. The bible makes clear that only those who have repented of their sins and who no longer trust in themselves but have put their faith in Jesus will be saved. For those who refuse to believe, who, in effect, continue to shake their fist at God, or who foolishly imagine that there good deads will outwieght their bad ones, a dreadful, eternal punishment awaits. So, no, we cannot live as we please - to take God's mercy and patience as a 'licence' to sin all we like is to store up even greater wrath against ourselves. However, that is not to say our obedience earns us God's favour. Rather, think of it like this, if we refuse to believe then we go to hell for our own sins, but if we believe we are raised to everlasting life in the restored earth on account of Jesus' perfect life and undeserved death.<br /><br />Hope that helps?Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12423733138696540615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095742558326940511.post-49351359795340344082009-10-27T22:32:09.429+00:002009-10-27T22:32:09.429+00:00Firstly, just to be clear, I'm definitely *not...Firstly, just to be clear, I'm definitely *not* saying that evil can be a good thing. Evil does not come from God but comes from the hearts of wicked men (who somehow, in ways we don't understad, are influenced by Satan). Rather God constantly thwarts and limits the wickedness that is in the world. Nevertheless, God is in control (else He wouldn't be God) and He does *allow* some suffering that, to us, seems very hard to understand but He always turns it for good. The story of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers but who eventually became Pharaoh's right hand man and was able to save his family from famine in Egypt is a great example of this (See Genesis 37 - 50, especially Gen. 50:20).<br /><br />Of course, for some things, such as the examples you give, it is very hard to imagine how they could serve a greater purpose that would make them 'worthwhile'. But a few things to bear in mind here are that:<br />1. Every single one of us has sinned against Almighty God. Far, far more than we realise. The Bible actually describes us variously as stubborn, blind, deaf and even 'dead' in our sins. None of us actually deserve to live. That He allows any of us to live at all is a (temporary) act of His mercy. <br />2. All suffering is the result of mankind's rebellion against God. We are therefore part of the problem (whether we admit or not). Therefore, for God to destroy suffering He'd have to destroy us but God is also merciful and therefore He is "patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). <br />3. Since we are all born unbelieving rebels aginst God and since God's promises describe things that are far too marvelous for us in our self-centred, corrupted state to understand we naturally don't appreciate the wonders of His glorious restoration that will make "all that is sad untrue". <br />4. Just as we have little awareness of how sinful we are likewise we have little awareness of how pure and holy God is. God is both a God of justice and of mercy. We know this from what we know of ourselves for don't most of us, to some extent, expect to see punishment when evil is done and yet expect to receive mercy when we ourselves mess up? Double standards! You see, because God is perfectly holy He cannot allow sin into His presence, His justice *must* be done (just as we expect justice to be done - where do you honestly think you get your natural inbuilt desire for justice from???) and therefore wickedness *must* be punished. Yet, He is also merciful and wants to show mercy to us (as we ourselves know we need, whenever we are found guilty of any wrong-doing!). How can He do both at the same time? <br /><br />I've run out of space so I'll have to answer that in the next comment!Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12423733138696540615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9095742558326940511.post-42719629251069075182009-10-23T12:08:53.556+01:002009-10-23T12:08:53.556+01:00Well, by saying that 'an argument against suff...Well, by saying that 'an argument against suffering and injustice is an argument for God' that is quite true. There should be no more suffering, there shall be no more religios wars, there shall be no more disease in poor country's and there shall be no more famin or greed. But there is. Is it realy in the plan of God for young children to die of maleria? is this justified? Can there realy be any good to be found when a tyrant takes over control of a country and causes thousends of deaths of inocent people? The inocent people die, they loose their lives through evil. But by saying that this evil can be a good thing, i would ask what good came from Hitler? Now, 60 years on, there still cannot be a justifiable reason based on God unless it was God who caused it himself. And if God caused Germany to be taken over by Hitler and God justified the slaughter of Jews then this is not the all forgiving God that Christianity is based on.<br /><br />Secondly, if all that is sad will become untrue and that at the finale of the world all will be justified we as humans are prety much left to it. Left to make as much distruction and harm as we please then those who do not follow Christianity, those in jail for Rape and Murder, those how rob cars and old grandma's purses for drugs will all be forgiven and their slates wiped clean. I for some reason don't think i would wipe their slate clean as their victims would still have a loss. Are you saying that when God returns to earth that he will be so almighty and so powerfull that he would heal all of the wounds and their sins? Its comforting to believe and requires a huge leap of faith.Carl Evanshttp://carlevans.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com