| Home | Our Hope | |
| Bible Study |
|
January 22,2017 |
| Tough Questions Answered | ||
Jesus was crucified, 11 Disciples were executed, for 300 years the first Christians were persecuted, robbed, tortured, beheaded, and made into chew-toys for wild animals. Why would you expect anything else?
Beloved, do not be astonished at the temptations that will come upon you, as if something strange happened to you, for they are for your proving. 13 But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of the Messiah, for in this way also you shall rejoice and be jubilant in the revelation of his glory. (1 Peter 4:12-13)
This world is the way it is because of the sin of Adam and Eve. We live, we struggle, we die.
Bad things happen to everyone
God has given us free will because there would be no value in creating beings who could not choose. God doesn't need machines to do his work; he wants people who will, by choice, give themselves to him. But people make wrong choices and the consequence of those are evil and suffering.
In order for mankind to have choice they must be able to choose to do evil. In order for salvation to be possible it must be possible to do evil. This means evil can and likely will happen to all people.
Mankind is in this situation because of mankind, not because of God.
Every man has an understanding of God built in to his conscience but man finds it very easy to overrule that
"God's perfect love and justice far exceed our own. Whatever He decides will be loving and fair. A friend once told me that many asking this question seek a personal loophole, a way so they won't need to believe in Christ. C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity wrote, "If you are worried about the people outside [of Christianity], the most unreasonable thing you can do is to remain outside yourself." If Christianity is true, the most logical behavior for someone concerned about those without Christ's message would be to trust Christ and go tell them about Him."
There are no contradictions but there are many people who want to believe there are contradictions becauses they need a reason to reject the Bible. Therefore the smallest thing will be enough for them and they aren't interested in studying it in detail.
"Some of these come from ommisions of detail. The Bible isn't like a police report. Omission does not necessarily create contradiction. Luke, for example, writes of two angels at Jesus' tomb after the Resurrection (24:1-9). Matthew mentions "an angel" (28:1-8). Is this a contradiction? If Matthew stated that only one angel was present, the accounts would be dissonant. As it stands, they can be harmonized. Differing accounts aren't necessarily contradictory. Matthew and Luke, for example, differ in their accounts of Jesus' birth. Luke records Joseph and Mary starting in Nazareth, traveling to Bethlehem (Jesus' birthplace), and returning to Nazareth (Luke 1:26-2:40). Matthew starts with Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, relates the family's journey to Egypt to escape King Herod's rage, and recounts their travel to Nazareth after Herod's death (Matt. 1:18-2:23). The Gospels never claim to be exhaustive records. Biographers must be selective. The accounts seem complementary, not contradictory."
Aren't All Religions Basically the Same? Christians are intolerant of other religions. All religions need to adapt to the 21st century
We exercise faith every day. When we get in our cars we believe we will get to our destination safely. The same is true if we take a plane, or even walk. We start jobs, businesses, projects or whatever with the belief that they will succeed.
Believing in an unseen God who sent his son in the form of man that he might die to pay for our sins and be raised to life again is beyond the faith of all people. Therefore, when we are ready God provides the faith.
A person could be sincere in what he believed, but be sincerely wrong.