01 Feb Free Miracle #1: Something Came from Nothing – Part 3 of 3
Blog Series
Why Believe in God? ~ If You Reject God, You’ve Only Done Half the Job
We have made two points in this blog series so far:
- The universe was created. It’s not reasonable to believe that the universe is eternal. Nor is it reasonable to believe that something came from nothing. So, the only other option is that it was created.
- That begs the question, “Who created it?” Of the three options (naturalistic gods, Eastern gods, or the God of Abraham), we believe that information, logic and reason lead us to the Christian God of the Bible.
But now we have to determine if the God of the Bible is trustworthy.
He claims in Scripture to be holy, loving and good. He also claims to be all-powerful. But if those things are true, how do we explain the presence of all the pain, evil and suffering in the world?
If there is a silver bullet against God, it is the problem of pain, evil and suffering.
It is, in the minds of many, the most serious problem of existence. It is also the one serious objection to the existence of God and the truth of Christianity. Perhaps more people have abandoned belief in God and/or Christianity because of the problem of pain, evil and suffering than for any other reason, and it is certainly the greatest test of the Christian faith.
In a YouTube interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-suvkwNYSQo), British comedian Stephen Fry delivered a vicious, scathing attack on the Judeo-Christian God when asked what he would say if it turned out, after he died, that God did, in fact, exist. He said he would want nothing to do with God. He called God, if He should happen to exist, a “maniac”, pointing to the large amount of unnecessary suffering in the world which He, by definition, created and allows.
What kind of God, he wondered, has created a world in which children die in floods, starve to death, perish in agony from TB and malaria? What kind of God allows people who worship and adore him to be murdered, raped, tortured and come to countless other hideous ends?
A God, he contended, who was benevolent and loving, as we are told the Christian God is, would never create the world we live in. Believing in him requires either shuttering yourself off from the carnage all around you, or crafting frankly ridiculous excuses (God works in mysterious ways).
And Frye is not alone in his assessment. Atheists commonly contend that a God who is benevolent and loving, as they are told the Christian God is, would never create the world we live in. Believing in Him requires either ignoring or excusing an ominous dark side.
So, if God is all good and all powerful, then where does the evil come from? Why would a Christian believe that God is good?
The Bible insists that God is good
First, the Bible insists that God is good:
- “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34
- “Good and upright is the Lord.” Psalm 25:8
- “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8
- “You are good and do good.” Psalm 119:68
- “No one is good except God alone.” Mark 10:18
The Bible promises that God will ultimately resolve the pain, evil and suffering in the world
Second, the Bible says in Revelation 21:4, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain…” What a comforting thought!
So, God is going to eliminate pain, evil and suffering one day. But while perhaps that works going forward from that point, what about all the pain, evil and suffering until we get there? How can we reconcile the goodness of God with the present presence of rampant evil in the world?
We must admit that we do not know what was in the mind of God when He allowed evil in the first place. For reasons that, frankly, we either have not been told or cannot comprehend, He allowed evil to begin, and allows it to continue until the day He finally ends it.
In the meantime, God shares our pain
So, we must admit that this is a challenge. But pressing ahead toward God rather than retreating from Him (we have already seen there is no hope retreating from God), we can consider these things: even though God allows evil for the present time, He nevertheless stepped into it and allowed the consequences of evil to touch Him. He did not, and does not, leave us here to suffer alone (Hebrews 4:15-16).
First, Jesus, God’s Son, died to deliver us from evil (“…while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8).
And He didn’t have to die! He could have chosen not to. So why in the world did He? Because He loved us and was willing to pay whatever price was necessary to deliver us from evil.
That is the act of a person of towering moral courage and character. That supreme act of love demonstrates that, while we may not be able to explain why God allowed evil in the first place, if Jesus did not exempt Himself from it, there must be a reason for it that we do not currently know or understand.
Second, the Father also stepped into the evil for our sake.
The Father made the decision to send Jesus to die for us (“I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent me.” John 6:38). Jesus willingly came down from heaven, but it must have been a terribly painful decision for the Father to ask Him to do so.
Then, He witnessed the plan unfold – the suffering and death of His son – something any loving parent would recognize as an agonizing thing to do.
Why did God endure that? Love seems the only conceivable answer (John 3:16).
God is not a maniac
So, God allows evil, but does not exempt Himself from it. Therefore, we can reasonably conclude that either God is a maniac – creating a system of senseless suffering that even He has to endure – or there is a rationale that is beyond our knowledge or comprehension.
I do not believe God is a maniac. And here’s why. I look at the evidence that points to just the opposite:
- Love, rather than insanity, can justify His self-sacrificing actions (John 3:16).
- His teachings are of the highest order:
- Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).
- Do unto others as you would have others do unto you (Luke 6:31).
- Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore, love is a fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10).
- Everywhere, in all places in all times of history – when God is followed authentically – goodness, peace, love, and joy bubble up, spill out and overflow.
The world is a better place because of our good God
James Kennedy wrote, in What if Jesus had Never Been Born, of the things that were brought to the world as a result of following Jesus’ life and teachings: literacy, health care, legal justice, protection for the disabled, equality of personhood, compassionate government, etc. These things were unknown for common people until Christianity started affecting the world. If it were not for Jesus, the world today would be a much worse place, likely just as it was in Roman times. Wherever Jesus is followed, goodness breaks out on a vast scale.
Individuals are better off because of our good God
And on a personal level, millions testify to the profound positive change God has made in their lives when they gave themselves to Jesus… even those in terribly trying circumstances.
Corrie ten Boom testified to God’s goodness in the darkness of a concentration camp. Joni Erickson Tada testifies to God’s goodness even in physical paralysis and chronic pain. Countless believers in areas of persecution in the world today testify to the sufficient, sustaining grace of God, even in the face of tragedy.
These are not the marks of a maniac! Essentially all the goodness in the world can be traced back to God. Such historic goodness surely would not come from a moral maniac, who is good one moment and evil the next.
Conclusion
So, why did God create a world in the first place, in which evil would be present and innocent people would suffer terribly?
The fact is, we don’t know. The answer is either something we have not been told, or having been told, we do not yet comprehend.
However, when we weigh all the alternatives and play them all the way out to their logical conclusion, we can believe that God is good, in spite of the pain, evil and suffering in the world. Any other alternative breaks down.
So, we see that there is no silver bullet against God. Challenging issues will always create a need for clear and deep thinking. However, when we do think clearly and deeply, God is revealed to be just who He says He is, one who is good and who does good (Psalm 119:68).
I have purposefully kept this post simple and brief, to make the overall point. I understand that it does not plumb the depths of the issue as deeply as you may prefer. If you want to look more deeply into this topic, three books I’d recommend are:
- Where is God When It Hurts, Philip Yancey
- The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis
- Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering, Timothy Keller
Next week, we’ll look at what modern scientists want with Free Miracle #2, that order came from chaos, in part 1 of 2 discussions on the topic.
In case you’re new here
This blog post is part of a series titled “Why Believe in God? If You Reject God, You’ve Only Done Half the Job.”, introduced on January 5, 2022. As the series continues, each succeeding post will be added to and available in the blog archives at www.maxanders.com.
If you know anyone who you think might enjoy joining us in this study, please forward this blog to them and encourage them to go to my web site (www.maxanders.com) and sign up for the free video, “Master the Bible So Well That the Bible Masters You”, available there on the home page. This will put them on my regular mailing list and they’ll receive my weekly blogs on this subject.
I look forward to going through this faith-affirming journey with you.
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