Doubt Busters

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed over 200,000 people. Suicide attacks by al-Qaeda upon the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 caused the deaths of 2,973 victims and 19 hijackers. Hurricane Katrina flooded 80% of New Orleans, Louisiana, killing over 1,500 people. The Haiti 7.0 magnitude earthquake of 2010 resulted in a death toll of 170,000, with many more thousands dead in the rubble and outside the capital, and not including unreported bodies buried by relatives.

It’s difficult for us to imagine the scope of these disasters, but we try. One of the ways we make sense is to bring fairness and justice into play. “They must have done something really bad for that to happen.” That kind of reasoning leads one to think that God had a personal hand in the destruction, for who else would have this destructive ability? Were these events expressions of God’s displeasure toward the citizens?

We look to the biblical record and see the Flood destroying all but seven people, fire destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, and disaster striking Egypt’s firstborn in every family. In each case, we could not have known that the disaster was caused by God except when the Word of God says so.

The Bible is a consistent narrative. That is, it sticks to its story of man’s fall and redemption from beginning to end. Extraneous events are ignored. Thus, any disasters happening outside of the scope of the story are unrecorded, while those which God used in the course of the story are emphasized. Thus it may give the impression that nearly every natural calamity originates from God.

Abraham had misgivings when he heard that God was going to Sodom. He asked the Lord, “Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?” (Genesis 18:23). God’s answer was clear: he rescued righteous Noah and his family from the rest of the unrighteous before the Flood first. He sent an angel to pull out Lot and his family before sending fire upon his city. God’s judgments are precisely targeted.

Sometimes a natural disaster helps. In Acts 16:26 an earthquake released two missionaries, Paul and Silas, from prison, and Paul used the opportunity to witness to the jailer, who then turned to Christ, then his family also. God was not directly mentioned as the agent, but the timing was too striking to be coincidental.

In many cases, the disasters used by God were preceded by warnings to repent. For instance, the Flood came after Noah and Enoch warned the people to repent. Before God sent judgment upon Nineveh, he sent Jonah to preach. (They repented at the preaching of Jonah, and this delayed judgment for a time.) God repeatedly sent prophets to the Israelites to warn them to repent before finally sending them war and disease.

The Bible chronicles other unfortunate events too, but they are not attributed to God. For instance, Jesus mentioned that Pilate was responsible for the deaths of several Galileans and their blood was “mingled with their sacrifices.” A tower of Siloam fell and killed eighteen people (Luke 13:1-5). He used those disasters to give a lesson that is worth repeating here: “Think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” In this case, we understand that disasters do not always come upon us as a consequence of our evil deeds. God sees all of us in need of repentance.

I conclude that we cannot say that all disasters are of God because:

1. God often forewarns people before sending disasters as judgment.

2. We cannot know which events were of God unless he reveals his part.

3. I can accept some disasters as from God if they can be tied to deeds in ways that strain the bounds of coincidence.

4. If a disaster overtakes many reputable people, then I reject the calamity as from God because he does not destroy the good with the bad.

What Do You Think?

a. Are you angry with God over some recent disasters? Why or why not?

b. Have you uncovered some proof that God has caused one of the recent disasters? Will it hold up in a court of law?

c. Natural disasters have been called “acts of God” by some insurance companies. Has this phrase linked God to natural disasters unfairly? Why or why not?

The Bible is the first and last word when it comes to defining life, before birth and afterward. Here are several verses that indicate God’s handiwork early in the womb:

Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things … (Isaiah 44:24).

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them (Psalm 139:13-16).

A couple of verses tell us that God had chosen some people, like Jeremiah and Paul, for a task before they born!

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:5).

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called [me] by his grace (Galatians 1:15).

In addition, God has plainly stated that he is against killing, purposely or accidentally, the fetus:

Thou shalt not kill (Exodus 20:13).

If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart [from her], and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges [determine]. And if [any] mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life (Exodus 21:22-23).

Some people believe that a baby should be aborted if she is deformed or disabled in any way. What does the Bible say about that?

And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? (Exodus 4:11).

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty (1 Corinthians 1:27).

The above passages give us a sound foundation for believing that valuing human life is important, back to the time of conception.

What Do You Think?

a. If human life should not be valued in the womb, then when does it become valuable?

b. If an infant’s life is not valuable in the womb because of a defect or abnormality, then shouldn’t older people’s lives be worth less because of frailties or defects? Why or why not?

c. What determines a person’s worth to you?

focusonthefamily.com

Peace is the heritage of the Christian. If that is so, why do so few experience it? I used to read self-help books because I wanted to better myself. I wanted more self-esteem, more inner strength, more peace. But I despaired of all the helps I read because I did not think I could follow through with the programs the authors promised would bring peace or whatever. Jesus promises a changed life with peace too, but with a difference – his promise tells us that peace is a real possibility, and something that God will provide. But it is not automatic. We need to turn from whatever rob us of peace. Here are a few to think about.
Freedom from guilt
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). This verse concludes an argument begun earlier. There, Paul wrote that none of our good works could earn us a righteous standing before God. Having realized this, we have turned from our works to just trusting in God to provide the righteousness we need. That relieved our guilt. We may have forgotten this and, having done wrong again, are trying to make up for it by our works, by trying harder or by bargaining with God. But the way to peace is to realize that God just wants to forgive us and grant righteousness by faith alone, apart from works. Just come as you are and confess. Then thank him for sending his Son, who shed his blood to cleanse away our sin.
Freedom from anxiety
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 6:33). Perhaps we are confused because we think peace means the lack of conflict or trouble. Yet here we find that Jesus promises peace in the middle of tribulation, not outside of it! Jesus is saying here that no matter what problem afflicts us, we can trust him, for he has overcome it and wants to teach us to do the same. We have real fears about the economy, our jobs, relationships, and a thousand other things that occupy our minds. We won’t have peace as long as we think that straightening out these things should be a priority. Jesus said we’ll have peace in him, not in the elimination of these other things. At one point in their missionary journey, Paul and Silas were unjustly beaten and tied up in the deepest part of a dungeon (Acts 16:25). Were they moaning loud and long? No, they sang hymns. Such was the power of trusting Christ for what they were going through. They did not know when they would get out; it was enough that Jesus was in charge, and somehow had triumphed over the situation.
Freedom from wants
“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). When our tendency is to pamper ourselves, we can get tired from trying to fill a bottomless pit. We can’t be contented by pampering the flesh. The desires of the flesh never end. No matter what you get, you’ll always want more. That is the carnal way to live. The spiritual way to live is to consider how you can please the Lord, not yourself. As you continually try to fill the flesh, the natural outcome is death. As you continually desire to please God, the natural outcome is life – his life in you.
Before we were saved, it was normal to trust in ourselves, to minimize all troubles, and indulge our every desire. These were the very traits that were separating us from God and his life all along. We may have heard a watered-down version of the Gospel which did not tell us that our self-seeking ways were bad, but only certain of our deeds were bad and in need of forgiveness. So we continue our self-seeking ways after becoming Christians, and wonder why we still don’t have an abundant life. Sin has corrupted every aspect of our being. There is no way to reform it except to die to it and live by faith to the glory of God (Romans 6). Jesus’ promise of peace is conditional. This means that when we follow the condition, to trust in Christ for the problem, the peace is sure. The normal Christian life, at the beginning, is to forget or neglect this truth again and again. Have you forgotten? Christ and his willingness to take on your burden is still near.

What Do You Think?

a. In the answers above, we find that peace is found by acknowledging the truth in the scriptures. have you found any substitutes for the scriptures that worked? If so, did any of them bring you closer to God?

b. Have you had worries that were later unfounded – and you had worried for nothing? If so, was it because you had believed something that wasn’t even true?

c. When we worry, wouldn’t the truth of the situation help? Why or why not?

When God created marriage (Genesis 2:20-25), he gave one of the reasons for it in Malachi 2:15b: “He seeks godly offspring.” Another goal was to express, through the relationship of husband and wife, the bond between Christ and his church (Ephesians 5:22-32). Too few books on marriage touch on these points. When these aspects are lost, marriage suffers (although the spouses may still enjoy one another’s company). Let’s look at these two aspects more closely.

In a holy marriage relationship, both husband and wife learn that how they maintain a relationship with one another is exactly how they maintain a relationship with God. When wrongdoing is not dealt with, spousal intimacy suffers. If either spouse hurts the other, confession and repentance are in order. So it is with us toward God.

As the church is to follow the leading of the Lord, so the wife, representative of the bride of Christ, learns to follow her husband’s lead. As we must put off pride and humble ourselves to obey the Lord, the wife learns to do the same for her husband.

As the Lord wants his followers to reach out to the lost and teach them his ways, so the husband and wife work in concert to train up godly offspring. Disciples (and godly offspring) are taught by modeling the traits of godliness as well as learning the word of God.

The church cannot do anything on its own. Without Christ we can do nothing of spiritual significance. Husbands and wives learn that they cannot train up godly children single-handedly – it’s a team effort. For example, when the child sees a loving husband supporting his wife, treating her with respect, and a wife in willing submission to her husband’s authority, the child understands how to respond appropriately to authority (police, teachers, boss, etc.), and work with another person. When the family prays together and reads the word (or a devotional) together, the child may learn that prayer and the word are the source of mom and dad’s strength and unity, and develops important spiritual disciplines early.

A marriage begins with vows of fidelity: “til death do us part.” It begins with a commitment to weather the coming storms. Even so it is with one’s relationship with God. God commits to us; he will never leave us nor forsake us. Only those who are committed to Christ come out ahead. Without commitment, the long-term work never gets off the ground. Great character traits such as empathy, endurance, faithfulness, compassionate care, and trust are formed over the long haul in a relationship where both partners are dedicated to mutual benefit.

Pride has no place in a healthy relationship with God; neither does it help any earthly marriage. In a marriage, we expose our weaknesses and vulnerabilities to another. In a holy marriage we learn of grace where we are loved in spite of ourselves. How true it is of Christians who openly confess to God all their weaknesses – and find their ministry enriched, not impoverished, by the act.

Marriage is great because the one who created it is great. Marriage has tremendous, life-changing, even world-changing potential, when we approach it with God’s goals in mind. Marriage is important because of the illustration it gives of the relationship between God and his believers.

What Do You Think?

a. Marriage is an “object lesson” to help us understand how to work on our relationship with God. If women puzzle over “Why do men do that?”, could it be that God’s ways are mysterious as well?

b. God has lofty goals for marriage. What are the only ways we can live up to them? (Does God have a part?)

When God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians and brought them to Canaan, He gave them new rules to live by; he developed practically a whole new society. The rules he gave were so he, a holy God, could live amongst an unholy people. Those rules were for that community at that time. God did not place these legalistic or ritualistic rules on any other society. (However, the moral laws in the OT have continued in the NT and are for all believers.)

The rules in the OT reveal to us God’s likes and dislikes about morality and how people should relate to one another. We know from the OT laws that God sees homosexuality, and many other practices, such as adultery, as immoral. Today we follow our own nation’s laws, so we do not take it upon ourselves to stone people to death. We can, however, use legal means to pass laws to regulate the conduct we want reflected in our society.

What Do You Think?

a. How would you view Christians if they regularly put homosexuals to death by stoning them? If you view them negatively for doing so, then what should your view be if they did not?

This question does not really make sense. Since you had no consciousness before you were born, you could not make any choices. You did not ask because you could not ask.

It is better to act in the real world because you are in it. Now is the time to make the best decisions you can with what you have. You did not ask to be born into a world of gravity, but you are still careful about stepping off the roof of tall buildings.

You probably did not ask to make the amount of money you earn per year, but you can change that by educating yourself for a higher-paying job or by making other decisions. You can likewise make a good decision for eternity by finding out more about the God of the Bible and coming to terms with what you learn.

What Do You Think?

a. People in the poorer third world countries did not ask to be born there. Do you think they are wondering if they owe anyone for that?

When the Lord brought his people out of Egypt to bring them to a new land, he cautioned them against taking up any of their practices. “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:28). God did not want the ancient Israelites to mark their bodies with images, whether by cutting or printing. Sounds like tattoos, doesn’t it?

He also gave them a reason for the prohibition: “For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). God’s holiness means that he is not tainted by the many cultural mores and passing fads of our world. If holiness should motivate our choices, then how do we address tattoos? Well, why do people wear tattoos? For some, it’s fun. For others, it’s a way to be unique. Still others do it to belong to a group.

We belong to a holy God who is unimpressed by tattoos. Do we want to be different? Do we want to feel like we belong? Then we should live differently than the people around us – love them, serve them, thank God before meals in public places, be patient and kind in trials while others fly off the handle. In these ways we show that we belong to the Lord and desire to be holy as he is holy.

If this is not our aim in life – to be separated to the Lord as servants who are untainted by the world – then we might be asking about tattoos and other things merely to see what we can get away with. Instead of staining your body with tattoos, join him whose body was stained with blood to save us from this world.

What Do You Think?

a. If you wanted a tattoo, what reasons would you give to convince yourself to get one?

b. Why do church members sometimes try to cover their tattoos, which they obtained before they became Christians, with long-armed shirts?

You probably get the idea that God hates homosexuals from the many public radio and television figures and even street evangelists who have spoken against homosexuality using slurs and put-downs. You get the idea that God hates homosexuals because these individuals, who supposedly represent God, vilify them. I have read disturbing web site articles written by Christians who condemn homosexuals – and even other Christian groups – with harsh language.

But what does the Bible actually say? God abhors acts of bestiality, adultery, and homosexuality (Leviticus 18:20, 22, 23). He told the Israelites not to engage in these acts because for these acts God was using the Israelites to drive the inhabitants out of the land: “For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants” (see Leviticus 18:24-25). God is holy and wanted to dwell with the Israelites. If the Israelites wanted God to remain in their midst and bless and protect them, then they must accept these conditions of the covenant God made with them.

The moral parts of God’s covenant, which tell us how we are to behave before each other, continue with his believers today. Therefore, many believers are afraid that God will bring judgment on their nation if it accepts homosexuality, and a society’s acceptance of homosexuality will advance other immoral forms of sexuality. So, many conservative people are outspoken about homosexuality. Homosexuality is an unnatural form of the sex act, since it involves using the sexual organs in ways they were not designed. This creates revulsion among mainstream conservatives.

I see two factors in view here. First, if we as individuals want to be holy and enjoy a relationship with God, we must refrain from engaging in what God has forbidden, including adultery and homosexuality. Being tempted to engage in such relationships is not sin; practicing the behavior is sin. Are you a Christian considering engaging in homosexuality or adultery? Then you will compromise your walk with God. Unfortunately, Christians have lost credibility in their stand against homosexuality because of their own many cases of adultery and divorce. But this does not mean God has changed his mind regarding homosexuality or adultery! Both are still abhorrent to him.

Second, homosexuals are not being singled out by God today as meriting special disfavor. The Scriptures tell us that all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. As a result, God’s wrath rests upon all of us – unless we come to him in faith and repentance. Through faith in Jesus Christ, all sin will be forgiven, and through the power of the Holy Spirit sin can be resisted.

What Do You Think?

a. My wife has often thought that I hated certain foods because I preferred other foods to eat. I had to tell her that I do not hate the other foods; I just like these other foods better. Do you think God hates certain individuals just because he favors something else?

b. Have you ever been accused of hating because someone did not like you disagreeing with him or her? Have you ever noticed that people think it’s hatred if people disagree with their views, but not hatred if it aligns with their thinking?

c. Why do people equate hate with disagreement? Can people agree to disagree with a civil attitude?

d. If a heterosexual is against the practice of homosexuality, and a homosexual is against the heterosexual’s reasons for it, who is hating who?

e. Have you ever heard fiery rhetoric by homosexuals against heterosexuals? Aren’t such displays of “hatred” protected free speech?