4 You shall not make
for yourself an idol
Exodus 20
Yesterday, we talked about idolatry. And that includes mental idolatry – creating images in our minds about what we think God ought to be.
With that in mind, I googled the phrase, “I can’t believe in a God who …”
Let me list a few – in fact, the first three I found -- and then let me tell you how to understand them from a Christian point of view!
· I Can’t Believe in a God Who Lets Innocent People Die.
· I Can’t Believe in a God Who Lets People Suffer.
· I can't believe in a God who would Send People to Hell.
First, God doesn’t send people to hell!!! That statement is trump card that people often try to play – How could a loving God let people rot in hell?! This leads people to several alternative conclusions, like “I reject God and the Bible because he’s obviously mean and cruel” or “Since I believe in the loving passages about God, I, therefore, reject the existence of hell.”
Here’s the answer: God doesn’t send people to hell! He invites people to heaven! God is light and life. He is love and forgiveness. He is grace and peace, power and hope. It is by his gift and pleasure that we live. And without him, our natural trajectory is death. And death is, by definition, hell. It is a separation from light, life, love, peace, and power.
From the beginning of time, God warned people that if they separated from him (sin), they would die. It’s the natural and inevitable consequence of sin. Indeed, if God is the creator, then pushing the animating force of all creation away from us (sin) is us robbing ourselves of life. It separates us from God. It creates hell.
That’s not God’s plan!
In fact, he loves us so much that he risked everything – including his own Son – to get us to choose life rather than death, heaven rather than hell. He’s a gentleman. He won’t force this decision. But God doesn’t send anyone to hell! He invites us to heaven.
Suffering, especially the suffering of the innocent, is a next objection. First, let’s admit that suffering is real. It is painful, horrible, and often grotesque. And if our hope is in earth, if this world is all there is, then I can understand why people would say, “I reject God and the Bible because a good god could never create so much pain.” Many, therefore, reject God. And indeed, it’s often those who have suffered who are angriest at God.
But here’s the mental shift … What if earth – especially an earth ruled by brokenness, sin, betrayal, greed, and death – is not God’s plan?! If we say that this is all there is, then it is sad and hopeless … and God may indeed be cruel. But what happens when we change lanes, shift mindsets, look up, and think more eternally? What happens when we realize that God has come to redeem this world? Do you believe that sin breaks things and causes suffering? And do you believe that God instead promises us a future with no more mourning or crying or pain and with death being no more (see Rev 21)?
Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Did you see the lane change? Will you adopt the mind shift? God is good. He does not desire suffering! Indeed, he chose to suffer so that we could be eternally free of suffering. And therefore he stretched out (and continually stretches out) his arms. “Come to me all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest.”
In Christ’s Love,
a guy whose testimony
involves a mind-shift
(I always told God who God
Had to be based on my priorities,
my philosophies, my politics,
my worldview, my selfish desires,
and when I finally let God be God,
I was suddenly joyful and free)
No comments:
Post a Comment