Mark of Faith
Member
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2007
- Messages
- 149
It is a very common question: if God is love, why do bad things happen?
Now, I do not intend to make this to be about man's free will, although that is one reason.
No, what I want to focus on in this short study is the nature of God's love. Sometimes, nay, more often than not, the World's definition of something is quite different than the Biblical understanding, and that is true about God's love.
First, is God loving? The Bible is quite clear on this: God is loving. Not only that, but God is love. Love defines His whole character. He is not only loving, but is love. 1 John 4:8 and 16.
What is this love? It is an all encompassing love. Those who belong to Christ are loved with a perfect love, and God's love is extended to all people. There is not a single aspect of God that is not defined by love.
So, the question...why do bad things happen?
Part of the answer lies in the nature of love. Many people are uncomfortable with the concept of an angry God. How can God, who is loving, also be angry?
It is much of the World who defines love as always pleasing, never disciplining. That is not the kind of love God is. God disciplines. For Christians, the result of disobedient actions is to be disciplined by the perfect Father. Such is an important part of character development and growth in Christ.
God hates sin. Every time God sees sin, He gets angry. Christians can only stand in the Presence of God because, by His love, He placed all our sin upon His Son. The Wrath of God was taken upon Himself, that we might be forgiven.
"All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose." Rom 8:28.
God's discipline brings enourmous benefits. God's punishment of the unsaved can also produce profoundly beneficial results. How? An example: if a dear friend would die suddenly. You might initially ask, how could God allow this? But it would get you thinking...where has my friend gone? Where will I go when I die. A train of thought is started that may eventually see you become saved.
Now, you may ask, why did my friend have to die? Imagine he hadn't. He had such a way of being that he never nor would ever accept Christ as saviour. He died, after much pain and trouble in his life, and went to a lost eternity anyway. Because he hadn't died suddenly, your thoughts never thought about the afterlife. You go to a lost eternity too.
"My ways are not your ways," says God in Scripture. The total and unfathomable wisdom of God is beyond us. How bad can turn into good is difficult, and in some instances impossible, for us to understand.
We also need to look at God's relationship with His people. Old Testament Israel was likened to an unfaithful wife. Always going astray. This is perhaps most clearly demonstrated in the book of Hosea.
Imagine your wife (you may have to imagine you have a wife as well!) had an adulterous affair. Your attitude when you find out? Would it be "oh well, would you like a cup of tea dear when you're done?" Or would you be angry?
Likewise, when people are unfaithful to God, He gets angry. He gets angry because He loves us so much. He is a jealous God. In the New Testament the Church is Christ's Bride, following on with the Old Testament illustration of husband and wife.
So, God's anger, even wrath, produces good results and is the result of His love for us. But we should not presume that that means we are free to get angry. God is perfect. He, and He alone, can get filled with wrath and yet remain loving and holy. We, as mere mortals, cannot. "The wrath of man does not produce righteousness," is says in Scripture.
We can get angry, but our anger should be, firstly, based on righteousness. Secondly, it should be restrained and expressed appropriately. And third, it should be dealt with and passed by the end of the day. "Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you're angry." Paul says.
Now, I do not intend to make this to be about man's free will, although that is one reason.
No, what I want to focus on in this short study is the nature of God's love. Sometimes, nay, more often than not, the World's definition of something is quite different than the Biblical understanding, and that is true about God's love.
First, is God loving? The Bible is quite clear on this: God is loving. Not only that, but God is love. Love defines His whole character. He is not only loving, but is love. 1 John 4:8 and 16.
What is this love? It is an all encompassing love. Those who belong to Christ are loved with a perfect love, and God's love is extended to all people. There is not a single aspect of God that is not defined by love.
So, the question...why do bad things happen?
Part of the answer lies in the nature of love. Many people are uncomfortable with the concept of an angry God. How can God, who is loving, also be angry?
It is much of the World who defines love as always pleasing, never disciplining. That is not the kind of love God is. God disciplines. For Christians, the result of disobedient actions is to be disciplined by the perfect Father. Such is an important part of character development and growth in Christ.
God hates sin. Every time God sees sin, He gets angry. Christians can only stand in the Presence of God because, by His love, He placed all our sin upon His Son. The Wrath of God was taken upon Himself, that we might be forgiven.
"All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose." Rom 8:28.
God's discipline brings enourmous benefits. God's punishment of the unsaved can also produce profoundly beneficial results. How? An example: if a dear friend would die suddenly. You might initially ask, how could God allow this? But it would get you thinking...where has my friend gone? Where will I go when I die. A train of thought is started that may eventually see you become saved.
Now, you may ask, why did my friend have to die? Imagine he hadn't. He had such a way of being that he never nor would ever accept Christ as saviour. He died, after much pain and trouble in his life, and went to a lost eternity anyway. Because he hadn't died suddenly, your thoughts never thought about the afterlife. You go to a lost eternity too.
"My ways are not your ways," says God in Scripture. The total and unfathomable wisdom of God is beyond us. How bad can turn into good is difficult, and in some instances impossible, for us to understand.
We also need to look at God's relationship with His people. Old Testament Israel was likened to an unfaithful wife. Always going astray. This is perhaps most clearly demonstrated in the book of Hosea.
Imagine your wife (you may have to imagine you have a wife as well!) had an adulterous affair. Your attitude when you find out? Would it be "oh well, would you like a cup of tea dear when you're done?" Or would you be angry?
Likewise, when people are unfaithful to God, He gets angry. He gets angry because He loves us so much. He is a jealous God. In the New Testament the Church is Christ's Bride, following on with the Old Testament illustration of husband and wife.
So, God's anger, even wrath, produces good results and is the result of His love for us. But we should not presume that that means we are free to get angry. God is perfect. He, and He alone, can get filled with wrath and yet remain loving and holy. We, as mere mortals, cannot. "The wrath of man does not produce righteousness," is says in Scripture.
We can get angry, but our anger should be, firstly, based on righteousness. Secondly, it should be restrained and expressed appropriately. And third, it should be dealt with and passed by the end of the day. "Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you're angry." Paul says.
