The problem of evil
Question:
A guy asked me what I call the favourite unbeliever's question: If God is so powerful, why does He let so many innocent people die, such as in wars and in other strife?
Answer:
That is a favourite question for sure. I am always pleased when it is asked because it gives you an opportunity to speak about the mistaken idea that we have in our pride that any of the sons and daughters of Adam are innocent (other than Christ), and it gives you an opportunity to speak about how He who was innocent went to the cross for we who are the great offenders.
I often try to help people realise that they are not looking at things from God's perspective. Everyone dies because of sin—because we have sinned against our maker. People need to see how bad that sin is. Romans 1 talks about not acknowledging Him and giving thanks to Him and how His wrath is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. God taught His people in the OT that He was so holy that they could not come before Him without being destroyed unless they approached through the blood of covenant. It offends us terribly to be told that, but it is still true. And now that Jesus has come, we don't see His wrath against sin less, but even more—the Son of God had to bear the curse on account of our offences!
Sometimes I speak to people about what it will be like for us when we come before God and we see our sin clearly before His majesty, and how there will be no thoughts of injustice on our part that there is any injustice in Him at all (as there are now). We ought to know that our judgement is skewed concerning ourselves because we get into quarrels with others and we both (as opposing parties) think we are innocent and the other person is wrong. How much more are we like that before God. He brought death and the curse into the world because we are all saturated with original sin (sinners to the core). That includes little babies. That is why millions of them die. And the ones that don't die (all of us who are walking around (no longer babies)) are just as guilty as the ones who do. We are all guilty enough to die. This is why we need Jesus if we are to be pardoned. The ultimate affliction was borne by Him the sake of His people (all the elect in all ages who are all brought to faith) that He might secure their pardon.
It is also a funny thing that people will deny God because of the display of His wrath against sin. This is like denying the magistrate (kings and rulers) because of the presence of prisons. Prisons show that there is a magistrate! If you are a transgressor, you might not like the magistrate and you might not like it that there are prisons, but it is ridiculous to deny that the magistrate exists. In scripture, God tells us that He sends affliction and death on us because we are sinners, so all these problems and sufferings should convince us that there is a God rather than cause us to deny Him.
I will leave it at that for now and refer you to a couple of sermons on this topic as well on our website. One is the sermon on 9/11, another is the one on Question 84 of the Shorter Catechism preached on Oct 16, 2005 on the question, "What does every sin deserve?"
- John R Shearouse
A guy asked me what I call the favourite unbeliever's question: If God is so powerful, why does He let so many innocent people die, such as in wars and in other strife?
Answer:
That is a favourite question for sure. I am always pleased when it is asked because it gives you an opportunity to speak about the mistaken idea that we have in our pride that any of the sons and daughters of Adam are innocent (other than Christ), and it gives you an opportunity to speak about how He who was innocent went to the cross for we who are the great offenders.
I often try to help people realise that they are not looking at things from God's perspective. Everyone dies because of sin—because we have sinned against our maker. People need to see how bad that sin is. Romans 1 talks about not acknowledging Him and giving thanks to Him and how His wrath is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. God taught His people in the OT that He was so holy that they could not come before Him without being destroyed unless they approached through the blood of covenant. It offends us terribly to be told that, but it is still true. And now that Jesus has come, we don't see His wrath against sin less, but even more—the Son of God had to bear the curse on account of our offences!
Sometimes I speak to people about what it will be like for us when we come before God and we see our sin clearly before His majesty, and how there will be no thoughts of injustice on our part that there is any injustice in Him at all (as there are now). We ought to know that our judgement is skewed concerning ourselves because we get into quarrels with others and we both (as opposing parties) think we are innocent and the other person is wrong. How much more are we like that before God. He brought death and the curse into the world because we are all saturated with original sin (sinners to the core). That includes little babies. That is why millions of them die. And the ones that don't die (all of us who are walking around (no longer babies)) are just as guilty as the ones who do. We are all guilty enough to die. This is why we need Jesus if we are to be pardoned. The ultimate affliction was borne by Him the sake of His people (all the elect in all ages who are all brought to faith) that He might secure their pardon.
It is also a funny thing that people will deny God because of the display of His wrath against sin. This is like denying the magistrate (kings and rulers) because of the presence of prisons. Prisons show that there is a magistrate! If you are a transgressor, you might not like the magistrate and you might not like it that there are prisons, but it is ridiculous to deny that the magistrate exists. In scripture, God tells us that He sends affliction and death on us because we are sinners, so all these problems and sufferings should convince us that there is a God rather than cause us to deny Him.
I will leave it at that for now and refer you to a couple of sermons on this topic as well on our website. One is the sermon on 9/11, another is the one on Question 84 of the Shorter Catechism preached on Oct 16, 2005 on the question, "What does every sin deserve?"
- John R Shearouse