Back to Basics A Study of God Difficult Questions about God.

Back to BasicsA Study of God

Difficult Questions about God

Questions?

• There are difficult passages about the nature of God in the Bible

• We may not have perfect understanding of the answers, but that doesn’t mean they are not there.

• But we can give adequate answers!

Why is there evil in the world?

• Critics use evil to attack God• IF God cannot stop evil he is not all

powerful• If God will not stop evil then he is not

good

• IS this a valid premise? It assumes there are no other alternatives!


• God is not evil, does not He commit evil and does not tempt us to do evil

•James 1:13, Deut. 32:42 Chron. 19:7, Rom. 9:14

•1 John 1:5


• What is evil?• That which is bad or malicious• The absence of good (just as

darkness is the absence of light and cold is the absence of heat)

•Genesis 1:31 – what He created is good


• Did God create evil?•Isa. 45:7, “I form the light, and

create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (KJV) Other versions use the word “calamity” (cf. Amos 3:6)


• Satan introduced evil to this world•Gen. 3:1-7• Man is susceptible because he chose

to accept it! (Rom. 5:12-19)• We inherit the consequences of the

sin of Adam (not his sin)


• God allows it! But with reason Isa. 55:8-9


• Man is a free moral agentIf no evil, man would not have a choice.

• Man always has a choice – Josh. 24:15, 1 Kn. 18:21, etc.

• God is seeking those who will follow Him out of love (1 Jn. 4:19, 1 Pet. 1:6-9)

• Man chooses to sin! (John 3:19)


• God gives us tools to deal with evil• Conscience • The Gospel• He sent Jesus to this earth – he DOES

understand! Heb. 2:14-18• He help us – 1 Cor. 10:13


• Does God intervene?• In Bible times He did• Can He intervene today? He IS in

control!

Why is there suffering in the world?

• Related to evil• The product of the sin of Adam•Genesis 3:17 – “cursed is the

ground”• Suffering is a product of that “curse”• Much suffering is related to man’s sinful

behavior (sometimes the innocent suffer, even some natural calamity)


• Suffering can produce good:• It can humble us – 2 Cor. 12:7-10

• Build up good character - Jas. 1:2-4, Rom. 5:3-5


• Suffering can produce good:• It can cause us to repent – Lk.

15:11-18• Encourage us to become “other-

worldly” 2 Cor. 4:17

• It can bring out the best in us


• Why do the godly suffer?• Obeying the gospel does NOT make

suffering go away! NOR is that promised!• “Why me”? Why NOT you? • Christians are better equipped to deal with

suffering – 1 Cor. 10:13• What if God did exempt the godly from

suffering?


• How much suffering is too much?• This is the real question!• How do we know what the right

amount should be before it is too much?

• Be careful in questioning God – Rom. 9:19-24


• How much suffering is too much?• God is sovereign! BUT:

• He loves us and cares• We don’t know what is best• We don’t know His motives• His plans include the whole world (Rom. 8:28)

• He is in control – 1 John 4:4


•Rom. 11:33-36 Who knows the mind of the Lord?

• Trusting Him is where we find hope – Prov. 3:5-6

Why did God command the Amalekites utterly destroyed?

•1 Sam. 15:1-3 Amalek commanded to be utterly destroyed

• A question of genocide. How can a good God command such destruction.Also Canaanites, the flood, Sodom & Gomorrah, etc.


• BE careful before questioning God! • We do NOT know all the facts!• Were the Amalekites innocent?Genesis 15:13-16Deut. 20:16-18, 25:17-19(Cf. Exodus 17:8-16)

• NO! They were NOT innocent!


• Were they given opportunity to repent?• Consider Nineveh - Jonah, Nahum

To Edom – Obadiah, etc.• 400+ years from Abraham to their

destruction• Consider Rahab – Joshua 2:8-11

Righteous Lot- 2 Pet. 2:7


• What about the innocent children?• If innocent, actually spared eternal

destruction as a result of following the ungodly ways they would be raised in

• A lesson in divided loyalties – 2 Cor. 6:14-18


• One final thought?• Because Israel did not deal with its

wickedness, what happened? They rejected God and were cut off! cf. Num. 35:33-34

• Why is there so much wickedness today? Is it not a product of our failure to deal sternly and swiftly with it? Eccl. 8:11


• As humans we make mistakes in judgment! But God NEVER makes mistakes!

• Do NOT be found on the side of His wrath! Rom. 11:22

With God there are difficult questions

(and that applies to ANY concept of God)

But that does not mean there are not good

answers!

God wants what is best for you…

Will you accept it?

Back to Basics A Study of God Difficult Questions about God.

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