Ignorance Unleashed

 

I have never practiced any kind of medicine and I am not a medical doctor. So, it would be foolish of me to debate or try to tell others anything about the practice of medical care. This can apply to any profession or philosophy which I am not qualified to dispense any wisdom of. So, why do people insist on doing this very thing every day. I simply refer to it as ignorance unleashed. I'm not talking about what my doctor told me or what the auto mechanic said he had to do to fix my vehicle or even attempting to repeat anything in general concerning a topic in which I am not a professional in.

Allow me to zero in on Christianity and God. I have read many comments on Christianity and God by people who are not Christians. They have never entered into a relationship with Jesus or have never been blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Yet, they insist on commenting on something they are totally ignorant of. First, they refer to Christianity as religion. This could not be farther from the truth. Christianity is a relationship we enter into with Jesus Christ when we ask Him to forgive us for our sin and He grants us salvation from that sin and the wrath of God which is to come.

But the one which really bugs me is the mistake they make when they accuse God of creating evil. They insist that evil is all God's fault and want to know why He created it if He is such an all-loving God. Here's where their ignorance of who God really is and where evil really comes from or what it is a result of. Simply put, evil is nothing more than an absence of good. When we read Genesis chapter one, we see that when God created, it was always good. Everything God created was good. Then sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command. God's not a dictator, He doesn't have or use evil as a weapon, but evil is the result of sin which is also an absence of good. God's creation was perfect and without sin until this first couple disobeyed Him and opened the door for sin to come in.

They had the entire garden to eat from but were told there was one tree they couldn't eat from. So, God wasn't depriving them of food; He was protecting them from what would result from them eating of the forbidden tree. So, sin entered in and changed the game. 

Consider why people accuse God of creating evil or permitting evil. First, they judge God according to their own idea of what is good or what is fair. But they don't understand that God is not on the same plane as us when it comes to what is right or wrong. God makes this known to us in Isaiah 55:8.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.   NLT

Skeptics and nonbelievers constantly accuse God of not seeing things their way. But if they would know and understand what this verse says and means, then maybe they would know why evil exists when there is an absence of goodness. I could ask why it is so cold in the middle of winter and get all kinds of answers. But the truth is cold is the result of the absence of heat. Heat exists but cold doesn't until there is no heat. Also, why is there darkness? Darkness is the result of the absence of light. Darkness doesn't exist but is merely the absence of light. I could go on, but I want to stay on track.

 I like to read comments following posts and articles. It doesn't matter what the subject or topic is. But when I read an article concerning God or Christianity on a secular media site, I make sure to read the comments which follow. This informs me about how the skeptics, God haters and general nonbelievers feel about God. It never fails that at least one will want to know why or how God could allow such evil to persist while supposedly being a God of love.  Well, if they would allow God into their lives, the answers would easily come to them, and they would understand what I have previously explained in this post. But others simply deny the existence of God and describe Him by many different colorful names and descriptions. In general, they simply mock God and His existence. What an abrupt wake up to reality they face if they fail to repent. Some will but many won't and for those who won't, they will face the reality that God does exist.

 The problem of evil exists only because there is an absence of goodness. God created and saw that it was good. Not just some of it but everything He created was good. But where there is an absence of goodness, as a result of sin, there will be evil. Does anyone believe there was any goodness in the hearts of those who flew airplanes into the Towers? I don't think so and I could write another post or even a book on why that happened. But for now, we have to know the evil of the act was due to an absence of good.

One final thing I need to say about all of this. God is a sovereign God. His providence is carried out as a result of His sovereignty. His sovereignty basically means He is God and there is no higher authority. He is God and is ruled over by nothing and He is superior to every living thing. Remember, His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. So, when skeptics and nonbelievers ask why God doesn't do things their way, that is the answer. He is the creator, and we are the created. How can we question Him?

Sinful, unsaved people will always be critical of God and/or deny His existence. It's the sin nature we were born with that denies God and keeps us from seeking Him. But it is Jesus and the Holy Spirit who opens our eyes and allows us to acknowledge His existence and allow Him into our lives. His Holy Spirit comes in and gives life to our spirit and opens our spiritual eyes to everything we need to know about God. It's a simple process. Just accept Jesus as the one who sacrificed His life on a cross as the substitute for you as the perfect, sinless sacrifice. He took your place and your sin and paid the price for your salvation. Confess your sin to Him and ask for His forgiveness and He will save you. And remember this verse from Galatians 6:7,

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.   NKJV