Blaming God

Some people scream "Where is God in the world? Doesn't He hear the screams of babies as they starve to death?"

How can we blame God for starving babies when the best-selling books in America are on dieting and taking the pounds off? The earth produces enough food right now for every person to eat 3,000 calories a day—more than enough. There is enough energy, food, clothes, and world resources. But America, with 8% of the population, consumes over 40% of the world's goods.

It's a cop-out to blame God for human irresponsibility. If a person gets drunk, drives his car over the median, and sends your friend to an early grave, will you blame God? God has given us all the ingredients to live peacefully and well supplied, but He will not force us to bake the right cake. He gave us hands to shoot a gun or feed the hungry. Minds to build a bomb or find a cure for cancer. Hearts to love people, or hate.

THE QUESTION BELIEVERS FREEZE AT

One of the most common questions believers and unbelievers alike ask is why a loving and all-powerful God would allow bad things to happen. In other words, why does God let bad things happen?

When many believers are asked this question, they freeze, not knowing what to say. Or they weakly reply, "Well, we don't know why bad things happen, but we need to trust God." But those of us who start with the right foundation, God's Word, have a solid answer that is based in the history of God's Word. Those who don't start with God's Word have a difficult time providing a satisfactory answer to this important and often emotionally charged question.

WHEN DEATH IS THE HERO OF THE STORY

In the evolutionary tale, death is the hero of the plot. In this view, humans are on this planet because of millions of years of death, extinction, disease, carnivory, and suffering. By evolutionary estimation, 99.9% of all the species that have walked, swam, or flown on Earth are now extinct. Many of these creatures died in the supposed five major extinction events, each of which is assumed to have killed at least three-quarters of the species on Earth at the time. These extinction events, and extinction in general, are thought to have allowed new species to dominate the globe for a time. So in an evolutionary view of life, death and extinction really are responsible for the arrival of mankind. So rather than shun death, we should thank death for getting us here.

So God's original creation was "very pleasant" or "very good"—perfect in God's eyes—but it was full of death? This would mean that God approves of, condones, and even views death as something "very good." It also means that death has existed from the very beginning and was part of God's creative process.

In this view, how do you explain death and suffering? They are just tools our supposedly loving and gracious God used or allowed to bring about life on Earth. But this certainly doesn't sound like a loving or a gracious Creator—it makes God out to be a wasteful ogre who doesn't have the skill or wisdom to create without using death and suffering. This is not the God of the Bible! Scripture speaks of God as loving (1 John 4:8), merciful (Ephesians 2:4–5), and caring for even the tiny sparrow (Matthew 10:29) or the livestock (Jonah 4:11). To say that death was part of God's original creation is to impugn the very character of God.

WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT CALAMITY

In Luke 13, when some people brought word of the Galileans Pilate had killed, Jesus replied:

"Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." — Luke 13:2-5 (ESV)

Natural calamities occur in a sin-cursed world, and God doesn't always intervene to stop them. Sadly, this is just one of the consequences of living in a fallen world that is marred by sin. Our response to such calamities should be the same as Jesus'—to urge others to repent before their time comes and they perish too.

GOD'S PROMISE IN THE TROUBLE

Jesus tells us we will face trouble in the world:

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." — John 16:33 (ESV)

And Paul, through the Holy Spirit, gives us a promise of God to all believers:

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." — Romans 8:28 (ESV)

It isn't promised that we will understand why God didn't stop some tragedy from striking:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." — Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)

But what is promised is that God will ultimately work all things for good for believers.

CONCLUSION

As Christians, we have the answer that a hurting world needs. Next time you're approached by a person who's hurting due to illness, death, circumstances, or a natural disaster, point them to God's Word. Show them how death and suffering are the punishment for sin but how Jesus Christ provided the solution to that problem when He died on the Cross and rose again. Because of Christ, we have hope for now and eternity.

Amen.

QUESTIONS? NEED PRAYER?