What is the comfort we get from knowing God is there if it doesn’t stop bad things from happening? And what happens when we despair (a sin in my estimation) because we can’t hear him?
You ask a great and wonderful question, “How can God be good if evil exists?” A question that I love to ask is, “what sustains you?” If your answer is to this question is not something that is comprehensive, reliable, and bigger than all problems you could ever encounter, then you are in a poor position which will likely end in despair. I like to think of these three: Faith, Hope, Love. For me – first comes faith, which gives rise to hope, and hope allows me to love.
I learned 2 things, #1 I have been thinking about temptation recently as coming from outside of myself (e.g. the Tempter, Satan), but the way you talked made me think that temptation can also come from inside of me due to inherited sinfulness, but I wonder can temptation come from the inside for a person who is reconciled with God?
#2 that we are tempted to believe untrue things about God’s character. I have typically thought about temptation in terms of being tempted to not help someone in need or being tempted to forget about other people and just look after myself. But if the purpose of the bible is to reveal God to humans then I could see why the Tempter would want to block that by tempting us with untrue ideas about who God is.
Please consider this example. You live a life and lifestyle for many years developing a variety of bad (sinful) habits. At some point, you have an amazing “conversion experience.” You wake up the next day and continue in most of your bad (sinful) habits.
Question: Your first sinful habits, are these caused by a sinful nature or external temptation? If you say sinful nature, then it would follow that none would exist after the conversion experience. If you say external temptation, then you are arguing that you don’t have a sinful nature and that every sin committed every time is caused by external forces. You could argue that prior to conversation it was sinful nature and after that moment it’s all external. But you’d be arguing that habits bear little or no influence over how we live our lives.
Question: I also am going to ask what you mean by “reconciled with God.” Because, I would imagine that means the relationship with God is reconciled. That would be different than your being/nature. For, the Scriptures teach of a bodily resurrection where the body (and I would argue our nature) is “made new.” So, I would say that your salvation is being worked out – you are in the process of being redeemed; however, you still maintain your sinful nature even in a reconciled relationship with God.
Opinion: I believe that very few temptations are instigated externally. The temptations – the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – come from our sinful nature because we are self-focused. This preoccupation with self breeds sin, but the preoccupation is not incited by a tempter.
May 4th, 2009 - 10:56
What is the comfort we get from knowing God is there if it doesn’t stop bad things from happening? And what happens when we despair (a sin in my estimation) because we can’t hear him?
May 4th, 2009 - 11:13
You ask a great and wonderful question, “How can God be good if evil exists?” A question that I love to ask is, “what sustains you?” If your answer is to this question is not something that is comprehensive, reliable, and bigger than all problems you could ever encounter, then you are in a poor position which will likely end in despair. I like to think of these three: Faith, Hope, Love. For me – first comes faith, which gives rise to hope, and hope allows me to love.
May 14th, 2009 - 06:13
Thanks for sharing your ideas Jason!
I learned 2 things, #1 I have been thinking about temptation recently as coming from outside of myself (e.g. the Tempter, Satan), but the way you talked made me think that temptation can also come from inside of me due to inherited sinfulness, but I wonder can temptation come from the inside for a person who is reconciled with God?
#2 that we are tempted to believe untrue things about God’s character. I have typically thought about temptation in terms of being tempted to not help someone in need or being tempted to forget about other people and just look after myself. But if the purpose of the bible is to reveal God to humans then I could see why the Tempter would want to block that by tempting us with untrue ideas about who God is.
May 14th, 2009 - 13:24
Please consider this example. You live a life and lifestyle for many years developing a variety of bad (sinful) habits. At some point, you have an amazing “conversion experience.” You wake up the next day and continue in most of your bad (sinful) habits.
Question: Your first sinful habits, are these caused by a sinful nature or external temptation? If you say sinful nature, then it would follow that none would exist after the conversion experience. If you say external temptation, then you are arguing that you don’t have a sinful nature and that every sin committed every time is caused by external forces. You could argue that prior to conversation it was sinful nature and after that moment it’s all external. But you’d be arguing that habits bear little or no influence over how we live our lives.
Question: I also am going to ask what you mean by “reconciled with God.” Because, I would imagine that means the relationship with God is reconciled. That would be different than your being/nature. For, the Scriptures teach of a bodily resurrection where the body (and I would argue our nature) is “made new.” So, I would say that your salvation is being worked out – you are in the process of being redeemed; however, you still maintain your sinful nature even in a reconciled relationship with God.
Opinion: I believe that very few temptations are instigated externally. The temptations – the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – come from our sinful nature because we are self-focused. This preoccupation with self breeds sin, but the preoccupation is not incited by a tempter.