"We dive in.." [ 11 | 13 | 2009 ]

Some jumbled thoughts and input that I have received from others mashed together in one lump of text that has been processed by my own mind. Keep in mind that much of these ideas I heard from other people, and this is just a way of me putting the thoughts on paper (or in this case, a screen). So please take it for what it's worth. A humble obverver's ponderings.

After reading C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain, I have developed some notions about a few particular topics that I have heard brought up several times in the last few weeks. And I am eager to learn more.

We dive in.

Who is responsible for the current condition of the world? Adam? Eve? Osama Bin Laden? Barack Obama? Satan? The answer is God.

He created the possibility that this condition could be a possibility. God is responsible for the human condition. Many may argue, “If God created this miserable condition, then does he not have the responsibility to fix it?” Although ones first response as a Christian may be, “How dare you question the authority of God over his creation?” This is a valid and pertinent question, and the answer would be yes.

This world and everything in this world is God’s responsibility. God must act decisively to remedy the situation. However, raw power cannot repair the current state of the human world. Raw power robs the human condition of free will, causing what would be an amoral universe devoid of the human conscious.

God identifies with humans. He created us in his image. He took on the form of a human, endured the carnal temptations of a human, and ultimately died a human death. In death, where can one turn? To God the creator alone. He uses evil for good. Romans 8:28 tells us that God works for the good. This does not mean that every situation in our lives is going to work out perfectly. It means that in the midst of all things, GOD IS GOOD.

And that is an infallible statement.

On the subject of Biblical mistranslations, the fact that the Biblical text has been preserved is, in itself, incredible. In one sense, faith has nothing to do with mistranslation or different versions of translation. Everything comes down to the exact, literal, hard-nosed, text-to-text translation, which due to the imperfect condition of man, is fallible in nature.

Let's say that something seriously bad happens to a person, like a parent's death or something similar, and they approach you seeking advice. What is the appropriate way to respond? Is there an appropriate way to respond?

“I do not know why this happened. But I do know that God loves you. He is not trying to punish you. He did not do this.” Simple and to the point? This deserves further consideration.

Where do you turn? To where can you go in this kind of world when sin is everywhere and comfort is difficult to find? When all else fails us, best friends let us down, and there is no one left to turn, God hears our cry.

And if we cannot turn to him, then we have no hope.

- Michael Stephen