By Rev. Bill McGinnis, Director - LoveAllPeople.org
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Some people find fault with God for various reasons, usually because God
allowed some bad things to happen that they feel He should not have
allowed to happen: rape, murder, torture, famine, pestilence, cruel
diseases, destruction, and death itself.
They reason that He is either unable to stop these things (in which case,
"Who needs Him?") or He is able to stop them but chooses not to do so (in
which case, "Why should we love Him?").
Such faultfinding is understandable, from a human point of view, but it is
the very essence of rebellion against God.
_____________________________________________________________
"Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with
God, let him answer it." (Job 40:2 RSV)
_____________________________________________________________
Beloved, this is not yet Heaven! This is still Earth, and Earth is a very
rough place. Evil is everywhere. Bad things happen to good people.
Innocents get destroyed by smirking evildoers. Welcome to the world! Can
you accept it?
The Bible summarizes our earthly condition in one clear verse:
"Man that is born of a woman is of few days,
and full of trouble." (Job 14:1 KJV)
God is God, and we are not. Face it. Accept it. Maybe He doesn't live up
to your high standards. Too bad, for you! What are you going to do about
it, other than curse Him? And what good does that do for you? None! All of
us need to bite the bullet and accept the raw fact that God is God and He
does things His own way, whether we approve of it or not.
The wise person will recognize God as God, and fear Him, not question Him.
_____________________________________________________________
"And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is
wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." (Job 28:28 KJV)
_____________________________________________________________
Regardless of what He chooses to do, we are called to demonstrate love to
all people in all matters.
"For all the law is fulfilled in one word,
even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself." (Galatians 5:14 KJV)
So when we see suffering, we are called to relieve it, even if God Himself
permitted it to happen. Why? Who knows! It's just the way it is! We don't
understand everything now: we see everything as through a glass, darkly.
_____________________________________________________________
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now
I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
(1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV)
_____________________________________________________________
An Overview Of Good And Evil
God created all things, including Satan.
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven,
and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they
be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers:
all things were created by him, and for him:" (Colossians
1:16 KJV)
Everything whatsoever comes from God, even evil.
"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and
create evil: I the LORD do all these things." (Isaiah
45:7 KJV)
God created all things for His own reasons.
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power:
for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are
and were created." (Revelation 4:11 KJV)
Good and evil exist side-by-side in this world, intermixed in all
things. Pleasure exists in the midst of pain, joy in the midst
of sorrow. Accept this fact and live with it.
Parable Of The Wheat And The Tares
_____________________________________________________________
24
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The
kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good
seed in his field:
25
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among
the wheat, and went his way.
26
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit,
then appeared the tares also.
27
So the servants of the householder came and said unto him,
Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from
whence then hath it tares?
28
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants
said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them
up?
29
But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye
root up also the wheat with them.
30
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time
of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together
first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them:
but gather the wheat into my barn.
_____________________________________________________________
We must align ourselves completely with the will of God, even to death
by torture, as Jesus died.
"Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from
me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
(Luke 22:42 KJV)
God gives us grace sufficient for our every need, in order to survive
and overcome all evil.
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:"
(2 Corinthians 12:9a KJV)
In His own good time, at His own pleasure, God will eventually
separate the good from the evil, the sheep from the goats.
"And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the
goats on the left." (Matthew 25:33 KJV)
The good will be saved, the evil destroyed.
"Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his
floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will
burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:12
KJV)
And the good will live with God forever.
"and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for
ever." (Psalms 23:6b KJV)
<><
For Those Who Suffer Tragedy
Here are selected verses from His holy Word, presented without further
comment, from God directly to you. May the Holy Spirit guide you in
taking what you need from Him.
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
(Genesis 1:1 KJV)
"And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it
was very good." (Genesis 1:31a KJV)
"The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the
world, and they that dwell therein." (Psalms 24:1 KJV)
"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and
create evil: I the Lord do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7
KJV)
"Who has given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever
is under the whole heaven is mine." (Job 41:11 RSV)
"And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and
naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the
Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
(Job 1:21 KVJ)
"Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will
say unto him, What doest thou?" (Job 9:12 KJV)
"Though he slay me, yet I will trust in him . . ."
(Job 13:15 KJV)
"They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion,
which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever."
(Psalms 125:1 KJV)
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life." (John 3:16 KJV)
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven
and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband;
and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the
dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they
shall be his people, and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall
be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain
any more, for the former things have passed away."
(Revelation 21:1-4 RSV)
* * *
May the Lord bless this presentation of His holy Word.
Rev. Bill McGinnis <><
bmcgin@patriot.net
HTML version of this page, with links, is located at
http://www.internetchurchofchrist.org/pearl-faultfinders.html
See more pages like this, at our Index of Pearls Of Faith, a treasury of
Biblical truths.
Please also see our related pages . . .
CHRISTIAN
ETHICS & HUMAN RELATIONS
POLITICS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Sitemap
May the Lord bless this presentation of His holy Word.
Rev. Bill McGinnis <><
bmcgin@patriot.net
See more pages like this, at our Index of Pearls Of Faith, a treasury of
Biblical truths.
Please also see our related pages . . .
CHRISTIAN
ETHICS & HUMAN RELATIONS
POLITICS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Sitemap
Blessings to you in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rev. Bill McGinnis, Director - LoveAllPeople.org
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