Q: How do we explain to a loved one that God is not the one who makes them sick, bitter, or have no joy?
A: In the Old Testament, there was a practice of assigning the guilt and sin of everyone in the community to a spotless lamb or goat and then sacrificing it or sending it off into the wilderness. It is where we get our term “scapegoat” and it foreshadowed what Jesus would do on the cross. Your question points to the reality that God still serves as the scapegoat today; God is often blamed for the mess of our fallen and sinful world. Since Pastor Ron preached on this subject, I refer you to his message “Where was God.”
However, I want to address the particulars of your question.
Jesus is the best revelation we have of God (the Book of Hebrews emphasizes this). Look at what Jesus did and said; he healed, he reached out to the social outcasts and “sinners” to eat meals with them and ask them to follow him. He said that his desire was to have us experience abundant life, joy and peace. He poured out the Holy Spirit on believers that we might grow in love, joy and peace among others. He pointed to forgiveness as the only sure cure for bitterness and commanded us to do it because he knows it frees our hearts.
Where in any of the revelation of Jesus do you find him making people sick, bitter or joyless? Nowhere.
2 comments:
I know this question is confusing, and there might be no answer at all, but it's been on my mind for a while:
What will we do in heaven? We are told of eternities and eternities with God, but will this be filled with activity? What do the scriptures say being with Him will be like? Wrong as it sounds, doing the same thing for eternity would get..dull, almost. Would we forget our lives on earth, as their length seemed so tiny compared to eternal salvation?
I also had another question: two of my grandparents recently passed away, and I often pray to God to tell them in heaven that I love them. But are they even in heaven yet? Will anyone be, until that day of judgement, and I'm just praying about nothing?
I'm sorry this is so poorly worded, but I think you can understand the basic gist. Thanks.
Your questions are not poorly worded at all, and I appreciate you asking them. The best answer for your second question can be found on a post by Pastor Ron from January 30 titled "What Happens at Death." To get to it, click "January Posts" in the right margin of the blog, and scroll down until you find it.
Regarding your second question, our eternity will consist of worshiping God as we were intended. This is not just singing, as we sometimes reduce "worship" to being. It will be serving and working and being in true fellowship with one another; knowing and being known. These things will not be like our experience now; recall that our experience with labor now is part of the fallen world and that our relationships are laden with things like shame and jealousy. No more after the resurrection of the dead.
Then, we will have the kind of purpose and significance of life that we search for now. The Bible says that we will rule with Christ on the new earth. It all sounds pretty cool to me.
Also, I'm not so certain about how time will work at that point, so I kind of think boredom from repetition may not even be in the picture.
Post a Comment