|
The UK Bible Students Website Christian Biblical Studies |
NOT ALTOGETHER LIKE
YOU
But to the wicked, God says: What right
have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my
instruction and cast my words behind you. When you see a thief, you join with
him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. You use your mouth for evil and
harness your tongue to deceit. You speak continually against your brother and
slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done and I kept silent; you
thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your
face.
– Psalm 50:
16-21 (NIV-UK)
–
THE CHIEF DIFFICULTY which stands in the way of believing in God
is the general unsatisfactory state of the world. The assumption is that a
loving, powerful creator could not tolerate random acts of natural and man-made
violence and death. Ergo, there is no God. The faith of many has
collapsed on this one point. As once steady social elements decay in one
direction and magnify in complexity in another, scepticism abounds. Britons in
general are now less willing to endorse traditional religion than a generation
ago.
For all its defects, humanity in the main
has noble impulses and an intuitive yearning for fair play. It has a remarkable
capacity for unselfish action in the service of others. Such altruism is on
display frequently in the collective response to tragedy, small and large.
People are quick to donate to charitable and humanitarian causes to alleviate
the distress of others and to offer their help. Nor is this confined to the
Christian. Tenderness of heart and a sacrificial love is the standard hallmark
of the family unit everywhere. As a species we are repulsed by violations of
this unwritten code.
Natural selection and survival of the
fittest, the twin pillars of evolutionary philosophy, tell us that even the
heroic aspects of the human being can be explained without resorting to belief
in an intelligent creator. And there is a thriving intellectual factory which
churns out assertions that even the most graceful and charming aspects of
humanity are, at root, utilitarian – an evolutionary means to an
end.
Such a counsel can only reinforce the notion
that life is, in the long run, without significance – the ‘here today, gone
tomorrow’ school of thought. But though many say they subscribe to this bankrupt
philosophy, they don’t actually behave as if they do. Life and self-esteem are
precious to most people, and they will not easily relinquish their grip on
either.
Rough Love
In the context of the Psalm quoted at the
head of this article, the ‘wicked’ are those who commit evil in a deliberate way
– those who know better, but choose not to follow the right course. Indeed, they
seek to exploit the misfortune of others for selfish motives. The calumny
against God is that He is like these, turning a callous eye on the sad plight of
mankind and is either incompetent or has nefarious
designs.
It’s easy to see why many have come to this
conclusion. Unbelief is easy; Faith is hard. But it is far too simple to draw a
straight line from the sorry state of the world to the conclusion that God must
not exist. The universe is too complex to warrant such a hasty judgement. And,
assuming the existence of an intelligent creator capable of producing such an
extraordinarily complicated universe, it’s unlikely that He would be so
elementary and transparent as to be easily understood.
We need to look for a deeper
explanation.
Rough Love in
Action
There are many calculations one could make
about the odds of the universe coming about by luck (from what?). They
weigh heavily against the accidental assembly of a solar system with no outside
assistance, especially considering, for example, the equilibrium which must
exist between gravitational pull and a planetary orbit of sufficient speed to
counteract it. To hypothesize such ‘accidents’ requires the ‘miracle’ mentality
of which many Christians are accused by their detractors. One would not normally
gamble against odds of even lesser magnitude were they applied to crossing a
busy road blindfolded.
Regardless of the age of the earth, which
may be thousands of millions of years, human history is quite short. For this
duration mankind has had to endure a great lesson: the permission of evil, which
teaches us the dire effects of sin and alienation from the fellowship of God.
All are enrolled in this particular school.
But God has made provision for an experience
which is the opposite of the present one and which will undo and
obliterate all the effects which now detract from life. At length He will bring
in Christ’s Kingdom on earth. During that period, mankind living and resurrected
will be accorded a wide, flexible opportunity to learn the blessings of
righteousness and the joys of fellowship with God. The end result will be
eternal life in a world free of the harshness and unpleasantness of our present
existence.
Psalm 90: 14-17 speaks prophetically of a
restored mankind, and puts into their mouth the hope which lies
within:
Satisfy us in the
morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our
days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years
as we have seen trouble. May your deeds be shown to your servants, your
splendour to their children. May the favour of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us – yes, establish the work of our
hands.
It will yet transpire that God’s reputation
will be vindicated and His compassion for the human family – demonstrated by His
sending His Son to die on the cross – will be evident to all, even His
critics.
________________
If you have any questions about this topic,
please contact us at jtm@ukbiblestudents.co.uk
Copyright April 2009, UK Bible Students. You may reproduce this article in whole or in part, but please let us know if you do, and link to our site, if possible.