IS GOD EVIL?

“You are an omniscient, omnipotent Creator of the universe.  You created some people, tied them up, placed them on a railroad track and make a train hurtle towards them. You promise to save them if they accept that You are the creator of this situation. Are You evil?”

Someone posted this on Facebook a few days ago and I wondered if these people were serious or if our culture is now displaying its stupidity with pride.

These are “gotcha” arguments often made by individuals who lack knowledge about God, the story of God, the story of humankind, or the story of salvation. They oversimplify their anti-God sentiment by creating a distorted image based on their irrational perception of what they believe God to be. 

But how do you respond to such nonsense?  And 'yes' I call it nonsense, because these arguments are rarely intended to initiate a genuine and enlightening conversation. Instead, they are used solely to prove a point and win an argument - a typical, flawed strawman argument.

But often it is the silent, curious observer who eagerly awaits a response to this accusation. And as a believer, we better have a compelling one.

First of all, what's wrong with this metaphor is the ‘tied people on the track’.  God did not tie people up and put them on a track to make them believe or go to hell.  No, He told them not to go near the track, but if they felt they had to, they certainly could, because they were created with free will.

God did not create evil, nor is He evil.  God created man into perfection, but man sinned and messed everything up because of their free will. God's creation chose evil, and evil was passed down from generation to generation, destroying the world itself.

We are born into sin and God has offered and not forced the opportunity to be saved from that sin by accepting the gift of salvation that comes only through Jesus.

When we came into this world we were already dead.  But God who loved the world so much wanted to give us life, and He paid a price for that - Jesus. 

What are we going to do with this gift of life? And who is truly the embodiment of evil in this world?

FEARS & WORRIES - WILL THEY EVER GO AWAY?

My fears and worries can be overwhelming at times.  They can feel like a terrifying monster lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce at any moment.

I'm aware that I have to realize that the reason I'm afraid is because I don't consider that God's presence is with me. Once I realize that God is indeed with me, my fears and worries will subside. With God's presence, I also gain access to the comfort of His promises, His peace, His protection, and His provision.  

God knows me from the inside out, and His desire is to inspire me to find my courage and strength in Him alone. But my fallen humanity is stubborn and wants to hold on to its independence and self-sufficiency. It makes it hard to let go of myself and completely fall into the arms of God.  But that's what I must do.

We are given permission to let go of fear because God assures us that there is no need to be afraid when we are with Him. (Isaiah 41:10)

AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO NEVER HEARD OF JESUS ?

I’ve often asked myself: What happens to people who have never heard about Jesus? That seems like such an important question—one that has a lot to do with God’s justice and His nearness to us, no matter where we live or who we are.

It is comforting to know that God doesn’t hold people accountable simply because of what they don’t know. Instead, His judgment is based on how we respond to the truth we already do know (Luke 12:47-48).

Every human being carries deep within their heart an awareness of God. We often sense it unconsciously—in the beauty of nature, in the order of the world around us, and in the quiet voice of our conscience.

But there is a challenge: many people make the choice to ignore this awareness and close their eyes, even though deep inside they sense that God is real. That isn’t carelessness or a mistake—it’s a deliberate decision to reject the truth.

Romans 1:20 says that such people are “without excuse.” They cannot simply claim they didn’t know, because God has already revealed Himself through creation enough for them to recognize Him. Choosing to reject that truth leads to an eternity apart from God—which means the absence of all that is good.

But what about those who live on a remote island, people who have never heard the name of Jesus—the Messiah, the way to God and eternal life?

I firmly believe that God reveals Himself to those who sincerely seek Him and follow the hints He has placed in their hearts. Jeremiah 29:13 promises: “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” Today we hear many moving testimonies, especially from the Muslim world, of people who encountered Jesus through dreams or personal experiences.

God gives every person the opportunity to find Him. This assurance should encourage us to seek Him with all that we are, to embrace the knowledge we already have, and to stay open to the ways He points us to Jesus.

Jesus Himself said that He and the Father are one (John 10:30) and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). This means that Jesus is God Himself, and the only way to eternal life with God—a life overflowing with love, joy, and every good thing.

When we follow Jesus, He promises us an unshakable foundation of hope and faith, one that strengthens and sustains us for this eternal fellowship with God.

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I WILL NEVER FORSAKE YOU

For the most part I "walk by faith and not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7), but too often, to my embarrassment, I seem to perceive God's faithfulness only in retrospect, and rarely when I look forward. And I ask myself, do I have faith in God only for what He has done for me?  For what I can see and evaluate, but not for what He has promised? 

Where is my faith that shows confidence in what I hope for. Faith that has assurance for the things I can't see? (Hebrews 11:1).

 

God assures me that He will never fail me, that He will never abandon me (Hebrews 13:5). Scripture is filled with God's positive promises, and I believe every one of them, yet my faith sometimes seems so small.

I guess the world with all its terror and lies can certainly distract and confuse me. That's why I have to constantly remind myself who God is and apply the things He has done in my life to the things He will do. 

 

He will never leave me and never forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:8). This is His promise, and I believe Him.

“All the promises of God find their Yes in him [Christ]. 

That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”
(2 Corinthians 1:20)