ArticlesBut God...
I recently read through the book of Acts. Two words kept jumping off the page at me, “but God.” I just realized that those two simple words are packed with meaning. I did a search and found that “but God” occurs 61 times in the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. There are several key instances that are really neat. We see these two words used in relation to Noah. (The waters flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days. BUT GOD remembered Noah…. Genesis 7:24-8:1) These two words really jump off the page in the story of Joseph. Joseph illustrates to us in profound ways the sovereignty of God. Check out these verses. Genesis 45:6,7 - For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. BUT GOD sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Genesis 50:20 - You intended to harm me, BUT GOD intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. The story of Joseph can be summarized in two words, “but God.” There are more instances in the Old Testament, but let’s skip over to the New Testament. These two words occur frequently in the book of Acts. Acts 2:23,24 - This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. BUT GOD raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Acts 3:15 - You killed the author of life, BUT GOD raised him from the dead. Acts 7:5 - He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. BUT GOD promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. Acts 7:9,10 - Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. BUT GOD was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. Acts 10:39,40 - We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, BUT GOD raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. Acts 13:29,30 - When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. BUT GOD raised him from the dead…. I think these two words, “but God,” really jump off the page at me because they link two statements that do not go together. The first half of the statement is something that is terribly wrong, and the second half of the statement is something redeemed. These two words amaze me. They are the greatest conjunction in the whole Bible. They are perhaps the greatest conjunction in all of history. Man was dead in his sins and destined for hell…but God. I was a sinner condemned in my sin…but God. These two simple words, “but God,” should be the testimony of everyone one of us. The whole of redemptive history and the main point of the Bible is “but God.” Those two words are the turning point of all of human history. Praise God that He sovereignly controls this world and that we are not left to ourselves. Praise God for “but God.” Mother Teresa
I recently read an article in Time Magazine about Mother Teresa. The article can be found here. I have also posted a copy on braddena.com in case Time removes it in the future. The copy can be found here. The first couple of pages of the article give you the flavor. It is a preview to a new book that is coming out entitled Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light. Mother Teresa is often times heralded as the face of Christianity. To start with, don’t get me wrong. She did some amazing work by human standards. The region she worked in is far better off because of her, and I applaud her work. I have always wondered though if she was really a Christian or not. On the outside, she had amazing works. But, I have heard her speak of her beliefs before. Her beliefs did not square with scripture. She believed just as the Catholic Church taught (and I think even incorporated some Hinduism). Catholic teaching can not be reconciled with the Bible. The 2 are mutually exclusive. I do think there are some true Christians in the Catholic Church, but it is very hard to find the Truth in that institution. So, I have always wondered if she did her work out of love, obedience, and thankfulness of what Christ did for her, or was she working trying to win Christ’s favor. This article shows Mother Teresa’s private life. It appears that she probably was not really a true Christian. (I can’t say for sure. I am just speculating. And, it is deeply sad.) Mother Teresa had a God-shaped hole in her heart (we all do). Instead of filling that hole with Christ and letting works flow from that, she was trying to fill that hole with her works. Instead of bringing her peace and assurance, it actually made the hole bigger. She could not find rest for her soul. It appears that she felt further from God the more she tried to work to win His favor. That is exactly what the Bible says happens. Nothing can substitute for Christ, not even our good works. Here are a couple of verses that illustrate what I think Mother Teresa was missing. My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62:1,2; NIV) Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30; NIV) The Problem of Evil
The problem of evil is something that typically comes up early in a conversation about God. This is especially true if you are speaking to a non-believer. What is the answer to this question? Is God in control? Are there things outside of God’s control? These are important questions. Theologians have grappled with this question for centuries. In no way do I completely have this question figured out. I think at some point, we just have to claim Deuteronomy 29:29 and say that the secret things belong to God. I just finished Piper’s chapter on suffering in Desiring God and thought this would be an appropriate place for this post. Clearly, this one post will not fully resolve the question, but hopefully I can provide some insights. First, I believe God is sovereign. He is in complete control of this universe, even evil. There is nothing outside of His control. I think there is no verse that demonstrates this more clearly than Acts 4:27,28. The greatest evil in all the world is the murder of an innocent person and especially if that innocent person is God. This passage in Acts clearly tells us that God was in control of even that event. The problem of evil should not be a strike against God. It is actually one of the greatest signs pointing to God. We hold a book in our hands, the Bible, that explains the problem of evil to us clearly. In the 3rd chapter of the book (Genesis 3), God tells us where evil came from. Evil entered this world when Adam and Eve, using their free will, chose to sin. From that point forward, humans lost their free will and have been held captive to their sin nature. The Bible ends in Revelation telling us what God plans to do with evil. It will be completely wiped out. There will be a new heavens and a new earth. God has a plan for evil. He is perfectly clear about that. The question is not, “Why has God not judged evil?” The question is, “Why has God not judged evil yet?” The Bible answers this question as well. It is because of God’s great love and mercy that he has not rid the world of evil. It is not because He is weak or not in control. He is full of love and mercy. The Bible tells us between Genesis and Revelation the history of redemption and how God is fixing this messed up world. It all points to the cross where evil was defeated. So, why are we still here? The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3 that God is patient. He is waiting until the full number of His children have come to faith in Him before He judges the world. Once again, it is His mercy. What if Christ would have returned 5 years ago, 10 years ago, 15 years ago, 100 years ago, 1000 years ago. How many of us would have been left out? How many of us would have died in our sins? The problem of evil does not tell us there is no God, or that God is unloving, or that God is weak. Evil tells us just how merciful that our God is. He would have been perfectly just to have destroyed this world at the first sin. He would have been perfectly just to destroy you with your first sin. The Bible tells us in Romans 8:18-25 that the Creation has been subjected to frustration waiting on redemption. God gets our attention through the evil in the world. No one gives a rip about God in the good times. The only way He can get us to stop, examine our lives, and see the ugliness of our sin is through evil and pain. Evil should be a sign that screams at us the ugliness of sin. I like what C.S. Lewis says in The Problem of Pain. He says, “But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” When bad things happen, it should cause us to repent and run to God - not question His existence or character. This is exactly what Christ said in response to a calamity in the Bible found in Luke 13:1-5. Praise God for His great mercy and patience! |
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