News 'n' Views Online

Theodicy

My friend John Rush recently attended a Ligonier conference in Orlando. Even though neither John nor I are Calvinists, we both acknowledge that many (most?) of the "great" Christian scholars and authors of our day are in fact Calvinists.

One issue that has concerned me with Calvinism is its unswerving, overarching emphasis on God’s sovereignty to the (seeming) neglect of or indifference to His innumerable other attributes. While I believe unreservedly and unashamedly in God’s sovereignty, I also believe the teaching and application of that truth must be done in a way that highlights all of God’s traits. The declaration I heard many years ago that "truth without balance leads to heresy" comes to mind.

Back to my friend John . . . he has written a tremendous article analyzing God and the problem of evil (theodicy). Please take the time to visit his blog and read his observations. I assure you, it will be well worth your time.

My Will or Jesus Christ's?

Even though the New Year begins on January 1, in Chile—for all practical purposes—it starts in March. Summer vacation ends and folks return to work and school. Last Sunday, March 4, therefore, I preached a sermon emphasizing some important points to be considered as we look forward in 2007. I would like to share a portion of that sermon that was a blessing to my life personally.

My text was Luke 9:23-24 (King James Version): "And he [Jesus] said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." (To be completely accurate, my text came from the Spanish Reina Valera Version [1960 Revision], "Y [Jesús] decía a todos: Si alguno quiere venir en pos de mí, niéguese a sí mismo, tome su cruz cada día, y sígame. Porque todo el que quiera salvar su vida, la perderá; y todo el que pierda su vida por causa de mí, éste la salvará.")

As we came to verse 24, I said, "Jesus, in a certain way is saying, ‘I know that what I’m asking [verse 23] isn’t easy but let Me go on and explain precisely what’s at stake.’" What the Lord is doing is offering us all the options so that we might make a wise decision. He is carrying out what is known in the business world as a Cost-Benefit Analysis. Whenever making an important decision, it’s necessary to weigh the costs involved and compare them with the benefits to be obtained.

Option #1: Following My Own Will ("Save [My] Life")

• Benefit: Extremely Low—Following my own will never gives me the return I expected for my investment . . . the little happiness that it might offer me is rapidly replaced by sadness and depression; instead of filling me, it leaves me empty and wasted. Any benefit that could exist in following my own will will only last for a few brief instants during this earthly life.
• Cost: Extremely High

For those who have truly accepted Jesus Christ as Savior: Following our own will after having accepted Jesus Christ as Savior will bring us sorrow, irritability, depression, interpersonal problems . . . and an almost endless list of other troubles. Furthermore, sooner or later, it will bring God’s discipline on our lives. Finally, arriving at the end of life only to see all that we’ve done amount to a great, big ZERO will be the icing on the cake of a life dedicated to following its own will.

For those who have never truly accepted Jesus Christ as Savior: Following your own will instead of turning your life over to Jesus Christ will cost you your soul in hell. You will pay eternally for continuing in your sin and yet will never, ever be able to pay off the debt of your rebellion against God.

Option #2: Following Jesus Christ ("Lose [My] Life for [His] Sake")

• Cost: Extremely Low—The costs of following Jesus wholeheartedly are so insignificant that it is not worth our spending much time discussing them. The Apostle Paul (who knew something about suffering!) declares in Romans 8:18, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

• Benefit: Extremely High—The benefits of following Jesus are literally innumerable y even unimaginable. En this present life, we have an Almighty Friend who has promised never to abandon us (Hebrews 13:5-6). In the life to come, we will spend an eternity learning from God and enjoying such delights that the human mind cannot even fathom (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).

Kids or Pets?

When I was a child and/or teenager (a loooong ago), I remember my missionary father commenting on the growing number of couples who seemed to love animals more than children. In fact, more and more couples were deciding not to have kids and, instead, "adopt" pets. To my dad, that kind of misplaced "love" came under the category of "unnatural affections" of the Romans 1 variety.

Now, let me hasten to say that my dad (who will turn 83 this month) is no hater of animals. He grew up on a farm in South Mississippi among sheep, cows, mules, chickens, dogs, cats, a pet squirrel, etc. Until the Lord called him into the ministry, one of his goals was to raise Black Angus cattle.

Growing up on the mission field, my siblings and I were always allowed and encouraged to have animals as pets. From Brazil and on to Paraguay and Chile, some of the Rogers kids had—at one time or another—rabbits, chickens, a sheep, a horse, monkeys, parakeets, ducks, quails, canaries, dogs and surely other kinds of creatures which I have doubtless forgotten. Even though we were taught to care for and treat them properly, we always understood that animals are animals and people are people. (Now that’s profound!) Animals had their place—outside (except for the canaries). We also understood that some of the animals could at times find their ultimate destiny on our dinner plates.

Several decades later, the situation which concerned my dad about affections being transferred from children to animals has grown exponentially worse. Besides being obvious in the set of people that has no problem killing babies while saving spotted owls, whales, eagles, seals, rodents, etc.,* it has also seen an insidious growth among couples who simply cannot go to the trouble of bearing and rearing children. (*By the way, please let me hasten to say that I have no problem with and indeed am a supporter of correct management and conservation of our fauna. Since "the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof" [Psalm 24:1, King James Version], His children are expected to be good stewards of His creation.)

Al Mohler takes note of this sad and unnatural phenomenon on his blog in "Dogs – ‘Children of the New Millennium?’" (Sorry, Al, but I have to say that my dad beat you to it a long time ago in his cutting edge analysis of society’s downward slide.) Please click here to read Mohler’s article.