Skip to main content

I'm growing to dislike God...

Whenever I pose a question to anyone it's usually from two possible positions: either out of ignorance or a desire to make clear some doubts (and this is two-way, my ignorance and doubts or my respondent's). I want to believe you also share these views, beside the other positions you may take. In fact, in this generation of con-people, no one really ever believes everything as gospel truth. We must demand a few clarifications. We are skeptical about free handouts, so much, even God's free grace for our salvation. We always want to find out the "strings attached." This kind of skeptism is the basis of this article.

Christianity, like most other religions, is faith-based. The Almighty God came up with a fool proof system in which faith must rest upon evidence and not demonstration, so that the professor has no advantage over a young schoolboy. "The just shall live by faith" he declares. The whole creation reveals and is to reveal God's invisible character so that no one can pledge ignorance (Romans 1:20). Nobody can boldly claim 'I didn't know that God exists'. I never want to be the object of David's words that "the fool has said in his heart, there is no God" (Psalm 14:1). Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubts. Below is a thread from an online forum I love sharing my thoughts in. SERIOUS STUFF HERE, but who knows, you might be having or have had similar opinions before.

QUOTE: "God didn't need to "die" for our sins. He is all powerful, just a snap of the finger is all it could take. What makes his "death" even more ridiculous is that he didn't even die. He's literally all powerful, death doesn't hold power over him since he literally created death. His "death" was simply a silly charade. I don't even like how the bible explains it as sacrifice. He didn't sacrifice his life, he's still alive. The fact that he can "resurrect" himself makes any "sacrifice" moot because he lost nothing. We can't assume that evil came from nowhere. God's title is creator. If god is the creator of all things he certainly created evil.
God is all knowing. He knew we were going to sin. He punishes us anyway. That's like me setting up the dominoes in a way I know it's going to fall and then having a temper tantrum when they do fall. Seems pretty silly if you ask me. Why make everything confusing for people to understand. In fact, why create anyone who you (god) knows is going to hell. Geez if I was all powerful and certainly all knowing I'd spare that poor soul the pain. If god is all loving why doesn't he just bite the bullet and spare everyone eternal suffering for those going to hell. Certainly if I was all loving I'd rather have someone hate me and not suffer than the person suffer for no purpose. Maybe it's to prove a point? In those terms who the hell does god need to prove a point to? Us? We aren't as all knowing as you, we just won't be able to "get it."
I feel like if I had all of the aspects of gods character I could have, quite easily, done everything much, much better." END OF QUOTE.

Such are the thoughts that would make anyone begin to dislike God. One fact we must never forget to recognize is our finite mind. We cannot fully comprehend the mind or the works of God, the Infinite One. If you don't believe me go and ask Job of Uz Job 38-42. He initially thought He could challenge God, at least being the perfect and upright man that he was, one that feared God and shunned evil. Even from such vantage point he gave up His doubts when God set up one of the hottest debates He's ever had with a human being. Did you know how Job was dumbfounded? He retreated and said "I am unworthy-how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer... I will say no more" then God urges him, "Brace yourself like a man, I will question you and you will answer me." Job's last words were, "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know... therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."

When Job finally realises that his doubts were nothing but pure foolishness, the Lord ends his miseries and blesses the latter part of Job's life more than the first. We still have questions. Did Job have the right to question God's intentions? What do we learn from Job at a point when he was slowly growing to dislike God?

1. In Zophar's words "Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven-- what can you do? Deeper than Sheol--what can you know?" (Job 11:7,8).
2. Peter says that the "letters of Paul contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as the do other Scriptures, to their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16).

One thing is crystal clear. That we cannot fully search and comprehend the mind of God, but that He has given us enough revelation upon which we can hang our faith. In the old times he made his point through Moses that "the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and our children for ever, that we may follow all the words of the law." (Deuteronomy 29:29) In E. White's words "the very grandeur and mystery presented [in Scriptures] should inspire faith in it as the word of God."

I firmly believe, from experience, that thoughts like "I am growing to dislike God" is not farfetched. This is not a line of thought for atheists. "Not all who believe the Bible are free from this danger". Consequently, Paul advises us to "see to it that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first" (Hebrews 3:12-14).

Next, I'd like to share thoughts from some wise servants of God on what to do with doubt.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Jesus Our Advocate Part III: In the Heavenly Courts

The advocacy of the Lord Jesus in our behalf, however, is wholly different from this, though the same general object is pursued and sought, the good of those for whom he becomes an advocate. The nature of his advocacy may be stated in the following particulars: (1.) He admits the guilt of those for whom he becomes the advocate, to the full extent charged on them by the law of God, and by their own consciences. He does not attempt to hide or conceal it. He makes no apology for it. He neither attempts to deny the fact , nor to show that they had a right to do as they have done. He could not do this, for it would not be true; and any plea before the throne of God which should be based on a denial of our guilt would be fatal to our cause. (2.) As our advocate, he undertakes to be security   that no wrong shall be done to the universe if we are not punished as we deserve; that is, if we are pardoned, and treated as if we had not sinned. This he does by pleading what he has done

Tenderly he watches over you

An old beautiful song by Beverly Shea, reminds us of God's unwavering care for us. Humanly speaking, the thought of His constant guardianship and upkeep is inconsistent with us the yet-sinners. But He loves us still. I have decided to ignore any seeming discrepancy, but to trust His word. For the scripture assures me, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God... casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 Moreover, he promises to continue His past graces towards His people. "The Lord has been mindful of us." Psalm 115:12 . Our preservation proves this, our mercies, our trials, our guidance and our consolations. Everything, even the minutest blessing, represents a thought in the mind of God respecting us. "How precious are thy thoughts concerning me, O God, how great," ( Psalm 139:17 ), and those thoughts go back to an eternity before we came into being. "The Lord hath been mindful of us"; then should

Bread of Sorrows

Bread of Sorrows: When God sends it, it is good to eat it.  When we bake it ourselves, it is vain to eat it.   When the devil brings it, it is deadly meat “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” Psalms 127:2. Frankly speaking,  Rev. Spurgeon expounded on this verse in a very captivating way in his sermon, The Peculiar Sleep of the Beloved- delivered on Sabbath Morning, March 4, 1855. I loved this!  ‘ The Psalmist says there are some men who deny themselves sleep. For purposes of gain, or ambition, they rise up early and sit up late. Some of us who are here present may have been guilty of the same thing. We have risen early in the morning that we might turn over the ponderous volume, in order to acquire knowledge; we have sat at night until our burned-out lamp has chidden us, and told us that the sun was rising; while our eyes have ached, our brain has throbbed, our heart has pal