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“Why Is There Evil and Suffering in the World?”
The curious as well as the critics of Christianity ask this question. If God is all-powerful and all loving, then why does He permit evil and suffering in the world? Various answers have been given but permanently settling the issue is impossible because so many of our answers raise further questions. Nevertheless, our lack of ability to answer the question perfectly does not mean that we cannot offer solutions. Of course, I do not assume to be able to answer these questions definitively, but I can offer some solutions.
First of all, it is possible that God has reasons for allowing evil to exist that we simply cannot understand. In this the Christian can have confidence in God knowing that His ways are above our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). As the Bible says, the just shall live by faith (Hab. 2:4).
Second, God may be letting evil run its course in order to prove that evil is evil and that suffering, which is the unfortunate product of evil, is further proof that anything contrary to God’s will is bad, harmful, painful, and leads to death.
God gave Adam dominion over the world (Gen. 1:28). When he rebelled against God, he set in motion an entire series of events and changed the very nature of man and creation. Both were affected by sin. Creation was no longer a paradise, but bore thorns and thistles (Gen. 3:17-18; Rom. 8:22). People became sinful (Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:3), who were haters of God (Rom. 3:19-12), etc. The only conclusion to such a situation is death. Jesus said, “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matt. 24:22).
Sin is rebellion against God and His created order. But God has not left us alone in this fallen world. He continued to enter this world, pointing us to Himself, to truth, to morality, purity, and love. He used the evil of the world (liars, perjurers, the envious, etc), to bring His Son to the cross so that we might have the opportunity of eternal life. In this, God has not stepped away from fallen creation, but has stepped into it by becoming Jesus. God works within the fallen world to affect change and He uses fallen people to accomplish His will. In this, He is proving His sovereignty over evil, suffering, and rebellious people, proving that sin and evil are utterly futile, and that He is worthy of honor and glory.
A third possible reason that God is letting evil occur is so that on the day of judgment, the condemned will have no right to say that their sentence is unjust. God is not stopping people from exercising their free will. Think about this: If someone said that God should stop evil and suffering, then should God then stop all evil and suffering? If God only stopped some of it, then we would still be asking the same question of why it exists. So, if we want God to stop evil and suffering, then He must stop all of it. We have no problem with this when it means stopping a catastrophe, or a murder, or a rape. But what about when someone thinks of something evil? Evil is evil whether it is acted out or not. Hatred and bigotry in someone’s heart is wrong. If it is wrong, and if God is to stop all evil, then He must stop that person from thinking his own thoughts. To do that, God must remove his freedom of thought. Furthermore, which person on the earth has not thought something evil? God would be required, then, to stop all people from exercising their free will. This is something God has chosen not to do. Therefore, we could say that one of the reasons that God permits evil and suffering is because of man’s free will.
Fourth, it is quite possible that God uses the suffering to do good. In other words, He produces patience through tribulation (Rom. 5:3). Or He may desire to save someone through it. Take for example, the account of Joseph who was sold into slavery by His brothers. What they did was wrong and Joseph suffered greatly for it. But, later, God raised up Joseph in Egypt to make provisions for the people of that land during the coming drought of seven years. But not only was Egypt saved, but also so was his family and brothers who originally sold him into slavery. Joseph finally says to them, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good” (Gen. 50:15-21). Of course, the greatest example of God using evil for good is the death of Christ. Evil people brought him to the cross, but God used that cross as the means to save the world.
But then we must ask, if this is true, are we working against God by working against evil and suffering? No, we are not. God says he does not want us to sin and suffer. But it is simply true that God can use evil despite of its apparent despicable nature.
God is in the world using the world and its failures for His glory and the benefit of those who listen to Him.
But then, what about those who seem to innocently suffer with no benefit resulting? What about the woman who is raped, or the innocent by stander who is killed by a stray bullet. In both cases, the victims and families suffer nothing but pain and loss. What good can this possibly be?
I think that the answer is two-fold. One, ultimately, no one is innocent. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and are by nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3). There is none innocent. Though this is biblically accurate, it does not satisfy the question emotionally. Why do little babies suffer for things they have not done? I must acknowledge that I do not know. Ultimately, we must trust God who knows the beginning from the end and sees the grand picture. He will have the final word and He will be vindicated.
Closing Thoughts:
Suffering is the result of human sin. The world is not the way that God created it and because of that, all are vulnerable to the affects of sin in the world. Why does one person suffer and another does not? Why do catastrophes happen to some and no others? It is because sin is in the world. But there will come a day when the Lord will return and cleanse this world of all sin and all suffering.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away,” (Rev. 21:4).
“The Basics of the Christian Faith”
You don’t need to have the scripture verses memorized, and this list isn’t authoritative. So, if you don’t know everything, that’s alright. But, these are the basics in Christianity and Christians should, at the very least, be familiar with them.
- Can you tell someone what the Great Commission is?”
- And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying,”All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19″Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matt. 28:18-20).
- Can you tell someone what the gospel is?”
- Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (1 Cor. 15:1-4)
- Can you tell someone where in the Bible the gospel is defined?
- See above.
- How many ways are there to get to God?
- Only one: “Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me,” (John 14:6).
- Can you quote John 3:16?
- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life,” (John 3:16).
- What book and chapter of the Bible has the 10 Commandments?
- Exodus 20
- What is the basic salvation message?
- The basic salvation message is that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4). All who would believe in Him will have everlasting life and escape the judgment of God upon those who have sinned against Him (John 3:16-18). Receiving salvation from God is done by faith (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:8). Also, by receiving Christ, people are enabled to repent of their sins.
- Must you be baptized in order to be saved?
- No, you don’t have to be baptized to be saved (Rom. 5:1; Acts 10:44-48). See “Is Baptism necessary for Salvation?” for more information on this.
- Is salvation obtained by being good, by faith in Jesus alone, or both?
- Can you define the term justification?
- To be justified is to be made righteous. It is a divine act where God declares the sinner to be innocent of his sins. It is not that the sinner is now sinless, but that he is “declared” sinless. This justification is based on the shed blood of Jesus, “…having now been justified by His blood…” (Rom. 5:9).
- Can you tell define the term sanctification?
- Sanctification follows justification. In justification our sins are completely forgiven in Christ. Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ in all that we do, think, and desire.
- Can you tell someone the difference between Mormonism and Christianity?
- Mormonism teaches that God used to be a man on another world. He became a god and brought one of his wives to this world. They produce spirit offspring who enter human babies at birth. Mormons believe they have the potential of becoming gods of their own worlds. Christianity teaches that there is only one God in all existence (who was never a man on a planet). God exists as a Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Jesus is the word made flesh (John 1:1,14) and we cannot become gods.
- Can you quote scripture and location that says we are saved by grace?
- Eph. 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
- Can you quote scripture and location that says there is only one God?
- “…Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me,” (Isaiah 43:10). See also Isaiah 44:6,8.
- Is Jesus God in flesh, a good man, or an angel who became a man?
- Jesus is God in flesh. Col. 2:9 says, “For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” John 1:1,14 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
- Did Jesus rise from the dead in a physical body or not?
- Jesus rose from the dead in the same body He died in, though it was a glorified body. “Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21But He was speaking of the temple of His body.” And, “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body,” (1 Cor. 15:42-44).
- How many natures does Jesus have?
- Two. Jesus is both God and man. Col. 2:9 says, “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” Is the Holy Spirit a person like the Father and Son, or a force like radar? The Holy Spirit is a person like the Father and the Son. He speaks (Acts 8:29; 13:2), has a will (1 Cor. 12:11), loves, and can be grieved (Eph. 4:30).
- Can you explain what the Trinity is?
- The Trinity is the teaching that God exists in three eternal, simultaneous, co-equal persons known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- Has God always been God?
- Yes, God has always been God. Psalm 90:2 says, “Before the mountains were born, or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.”
- Can you tell anyone what some of the attributes of God are?
- He knows all things (1 John 3:20). He is all powerful (Jer. 32:17,27). He is everywhere (Psalm 139:7-12). He is holy (Isaiah 6:3; Rev. 4:8).
- Is Jesus going to return or not?
- Yes, Jesus is going to return. Acts 1:10-11 says, “And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; 11and they also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
- Did Jesus bare our sins in His body on the cross or not?
- “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed,” (1 Peter 2:24).
- What is salvation? Salvation is the “saving” of a sinner from the righteous judgment of God.
- When someone appeals to God and seeks forgiveness in Jesus, his sins are forgiven. He is cleansed. His relationship with God is restored, and he is made a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17). All of this is the work of God, not man. Salvation is a free gift (Rom. 6:3).
- What is sin?
- Sin is anything that is contrary to the law or will of God. For example: if you lie, you have sinned. Why? Because God has said not to lie (Exodus 20:16). If you do what God has forbidden, then you have sinned. In addition, if you do not do what God has commanded, you sin (James 4:17).
- What is damnation?
- The righteous judgment of God upon a sinner where the sinner is cast out of the presence of God into Hell for ever. (Matt. 25:46).
- What is hell?
- Hell is the future place of eternal punishment of the damned including the devil and his fallen angels. See Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Acts 11:27; 1 Cor. 15:55; Rev. 1:18; 6:8).
- What is heaven?
- Heaven is the dwelling place of God and for those who go there a place of everlasting bliss. See Matt. 23:34-37; Luke 10:20; and Rev. 22:2,20-27.
- Is the Bible inspired or is it a good book full of good moral stories?
- The Bible is inspired and inerrant in the original documents. See 2 Tim. 3:16.
- What are the first five books of the Old Testament?
- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
- How many books are in the Bible?
- There are 66 books in the Bible: 39 books in the OT, 27 in the NT.
Abraham: Footprints of Faith (Four Part Series)
In this series of four sermons: “Called of God,” “Committed to God,” “Confused by Circumstances,” and “Completed Faith,” Stephen Earle shows how Abraham’s walk in faith with God can serve as a model for us today.
Part 1: Called of God (Genesis 12:1–3)
Abraham is a perfect example of someone who learned to relate to God by faith, and everyone who sets out on a faith venture follows in his footsteps. Abraham’s venture falls into four phases. The first is a call from God.
Called to Separation
The Lord initiates every spiritual faith venture, and that venture begins with a divine call to separation. God called Abraham to separate from his former way of life. Genesis 12:1 says, “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you’”(RSV).1 The author of Leviticus wrote, “You shall be holy to me; for I the LORD am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine” (Lev. 20:26). Spiritual decisions cannot be based on location, nationality, tradition, or economic considerations. They are to be based only on God’s call.
One afternoon, a supervisor in the boiler room of Southern Seminary casually gave some excellent advice to ministerial students. Members of the student maintenance crew were discussing after-graduation plans. Most wanted to return home for ministry. “Men,” he said, “you can never go forward looking backward.” God calls us to new life and a new way of life. He called Abraham to “the land that I will show you.” This call involved a different way of life. To complicate the decision, Abraham couldn’t see where he was going until he left the place where he was living. This always is true of faith ventures.
Called to Service
God calls us to service. The Lord said to Abraham, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great” (Gen 12:2–3).
Like Abraham’s descendants, we tend to hear the words “great” and “great name” but have difficulty understanding God’s concept of greatness. Our concept is position, prosperity.
Jesus’ disciples argued over which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom. He said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant…even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve” (Matt. 20:25–26,28).
God did not call Abraham because he was great; God called him because He was going to make him great. Paul recognized this process in his life. He wrote, “I was made a minister [servant] according to the gift of God’s grace” (Eph. 3:7; see also Col. 1:25).
We are called to be servants of others for Christ’s sake.
Called to Security
God calls us to separation, service, and security. God promised to take care of Abraham. He declared, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3).
Abraham may have assumed that God’s call meant his life would be easy. It wasn’t. Security is not tranquillity and ease; it is stability in the midst of life’s storms. A long series of events in Abraham’s life clearly demonstrates that God’s protection does not shield us from all of life’s harsh realities.
When Abraham reached the promised land, he discovered that it was populated by a large number of tribes and plagued by famine. Famine drove him to Egypt where, because of his and Sarah’s fear for his life, they agreed to be dishonest about their relationship. They agreed to tell anyone who might be interested in Sarah that she was his sister. That was true. She was his half sister, but she also was his wife. They told the truth, but only a half truth, which always is a lie. The lie was discovered, and Abraham was forced to leave the country.
Sarah, and perhaps Abraham, grew weary waiting on God to fulfill His promise of a child. Therefore, Abraham fathered a son, Ishmael, by Hagar, Sarah’s maid. Finally, when Abraham was 100, Isaac was born to Sarah. Conflict erupted between Sarah and Hagar over the children. Hagar and Ishmael were dismissed from the family, even though it distressed Abraham (Gen. 21:11). Later God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, which he was willing to do (Gen. 22:2). At last Abraham watched his beloved Sarah die (Gen. 32:2).
Does that sound like God might not have been watching over Abraham? He was—every step of the way. Through every problem, God proved faithful and kept Abraham safe. God never let Abraham go, even for a moment.
God delivered Abraham from Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt. Abraham was victorious in a battle with four kings from the East, who had defeated and looted the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God brought Abraham through a crisis with the Philistine king Abimelech. In time, Abraham became the wealthiest man in the land. God blessed him with a son in his old age and made of him a great nation.
God does not call us to a life of luxury and ease. He calls us to separation, service, and security in a trouble filled world. Jesus promises us: “I will be with you always” (Matt. 28:20). The question is, Will you say yes to God’s call in your life?
Faith Affects Our Total Being
The first and most obvious area that faith affects is the person, the self. Many people make religious decisions because they want or need a change. Abraham made his faith commitment in response to God’s call.
Abraham was 75 years old when he left Haran. It’s hard to imagine a person that old selling his home, leaving most of his family, and starting all over; but that’s exactly what Abraham did.
Changing directions in life never is easy. The older we get, the more difficult change becomes. However, God may call us at any time to step out on faith. Moses was 80 years old when God called him to lead Israel out of Egypt to the promised land. God called both Abraham and Moses to make dramatic changes late in life. Decisions to follow the Lord cannot be merely a quiet matter of the heart. They require action. Abraham moved to a foreign land.
Zamami was a high school student on Okinawa. He had been raised in a strict Buddhist family. A New Testament mysteriously appeared among his school books. Zamami read the book with interest. He became convinced that Jesus was the Christ and made a personal commitment to live for Him. Consequently, Zamami was disowned by his family. He was ostracized and persecuted by the other Buddhist students. Zamami came to America, studied theology, and returned home to preach the gospel. Though only a teenager at the time of his decision, Zamami was changed forever. Faith commitments have a life-changing impact on us.
Faith Affects Our Relationship to Our Possessions
Faith decisions affect our relationship to our possessions. Abraham gathered his belongings and took them on his journey to Canaan. The word all in the text is significant. It implies that faith affects everything we own. Some Christians give the tithe and then use the 90 percent in unaccountable ways. The biblical principle is that the 10 percent given as a tithe recognizes that everything belongs to the Lord. God is concerned about 100 percent of our resources, not just 10 percent of them. He requires an accounting of how we use our time, talent, and treasure.
Faith Affects Our Relationship with People
Our faith commitment directly influences two special groups: our families and our friends. Sarah and Lot went along on the journey with Abraham. In those days, wives had little choice but to follow their husbands. Sarah was 65 years old. How many women her age want to pack up and move because their husbands have heard a mysterious call? Sarah had to make a complete readjustment in her lifestyle. The couple was settled in Haran. Perhaps they had built a house and staked out grazing property. Life was quiet, simple, and predictable. Abraham’s call required them to leave their comfortable home and begin moving across the country, living in tents like nomads.
Lot’s father was dead. Abraham probably was his legal guardian. Lot’s life underwent major changes because Abraham followed God’s call.
This past spring we left a quiet, pleasant, and comfortable life in Oklahoma to begin anew in South Carolina. Even though we felt God was working to this end, we wrestled with what the decision would mean. Among other things, Anita, our oldest daughter, was entering her senior year of high school—a serious factor. A commitment to follow Christ does affect families.
Friends also are touched by our decisions. Genesis 12:5 mentions “the persons that they had gotten in Haran.” Some think these were friends, not slaves. Slaves were considered property and likely would have been included in the list of possessions. These people were influenced by Abraham and joined him on his journey.
John Donne, an English minister and poet, wrote, “No man is an island complete unto himself.” Our lives are intertwined with others. As we live out the richness of God’s grace, people will be influenced. Faith is contagious, and our faith will influence others. The God who called Abraham to new life and a new way of life is calling us today. The decision to follow Him changes everything.
Part 3: Confused by Circumstances (Genesis 12:5–10)Imagine how Abraham must have felt when he reached the land of Canaan. God had said, “Leave your land and kindred, and go to a land I will show you. And I will make you a great nation.” Abraham believed God and went, but when he reached Canaan, “Canaanites were in the land” and “there was a famine in the land.” Abraham must have been a bit confused—not to mention what his wife and the people with him must have felt, thought, and said. God had promised one thing, but it looked like another had happened.
Abraham’s experience is not unique. Seldom does a faith venture unfold as we think it will. If it did, no faith would be required. Faith takes over where sight fails. Following the will of God may not end as we think it will, and we may become confused. What do we do during those times?
We Worship
First, we worship. This may be at odds with our human nature, but it’s good therapy for confusion and it’s the right thing to do.
Perhaps Abraham’s disappointment and confusion grew as life in Canaan unfolded. No doubt, he and his party left Haran with great enthusiasm and excitement. The adverse circumstances they encountered when they arrived in Canaan probably dulled that excitement a bit. However, one of the first things Abraham did when he arrived in the promised land was to build an altar and worship. Abraham camped between the cities of Bethel and Ai. Perhaps he expected the Lord to give him one of those prosperous towns. Maybe he was beginning to realize how dense and strong Canaan’s population really was. He may have experienced more doubt and confusion, and so he built another altar.
Worship in the midst of confusion is rare. People who meet with disappointment frequently drop out of church and stop worshiping. We all have seen people do that. Abraham fell into that trap. When famine came, he failed to worship. Without divine direction, he left Canaan and went to Egypt—a mistake that almost proved disastrous.
American Christians tend to believe that the will of God is a bed of roses in which everything is pleasant, cozy and easy. Among Christians the most common reaction to obstacles is to say, “This must not be the will of God,” or, “If this were the will of God, things would work out better.” However, according to the experiences of God’s people in the Bible, hardship may indicate a person is in the will of God.
Facing obstacles in pursuit of God’s will is a common experience. Yet, obstacles often bring confusion. Part of the remedy is worship. We must learn to worship God, even when famine is in the land.
Randy and Anne were missionaries in Hong Kong. Randy had felt called to work with Chinese people when he was in high school. Four months after their arrival in Hong Kong, we received a letter from them that said: “Living in Hong Kong is not what we expected. . . .We are working at making Hong Kong home, but it has not come easy. . . .How is it going? That’s hard to answer. We did not get in the normal course of language study because of a slip-up in paper work. We are going to enroll in the summer beginner term at the Chinese University. This seems like a step backward.” Randy and Anne were pursuing God’s call. They left everything to follow Christ. Shouldn’t things have worked out better? What did they do? They worshiped. That’s the first step toward getting through confusion. Randy wrote, “We have decided on a church, and that has been an encouragement to us.”
We Wait
For most of us, waiting goes against the grain. We want to act. Abraham did. Genesis 12:10 states, “Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt.” This was one of the few times when Abraham seems to have acted without consulting God. The famine was the “straw that broke the camel’s back.” So, Abraham took matters into his own hands and went to Egypt. Some interesting things happened: Abraham became afraid. We have no mention that Abraham was afraid before. He and Sarah agreed not to tell the truth about their relationship. Consequently, Sarah was taken into Pharaoh’s harem. When Abraham and Sarah were forced to leave Egypt, Sarah’s Egyptian slave girl Hagar went along. She became the mother of Abraham’s first child, Ishmael. So much discord erupted in the family that Hagar and Ishmael were forced to leave. Ishmael’s descendants became perpetual rivals to Abraham’s family. All of that pain might have been avoided if Abraham had waited on God instead of running to Egypt. Rescuers who search for lost people in the mountains say hikers should stay put if they become confused or lost. Yet 99 percent of hikers who get lost begin to run. The more confused they become, the faster they run. When we become confused or disappointed, the best strategy is to wait. Abraham didn’t, and he paid a high price.
Living by faith is never as easy as it sounds. Confusion and disappointment may come. The antidote to such experiences is clear—waiting and worshiping. They are the only appropriate courses of action.
Trust Is Constant
Our trust in God must be constant, not off and on, up and down, hot and cold. Genesis 22:1 says, “After these things God tested Abraham.” What things? All the things that had occurred in Abraham’s life as a result of his obedience to God’s call to go out to a land that He would show him. If we consider all these things, it would seem that God already had tested Abraham’s faith. This, however, was the final exam.
God asked Abraham to take his only son Isaac to a far away mountain and sacrifice him. Isaac’s death would mean the end of everything God had promised Abraham. In Genesis 12, God asked Abraham to give up his past. Here He asked him to give up his future. Through those previous trials, Abraham had developed an unshakable faith. When this test came, he never wavered. Look at 22:5: “I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” Verse 8 states: “Abraham said, God will provide himself the lamb for the burnt offering.” Verse 14 declares, “So Abraham called the name of that place The LORD will provide.” In his commentary on this episode, the writer of Hebrews wrote, “He [Abraham] considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead” (Heb. 11:19).
Abraham had come to trust God completely, and the Lord established a great nation on that faith. Great churches are built on persons who have developed constant trust in God. Ron Lewis, a church growth consultant, says that in every growing congregation there are people whose lives have been crushed with nowhere to turn except the Lord. With everything in ashes, they turn to God and find Him faithful and sufficient. Faith’s ventures are complete when we come through enough hardship to look trials in the face and, without flinching, trust the Lord.
Obedience Is Consistent
Faith is complete when our obedience is consistent. Trust is an attitude; obedience is action. German theologian Emil Brunner said, “Faith is obedience. Nothing else, literally nothing else at all.”
This faith is evident in Abraham’s life. Genesis 22:2 says, “He [God] said, take your son . . . whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains.” Early the next morning Abraham got up, saddled his donkey, and took two servants and his son Isaac with him. He cut wood for the burnt offering and went to the place God had told him. Verse 9 reads: “When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood.” Abraham did not hesitate. He obeyed completely because he trusted completely. He did not withhold anything from God, even his son. God asked for Abraham’s all and got it.
Biblical Overview of “legalism”
A. The term “legalism” is not used in the Bible
B. The concept of “legalism” is found extensively throughout the Bible.
1. Old Testament Isa. 29:13 – Quoted in Matt. 15:8,9; Mk. 7:6,7
2. New Testament examples:
Matt. 5:20-28
Matt. 23:1-28
Gal. 2:11-21
Gal. 3:1-3
Col. 2:16-23
II. Defining some terms
A. Nomism – law based structure and standards…, enforced by threat of penalty or promise of meritorious reward.
1. Theological – …to determine spiritual condition or destiny.
2. Sociological – …to control human behavior
a. Government
b. Religion
B. Moralism – establishing particular rules, regulations, principles or precepts as the standard ethical values of a social grouping. Legislated morality and ethics.
C. Legalism – social or self-acceptance of the observance of law, and conformity to the requirements thereof, as the basis of…
1. Theological determination of spiritual condition or destiny
2. Sociological/religious control of human behavior
D. Gospel of grace – the good news of the availability of a spiritual exchange whereby the presence of the Spirit of God indwells the spirit of a man, allowing for the character of God to be expressed in the behavior of a man by the dynamic empowering and enabling of the Spirit of the risen Lord Jesus .
III. Underlying causes of legalism
A. humanistic concept of self-control – “I’m in control of how things go.”
B. humanistic concept of self-effort, “works” – trying, striving, “I can do it”;
1. “You must do it, keep it, practice it, perform it.”
2. Meritorious benefits therefrom; achieve the goal
C. false security needs for defined parameters, limitations, borders
D. work-ethic concept of strict reciprocity – “get what you work for”
E. punitive concept of getting what one deserves
F. traditionalism of maintaining status quo
G. simplism of dividing life into compartments with instant solutions; fundamentalism. Got a handle on it – all figured out. Instant solutions – don’t have to think or trust.
H. fear of freedom, of decision-making responsibility (Rom. 8:15)
I. security need for something that is fixed and static, concrete and tangible. Inordinate need to be safe and right
J. a favorite of sadomasochistic personalities; perfectionists, Pharisees.
IV. Features of legalism
A. Law-based codes of conduct; rules and regulations, dos and don’ts.
B. Performance orientation. Expectations, obligations, duties, observances, routines, procedures,
formulas, how-tos, shoulds, oughts, “thou-shalts”
C. Negativism, abstinence, “Thou shalt not…”
D. Legal sense of obedience, rather than Lordship sense of obedience. Obey rules rather than God.
E. Externalization; outward conformity to standards (Matt. 23:5-7; 25-28) F. Inflexible, rigid. Principle precedes people.
G. Oppressive, demanding. Burdensome (Lk. 11:46; Matt. 23:1-5)
H. Authoritarian, manipulative.
I. Intolerant, violent. Fighting, feuding, hostility, accusations of heresy.
J. Competitive, comparisons, resentments.
K. Exclusivism, elitism, bigotry.
L. Pride, arrogance, self-righteousness, ego-centricity. Badge of honor, status, orthodoxy.
M. Ostentation, show-off. “How do we look?” (Lk. 15:1,2); approval of men.
N. Critical, judgmental (Jn. 7:24; Rom. 2:1), suspicious.
O. Insensitive, unloving, lack of compassion.
V. Consequences of legalism
A. Keeps people distanced and alienated from God. Afraid of God, the taskmaster. Afraid of God’s rejection. No assurance or security.
B. Guilt, condemnation (Rom. 8:1), accusation, disapproval (both objective and subjective).
C. Defeat, despair, frustration, futility. “It’s a losing battle. I can never do enough, be good enough, do it right and perfect as expected.” Burned out!
D. Self-destructive behavior; self-belittling, sense of worthlessness, low personal concept of oneself.
E. Hypocrisy. Play-acting; role-playing; lip-service (Matt. 15:8,9). Contrived piety, perfunctory performance, pretense, ostentation.
F. Minimalization. What do I have to do to get by, to side-step the rules? G. Impersonalization; shallow personal relationships because they relate to law rather that to Person of Jesus Christ and other persons.
VI. The Christian gospel vs. legalism
A. Contrariety of legalism to Christian gospel
1. Legalism is contrary to the Grace dynamic of God in Jesus Christ
2. Legalism is contrary to faith, our receptivity of God’s activity; a satanic substitute that supplants faith.
3. Legalism is contrary to the Lordship of Christ, wherein He directs and guides our lives.
4. Legalism is contrary to Christian obedience, which is “listening under” the direction of the living Lord Jesus Christ.
5. Legalism is contrary to the Spirit-led Christian life, wherein the Spirit of Christ enables and empowers. (Eph. 5:18;
6. Legalism is contrary to freedom in Christ, and the liberty that is to be realized in present kingdom living. (John 8:31,32,36; II Cor. 3:17; Gal. 5:1,17)
B. Reaction and response to legalism by Christians
1. Christianity is not a legal, judicial, law-based religion
2. Must not assume that legalism is the only alternative to antinomianism, license or libertarianism. (II Tim. 3:5)
3. Must not assume that legalism is just another innocuous approach to Christian living.
a. Legalism is the basis of religion that binds people up, and ties them back, to rules, regulations and rituals, thus enslaving them to the sin of self-effort.
b. Legalism is a radically opposite counterfeit of Christianity
4. Legalism is sin. (Gal. 3:3; 5:4)
5. Legalism is idolatrous, setting up an independent standard of law as the basis of rightness, rather than God’s righteousness.
6. Legalism is not to be tolerated or condoned, but to be exposed and eschewed. (Gal. 1:6-9)
