The Magic “Monster” in the Sky! Is God really in charge?

By Carl Gallups

http://www.carlgallups.com

Recently, a group of atheists conducted a seminar in which one of the presenters displayed graphic slides of babies with hideous birth defects. The point was made to the audience of applauding attendees that: If God is so good why do such bad things happen? If God is such a marvelous creator then why are babies born with such horrible deformities?

Let me go ahead and ask the overall question myself: Why do so many bad things happen in the world? It’s a valid question of course. The question encompasses all evil and misery – including deformed babies.

Moreover, if God is in control, as most Christians proclaim, and if God permits all of these horrors, wouldn't that qualify God as a monster?

But, before we can simply dismiss God as a monster, doesn't it make sense that we might first examine the Word of God – to discern what God Himself tells us concerning the answer to this most serious of questions? Of course it makes sense. 

Carl Gallups is the author of the Amazon best seller in Science and Religion – THE MAGIC MAN IN THE SKY: Effectively Defending The Christian Faith. Autographed copies are available in the WND Superstore. You can also purchase at Amazon.

THE TWO WILLS:

The Will of Man

According to the Bible, when God made the universe He made it “good.” Both Adam and Eve were declared to be “good.” At the conclusion of the creation event, God ceased from His wondrous work and called everything He had created “very good.”

Yet, when it was all said and done, humanity was given a choice. Satan had not even entered into the picture at this point. The choice was available to the first of God’s human creation  – a free will alternative. Would they choose to remain “good” or would they choose rebellion?

There it is – the choice. It was there all along. No Devil in the mix, no other influence at all… just free will. You know the rest of the story. Eve was eventually influenced by the words of Satan, but still - Adam willingly chose to disobey. His only influence was personal choice. Additionally, at no point in the affair did Satan force Eve to do anything – she always had the choice.

We all have free will. Otherwise, God truly is a monster. Otherwise, no one actually deserves eternal punishment. After all - disobedience would not be their doing … it would be God’s doing. As we go back to the beginning we learn that God had a task for Adam.

Genesis 1: 28 

28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

God gave them a gift. He gave them “dominion.” Their dominion was total. “Have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

So, it was through Adam’s decisions that sin entered the world, and therefore - birth defects, disease, and human depravity. The dominion belonged to man, and man forfeited it. Is God the monster here? Hardly.

Note, that by handing Satan the reins, Adam was bowing to Satan’s evil designs through his wife, Eve. Adam had, by this catastrophic disobedience, crowned the devil as “god and prince of this world.” Jesus confirms the truth with this declaration:

John 14:30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

When this so-called “prince” confronted Jesus in the desert following the 40 days of fasting and prayer, Satan said to Jesus:

Luke 4:5  And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6  And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

Notice the Devil confirms that all of the kingdoms of the world were “delivered” to him. Delivered by whom? Look no further than the father of all humanity …  the dominion over the earth was delivered by Adam – it was his to give. Following is the Biblical confirmation of this truth:

Romans 5:12

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

It is man’s fault that corruption has entered the world. War, poverty, disease, deformity, and every other calamity can be traced back to that tragic day, in a garden called Eden.

Everyone is born into Satan’s family – everyone. People are under his power and influence. He is the father of all evil and heartache. He is the enemy of all that is “good” and holy. Dominion was given to man – and man crowned Satan the god of this world. And then man – wants to blame the whole mess on God!

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

2 Corinthians 4:4

Never doubt – the war continues to rage and the battlefield is the mind. And, most people are losing. From the man who leaves his wife and family for another woman - to the guy walking the streets talking with people who don’t seem to be there, they've all fallen on the battleground.

The woman who believes there are many ways to salvation apart from Jesus has no more won the battle than the atheist who embraces the existential bubble of humanism. They are willingly choosing to pass dominion to the only enemy humanity has ever known – Satan.

The Will of God

There is a growing sense that this “gift” from God to humanity is about to run its course. Some people have likened it to a lease agreement – a contract between God and humanity – and it’s about to expire.

The Bible tells of a time when God will redeem His people out of this earthly prison of decay and depravity through a process of adoption. It is the will of God that people take advantage of this offer of adoption – it is an offer of salvation.

God has made a way for us to recognize our need to change our minds – to reject the decision made by our biological father, Adam, and embrace the lifeline – the new gift – the cross of Christ.

By taking advantage of this new gift we can experience the will of God. And it is by this “born again” experience that we know the will of God, our new Father.

In the final analysis - God is in control. He has reclaimed, through Jesus Christ, what was rightfully His. The question is: Do you want to be a part of what God is reclaiming? Get this – the choice is yours!

*This article was written in part, with the research assistance of Michael Shoesmith, Executive Director of the PPSIMMONS Internet Ministries.

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