Christian Interaction With The Problem of Evil

• General Points Of Consideration:

          -This argument is an attempt to judge God according to human standards of what is moral and just. However, He is superior to us. As finite creatures, we are not able to fully understand the eternal plan of God. He transcends the limits of our mental faculties. People often ask why God allows bad things to happen to good people, but the truth is that we are stiff-necked. The argument from evil betrays a misunderstanding of the nature of God in that He is not our genie. He does not operate according to our desires or answer to us.

          -How come God does not instantly resolve all the problems of this word? He certainly has the power to do so, but it does not follow that man would be pleased with His instantaneous solution. Frank Turek wrote, "...no one does evil for evil’s sake. We do evil to get good things, such as money, sex, and power. Take away pleasure and the incentive to do evil would vanish. But if God were to stop evil by ending pleasure, would the human race continue? If it did, would anyone like the pleasureless world that remains?" (Stealing from God, p. 142)

          -God could simply refuse to pardon the iniquity of sinners and cast them into an eternity of eternal punishment. He could in the twinkling of an eye erase our existence. It is not as though He is indebted to us for anything. God could mechanically control us to make us serve Him. Nonetheless, God is giving us an opportunity to repent of our sins (Acts 17:26-31; 2 Peter 3:9). It is important that we adopt an eternal perspective of things.

• Considerations On Free Will 

          -God allows us to make immoral decisions because He wanted us to have free will. He wanted us to have freedom and thus to lovingly come to Him on our own. He gave us free will because He loves us. He made us to be His children, not to function in the manner of robots or puppets. If He did the latter, then He would not really love us. We would not be autonomous. We would not truly be unique as persons. As long as we have free will in this world, evil inevitably remains a possibility.

          -Free will is a greater good. The freedom to make rational decisions is a gift in and of itself. God created us with the intention of having a relationship. The tree of knowledge of good and evil serves as an object lesson. When He restores everything back to its originally perfect order, our sin nature will be removed. We will be so consumed by God's majestic glory and presence that we would never be tempted by sin, which utterly destroys the possibility of any future rebellion. Nothing will be lacking. 

• Since God Already Knows Everything, Why Did He Create An Angel Who Would Defy Him And Corrupt His Creation?:

          -Satan, who was created without sin, became fallen in the same way that Adam and Eve became fallen. They abused the free will that God had given them by choosing evil instead of righteousness. Perhaps God has a plan in which He is even more so glorified with the entrance of sin into the world than without. There is much mystery surrounding the fall of Satan. God in His wisdom has chosen not to reveal how all that took place.

• Morally Sufficient Reasons For The Toleration Of Evil:

          -Rather than having redemptive value, suffering oftentimes just makes people physically and mentally exhausted. Its existence continually reminds us of our inherent inadequacy and the need for God in our lives.

          -God may allow evil to exist with the intent of showing us that our poor decisions lead to negative consequences that are contrary to His will.

          -If God does not control this fallen world in a way that is wholly mechanistic, there remains the ability of natural disasters to happen. They too have their own good purposes. Volcanos, for example, help to fertilize soil through their ashes. Free will plays a role here in that people can move away from disaster prone areas. This also invites reflection on our part as to what we personally can do more to help those in need.
          -The existence of evil is not inherently incompatible with the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful, and infinitely good God. The existence of evil is a problem for all worldviews, and how that is addressed depends on which one we hold.

          -The argument against the existence of God from evil carries with it the ability to emotionally tug at our heartstrings. Further, atheists will undoubtedly scowl at the above provided answers, but they still remain answers.  

• The Problem Of Evil Backfires Because It Assumes An Objective Moral Standard Which Cannot Exist If There Is No God: 

          -If objective evil exists, then, by definition, objective good must also exist. If there is an objective good, then there is a standard of morality that exists beyond humanity. It exists beyond nature. It is divine. This universal moral code governs the moral laws of each civilization. This moral law implies that there must be a moral law giver. It is philosophically impossible for evil to exist on its own as an entity, as it is a perversion of what is good. Evil and good can exist at the same time. Good can exist apart from evil.

The Book Of Job And The Problem Of Evil

          Job was regarded as the holiest man on earth while alive (Job 1:1; 8). He even performed sacrifices for his sons daily (Job 1:4-7), showing his obedience and loyalty to God. Despite his piety, God allowed very terrible things to happen to that man. Job ended up getting a bunch of sores and later lost everything that he owned to storms, including his family. In the end, however, God blessed Him with much more riches and also another family. While we are not promised full restitution of our losses in this life, they will be granted to us in eternity (Revelation 21:4).

          This trial of faith showed that Job was indeed a righteous man. He clung to God, despite losing everything. Job's world was turned upside down. In the end, Satan was proven wrong and saw that he was, in truth, a faithful man. God was proven correct in His moral assessment of Job. While suffering, his three closest earthly companions did the natural thing of trying to comfort him by giving possible explanations for all of the mishaps taking place in his life. They suggested that his problems were possibly a result of committing a wrongful action or having a sinful lifestyle. 

          Surely, they thought, Job must have done something worthy of divine retribution in order for his life to be made such a nightmare. All of this, however, would be utterly unsatisfactory to him. He would have none of their reasoning. Job knew in his heart that such claims were false. He knew from his own experience that he was innocent. He was, truly, a righteous man in the sight of God. His ways were blameless or without fault. Thus, Job maintained the integrity of his ways by not calling into question the goodness of God.

          Job began to question and ponder why God would allow him to undergo all the pain that he was made to endure. He complained to God about his predicaments and pointed to the fact that he had done nothing worthy of condemnation (Job 31). What happened to him did not seem right or fair, and understandably so. Job demanded answers, but God gave no specific explanation for Him not preventing that man's suffering. Undoubtedly, he was confused and anguished.

          Job continually placed his trust in his Creator. In response to his plea, God reminded Job about the fact that He is infinitely superior to mankind in every way. After all, He created life. He would understand how it works. Job was but a small creation in a vast solar system. How could he even begin to understand fully its inner workings? This brings to light the deficiencies that human perception carries with it. Job could not even conquer the beasts of the sea. Who was Job to put God on trial and make Him answer for His decisions? What is earthly suffering compared to the bliss of eternity?

          Job was simply not able to understand how God works. All that could be done on the part of Job was for him to firmly rely on God. This story is very much relatable to us in the modern world. God's control over nature and His ultimate purposes are to be trusted no matter where they seem to take us. This story emphasizes the importance of trusting in God. His wisdom knows no bounds. Our will should be that His will be done. We are not promised a life without problems. Our troubles have their ultimate answers in God.

A Short And Sweet Refutation Of The Catholic History Argument

          The Roman Catholic Church is known for making claims of possessing the fullness of God given truth, beginning with the Lord Jesus Christ bestowing the authority of the keys exclusively to the Apostle Peter. He allegedly carried that on in a chain of apostolic successors. Catholic bishops are thus said to have preserved inspired oral tradition for the past 2,000 years. It is oftentimes claimed by apologists for Rome that the church fathers were unanimous in their acceptance of various distinctive Roman Catholic dogmas. These claims are shown to be false for a variety of reasons:

           1.) Church history offers descriptions of what people have done in the past. Its purpose is not to prescribe what our beliefs ought to be. Further, it is improper to view church history in a monolithic way. Historical data is subject to interpretation. Church history contains all sorts of theological developments, schisms, and reforms. It all contributes to the richness and diversity of thought within Christian tradition.

           2.) Longevity does not prove truth. Do Buddhism and Hinduism contain more truth than Christianity just because they are older religions? The fact that an institution has been around for a long time does not make its claims more valid or authoritative. It can still be challenged or put under scrutiny. Heresy is still heresy, even if it was introduced early in church history or believed by a majority of professing Christians.

           3.) Even if we unanimously agreed to accept papal authority, that would only eliminate doctrinal conflict in a question begging, tautological sense. That would still not reveal to us whether we should be in communion with Rome (i.e. whether we are right or wrong in our decision making). A case for Roman Catholicism would still need to be made. We are not required to embrace ideas from people who lived before us just because they were believed to be true. There is nothing inherently good about clinging to the past for its own sake.

            4.) Both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches make identical claims of having been established directly by Jesus Christ, but maintain contradictory teachings. They dispute each other's claims to authority. In fact, not a single known patristic author can be cited as agreeing with every uniquely Roman Catholic dogma.

            5.) The church fathers sometimes contradicted each other, and even themselves. For example, Origen initially argued against self-castration but later had himself castrated to avoid temptation. Therefore, we have reason to not put such people on par with the authority of divine Scripture. These men, no matter how godly or theologically gifted, were not inspired by God. Sometimes church fathers made factual errors. Irenaeus, for example, taught that Jesus Christ lived to be more than fifty years of age, even though gospel tradition indicates otherwise (John 8:57).

           6.) Divine revelation exists independently of the writings of church fathers. They are not to be treated as a smokescreen to bypass exegetical questions. We do not have to accept everything that patristic authors taught without reservation. Who specifically gets to determine which early writers were actually church fathers? Whose writings are more authoritative than others on what topics? Who gets to decide what counts as apostolic tradition?

           7.) Heresy existed even during the first century (Acts 20:28-32; 1 John 4:1-4). Even people taught directly by the apostles sometimes abandoned the faith (2 Timothy 4:14). Therefore, the argument that we should trust the church fathers because they lived closer to the time of Christ is a false one. Scripture is the only safe and reliable guide existing for the development of doctrine. Just as God never made Israel infallible to where the people could not stray into idolatry, so He did not make similar promises to preserve the church wholesale from doctrinal error.

           8.) We do not have every document written by each church father on every subject. Neither were we present in the early church to take surveys of what everybody believed. Our knowledge of this period is but fragmentary. This point alone demonstrates the Roman Catholic claim of unanimous consensus in early church history to be vacuous.

            9.) Protestantism itself arose from a historical context where the Reformers sought to address what they perceived to be deviations from the teachings of Jesus and the early church. They emphasized direct access to the Scriptures, the priesthood of all believers, and justification by faith alone. These ideas did not simply exist in a vacuum.

God's Free Gift Of Justification

IGNORANCE: Do you think that I am such a fool as to think that God can see no further than I; or that I would come to God in the best of my performances?

CHRISTIAN: Why, how dost thou think in this matter?

IGNORANCE: Why, to be short, I think I must believe in Christ for justification.

CHRISTIAN: How! think thou must believe in Christ, when thou seest not thy need of him! Thou neither seest thy original nor actual infirmities; but hast such an opinion of thyself, and of what thou doest, as plainly renders thee to be one that did never see the necessity of Christ's personal righteousness to justify thee before God. How, then, dost thou say, I believe in Christ?

IGNORANCE: I believe well enough, for all that.

CHRISTIAN: How dost thou believe?

IGNORANCE: I believe that Christ died for sinners; and that I shall be justified before God from the curse, through his gracious acceptance of my obedience to his laws. Or thus, Christ makes my duties, that are religious, acceptable to his Father by virtue of his merits, and so shall I be justified.

CHRISTIAN: Let me give an answer to this confession of thy faith.

1. Thou believest with a fantastical faith; for this faith is nowhere described in the word.

2. Thou believest with a false faith; because it taketh justification from the personal righteousness of Christ, and applies it to thy own.

3. This faith maketh not Christ a justifier of thy person, but of thy actions; and of thy person for thy action's sake, which is false.

4. Therefore this faith is deceitful, even such as will leave thee under wrath in the day of God Almighty: for true justifying faith puts the soul, as sensible of its lost condition by the law, upon flying for refuge unto Christ's righteousness; (which righteousness of his is not an act of grace by which he maketh, for justification, thy obedience accepted with God, but his personal obedience to the law, in doing and suffering for us what that required at our hands;) this righteousness, I say, true faith accepteth; under the skirt of which the soul being shrouded, and by it presented as spotless before God, it is accepted, and acquitted from condemnation.

IGNORANCE: What! would you have us trust to what Christ in his own person has done without us? This conceit would loosen the reins of our lust, and tolerate us to live as we list: for what matter how we live, if we may be justified by Christ's personal righteousness from all, when we believe it?

CHRISTIAN: Ignorance is thy name, and as thy name is, so art thou: even this thy answer demonstrateth what I say. Ignorant thou art of what justifying righteousness is, and as ignorant how to secure thy soul, through the faith of it, from the heavy wrath of God. Yea, thou also art ignorant of the true effects of saving faith in this righteousness of Christ, which is to bow and win over the heart to God in Christ, to love his name, his word, ways, and people, and not as thou ignorantly imaginest....

Now, while I was gazing upon all these things, I turned my head to look back, and saw Ignorance come up to the river side; but he soon got over, and that without half the difficulty which the other two men met with. For it happened that there was then in that place one Vain-Hope, a ferryman, that with his boat helped him over; so he, as the other I saw, did ascend the hill, to come up to the gate; only he came alone, neither did any man meet him with the least encouragement. When he was come up to the gate, he looked up to the writing that was above, and then began to knock, supposing that entrance should have been quickly administered to him; but he was asked by the men that looked over the top of the gate, Whence come you? and what would you have? He answered, I have ate and drank in the presence of the King, and he has taught in our streets. Then they asked him for his certificate, that they might go in and show it to the King: so he fumbled in his bosom for one, and found none. Then said they, Have you none? but the man answered never a word. So they told the King, but he would not come down to see him, but commanded the two shining ones, that conducted Christian and Hopeful to the city, to go out and take Ignorance, and bind him hand and foot, and have him away. Then they took him up, and carried him through the air to the door that I saw in the side of the hill, and put him in there. Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gate of heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction.

Excerpts taken from John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress

How Come People Cannot Be Saved After Death?

          The notion of having a second chance for salvation after death may sound reasonable, merciful, and even desirable, especially to people who lost family members or friends who were unbelievers. This kind of an idea is found in other world religious, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, which may appeal to some. However, Scripture says clearly and forcefully that our fate is sealed at the moment of physical death. Consider, for instance, this excerpt from the parable of the rich man and lazarus:

           "Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us." (Luke 16:22-26)

           We see in this narrative a stark contrast in the eternal fates of both characters. The unnamed figure had an exalted position while alive on this earth. He was a selfish individual who overlooked the plight and suffering of other people. Abraham, with a hint of compassion, is said to have reminded the suffering man of how he had lived his life on earth. When still alive, Lazarus was so poor and destitute so as to not even be able to help himself. Both characters experienced suffering and relief in a reversed order upon the transition from this life to the next.

          An obvious point made by this story is that no additional chances for salvation exist for the souls of unbelieving men when they enter the direct presence of God. It is there and then that they receive their divine sentence. There is also another element worth considering, namely, the rich man requesting that Abraham bring Lazarus down to comfort him in the midst of his distress. He still had not given up his pride. He still believed himself to be more worthy than others. The raises the question of whether a person who dies in a state of rebellion would ever want to spend eternity with God.

           We will all have to face our Creator at some point in time. It is not a matter of if, but when. The day of judgment is inescapable and unavoidable. Thus, those who have not trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in this life will be eternally condemned. Hebrews 9:27 and Revelation 20:11-15 also communicate these biblical truths. What needs to be understood is that God does not have to save any of us from our sins. He offers to us eternal life because He is loving and merciful. The better question to ask is not why man cannot be saved after death, but why God ought to save anyone at all? Why has He not destroyed us all already? That is the fate which man deserves. This consideration helps us to correctly put things into perspective.

        This is simply the way that God has ordained things to be. It is not something that we are in a position to challenge or call into question. Who are we, His creations, to doubt the morality or the wisdom of His decisions? It is God who sets in motion the terms and conditions as to the way that things are. We cannot change the eternal destinies of other people, nor are the decisions of other people our responsibility. On the other hand, we can change our own by trusting in Christ for salvation. We can tell others that God has offered a way of redemption. He has told us that we will not have another opportunity to repent from sin after death. So, right now is the best time to repent of sin. Today is the day of redemption (2 Corinthians 6:2). 

A Sermonette On Humility

        What is humility? It does not mean that a man believes himself to be intellectually inferior or physically unappealing to others. There is nothing virtuous in such because anyone can think that way, which makes it unimpressive. Furthermore, having low self-confidence can actually be symptomatic of an addiction to pity, which is not praiseworthy. Nor does that help to improve a person's character. Knowing what humility is and putting that correct understanding into practice is a foundational aspect of knowing God. It is to those people that He bestows grace. Knowing what humility is and putting that correct understanding into practice will shape how we regularly conduct ourselves in private and public affairs.

        True humility involves people not making themselves the center of attention. It entails people doing good deeds for the genuine benefit of others. It necessitates people doing good for the sake of goodness, not to bolster one's own ego. Humility means putting other people before ourselves. It entails that a person not overestimate his own abilities. Humility requires self-discipline. Humility requires self-sacrifice. Humility is required in order to be a truly virtuous person. Every other virtue springs forth from humility. This is not to say that care of the self is unimportant, since we must be self-sufficient in order to help those less fortunate than ourselves.

          Human beings on an individual basis have a tendency to compare themselves to others. If we discover that we have greater talents than somebody else, then we are prone to develop a conceited attitude. We become puffed-up. If we find out that somebody else has greater talents than do we, then our sense of dignity is prone to be injured. We become jealous and angry. In either result, this notion of people comparing themselves to others is not helpful. It is a hopeless attempt to find a reason to preserve arrogance. But God is the standard of perfection. We should use whatever gifts that He has bestowed upon us in a manner that glorifies His eternal name.

         Having a heart and mind consumed by pride is a dangerous thing. It distorts our sense of reality and can get us into trouble. If a person does not humbly submit to God, then how can he recognize the nature of his sinfulness and the need of salvation? In remaining prideful, individuals essentially make themselves their own gods. They are essentially saying that God is unnecessary, which is idolatry. Pride is the root of all evil. Pride is injurious to relationships with family and friends. Pride by its very nature is destructive, not restorative. It is in a state of humility that love grows. It is in a state of humility that true honor flourishes.

Who Will Stop The Profitable Industry Of Junk Science?

"Should we believe the headline, “Drinking four cups of coffee daily lowers risk of death”? How about, “Mouthwash May Trigger Diabetes. . .”? Should we really eat more, not less, fat? And what should we make of data that suggest people with spouses live longer? These sorts of conclusions, from supposedly scientific studies, seem to vary from month to month, leading to ever-shifting “expert” recommendations. However, most of their admonitions are based on flawed research that produces results worthy of daytime TV.

Misleading research is costly to society directly because much of it is supported by the federal government, and indirectly, when it gives rise to unwise, harmful public policy.

Social science studies are notorious offenders. A landmark study in the journal Nature Human Behaviour in August reported the results of efforts to replicate 21 social science studies published in the prestigious journals Nature and Science between 2010 and 2015.

The multi-national team actually “conducted high-powered replications of the 21 experimental social science….One out of the four Nature papers and seven of the seventeen Science papers evaluated did not replicate, a shocking result for two prestigious scientific journals. The authors noted two kinds of flaws in the original studies: false positives and inflated effect sizes.

Science is supposed to be self-correcting. Smart editors. Peer review. Competition from other labs. But when we see that university research…are so often wrong, there must be systematic problems. One of them is outright fraud – “advocacy research” that has methodological flaws or intentionally misinterprets the results.

Another is the abject failure of peer review, which is especially prevalent at “social science” journals. The tale of three scholars who tested the integrity of journals’ peer review is revealing. They wrote 20 fake papers using fashionable jargon to argue for ridiculous conclusions, and tried to get them placed in high-profile journals in fields including gender studies, queer studies, and fat studies. Their success rate was remarkable: By the time they took their experiment public on [October 2nd], seven of their articles had been accepted for publication by ostensibly serious peer-reviewed journals. Seven more were still going through various stages of the review process. Only six had been rejected.

The articles were designed to be an easy call for reviewers to reject. For example, one dismissed “western astronomy” as sexist and imperialist, and made a case for physics departments to study feminist astrology or practice interpretative dance instead.

In the absence of outright, proven fraud or plagiarism, universities provide little oversight over their scientists, in contrast to industry where monitoring quality-control is de rigeur. Universities claim that peer review is sufficient, but as discussed above, in many fields, it is unreliable, or at best, spotty. The peers are in on the game. In a research-publishing version of The Emperor’s New Clothes, editors wink and nod if the researcher seems to be following the rules. And there are no consequences if a researcher’s findings are repudiated by others’ subsequent research. Their ultimate product is a published paper. The way the game operates is publish, get grants (thanks, taxpayers) and progress up the academic ladder."

https://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2018/11/26/junk_science_has_become_a_profitable_industry_110810.html

No Such Thing As "Junk DNA"

"Scientists have once and for all swept away any notion of “junk DNA” by showing that that the vast majority of the human genome does after all have a vital function by regulating the genes that build and maintain the body.

Junk DNA was a term coined 40 years ago to describe the part of the genome that does not contain any genes, the individual instructions for making the body’s vital proteins. Now, this vast genetic landscape could hold hidden clues to eradicating human disease, scientists said.

Hundreds of researchers from 32 institutes around the world collaborated on the immense effort to decipher the hidden messages within the 98 per cent of the human genome without any genes and was thought, therefore, to have no function.

They have concluded in a series of 30 research papers published simultaneously today, in Nature, Science and other journals, that this so-called junk DNA is in fact an elaborate patchwork of regulatory sequences that act as a huge operating system for controlling the gnome.

Knowledge gained from this important insight, which has been largely hidden from view ever since the structure of DNA was revealed nearly 60 years ago, will prove critical to the future treatment of more than 400 diseases, scientists said.

Ewen Birney of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Cambridge and one of the leaders of the international ENCODE consortium said the work has demonstrated conclusively that more than 80 per cent of the genome works as a kind of control panel packed with genetic dials.

[...]

Deciphering the human genome revealed that less than 2 per cent of the 3 billion building blocks of human DNA actually consists of working genes. The ENCODE consortium has shown that the rest of the genome still has an active, biochemical function in the cells of the body.

“We see that 80 per cent of the genome is actively doing something. We found that a much bigger part of the genome - a surprising amount in fact - is involved in controlling when and where proteins are produced,” he said.

Steve Connor, "Scientists debunk 'junk DNA' theory to reveal vast majority of human genes perform a vital function"

Understanding Biblical Forgiveness

          What are we to do when we experience persistent resentment toward others who have wronged us in some way? Anger is generally not an easy emotion to control and soothe. We have all been treated unfairly and unkindly at some point in time. Ridicule, mockery, and slander are things common to human experience. Sometimes people say and do things without intending to offend; others provoke intentionally. But what does it mean to offer forgiveness? Is it a necessary option? If forgiveness is possible, then it is important that we be reconciled with our family, friends, and even neighbors. Are we in an unwarranted way holding past grievances committed against us? Have we ourselves offended others? If we do not forgive, then that will cause further harm.

          The biblical definition of forgiveness means to not count an evil action against a guilty party. It means to not plot revenge against the offending person. It means to not hold any record of debt. Forgiveness involves the restoration of a person from banishment. It is an act of love and kindness. It is not deserved or earned. Forgiveness is an act of the will and done deliberately. Forgiveness of another person necessarily denotes a change in heart toward him. It involves not dwelling on our past situations. Furthermore, the forgiveness offered by God involves Him erasing our debt of transgressions committed against Him (1 John 1:7-9). The forgiveness that he offers is distinct from human forgiveness in that it involves the cleansing of our souls from sin.

          Contempt and hostility run contrary to forgiveness. They entail holding past misdeeds against the offending party and demand repayment in some way. Contempt and hostility insist on being right and having their own way at all costs. None of this is compatible with a forgiving heart. However, it does not require that we condone what has been said or done to us. Measures may still need to be taken, depending on certain variables. Cutting ties may certainly be a necessary safety precaution. Forgiveness is not incompatible with disciplinary action. We should strive for peace and resolution, if possible. Human forgiveness is conditional, namely in that wrongdoers should openly repent of their misdeeds (Luke 17:3-4). We can also overlook another person's misbehavior. To forgive means to cease showing malice or resentment toward another person for a mistake or offense.

          Unjustly withholding forgiveness to whom it is due can have drastic repercussions on both personal relationships and civilization on a large scale. If we allow anger to continually scorch our hearts, then we will only act bitterly and harm the people around us. It can take us to dark places that we never intended to go. It is wrong to not strive to live peacefully with other people (Ephesians 4:31-32; Hebrews 12:14-15). In fact, unchecked anger in and of itself is a defilement of our souls. A contentious relationship cannot successfully thrive because it closes the gates of compromise and shuts off any influx of reason. Consequently, situations are rendered unworkable. Conflict resolution cannot be made when no one listens to each other. An unforgiving heart will only hold on to its own subjective perception of reality, no matter how absurd. It is for this reason that opposing sides of an argument misrepresent each other. Forgiveness can be a simple solution with profound reverberations for the better in our lives.

          What if a man is unable to forgive himself for previously committed wrongs against others? For starters, self-forgiveness is not necessary. Forgiveness looks beyond itself and tries to console others. What ultimately matters is that we accept the forgiveness of God as provided through Jesus Christ. How we feel is irrelevant in this context. We should repent of our sins against God and each other. We should choose to forgive others, as God has chosen to forgive us for our trespasses against Him. It is not healthy for us to allow our emotions to prevent us from moving forward with our lives. We can assist the people who are struggling with the concept of forgiveness by simply making ourselves available listeners to those afflicted and by showing them gentleness. Forgiveness comes from the heart (Matthew 18:35). We should be inclined to forgive because God Himself has forgiven us. He will withhold mercy from people at the Final Judgment who did not themselves show mercy to others in this life.

          Forgiveness springs forth from love, which constitutes the foundation of Christianity. Forgiveness is the very root of the gospel. It is because Jesus Christ gave Himself up for our sins that God is able to reconcile us to Him. It is because of mercy that friendships can be restored. It is because of forgiveness that we are able to live well and die peacefully. Hatred is contrary to the principles of the gospel. If left unchecked, anger ruins our sanity. We must repent from the heart of our sins, and offer forgiveness to those who have offended us in some way and also repented. The withholding of forgiveness is a tragedy.

A Biblical Refutation Of Open Theism

• Discussion:

           -The online Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines open theism (also referred to as openness theology or free will theism) as follows:

           "Open Theism is the thesis that, because God loves us and desires that we freely choose to reciprocate His love, He has made His knowledge of, and plans for, the future conditional upon our actions. Though omniscient, God does not know what we will freely do in the future. Though omnipotent, He has chosen to invite us to freely collaborate with Him in governing and developing His creation, thereby also allowing us the freedom to thwart His hopes for us. God desires that each of us freely enter into a loving and dynamic personal relationship with Him, and He has therefore left it open to us to choose for or against His will."

           Let it first be said that the notion of God having imperfect knowledge of the future is heresy and illogical for the Christian to uphold at best. If open theism is true, then we have a number of problems which are articulated as follows:

            *God must learn, since He would not know what decisions people could make in the future. 
            *God could be wrong about something, as He has no way of knowing what decisions people could make at a later point in time. Whatever He plans could be thwarted.
            *If open theism is true, then God cannot simply be all-knowing. If He is not all-knowing, then it is difficult to see how He can be all-powerful. One cannot say that God is omniscient (meaning that He knows all things) and then affirm that God does not know something in the very next breath. 

            *Consequently, it would be difficult to trust in the reliability of biblical prophecy. It would also be difficult to trust that God could even accurately answer our prayers.

           Even a cursory glimpse at Scripture is sufficient to expose the errors of open theism. It without reservation or qualification affirms that God knows the future perfectly (Psalm 139:4; 16; Isaiah 46:9-10; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 26:34; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 3:20). Nothing is beyond His comprehension (Psalm 147:5). Nothing is hidden from His sight (Hebrews 4:13).

           While proponents of open theism may adamantly contend that their system of thought does not undermine the sovereignty of God, that is precisely what it does. Open theism flies right in the face of His glory and majesty. God's thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are not our ways. There are no limits to the depths of His wisdom. If open theism is true, then the God of the Bible would not be any different than the idols worshiped by pagans (Isaiah 41:22-23).