Michelle Lim
PART 2: VALIDITY OF THE BIBLE: QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
This doesn’t mean I had no doubts. On the contrary, in the first few years, there were many doubts and questions. After some time though, many of my questions were answered to the point where I found that God is indeed true (please refer to the links/books section under 'contact' for greater detail), and it is because I think in a short-sighted, self-absorbed point of view that I often miss the answer. I'll probably have questions until I die, but God has shown me time and time again that He's righteous, and a complex, infinite being. There are limitations to what we can understand. Yet, He has also revealed much in the Word.
Here's a link to a more comprehensive Q&A! - http://www.ebcb.org/resources/faqs
i. Why does God send people to hell? God doesn’t force us to be with Him. He gives persisting unbelievers what they want—separation from Him. He has been long suffering with us, He calls out to sinners, the wronged party seeking reconciliation first, yet many still do not turn: In Matthew 23:37, God cries, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing” We deserve hell in the first place. Rather God giving us a chance, sending His Son to suffer the consequence of our sin knowing that many would even still reject and scorn Him, and offering us a mended relationship with Him -- that is what’s hard to believe! What grace!
ii. Why does God allow suffering and evil? God is compassionate and also not short-sighted. Joel 2:13 says, “’And rend your heart and not your garments.’ Now return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness, and relenting of evil”. Should we remove everything that is ‘evil’ and 'wrong'? Then there would be no one left! Of course there will be consequences where there is malice (Romans 6:23). If there were no consequences, how would humanity learn? Where would there be any justice? Regarding suffering for Christians, many passages also address the meaning of suffering, for instance 1 Peter 2:19-20: "For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God." (also see Hosea 6:1-6 | Hebrews 12:1-12 | Job | 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 | James 1:2-5 ! Beautiful passages. )