If Al Mohler is right that God loves Haiti then it would logically follow from that position that God sent the earthquake out of love and that all He does is out of love. If we argue that John 3:16 shows that God loves the world (as Mohler argues), then we have to say again that the love of God sent the earthquake. It is best to distinguish the kinds of love that God has instead of using His love as undefined and generalized. Older theologians distinguished between the love of benevolence and the love of complacence. A benevolent love was the love of God in causing the sun to shine on all and giving all rain. But the love of complacence was when God set His delight and pleasure on a soul. We could distinguish it a bit more and say that the benevolence of God is His external acts of kindness to all creatures, but His complacent love is when He pours forth His Spirit in a heart, dwells in that soul and gives it a love for Himself so that it shares in His love for Himself. Apart from Jesus Christ the complacent love of God (indwelling love giving love for Himself) is not found.Once we begin to see how the Bible itself makes a distinction in types of love, this enables us to get a better handle on the nature of God and His actions in the world at large and in Haiti in particular. Mohler argues that God loves Haiti now and the proof of that is that He is sending them all sorts of aid and even missionaries, but the kind of God that the Bible reveals is a God that can severely judge a nation by sending it missionaries and aid. Perhaps this sounds beastly, but we must remember that though God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16) He also sent His Son to blind souls in judgment. This same God sent Isaiah and Jeremiah out with messages intended to harden souls and prepare them with judgment. God gives a people spiritual leaders that they deserve in the sense that He judges people by sending them men who will preach in order to tickle their ears.
37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?"39 For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40 "HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM." (John 12:37-40).God has sent messengers in the past to harden people and Isaiah 6 is perhaps the clearest passage on that. God prepared Isaiah to be His messenger by shining forth His glory to Isaiah. The message that Isaiah was to take was a message that was intended to harden the people. We like to hear of the glory that Isaiah saw, but we ignore what he was being prepared for. It is also true that God has great mercy on sinners day in and day out (benevolent type of love), but the Scripture also tells us the end result of some of that:
“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom2:5).The kindness of God leads to a greater judgment when it is spurned.
3 comments:
Howie,
It is an interesting post. I must confess, something doesn’t sit right with me about the article. I am not even sure I could articulate it. I trust you know that I flat-out hate the “God loves you and has a wonderful plan” bit, however the gospel is “Good News”. The gospel is “life” giving news. I understand what Mr. Smith is saying, I am just not sure his message will be heard correctly, and I feel most of it may be per himself and not the hearer.
Paul,
Thanks for the comment. I fully understand that many may struggle with Richard's article. I posted it here because I think it says something we do not normally hear. I am not saying I agree with every part either, but if we are going to disagree with the substance of the article, it will have to be one that thinks through the issues.
One facet of the article that I find difficult may be what you are referencing. He writes, "the kind of God that the Bible reveals is a God that can severely judge a nation by sending it missionaries and aid."
The idea that the Gospel may in fact bring judgment is odd indeed. Yet Paul says in Acts 17, "30 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
So the Gospel proclaimed in an eschatological sense has begun the judgment process. It is Good News for those who are being saved. To those that are perishing, the Gospel is foolishness.
What does this have to do with Haiti's earthquake. Richard definitely goes farther in his theology than many of us would like to go. But that is why I posted it. I had stated before that we need a rigorous and sound theological and thoroughly biblical framework to go to a people in such great need.
My opinion is that the earthquake is another example of Romans 1 in that God's wrath is always on display. It is a part of His providence, I don't think we need to read into it anything more than that. It ought to be a reminder that all men everywhere have a need beyond moralistic therapy (which is why I included the picture of the dead boys in the pick up truck).
I agree with Richard that everything God does has all of His attributes on display. I think that point needs to be driven home. Simply because Haiti suffered such a calamity does NOT mean they are under some special wrath, and we are not. It may very well in fact be a means of bringing further judgment to the United States. I simply have no idea.
The problem of evil has no easy answers. The Gospel is, I think, much more grand and accomplishes far more in this age in both the righteous and wicked than we may ever truly grasp in this age.
God Bless
Hello:
Just to clarify, I was responding to a comment by Al Mohler that sending missionaries and aid is a sign of the love of God. What I did not make clear, however, due to space issues, is that not all missionaries are those with the biblical Gospel. A person that goes to people with a false gospel, even if that person is a missionary, may be a person that is bringing spiritual blindness and judgment. If we do live in a day of great spritual darkness, then it must give us pause to think of the purpose that missionaries are sent.
One example, though perhaps a more obvious one, is the Mormon missionaries listed on this very BLOG. When those guys take their very false gospel and deception about it to others, it is not a sign of the love of God. Neither are those who are more orthodox and yet to not have the true Gospel.
Another point is that each time the Gospel is preached and people are not converted, some are hardened by it. Romans 1:18-32 shows us what happens when people suppress the truth of God and exchange it for a lie. When the true Gospel is preached and a person rejects it, that person is suppressing the truth and his or her heart is hardened. The true Gospel has the glory of God shining in it and those who reject it are hardened.
John 9:39 And Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind."
Luke 2:34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed--
II Cor 2:15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?
John 3:19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
John 12:37 But though He had performed so many signs before them, yet they were not believing in Him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?" 39 For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again,
40 "HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM."
Isa 6:9 He said, "Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.'
10 "Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed."
Mat 13:13 "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE;
Rom 11:7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; 8 just as it is written, "GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY."
II Thess 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
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