I chose this book to review because of the enormous amount of questions continually asked me from the voices of the hurting who are trying to reconcile evil and suffering while embracing a God often singularly defined by love. When I first opened the box I must admit that I was overwhelmed by the size of Randy Alcorn’s work (495 pages, 11 sections, and 45 chapters); however, what I unearthed as I journeyed through the pages was biblically-grounded answers to questions thought by everyone but generally only voiced by those who are the victims of evil or who find themselves in the pit of suffering.
If God is Good begins with the origin of evil and suffering and defines the terms under a biblically-centered framework (sections 1-2). Randy Alcorn takes the time to provide adequate rationale as to how other worldviews (a framework of thinking) breakdown when trying to grapple with evil and suffering and God (sections 3-4). In addressing conversations with those who struggle to mention God and evil and suffering in the same sentence, Alcorn provides logical explanations as to how a loving God who has given free will upon His creation must allow the same humanity to choose evil and suffering because that same freedom of choice also leads humanity to choose the greater good which freely express love to others and toward Himself; therefore, without that freedom humanity would be reduced to puppets who are emotionless, having with a limited view of great since there is no evil to measure against. And despite our freedoms, both good and bad, God still works to bring about what is best even though it does not occur within our time frame (sections 5-8). It is under this explanation of God working to bring about perfect good and evil that Alcorn describes how Heaven and Hell help to perfectly satisfy the demands for justice or award that humanity so quickly cries out for and God’s holiness demands as a “good” God (section 7). Sections 9-10 (chapters 34-45) provide a framework for dealing with those circumstances where answers are generally slow to come (e.g. pointless suffering, children as victims) and while using such circumstances to bring glory to God, to develop the character of the individual, and even to bless others. In these final sections, as throughout the entire text, Alcorn is honest about what cannot be known about evil and suffering in light of what God has revealed in the Bible and suggests that the best response is to trust the God whose understanding of circumstances infinitely exceeds our finite perception of reality.
I highly recommend If God is God for those heading into the storms of life, in the middle of a storm, or just coming out of one (I guess that is pretty much everyone).
For His Fame,
Brian
["I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review"]
Buy it today: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com
No comments:
Post a Comment