Book Review: If God is Good (Randy Alcorn)

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

The Grid-Iron Gospel

In the game of football there are two flags: the yellow penalty flag and the red challenge flag. As you watch a game or if you just know the game of football, the yellow flag is thrown by the referee whenever He observes that a player has broken one of the rules: off-sides, holding, pass interference, personal foul, roughing the passer, delay of game, etc. As a result, a penalty is assessed against that player or team

The red challenge flag is relatively new when considering the history of football. In 1999, the NFL introduced the red challenge flag as a part of the instant replay system. With the red challenge flag it is the Head Coach for each team who holds this flag and then when he believes that a referee has made a call he believes to be in error he throws the flag onto the field forcing the Head referee to review the video footage of the play. While the yellow flag can be thrown an unlimited number of times, the red flag has limits – only two times per half, but the coach better know what he is doing because if he is wrong it will cost him a timeout.

Such is the game of football, but there is also something very similar in the game of life. Whether we like it or not all of us play this game, no one gets to sit on the sidelines. Some of you have been playing this game a few years and others a few decades.

Like the game of football the game of life has rules, guidelines that we must abide by. These aren’t made by people in a political office somewhere; rather, they are made by God Himself. This week, as part of my reading through the Bible, I came to Exodus 20 when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. Of course these aren’t all the guidelines that God man to guide His pursuit of holiness, but just 10. Let’s consider them for a moment:

1 – have no other gods but Him

2 – have no idols

3 – don’t misuse the name of the Lord

4 – remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy

5 – Honor your father and your mother

6 – Don’t murder

7 – Don’t commit adultery

8 – Don’t steal

9 – Don’t lie

10 – Don’t covet something that belongs to another

Now consider the game of life that you have played so far, have you broken any of these rules just one time? If you answered yes to any one of these, you have broken the rules of the game God has created; therefore a penalty must be assessed. Let’s consider that from two different angles.

First, God is the referee. God is a good God; therefore, He has an obligation as a good God to yellow flag us when we sin just as a good referee would yellow flag a player – its called conviction. We would not say a ref is good if He overlooked it, but rather when He called each play perfectly.

On the other hand, think of Satan as the referee. He is running around in and out of our life accusing us of everything we do and standing over us enjoying the times when we fall.

What’s the difference? God’s conviction is to spur us toward holiness, Satan’s accusation is to move us toward destruction.

Now what might seem like a helmet to helmet collision in our mind is how both of these work together: God’s convicting and Satan’s accusing. The truth is all of us are going to find ourselves at a moment in life where they are greatly matter because all of us are going to have to give an answer to God for the way we lived our life and if any sin is in our life – if we have broken just one of God’s rules, then we are disqualified from heaven.

That’s where the red challenge flag comes in and Jesus Christ is the one who has it in His back pocket. Listen to the words written by John, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples: “¹My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus knew several things: one, that we are going to break God’s rules (that’s who we are); two, that a penalty has to be assessed and that penalty was death; and three, that Satan enjoyed running around accusing us- helpless to do anything about it.

And so Jesus, knowing these things, didn’t just throw in the red flag, He threw Himself in to take the accusation of Satan upon Himself and to take the penalty due us upon Himself so we didn’t have to pay it.

Colossians 2:13-14 says, “¹³When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

Does everyone get this? Well, it’s available to all, but God gives you the choice if you want to let Jesus in your life or if you want Him to remain on the sidelines. But if you want Jesus in your life it will require something of you – He calls all the shots. Remember those words of John the disciple. Here’s what he said next. ³We know that we have come to know him if we obey His commands. ⁴The man who says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: ⁶Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.”

That’s what’s Jesus did and that is what is required of you. What’s the result. John wrote that too, ¹²Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— (Life’s Super Bowl champs)

There it is. That is how you win at the game of life. Huddle time is over. Let’s get to it.

If interested let me know and feel free to share your comments.

For His Fame,

BNall

pre-Sunday thoughts

in 12 hours the fhbc campus will start to awaken with another Sunday of ministry and Sunday activities. though i have preached thousands of times there is still a bit of apprehension as i consider my goal of the day - for the fame of God to increase and lives to be eternally changed. though our team has prepped the campus, prepared lessons, created and loaded a/v, and i have written the message (though i always think i have a long way to go) there is still a big chasm to cross to reach the goal, a chasm that can only be crossed when God shows up and rides the prayers of His people to make an eternal impact. much prep is still needed before tomorrow morning so that our gathering is much more than a time where we dispense religious goods and services. prayer is needed. much prayer. not praying that our plans would go well, but that God would embrace our gathering place. join me.