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4 Problems…1 Solution
There are four problems that all human beings have for which I will discuss briefly. Each of these problems has only one satisfactory solution. One of the tests for the truth of any worldview is its ability to explain reality and human experience as it is. It is my contention that only the Christian Worldview is able to profoundly diagnose our core problem and provide a cogent and robust solution. Though many of the readers may deny the biblical teaching about the nature of humanity, I nonetheless have found through rational reflection and personal experience the Christian understanding of the human predicament to be evidently true. If the biblical teaching is true, then it is true for all humanity. Thus, it will be beneficial for each of us to understand the biblical teaching regarding the nature and purpose of our existence.
Very briefly the four problems are:
- We deserve to die (physically and spiritually) as the penalty for sin
- We deserve to bear God’s just wrath against sin
- We are separated from God and others because of our sin
- We are in bondage to sin
If these problems are true of humanity, then the biblical solution for our sin is tremendously exciting.
According to the Christian Worldview, Christ’s death on the cross was the solution for these problems. Indeed, the cross is the one and only solution for a humanity alienated from God, self, and others. Christ’s death can be seen from four angles:
- Because the penalty of our sins is death, Christ died as a sacrifice for us. Hebrews 9:26 says that “He appeared once for all…to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”
- Because God is just and holy he must hate sin. As sinners we deserve to come under His wrath. Yet Christ died as a propitiation for our sin to remove us from under the condemnation of God. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be a propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
- Because we are separated from God and alienated from Him, we needed someone to provide reconciliation. Christ’s death on the cross overcame our separation from and brought us back into fellowship with Him. 2 Corinthians we read that God “through Christ reconciled us to Himself.”
- Because we are sinners in bondage to sin, we needed to be redeemed. Jesus said that “the Son of Man also came…to give His life as a ransom for many.” Jesus Christ provided redemption and died to “deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.” Heb 2:15 In reality, God has for all believers ” delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.” Col 1:13
Jesus paid it all – all to Him I owe – sin had left a crimson stain – He washed it white as snow.
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2 responses to “4 Problems…1 Solution”
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1. We deserve to die (physically and spiritually) as the penalty for sin
Judging people after their death is not justice. Punishing people for all eternity for a sin, any sin, is barbaric. No finite sin could possibly justify an infinite punishment. Even Hitler, Idi Amin and Pol Pot would not deserve infinite confinement let alone infinite torture. Keeping souls in either heaven or hell would be totally barbaric. In hell the torment would be sadistic infliction of pain via a body loaned for the purpose of being in pain, which is just sick. In heaven an infinity of existence as a fawning impotent minion surrounded by the souls of the pious would be worse.
I wish I could say these words were my own, but they belong to Martin Willett on his excellent website, Debate Unlimited http://www.mwillett.org/atheism/real-miracle.htm
2. We deserve to bear God’s just wrath against sin
Even if we never committed a sin of our own we would still be in the same predicament. It is really our supposed connection to Adam that puts us in stink with God. We are judged and condemned for the transgression our first ancestor – Original Sin. Even infants are in peril should they die un-baptized. Furthermore, all ills of life: cancer, the black death, AIDS, droughts, famines, wars etc. are all supposedly to be blamed on the presence of sin in the world. This makes a pay-and-pay-again predicament that your just and loving God has created for us. If all of this is somehow the inevitable result of Adam’s sin which was the inevitable result of God giving him free will – if god could not make this come out any better way – then how should we consider this god omnipotent? If God accepted this price because it somehow contributes to his greater glory through our redemption in Christ, how does that God deserve to be called morally perfect or even good?
3 We are separated from God and others because of our sin
The notion that God has some “eek!-a-mouse!” hang-up about sin that requires sacrificial atonement for him to be reconciled with us is unworthy of a God that would be called omnipotent and sovereign.
The Christian scenario of Jesus’ sacrificial atonement is unworthy of a God that would be called omnipotent and sovereign. Stage one publicity stunt then outsource the PR campaign to the underlings and let them get people to believe in it – no way!
The use of plans that unfold over time, requiring the use of intermediate agents like a chosen people, or apostles, or a church or apologetics-oriented websites is unworthy of a God that would be called omnipotent and sovereign.
Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He (A)removed our transgressions from us.
Now this begins to have a ring of sovereignty to it. The rest of the psalm is full of wishful thinking of things that at best you might say God does occasionally. Still, this would have been a good place for God to have started.
4. We are in bondage to sin
I find the Buddhist critique of the human condition more insightful and penetrating that anything in Christianity: The very things that give us pleasure, joy, and satisfaction also cause us anguish, anxiety, and suffering when we try to hold on to them because everything changes. The best we can do to avoid suffering is to understand ourselves moment by moment because there is nothing but the present moment. Buddhism, in the end, settles for peace and detachment from suffering. There may be possibilities outside the scope of Buddhism that are worth pursuing and I do not consider myself a Buddhist. However, I do not consider the abandonment of our present life and the of our hopes and aspirations to a heavenly afterlife to be a worthy alternative. -
Neil,
I appreciate your attempts to refute Christian theology but your mere attempts to argue further prove God’s existence- for without God no reasoning is even possible. Also, the content of my post was admittedly elementary as I did not communicate at length regardingt the work of Christ to save His people from their sins. I think your understanding of the profundity of the Chrisitian message and worldview is skewed. You make a lot of claims but that is all that they are. I get that you don’t believe what Jesus taught is true reality. You presuppose naturalism, of course you wouldn’t. believe. However, I do believe- but not blindly. My beliefs are justified and true and thus constitute knowledge. Furthermore, I think the worldview of Jesus is a much more profound understanding of reality and God than yours is. He is worthy to be followed much more than you are- no offense. I would love to spend more time refuting and rebutting every single one of your points but time does not allow. My friend forgive me for not responding in more depth to your arguments. I am tired tonight. I would refer you to read some of the many thousands of books that have persuasively answered all of the questions you have raised. Also, I would encourage you to read some of the works of former Atheists like CS Lewis who have encountered God in their life and have come to worship Him. They were converted in mind and heart and this is what you need, too. You will not believe until your mind is converted and God softens your heart, which is what I believe He is doing through our conversations. Despite your disbelief in God and your misunderstanding of His revelation, God still pursues you. You might not believe me but I am praying for your soul. It may be that you will never come to the knowledge of Christ but I hope that you do. FYI, without the Christian God, the underlying moral dilemna…the so-called problem of evil you bring up in your comment is not a problem at all because without God there is no moral foundation to make any value judgements at all. Finally my friend, Jesus rose from the dead and that evidenced for all humanity that what He taught about Himself, the nature of humanity, the nature of God, the veracity of the Hebrew Bible, etc. is true. You would do well to give your mind, soul, and strength to the Lord Jesus Christ in service of the One who is the King of Kings. Or… you can continue to fight against the Living God whom eventually you will meet. As you may have heard, someday every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. You and I will either bow with joy, saved by grace, or bow in pain probably because Christ has smashed our knee caps with his righteous sceptor. Which will you be? I have come to Christ by grace and have been spared from the wrath which is to come upon those yet uncovered by the His blood. I encourage you to come to Christ. Will you come to Him?
till next time…peace
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