Disclaimer

• Opinions are my own
• Guaranteed to be wrong*
• No formal training, but some thought and struggling

* e.g. Ephesians 3v19: "... this love that surpasses knowledge ..."

God made everything

• Everything exists because of God
• God made the world good (including humans)*
• God's existence is a given
• Neatly sidesteps the "why is there anything?" question

* e.g. Genesis 1v31: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good..."

Everything is wrong

• People do bad things¹
• Bad things happen to good people²
• Humanity bears some or all responsibility³
• God bears some or all responsibility⁴

¹ e.g. 2 Samuel 11 David killing Uriah

² e.g. Job 1v1: "...Job. This man was blameless and upright..."

³ e.g. 1 Corinthians 15v22: "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."

⁴ e.g. Job 27v2-4: "As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice..."

Sacrifice is needed

• When someone does something wrong, something must be done*
• There must be justice (punishment)
• Before Jesus, you kill animals
• This is clearly symbolic

* e.g. Leviticus 9v7: "...sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them..."

Sacrifice is needed

Summary of the Old Testament (before Jesus):

• God is love¹
• Don't do bad things - God hates it
• God punishes, and forgives (again and again)
• Sacrifice is needed for forgiveness
• A punishment-taking king is coming²

¹ e.g. Joel 2v13: "... slow to anger and abounding in love ..."
2 e.g. Isaiah 53v5: "...the punishment that brought us peace was on him..."

God made the sacrifice

• God became a human (Jesus)
• This human did nothing wrong
• He became the sacrifice*

* e.g. Hebrews 10v10: "...we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

God made the sacrifice

• No-one deserves it*
• No-one earns it
• God did it anyway

* e.g. Romans 3v23: "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..."

We respond

• You don't earn or initiate being forgiven
• You do respond to the offer
• Being forgiven does not make you good*

* e.g. Romans 7v18: "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out."

We respond

• Trying to behave well is a response¹
• There is no minimum entry criterion²

¹ e.g. 2 Peter 2v1-3: "... rid yourselves of all malice ... now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."

² e.g. 1 Timothy 1v16: "...I was shown mercy ... the worst of sinners..."

We respond

• There is no minimum entry criterion
• Forgiveness is a free gift
• Forgiveness gives us freedom
• We get to live without the burden of sin*

* e.g. Romans 6v14: "... for sin shall no longer be your master ..."

We respond

• There is no minimum entry criterion*

* e.g. Ephesians 2v8: "... this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God ..."

We respond

• There is no minimum entry criterion
• But we do respond*

* e.g. James 2v14: "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?"

Living without burdens

• Freedom from having to sin again (though we will)
• Freedom from the guilt
• Getting to be with God forever*

* e.g. Matthew 22v20: "At the resurrection people ... will be like the angels in heaven."

We respond

• Hate and fight your own sin¹
• Defend the weak²
• Pray a lot³
• Give up all power and ambition to God⁴
• Love your enemies⁵

¹Matthew 18v9, ²Matthew 25v31-46, ³Luke 5v16, ⁴Mark 12v30 ⁵Matthew 4v44

Problems

• If God made everything (and is good), why is there suffering?

Problems

• Why believe something so arbitrary?

Problems

• Christians do bad things

(or: Christians have hurt me in the past)

Problems

• Why is belief so important?

Questions?

andybalaam@artificialworlds.net

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