Posted on 11/06/2001 3:04:47 PM PST by Church Lady
Why I Do Not Say, “God Did Not Cause the Calamity, But He Can Use It for Good.”
September 19, 2001
John Piper
Many Christians are speaking this way about the murderous destruction of the World Trade Towers on September 11, 2001. God did not cause it, but he can use it for good. There are two reasons I do not say this. One is that it goes beyond, and is contrary to, what the Bible teaches. The other is that it undermines the very hope it wants to offer.
First, this statement goes beyond and against the Bible. For some, all they want to say, in denying that God "caused" the calamity, is that God is not a sinner and that God does not remove human accountability and that God is compassionate. That is true - and precious beyond words. But for others, and for most people who hear this slogan, something far more is implied. Namely, God, by his very nature, cannot or would not act to bring about such a calamity. This view of God is what contradicts the Bible and undercuts hope.
How God governs all events in the universe without sinning, and without removing responsibility from man, and with compassionate outcomes is mysterious indeed! But that is what the Bible teaches. God "works all things after the counsel of his will" (Ephesians 1:11).
This "all things" includes the fall of sparrows (Matthew 10:29), the rolling of dice (Proverbs 16:33), the slaughter of his people (Psalm 44:11), the decisions of kings (Proverbs 21:1), the failing of sight (Exodus 4:11), the sickness of children (2 Samuel 12:15), the loss and gain of money (1 Samuel 2:7), the suffering of saints (1 Peter 4:19), the completion of travel plans (James 4:15), the persecution of Christians (Hebrews 12:4-7), the repentance of souls (2 Timothy 2:25), the gift of faith (Philippians 1:29), the pursuit of holiness (Philippians 3:12-13), the growth of believers (Hebrews 6:3), the giving of life and the taking in death (1 Samuel 2:6), and the crucifixion of his Son (Acts 4:27-28).
From the smallest thing to the greatest thing, good and evil, happy and sad, pagan and Christian, pain and pleasure - God governs them all for his wise and just and good purposes (Isaiah 46:10). Lest we miss the point, the Bible speaks most clearly to this in the most painful situations. Amos asks, in time of disaster, "If a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it?" (Amos 3:6). After losing all ten of his children in the collapse of his son's house, Job says, "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21). After being covered with boils he says, "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10).
Oh, yes, Satan is real and active and involved in this world of woe! In fact Job 2:7 says, "Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head." Satan struck him. But Job did not get comfort from looking at secondary causes. He got comfort from looking at the ultimate cause. "Shall we not accept adversity from God?" And the author of the book agrees with Job when he says that Job's brothers and sisters "consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him" (Job 42:11). Then James underlines God's purposeful goodness in Job's misery: "You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful" (James 5:11). Job himself concludes in prayer: "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2). Yes, Satan is real, and he is terrible - and he is on a leash.
The other reason I don't say, "God did not cause the calamity, but he can use it for good," is that it undercuts the very hope it wants to create. I ask those who say this: "If you deny that God could have 'used' a million prior events to save 5,000 people from this great evil, what hope then do you have that God could now 'use' this terrible event to save you in the hour of trial?" We say we believe he can use these events for good, but we deny that he could use the events of the past to hold back the evil of September 11. But the Bible teaches he could have restrained this evil (Genesis 20:6). "The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples" (Psalm 33:10). But it was not in his plan to do it. Let us beware. We spare God the burden of his sovereignty and lose our only hope. All of us are sinners. We deserve to perish. Every breath we take is an undeserved gift. We have one great hope: that Jesus Christ died to obtain pardon and righteousness for us (Ephesians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:21), and that God will employ his all-conquering, sovereign grace to preserve us for our inheritance (Jeremiah 32:40). We surrender this hope if we sacrifice this sovereignty.
Strengthening Your Confidence in Christ Our King,
Here's a clue junior...
We ain't talking about what the Bible says.
We're talking about the words of sanctimonious self-righteous blowhards like Falwell and Robertson.
When you can point to a Bible verse that says "And God smashed the airplane full of innocent women and children against the giant building, because New York had too many homos, pagans, and feminists"... then we'll talk.
You seem to be confusing your own nonsense with what the Bible actually contains.
Had he included himself in with the litany of sinners, as St. Paul said "of whom I am foremost...," maybe Falwell would have received a different response.
Maybe he just forgot the Scriptural admonition that "there is none righteous, no not one."
Once again... the words under contention in MY posts... are those of Falwell and Robertson. I'm sure you think that anything that is uttered from their lips is instantly gospel...
I am unaware of any books of the Bible named "2nd Falwell" or "The Epistle of Pat".
Maybe you got one of them "New Bibles" by sending Robertson your 50 bucks.
Traitors are self-identified. They all say we deserved it.
They give different reasons of course, foreign policy, GOD, whatever.
The fact is they hate America.
I have no use for traitors.
The job of defending the Christian faith, and answering questions such as these, is known as apologetics. One person has defined apologetics as "proving what you never doubted by arguments you don't understand." This, however, is certainly not the case!
Our English word "apologetics" comes from two Greek words - the noun apologia and the verb apologeomai. In the New Testament era, these words meant "to give a defense or reply." They are found some eighteen times in the New Testament.
The Noun "Defend"
The noun apologia is used eight times in the New Testament.
1. Brothers and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you (Acts 22:1).
The Apostle Paul is offering a defense to certain things he was wrongly accused of.
2. And I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face, and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges (Acts 25:16). Here the word is used in the technical sense of making a defense against accusers.
3. My defense to those who examine me is this (1 Corinthians 9:3).
Paul again is using the term in the legal sense.
4. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter (2 Corinthians 7:11). Here the word has the idea of vindication.
5. For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me (Philippians 1:7).
The scope of Paul's ministry concerns both the defense and confirmation of the good news. This implies that his response or apology was closely linked with the gospel.
6. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel (Philippians 1:16). This clearly points out his purpose - he is set for the defense of the gospel.
7. At my first defense no one defended me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them (2 Timothy 4:16).
This could mean defend or support in front of hostile witnesses.
8. but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence (1 Peter 3:15).
This is a key verse with respect to the defense of the Christian faith. Here it is in the context of persecution. When asked, we are commanded to have an answer as to what we believe and why we believe.
The Verb "To Defend"
The verb apologeomai is used ten times in the New Testament.
1. And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not become anxious about how or what you should speak in your defense, or what you should say (Luke 12:11).
Jesus uses "defense" here with the idea of our defending the faith before institutions and authorities.
2. So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves (Luke 21:14). This could be a formal defense before those who were making a legal charge.
3. And some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander, since the Jews had put him forward; and having motioned with his hand, Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly (Acts 19:33).
Alexander was attempting to respond to the charges made against him.
4. And when the governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded: Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense (Acts 24:10).
Again, we have Paul's defense to charges that were brought against him. In this case it is before the governor.
5. while Paul said in his own defense, "I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar" (Acts 25:8).
Paul is responding to the specific charges that he has committed offenses either against the Jews, their religion, or Rome.
6. And Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense (Acts 26:1).
He begins his legal defense before King Agrippa.
7. In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today (Acts 26:2).
Again, we have another use of the term in a sense of a legal defense. Paul makes his defense before Agrippa, verse 22 is the key to understand of what his defense consisted.
And so, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place (Acts 26:22).
Paul argues that he is teaching nothing different than what is found in Moses (the Law) and the Old Testament prophets.
8. And while Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad (Acts 26:24).
Here Paul is interrupted by Festus as he is making his defense.
9. in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them (Romans 2:15).
The thoughts of humans can either bring an accusation or a defense.
10. All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved (2 Corinthians 12:19).
This refers to specific attacks against Paul from certain people in Corinth.
From these verses we learn that an apologist is one who gives a defense or reply to questions about the Christian faith. This is true whether it is answering a simple question or responding to some type of accusation.
We know the people who were saved on those planes went to heaven, the ones who were not, were given a chance at some point in their life to be saved but rejected it, it's there problem, God did not cause it. Children who die go to be with him and are happier for it. Yes it is hard on those left behind but they should remember that the child is in a better place.
Becky
Also there is a persuasive case to be made on the earthly level that increased moral anomie brought on sloppiness in earthly preparedness. How do we KNOW if we were more careful we would have headed off the events of 9/11? The answer is, of course, we do not absolutely know. But we can say the probability of stopping the events 9/11 would have been higher.
Maybe you should read the article again. Nobody's saying anything like that is in the Bible.
First of all you are saying something which is untrue. Falwell never said God caused this to happen, he said God might have removed his protection. I suspect you know that and purposely misquoted him. BTW that is also called lying.
It is also a fact that Falwell did not apologize for saying that either. He apologized for naming specific groups such as planned parenthood and the ACLU.
I personally don't think he should have even apologized for that.
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