Return
to Question and Answers Page
Hi TD'ers,
I received the following response from someone in the TD family.
It's a good question. I thought it would be useful for the
rest of you, as you or your friends may have similar thoughts
or questions (my answers are in bold):
Hi Arthur and Sandra,
I talked with (name withheld) today about this whole
course of events and how I have been dealing with it. A lot
of it was what we were talking about in service and Sunday
school. He took a look at the email that you sent and the
part I pasted above didn't really make sense to him. I tried
to explain it to him the best I could, but I had problems
with the second sentence.
What do you mean by "an autonomous, God-less, free will?"
Are you referring to those who are not saved and as a result,
don't live with the God-given joy and love?
In 2 Cor. 5:14, Paul states that the love of Christ constrains
or controls him now. This is in stark contrast to the way
our sinful human nature wants to live, which is autonomous
from God. In the beginning, Adam and Eve, who, might I add,
are our representatives and were far more righteous than we
are by nature, disobeyed God and in doing so basically declared
that they wanted to live their own way, not God's way. They
wanted to be a law unto themselves, which is in fact what
the word "autonomous" means ("auto" = by oneself or by itself
and "nomos" = law).
My statement then was referring to the fact that all of
mankind, including ourselves prior to salvation, wants to
live life apart from God's so-called rules, requirements,
and laws. We want "freedom" to live the way we want.
What I was saying is that, in reality, this tragedy is but
one example of where that "freedom" brings us. It's not the
bed of roses that we think comes with freedom. In fact, being
constrained or controlled or bound (our nature hates these
terms) by God's love (being under His control and law) is
far more blessed than the false promises than this autonomous
freedom Satan promised delivers.
You also started the third sentence with "however" and
I wasn't sure what the sentence was in contrast to.
People agreed Friday that they did indeed want free will.
I affirmed that but qualified it by saying that freedom IN
Christ is better than freedom FROM Christ. The "however" is
merely a qualification.
He also posed a question in response to the sentence,
"This is what I meant last night regarding free will. This
tragedy is a result of man's free will, which we all agreed
that we all wanted."
How can it be said that the tragedy is a result of man's
free will if God sustains in all things. It gets rather confusing
because you're dealing with the subject of the sovereignty
of God and also the free (or seemingly free) will of man.
Correct me if I'm wrong but if God's will refers to God's
plan for man than the tragedy was part of God's "will." I
don't know. Every time we talk about God's will, hidden and
or revealed, the issue of free will is hard to grasp.
Let me first ask you a couple of questions: 1) Did God know
this tragedy (or any other) was going to happen? 2) Could
God have stopped it if He wanted to?
I think you would agree that the answer to both questions
is "yes". Then the answer is obviously that in His great and
loving wisdom, He didn't want to stop it. He let it happen
and in some sense and for some reason, it was His will.
It goes beyond just this event, though. It goes back to
God allowing us to sin at all. Remember that we do have free
will. However, it is not absolutely free. We have constraints
and limitations (there are things you would like to do but
don't have the ability to do - you are limited in your ability).
So, our free will is free within parameters God has set. It
is under and subservient to God's will and not on the side
of and equal with it.
I know God has so many reasons for ordaining this horrible
event that are hidden from me but I do know a couple:
1. Sin has its consequences and we need to know what those
consequences are. We can't sin and not pay the consequence.
Tragedy and pain are a result of sin. We all want to sin but
then be shielded from its consequence.
Remember, that God is truly hurt as well ("I take no delight
in the death of the wicked"). It really pains God, who only
creates that which is beautiful and good and lovely, to see
how ugly and perverted His highest creation (us) has become.
2. We need to feel the weightiness and ugliness of sin.
If we never do, what's to deter us from sinning more and more?
If we don't ever experience the horrible consequence of
sin, if we never feel intense and excruciating pain on account
of our sin, what exactly does Jesus need to save us from?
The answer, "to save us from our sin" would be meaningless.
In times like these, God is reminding us very clearly what
we are being saved from. Remember, evil, fear and death are
sin's consequence. This tragedy is about evil, fear, and death.
Thank the Lord that for those who abandon their autonomy,
repent, DIE to self, and return to Christ, this is only temporary.
Can I also add again that Jesus is the only true innocent
person to ever not deserve death. Yet he died, and died violently.
The violence was not only physical but more so, spiritually.
My heart sinks each time I think about the horror that those
in the plane or WTC must have face, knowing they were about
to die. The pain of anticipation is often worse than the dying
itself. That really saddens me.
When Jesus was on earth, He lived with that fear because
He knew full well what was in store. I'm not talking of the
physical crucifixion but rather of the fury and wrath and
pain that would be unleashed on Him from His Father. Remember
Jesus' traumatic prayers at the Garden of Gethsemane?
Last week's horror was only a small sample, a foretaste
of hell to come for many. Jesus endured the full fury of hell
on the cross from God (again, not merely the physical pain).
He did this so we wouldn't have to. Spread the word far and
wide. This really is good news. I have no doubt that another
reason for this tragedy is to awake spiritually slumbering
souls and to further spread this good news. I know that for
me, personally, I have been more actively and passionately
spreading the word to nearly everyone I meet now.
I hope this is useful.
Trusting God,
Arthur
Return to Question and Answers
Page 
