- On today's
episode of "Authentic,"
00:00:01.10\00:00:03.03
we're going to
explore this question,
00:00:03.03\00:00:05.83
Did God actually
set up the human race
00:00:05.83\00:00:08.60
for failure at
the very beginning?
00:00:08.60\00:00:11.01
I really don't think
you're gonna wanna miss this.
00:00:11.01\00:00:14.14
[gentle music]
00:00:14.14\00:00:16.78
[gentle music continues]
00:00:23.75\00:00:27.22
You know, it's pretty
rare that we do a long,
00:00:34.46\00:00:36.16
multipart series
here on the show.
00:00:36.16\00:00:38.10
I think the last time I
did it was a five-parter
00:00:38.10\00:00:40.84
on where the gospels come from.
00:00:40.84\00:00:43.10
But today I'm actually
onto part six of a series
00:00:43.10\00:00:46.07
where I'm attempting to answer
a bunch of critical questions
00:00:46.07\00:00:48.78
about the Christian faith
00:00:48.78\00:00:50.28
that I accidentally
stumbled across on social media.
00:00:50.28\00:00:53.25
Now, normally, I don't waste
much time with online debates
00:00:53.25\00:00:57.25
because, let's be
honest, there's no end to them.
00:00:57.25\00:00:59.89
I mean, when's the last time
you ever saw someone on Twitter
00:00:59.89\00:01:03.06
or some other platform say,
00:01:03.06\00:01:04.59
"Ooh, you know, what, you
were right, I guess I'm wrong"?
00:01:04.59\00:01:08.26
That doesn't happen.
00:01:08.26\00:01:09.53
And so I almost
never get involved,
00:01:09.53\00:01:11.53
because social media platforms
00:01:11.53\00:01:13.70
are often just a shouting match
00:01:13.70\00:01:15.24
between people trying to play
gotcha with clever comebacks.
00:01:15.24\00:01:19.01
So I almost passed on this one.
00:01:19.01\00:01:22.38
But then I reconsidered
because the questions,
00:01:22.38\00:01:25.08
well, I've heard these
questions a thousand times over
00:01:25.08\00:01:27.85
from all kinds of people
00:01:27.85\00:01:29.38
and I thought that some
of them deserved a response.
00:01:29.38\00:01:32.05
Because while they
were a little accusatory,
00:01:32.05\00:01:34.72
a little angry,
and obviously biased,
00:01:34.72\00:01:37.49
they were intelligent questions.
00:01:37.49\00:01:39.56
So here's the question
we're gonna tackle today,
00:01:40.96\00:01:42.73
and remember, these
are questions a lady said
00:01:42.73\00:01:45.43
she would ask God if
she ever got the chance.
00:01:45.43\00:01:48.10
And she said, "Why would you
purposely tempt Adam and Eve?
00:01:48.10\00:01:51.67
Did you want them to fail?
00:01:51.67\00:01:53.21
I mean, when I had children,
I babyproofed my house.
00:01:53.21\00:01:55.98
I didn't light a fire in
the middle of my living room
00:01:55.98\00:01:58.41
and tell them not
to get close to it."
00:01:58.41\00:02:00.85
Now, if you make the
rounds of the religious world,
00:02:00.85\00:02:03.49
you'll find all kinds of people
00:02:03.49\00:02:04.72
who insist that
this idea is true.
00:02:04.72\00:02:07.82
They'll say, "God set things up
00:02:07.82\00:02:09.66
so that Adam and Eve
were guaranteed to fail,
00:02:09.66\00:02:13.19
and that somehow that was
gonna be a better situation
00:02:13.19\00:02:16.60
than keeping the
innocence and purity
00:02:16.60\00:02:18.83
we were
originally created with."
00:02:18.83\00:02:21.50
But that's certainly
not a mainstream opinion
00:02:21.50\00:02:24.14
among biblical Christians.
00:02:24.14\00:02:26.41
The "Bible"
teaches that while God
00:02:26.41\00:02:28.24
absolutely created
the original universe
00:02:28.24\00:02:30.81
and everything in it,
00:02:30.81\00:02:32.51
He's not
responsible for the appearance
00:02:32.51\00:02:35.18
of sin and suffering.
00:02:35.18\00:02:36.28
In fact, in some instances,
00:02:37.25\00:02:38.85
the "Bible"
attaches the word mystery
00:02:38.85\00:02:41.02
to the concept of sin,
00:02:41.02\00:02:42.66
like it does in 2
Thessalonians 2:7,
00:02:42.66\00:02:46.09
where Paul refers to
"the mystery of lawlessness."
00:02:46.09\00:02:50.47
And I know that
declaring the emergence of sin
00:02:50.47\00:02:52.80
to be a mystery seems
like a little bit of a cop out.
00:02:52.80\00:02:56.44
But there really are things
surrounding the concept of evil
00:02:56.44\00:03:00.14
that I'm not sure we're ever
going to be able to comprehend,
00:03:00.14\00:03:03.71
at least not fully.
00:03:03.71\00:03:05.81
But there is
enough data in the "Bible"
00:03:05.81\00:03:07.65
to help me talk about this
00:03:07.65\00:03:08.92
with a reasonable
deal of confidence.
00:03:08.92\00:03:11.72
And I think by
the time we're done
00:03:11.72\00:03:13.42
that you'll at least see
the beginnings of a solid answer
00:03:13.42\00:03:17.09
to this question.
00:03:17.09\00:03:18.79
You might
remember, from other shows,
00:03:18.79\00:03:20.33
a quote from a
19th century author
00:03:20.33\00:03:22.50
I've brought up a
few times in the past
00:03:22.50\00:03:24.73
because it makes such
incredibly good sense.
00:03:24.73\00:03:28.00
And that quote goes like this,
00:03:28.00\00:03:30.21
"it is impossible to
explain the origin of sin
00:03:30.21\00:03:33.44
so as to give a
reason for its existence.
00:03:33.44\00:03:36.38
Yet enough may be understood
00:03:36.38\00:03:37.91
concerning both the original
and final disposition of sin
00:03:37.91\00:03:41.15
to make fully
manifest the justice
00:03:41.15\00:03:43.45
and benevolence of God in
all His dealings with evil.
00:03:43.45\00:03:46.96
Nothing is more
plainly taught in Scripture
00:03:46.96\00:03:49.36
than that God was
in no wise responsible
00:03:49.36\00:03:52.19
for the entrance of sin,
00:03:52.19\00:03:53.90
that there was no arbitrary
withdrawal of divine grace,
00:03:53.90\00:03:56.93
no deficiency in
the divine government,
00:03:56.93\00:03:59.63
that gave occasion for
the uprising of rebellion.
00:03:59.63\00:04:02.77
Sin is an intruder,
00:04:02.77\00:04:04.71
for whose presence
no reason can be given.
00:04:04.71\00:04:07.68
It is mysterious, unaccountable.
00:04:07.68\00:04:09.94
To excuse it is to defend it.
00:04:09.94\00:04:12.85
Could excuse for it be found
00:04:12.85\00:04:14.45
or cause be shown
for its existence,
00:04:14.45\00:04:16.89
it would cease to be sin."
00:04:16.89\00:04:19.49
So, in other words,
there is no good reason
00:04:19.49\00:04:23.36
for the emergence of sin.
00:04:23.36\00:04:25.06
You can search,
and search, and search
00:04:25.06\00:04:27.10
until the cows come home,
00:04:27.10\00:04:28.46
but you're not going
to find a good reason
00:04:28.46\00:04:31.37
to rebel against God.
00:04:31.37\00:04:33.23
Oh, to be sure, the
human brain is really good
00:04:33.23\00:04:36.50
at justifying the things we do.
00:04:36.50\00:04:39.17
But most of us realize
00:04:39.17\00:04:41.24
that if we were asked to
present our justifications
00:04:41.24\00:04:43.85
in front of God Himself,
00:04:43.85\00:04:46.41
they would melt like a
snowflake on a warm sidewalk.
00:04:46.41\00:04:49.52
So now let's tackle
the question itself.
00:04:50.65\00:04:52.92
Why would God make it
possible to do the wrong thing?
00:04:52.92\00:04:56.49
My internet skeptic
compared it to bad parenting.
00:04:56.49\00:04:59.26
She said, "Look,
when my kids were little,
00:04:59.26\00:05:01.76
I babyproofed the house.
00:05:01.76\00:05:03.57
I didn't build a
fire in the living room
00:05:03.57\00:05:05.20
and tell them to stay away."
00:05:05.20\00:05:07.60
Now that seems
like a really good point
00:05:07.60\00:05:11.01
until you think it through.
00:05:11.01\00:05:13.01
Her argument really falls apart
00:05:13.01\00:05:14.84
when you come to the word baby,
00:05:14.84\00:05:17.28
because what the
"Bible" describes in Eden
00:05:17.28\00:05:20.02
was not a couple
of helpless infants.
00:05:20.02\00:05:22.52
It describes fully-developed,
self-aware human beings
00:05:22.52\00:05:26.02
with the cognitive ability
00:05:26.02\00:05:27.62
to assess the
world they lived in.
00:05:27.62\00:05:30.29
The reason we
babyproof our houses
00:05:30.29\00:05:32.19
is because we're
dealing with babies,
00:05:32.19\00:05:34.46
and that's not what we're
dealing with in Genesis 3.
00:05:34.46\00:05:38.43
So it's really
not a fair comparison.
00:05:39.57\00:05:41.67
And what I'd ask
this skeptic, if I could,
00:05:41.67\00:05:44.07
is whether or not
she wants her children
00:05:44.07\00:05:46.01
to live in a babyproofed world
for the rest of their lives.
00:05:46.01\00:05:50.25
Do we really count it a
success if we keep our children
00:05:50.25\00:05:53.08
completely sheltered
from everything forever?
00:05:53.08\00:05:57.05
Or would we rather train them
00:05:57.05\00:05:58.52
so that they learn to recognize
danger when they see it?
00:05:58.52\00:06:01.49
Every parent knows
the frustration and pain
00:06:02.59\00:06:04.93
of having a child
ignore their advice
00:06:04.93\00:06:07.96
and watching them get
hurt precisely the way
00:06:07.96\00:06:10.27
that mom and dad
were trying to prevent.
00:06:10.27\00:06:12.70
But, at the end of the day,
00:06:12.70\00:06:14.10
all you can really do
is teach your children
00:06:14.10\00:06:16.37
what's right and wrong or
what's safe and dangerous,
00:06:16.37\00:06:19.71
and you hope they're
listening to you, why?
00:06:19.71\00:06:23.91
Well, it's all you can do
00:06:23.91\00:06:25.35
because they're autonomous
people with wills of their own.
00:06:25.35\00:06:27.62
And the best you can do
with autonomous individuals
00:06:27.62\00:06:30.99
is give them a warning.
00:06:30.99\00:06:32.25
Anything else would be
a violation of liberty,
00:06:33.36\00:06:35.62
and honestly, a form of slavery.
00:06:35.62\00:06:38.23
When we set
about having children,
00:06:38.23\00:06:40.30
most of us are hoping
they'll move out one day
00:06:40.30\00:06:42.80
as well-adjusted,
fully-functioning adults.
00:06:42.80\00:06:45.80
We don't really want
them to stay at home forever.
00:06:45.80\00:06:48.47
And if we're good parents,
00:06:48.47\00:06:50.27
we're really not interested
in raising mindless slaves.
00:06:50.27\00:06:53.84
And really, parenthood
is probably the easiest way
00:06:53.84\00:06:57.08
to illustrate what happened
in the story of Genesis.
00:06:57.08\00:07:00.28
You know full well that
having children comes with risk.
00:07:00.28\00:07:04.29
Those kids might
not love you in return.
00:07:04.29\00:07:06.99
They might ignore your advice
and live their lives in a way
00:07:06.99\00:07:09.69
you know is courting disaster.
00:07:09.69\00:07:12.46
They might
ultimately reject you,
00:07:12.46\00:07:14.63
and yet you want children.
00:07:14.63\00:07:16.40
You're willing
to take that risk,
00:07:16.40\00:07:17.83
because another
human being with free will
00:07:17.83\00:07:20.60
has the ability
to love you back.
00:07:20.60\00:07:23.20
There's no such thing as
a meaningful relationship
00:07:23.20\00:07:25.71
unless both parties
actually have a choice.
00:07:25.71\00:07:29.48
And so what God did was create
us with the capacity to love,
00:07:29.48\00:07:33.38
to love each
other and to love Him.
00:07:33.38\00:07:36.38
And if we didn't have the
ability to turn our backs on
00:07:36.38\00:07:39.79
God, then our relationship with
Him really wouldn't mean much
00:07:39.79\00:07:42.92
because it's involuntary.
00:07:42.92\00:07:45.46
There had to be a choice.
00:07:45.46\00:07:47.60
There had to be some
way that you could say no.
00:07:47.60\00:07:50.97
It was a risk that
God was willing to take
00:07:50.97\00:07:53.30
because He thought that
the free-will relationship
00:07:53.30\00:07:57.01
would be worth it.
00:07:57.01\00:07:58.04
What God didn't do was
light a fire in the living room,
00:07:59.41\00:08:02.18
the way this skeptic put it.
00:08:02.18\00:08:04.18
There was
nothing in God's creation
00:08:04.18\00:08:06.01
that was inherently dangerous.
00:08:06.01\00:08:08.08
The only obstacle to a lifelong,
00:08:08.08\00:08:10.42
meaningful relationship with God
00:08:10.42\00:08:12.02
was a matter of your choice,
00:08:12.02\00:08:13.79
and that was it.
00:08:13.79\00:08:16.42
There was nothing
inherently dangerous
00:08:16.42\00:08:18.29
about the Tree of Knowledge.
00:08:18.29\00:08:19.83
There is no
indication in the text
00:08:19.83\00:08:22.06
that the fruit
was actually toxic.
00:08:22.06\00:08:24.30
This was all about
the freedom to choose.
00:08:24.30\00:08:27.34
And right now I have the freedom
to choose to take a break,
00:08:27.34\00:08:31.07
so I'll be
right back after this.
00:08:31.07\00:08:33.64
[gentle music]
00:08:33.64\00:08:36.31
- [Announcer] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:08:37.51\00:08:41.68
"Bible" prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:08:41.68\00:08:46.39
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:08:46.39\00:08:48.56
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:08:48.56\00:08:51.59
Our free Focus
on Prophecy guides
00:08:51.59\00:08:54.00
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the "Bible"
00:08:54.00\00:08:56.77
and deepen your
understanding of God's plan
00:08:56.77\00:08:59.20
for you and our world.
00:08:59.20\00:09:00.84
Study online or
request them by mail
00:09:00.84\00:09:03.24
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:09:03.24\00:09:06.91
- All right, we're
talking about the fact
00:09:06.91\00:09:08.81
that God allowed us to
fall into sin and rebellion
00:09:08.81\00:09:12.01
and He didn't
make it impossible.
00:09:12.01\00:09:14.22
And the reason for that is
not that hard to figure out.
00:09:14.22\00:09:16.69
The "Bible" defines God as love,
00:09:16.69\00:09:19.55
and it says that you and
I were made in His image.
00:09:19.55\00:09:22.66
But there's no
way to love someone
00:09:22.66\00:09:24.43
if you don't
actually have any choice.
00:09:24.43\00:09:27.60
So right from the beginning,
00:09:27.60\00:09:29.06
God made choice available.
00:09:29.06\00:09:31.00
And I actually
suspect that if Adam and Eve
00:09:31.00\00:09:33.34
had chosen to reject temptation,
00:09:33.34\00:09:36.20
eventually the need for
choice would've disappeared.
00:09:36.20\00:09:39.17
Now, I don't have a specific
"Bible" verse to support that,
00:09:39.17\00:09:42.28
but given the character of God
00:09:42.28\00:09:43.81
and the content of
the rest of the "Bible,"
00:09:43.81\00:09:46.01
I believe that
probably would've been the case.
00:09:46.01\00:09:49.32
But it's not what happened,
00:09:49.32\00:09:50.49
so that's really
kind of a moot point.
00:09:50.49\00:09:52.52
So, again, did
God want us to fail?
00:09:53.62\00:09:57.09
Absolutely not.
00:09:57.09\00:09:58.56
That's an idea about God
00:09:58.56\00:10:00.06
that comes from
centuries of human tradition
00:10:00.06\00:10:02.50
and not from the
pages of the "Bible."
00:10:03.53\00:10:06.20
A lot of people live
with this unspoken assumption
00:10:06.20\00:10:08.97
that God is in the
business of getting rid of us,
00:10:08.97\00:10:11.31
and the only way He's
ever gonna take you into heaven
00:10:11.31\00:10:14.01
is if He has to,
00:10:14.01\00:10:15.21
if you kind of slide
in through the judgment
00:10:15.21\00:10:17.61
on some kind of technicality.
00:10:17.61\00:10:20.22
But that's a mindset
that came to us courtesy
00:10:20.22\00:10:22.58
of the Medieval Church
where Western Christianity
00:10:22.58\00:10:25.45
tragically conflated
the teachings of Christ
00:10:25.45\00:10:28.42
with the politics of
the Western Roman Empire.
00:10:28.42\00:10:31.46
Where the political Roman
Empire had crumbled in the West,
00:10:31.46\00:10:35.40
the church historically
stepped in to fill the void,
00:10:35.40\00:10:38.83
and it became perhaps the
biggest political authority
00:10:38.83\00:10:41.34
in a lot of people's lives.
00:10:41.34\00:10:43.20
And because Roman
emperors and European kings
00:10:43.20\00:10:46.04
often resorted to
violence to retain their power,
00:10:46.04\00:10:50.28
the people mentally put
God in that same category,
00:10:50.28\00:10:53.52
because, after all, the
potentates of the church
00:10:53.52\00:10:56.18
were doing that kind of thing.
00:10:56.18\00:10:58.22
Regular people were
just a huge inconvenience
00:10:58.22\00:11:00.69
to the authorities.
00:11:00.69\00:11:02.22
But they were also a
key source of revenue,
00:11:02.22\00:11:04.19
and so they could fund the army,
00:11:04.19\00:11:05.93
so kings kind of
tolerated the peasants.
00:11:05.93\00:11:08.93
You might remember that old
comic strip, "The Wizard of Id,"
00:11:10.27\00:11:12.67
where someone shouts,
"The peasants are revolting!"
00:11:12.67\00:11:15.14
And the king, without
even looking out his window,
00:11:15.14\00:11:17.07
says, "You could say
that again." [chuckles]
00:11:17.07\00:11:19.94
The reason it's funny
00:11:19.94\00:11:22.01
is because there's a
kernel of truth to it.
00:11:22.01\00:11:24.45
The nobility of Europe
barely tolerated the serfs
00:11:24.45\00:11:27.85
because of the advantages that
came with being a landowner.
00:11:27.85\00:11:31.42
But loved the serfs?
00:11:31.42\00:11:33.22
That was so rare that we
still find a lot of fairytales
00:11:33.22\00:11:36.69
from yesteryear
featuring a good king
00:11:36.69\00:11:39.63
who actually cared about people.
00:11:39.63\00:11:41.60
It was so rare it was
considered extraordinary.
00:11:41.60\00:11:45.17
I mean, think about it,
00:11:45.17\00:11:46.43
we still sing about
"Good King Wenceslas,"
00:11:46.43\00:11:48.77
who ventured out on
the Feast of Stephen
00:11:48.77\00:11:50.81
out into the cold winter
00:11:50.81\00:11:52.64
where he discovers a poor man
trying to find enough firewood
00:11:52.64\00:11:55.58
to keep himself warm.
00:11:55.58\00:11:57.31
And so the king decides
that this is unacceptable
00:11:57.31\00:12:00.85
and makes sure a feast is
delivered to the peasants hovel.
00:12:00.85\00:12:05.12
It's a really old story
about the Duke of Bohemia
00:12:05.12\00:12:08.02
dating back more
than 1,000 years.
00:12:08.02\00:12:10.93
And whether or
not the story's true,
00:12:10.93\00:12:13.40
it was meant to celebrate a
monarch who cared about people.
00:12:13.40\00:12:17.80
So think about that.
00:12:17.80\00:12:19.37
We've been
commemorating this guy now
00:12:19.37\00:12:21.60
for more than a thousand years,
00:12:21.60\00:12:24.61
and you'd have to
think long and hard
00:12:24.61\00:12:26.14
to find other examples of
that kind of royal generosity.
00:12:26.14\00:12:30.25
That's how rare it was.
00:12:30.25\00:12:32.85
So when we began to
conflate church and state,
00:12:34.15\00:12:37.09
we started to think that
God must be like the tyrants
00:12:37.09\00:12:40.02
who lived on the
hill in the castle
00:12:40.02\00:12:42.32
and the bishops
who lived sumptuously
00:12:42.32\00:12:44.86
while the rest of us starved.
00:12:44.86\00:12:46.76
Now, that's not the whole
picture, not even by a long
00:12:46.76\00:12:49.86
shot. We also have to
factor in the pagan ideas
00:12:49.86\00:12:52.60
that made huge inroads
during the Medieval period,
00:12:52.60\00:12:56.00
which led many people to
think of the God of Abraham
00:12:56.00\00:12:59.07
as if he was one of
the gods of Mount Olympus,
00:12:59.07\00:13:01.18
this unpleasant deity who
toyed with human beings for fun.
00:13:01.18\00:13:05.18
But you know?
00:13:06.05\00:13:06.88
Whatever the influence,
00:13:06.88\00:13:08.65
we really did come out
of that Medieval period
00:13:08.65\00:13:11.02
with this
horrible picture of God.
00:13:11.02\00:13:13.42
And so to this day,
we have a lot of people
00:13:13.42\00:13:16.29
assuming that
God doesn't want us,
00:13:16.29\00:13:18.53
He's trying to keep
us out of His kingdom.
00:13:18.53\00:13:21.43
And to be really honest,
00:13:21.43\00:13:23.06
I still hear a lot of
21st century preachers
00:13:23.06\00:13:26.17
saying that kind of stuff
00:13:26.17\00:13:28.07
instead of showing us the
God that you actually find
00:13:28.07\00:13:31.11
in the pages of the "Bible."
00:13:31.11\00:13:32.71
So let's slow
down now for a moment
00:13:33.81\00:13:35.61
and look at what the authors
of this book actually said.
00:13:35.61\00:13:39.28
"For God so loved the
world," it says in John 3:16,
00:13:39.28\00:13:43.42
"that He gave His only son,
00:13:43.42\00:13:45.32
that whoever believes
in Him should not perish,
00:13:45.32\00:13:47.99
but have eternal life."
00:13:47.99\00:13:50.36
So now ask yourself,
00:13:50.36\00:13:52.36
why in the world would God
make that kind of sacrifice
00:13:52.36\00:13:56.80
if He didn't want you?
00:13:56.80\00:13:58.03
Or consider this one,
00:13:58.93\00:14:00.17
it's one of my
favorites found in Romans 5.
00:14:00.17\00:14:03.14
It says, "For
while we were still weak,
00:14:03.14\00:14:06.14
at the right time
Christ died for the ungodly."
00:14:06.14\00:14:09.98
For who? The ungodly.
00:14:09.98\00:14:12.51
"For one will scarcely
die for a righteous person,
00:14:12.51\00:14:15.28
though perhaps for a good person
one would dare even to die.
00:14:15.28\00:14:19.59
But God shows His love for us
00:14:19.59\00:14:21.09
in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us."
00:14:21.09\00:14:25.26
Honestly, it's
hard to think of God
00:14:26.33\00:14:28.10
as cruel and
vindictive when you stop to read
00:14:28.10\00:14:30.50
what the "Bible" actually says.
00:14:30.50\00:14:33.44
I mean, consider
what Paul just said.
00:14:33.44\00:14:36.27
God didn't wait until
we were good enough to save
00:14:36.27\00:14:39.51
because He knew that
was never gonna happen.
00:14:39.51\00:14:41.94
He didn't wait
until we proved ourselves
00:14:41.94\00:14:43.75
before He laid down his life.
00:14:43.75\00:14:45.28
He did it while we
were still lost in sin
00:14:45.28\00:14:48.45
doing the very things
that hurt Him the most.
00:14:48.45\00:14:52.35
I mean, let's just be honest.
00:14:52.35\00:14:54.19
While we know that
Christ died to save us,
00:14:54.19\00:14:57.53
we also know that
the act of murdering Him
00:14:57.53\00:15:00.36
was the peak of
our sin and rebellion.
00:15:00.36\00:15:02.36
And even then, at that
moment, we find Christ saying,
00:15:02.36\00:15:05.57
"Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do."
00:15:05.57\00:15:09.24
So now stop for a moment
and let's reassess the charge
00:15:10.61\00:15:14.24
that my internet
skeptic brought against God.
00:15:14.24\00:15:17.41
"Why would you
purposely tempt Adam and Eve?
00:15:17.41\00:15:20.62
Did you want them to fail?"
00:15:20.62\00:15:23.92
The answer is
no, absolutely not.
00:15:23.92\00:15:27.22
You don't go to all those
incredibly painful lengths
00:15:27.22\00:15:29.92
to save people
that you set up to fail.
00:15:29.92\00:15:32.66
It doesn't add up.
00:15:32.66\00:15:34.46
God did not create this
world as a painful trial
00:15:34.46\00:15:37.40
that you need to pass through
in order to be good with Him.
00:15:37.40\00:15:40.70
In fact, the "Bible"
says the day He created us,
00:15:40.70\00:15:43.51
the human race, He
stepped back and noticed
00:15:43.51\00:15:46.04
that what He made was,
and I quote, "very good."
00:15:46.04\00:15:50.61
At the end of every
other day, He said it was good.
00:15:50.61\00:15:54.02
But the day he
made us, very good.
00:15:54.02\00:15:57.65
So why in the world
would He wanna change that?
00:15:57.65\00:16:00.16
Why would He make
this world something less
00:16:00.16\00:16:02.99
than He was capable of making?
00:16:02.99\00:16:05.06
Why would a God whose
character is defined by love
00:16:05.06\00:16:07.76
deliberately
create a world of pain?
00:16:07.76\00:16:10.57
And the answer is He didn't.
00:16:10.57\00:16:12.80
But He did
create us with choice,
00:16:13.90\00:16:15.50
because without it,
00:16:15.50\00:16:16.94
we would never be
capable of experiencing love
00:16:16.94\00:16:19.07
the way that God planned.
00:16:19.07\00:16:21.01
There would be no
profound relationships,
00:16:21.01\00:16:23.41
no fulfilling
interactions with each other,
00:16:23.41\00:16:25.88
no meaning to our existence.
00:16:25.88\00:16:29.02
Without the
possibility of choice
00:16:29.02\00:16:31.29
it would've been a
completely empty existence,
00:16:31.29\00:16:33.82
nothing more
than cosmic slavery.
00:16:33.82\00:16:36.96
And so He took the risk because
He thought it was worth it.
00:16:38.29\00:16:41.43
And while I absolutely
abhor the choices we made,
00:16:41.43\00:16:44.80
the wreck we made
out of God's creation,
00:16:44.80\00:16:46.90
I'm still glad He took the risk.
00:16:46.90\00:16:49.04
Because even though we now have
to live in considerable pain
00:16:49.04\00:16:52.21
and we've almost
completely eradicated
00:16:52.21\00:16:54.51
the image of
God from this world,
00:16:54.51\00:16:57.11
I'm still free to love.
00:16:57.11\00:16:59.05
And I'm still free,
thanks to the gift of the cross,
00:16:59.05\00:17:01.72
to build a meaningful
relationship with a personal
00:17:01.72\00:17:05.42
God, a God who is willing
to give His very life for me.
00:17:05.42\00:17:08.19
And did God
babyproof the Garden of Eden?
00:17:09.29\00:17:11.99
Yeah, in a way He did.
00:17:11.99\00:17:13.73
It's not as if He simply
set the whole thing in motion
00:17:13.73\00:17:15.90
and let the first people
guess what that tree was for.
00:17:15.90\00:17:19.57
He told us point blank,
00:17:19.57\00:17:20.80
"Look, you're free
to do what you want.
00:17:20.80\00:17:22.70
But if you go down this path
00:17:22.70\00:17:24.94
and willfully disconnect
yourself from the only source
00:17:24.94\00:17:27.81
of life in the universe,
00:17:27.81\00:17:29.31
it's going to lead to
pain, and suffering, and death."
00:17:29.31\00:17:33.88
Look, if you read
the "Bible" carefully,
00:17:34.95\00:17:36.69
you'll notice
that the real issue
00:17:36.69\00:17:39.02
was whether or not
God can be trusted.
00:17:39.02\00:17:41.86
And wouldn't you know it,
00:17:41.86\00:17:43.32
the skeptic's question implies
that He can't be trusted,
00:17:43.32\00:17:46.93
and that's really the biggest
question in the world today.
00:17:46.93\00:17:49.40
With all the pain,
with all the disappointment
00:17:49.40\00:17:51.60
that we suffer every single day,
00:17:51.60\00:17:53.64
can we really trust God?
00:17:53.64\00:17:56.57
I'll be right back
after this to explore
00:17:56.57\00:17:58.34
that question
just a little bit more.
00:17:58.34\00:18:00.61
[gentle music]
00:18:00.61\00:18:03.24
- [Announcer] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:18:04.41\00:18:06.82
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:18:06.82\00:18:10.19
but that's where
the "Bible" comes in.
00:18:10.19\00:18:12.62
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:18:12.62\00:18:15.72
Here at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:18:15.72\00:18:17.26
we've created the
Discover "Bible" guides
00:18:17.26\00:18:19.43
to be your guide to the "Bible."
00:18:19.43\00:18:20.96
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use,
00:18:20.96\00:18:23.47
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions,
00:18:23.47\00:18:26.50
and they're absolutely free.
00:18:26.50\00:18:28.54
So jump online
now or give us a call
00:18:28.54\00:18:30.84
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:18:30.84\00:18:33.14
- Let me show you
something really interesting
00:18:34.38\00:18:35.58
in the book of 2 Timothy,
00:18:35.58\00:18:37.41
which was
addressed to a young preacher
00:18:37.41\00:18:39.21
the Apostle Paul knew and loved,
00:18:39.21\00:18:41.88
and showed a keen
interest in helping.
00:18:41.88\00:18:44.02
He's talking about the suffering
that he's had to endure
00:18:44.02\00:18:47.42
as a missionary and a preacher,
00:18:47.42\00:18:49.46
suffering that Paul expected
00:18:49.46\00:18:51.29
because the world he
preached in is at odds with God.
00:18:51.29\00:18:54.63
And anybody who picks
up the cause of Christ
00:18:54.63\00:18:56.97
is bound to
experience a little friction.
00:18:56.97\00:19:00.10
Actually, friction
is a pretty mild word
00:19:00.10\00:19:02.84
for what Paul had to endure,
00:19:02.84\00:19:04.34
because he was actually
left for dead at one point
00:19:04.34\00:19:07.04
by a mob that really hated him.
00:19:07.04\00:19:09.64
So now listen to what he wrote,
00:19:09.64\00:19:10.88
because I find
this very interesting,
00:19:10.88\00:19:13.18
he says, "Therefore, do
not be ashamed of the testimony
00:19:13.18\00:19:17.19
about our Lord, nor
of me, his prisoner,
00:19:17.19\00:19:20.16
but share in suffering for
the gospel by the power of God
00:19:20.16\00:19:23.39
who saved us and
called us to a holy calling,
00:19:23.39\00:19:26.83
not because of our works,
00:19:26.83\00:19:28.53
but because of His
own purpose and grace,
00:19:28.53\00:19:30.93
which he gave us in Christ
Jesus before the ages began,
00:19:30.93\00:19:34.54
and which now
has been manifested
00:19:34.54\00:19:36.67
through the appearing of
our Savior Jesus Christ."
00:19:36.67\00:19:40.94
So let me pause right
here and point out something
00:19:40.94\00:19:42.84
that many people miss,
00:19:42.84\00:19:44.85
God intended to save us
and bring us into His kingdom,
00:19:44.85\00:19:48.22
Paul says,
"Before the ages began."
00:19:48.22\00:19:51.85
In other words,
even before He made us,
00:19:51.85\00:19:54.22
He'd already made
plans for what to do
00:19:54.22\00:19:56.12
if we made the wrong choice.
00:19:56.12\00:19:58.29
That's why in Revelation 13:8,
00:19:58.29\00:20:00.70
you find mention
of the Book of Life
00:20:00.70\00:20:02.96
and the lamb who was slain from
the foundation of the world.
00:20:02.96\00:20:07.40
The plan to save
us was already there
00:20:07.40\00:20:10.31
the very moment we were created.
00:20:10.31\00:20:12.31
So it's not really a matter
of God wanting us to fail.
00:20:13.68\00:20:17.08
What He did was create us
00:20:17.08\00:20:18.31
with the fullest
potential for joy,
00:20:18.31\00:20:20.85
and He had a safety
net in place just in case.
00:20:20.85\00:20:25.09
And that was a safety net
00:20:25.09\00:20:26.49
that came at a very
high cost to God Himself,
00:20:26.49\00:20:29.02
it meant the
life of his only son.
00:20:29.02\00:20:31.86
Now back to 2
Timothy 1, it continues,
00:20:31.86\00:20:35.50
"Which He gave us in Christ
Jesus before the ages began,
00:20:35.50\00:20:39.60
and which now
has been manifested
00:20:39.60\00:20:41.37
through the appearing
of our Savior Jesus Christ,
00:20:41.37\00:20:44.24
who abolished death and
brought life and immortality
00:20:44.24\00:20:47.54
to light through the gospel,
00:20:47.54\00:20:49.54
for which I was
appointed a preacher,
00:20:49.54\00:20:51.58
and apostle, and teacher,
which is why I suffer as I do."
00:20:51.58\00:20:56.45
Now, here comes the most
important part for today,
00:20:56.45\00:20:59.45
"But I am not
ashamed," he writes,
00:20:59.45\00:21:01.19
"for I know
whom I have believed,
00:21:01.19\00:21:03.39
and I am convinced that He
is able to guard until that day
00:21:03.39\00:21:06.83
which has been entrusted to me."
00:21:06.83\00:21:09.93
So here's what I
want you to notice,
00:21:09.93\00:21:12.03
This was written by a
man who had suffered terribly
00:21:12.03\00:21:15.00
and still he trusts
the God of the "Bible."
00:21:15.00\00:21:18.84
This was such a profound thought
00:21:18.84\00:21:20.84
that inspired one
of the greatest hymns
00:21:20.84\00:21:22.71
of the Christian
Church written in 1883.
00:21:22.71\00:21:25.68
You probably know
it, it goes like this,
00:21:25.68\00:21:27.98
"I know not why
God's wondrous grace
00:21:27.98\00:21:31.12
to me He hath made known,
00:21:31.12\00:21:33.49
nor why, unworthy, Christ in
love redeemed me for His own.
00:21:33.49\00:21:38.43
But I know whom I have believed
00:21:38.43\00:21:41.06
and am persuaded that He is able
00:21:41.06\00:21:43.67
to keep that which
I've committed unto Him
00:21:43.67\00:21:47.34
against that day."
00:21:47.34\00:21:49.30
That is the
ultimate expression of trust.
00:21:49.30\00:21:53.11
There was nothing in
the Apostle Paul's life
00:21:53.11\00:21:55.48
to suggest that he was
headed to anything good.
00:21:55.48\00:21:58.15
His life was hard,
and he ended up in prison,
00:21:58.15\00:22:00.95
and then he died when the
Roman Empire beheaded him.
00:22:00.95\00:22:04.89
But in spite of all that,
00:22:04.89\00:22:06.12
in spite of the
hardship he endured,
00:22:06.12\00:22:08.26
he trusted the God of
the "Bible" with his future.
00:22:08.26\00:22:11.79
And that's the universal witness
00:22:12.59\00:22:14.23
of the people
who wrote this book.
00:22:14.23\00:22:16.40
Really, it's
completely impossible
00:22:16.40\00:22:18.40
to read the "Bible" honestly
and come to the conclusion
00:22:18.40\00:22:21.24
that God somehow
intended for us to fail.
00:22:21.24\00:22:24.87
That might make
good cult theology,
00:22:24.87\00:22:26.94
and I know a cult
that teaches that,
00:22:26.94\00:22:29.58
but it doesn't make
for good biblical theology.
00:22:29.58\00:22:32.55
In this book, we
have page, after page,
00:22:32.55\00:22:35.02
after page of God's incredibly
good intentions toward you.
00:22:35.02\00:22:38.92
I mean, just
consider what it says
00:22:38.92\00:22:40.29
in my wife's favorite verse,
00:22:40.29\00:22:42.12
and this was written in
the context of God's people
00:22:42.12\00:22:44.49
going horribly astray
00:22:44.49\00:22:46.49
and having to live
with the consequences
00:22:46.49\00:22:48.63
of some really bad choices.
00:22:48.63\00:22:50.90
In fact, they were
told to settle down
00:22:50.90\00:22:53.67
in Babylonian captivity
00:22:53.67\00:22:55.14
because they were
gonna be there for a while,
00:22:55.14\00:22:57.77
70 years in fact.
00:22:57.77\00:22:59.91
But then listen to
this from Jeremiah 29,
00:22:59.91\00:23:01.91
"For thus says the Lord,
00:23:03.18\00:23:05.68
'When 70 years are completed
for Babylon, I will visit you,
00:23:05.68\00:23:09.15
and I will
fulfill to you my promise
00:23:09.15\00:23:11.25
and bring you
back to this place.
00:23:11.25\00:23:13.62
For I know the plans I have
for you,' declares the Lord,
00:23:13.62\00:23:16.36
'plans for
welfare and not for evil,
00:23:16.36\00:23:18.86
to give you a future and a hope.
00:23:18.86\00:23:21.53
Then you will call upon me
00:23:21.53\00:23:23.00
and come and pray to
me, and I will hear you.
00:23:23.00\00:23:25.67
You will seek
for me and find me,
00:23:25.67\00:23:27.87
when you seek for me
with all your heart.'"
00:23:27.87\00:23:30.54
God wants us to fail?
00:23:31.94\00:23:33.81
No, hardly.
00:23:33.81\00:23:35.58
The only way you could
come to that conclusion
00:23:35.58\00:23:37.35
is to build your ideas about
God on what people tell you,
00:23:37.35\00:23:41.15
because that's not a picture
you'll find in this book.
00:23:41.15\00:23:44.12
I'll be right back after this.
00:23:44.12\00:23:46.09
[gentle music]
00:23:46.09\00:23:49.42
- [Announcer] Here at
the Voice of Prophecy,
00:23:49.42\00:23:50.89
we're committed to
creating top-quality programming
00:23:50.89\00:23:53.40
for the whole family.
00:23:53.40\00:23:54.83
Like our audio adventure
series, "Discovery Mountain."
00:23:54.83\00:23:58.00
"Discovery Mountain"
is a "Bible"-based program
00:23:58.00\00:24:00.47
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:24:00.47\00:24:02.80
Your family will enjoy
the faith-building stories
00:24:02.80\00:24:05.61
from this small
mountain summer camp and town.
00:24:05.61\00:24:08.44
With 24 seasonal
episodes every year
00:24:08.44\00:24:10.95
and fresh content every week,
00:24:10.95\00:24:13.08
there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:24:13.08\00:24:16.48
[gentle music]
00:24:16.48\00:24:19.29
- You know, the problem of evil
00:24:19.29\00:24:20.89
is one of the biggest
questions in the world.
00:24:20.89\00:24:22.92
In fact, I've seen a
lot of modern philosophers,
00:24:22.92\00:24:26.19
people like Susan Neiman,
suggest that the problem of evil
00:24:26.19\00:24:29.93
is really the
underlying question
00:24:29.93\00:24:32.23
behind every philosophical
pursuit of all time.
00:24:32.23\00:24:36.81
So to think that
I'm gonna fully satisfy
00:24:36.81\00:24:39.21
a critic's accusations
against God in half an hour,
00:24:39.21\00:24:43.75
now that's wishful thinking.
00:24:43.75\00:24:45.58
But I will say this,
00:24:45.58\00:24:47.58
if you're honest
with the biblical text
00:24:47.58\00:24:50.35
and you actually take the
time to read the whole thing,
00:24:50.35\00:24:54.56
you're gonna find the idea
that God set us up for failure
00:24:54.56\00:24:57.53
completely untenable.
00:24:57.53\00:24:59.56
It's just not in here.
00:24:59.56\00:25:01.76
If anything, you're
gonna discover that God
00:25:01.76\00:25:03.80
went out of His way
to set us up for success,
00:25:03.80\00:25:07.80
and He did that without
taking away our right to choose.
00:25:07.80\00:25:11.94
So, again, maybe think of
this in terms of parenthood,
00:25:13.31\00:25:16.48
if that's helpful.
00:25:16.48\00:25:18.18
When we first
start our families,
00:25:18.18\00:25:20.22
we have all kinds of hopes
and dreams for our children.
00:25:20.22\00:25:22.78
In fact, we want
the very best for them.
00:25:22.78\00:25:26.25
We create promising situations.
00:25:26.25\00:25:28.59
We take them to soccer
practice or to music lessons,
00:25:28.59\00:25:31.73
or to whatever it is they
happen to show an interest in,
00:25:31.73\00:25:35.06
sometimes to the point
00:25:35.06\00:25:36.67
of loading our kids
down with way too much.
00:25:36.67\00:25:40.67
But the reason we do it,
00:25:40.67\00:25:42.67
we're trying to set
them up for success.
00:25:42.67\00:25:44.97
I mean, from the day
we bring these babies
00:25:44.97\00:25:47.11
home from the hospital,
00:25:47.11\00:25:48.61
we're out there buying
those "Mozart for Babies" albums
00:25:48.61\00:25:51.41
because somewhere we read
00:25:51.41\00:25:53.08
that it helps a
baby's mental development.
00:25:53.08\00:25:55.78
Whether or not
that's true, I have no idea,
00:25:55.78\00:25:58.25
but I know a lot of you
did it just in case it works.
00:25:58.25\00:26:02.12
You help your kids
with their homework.
00:26:03.22\00:26:05.23
You help them prepare
for their ACTs or the SATs
00:26:05.23\00:26:08.36
because, well, you want
them to win scholarships
00:26:08.36\00:26:11.13
and get into good colleges.
00:26:11.13\00:26:13.30
You spend countless,
white-knuckled hours in a car
00:26:13.30\00:26:16.60
teaching your kids to drive.
00:26:16.60\00:26:18.81
You invest in
teaching them right from wrong
00:26:18.81\00:26:21.84
trying to prepare
them for the brutal reality
00:26:21.84\00:26:24.91
of living in this
painful and broken world.
00:26:24.91\00:26:27.62
And then, comes the day when
they pull away from the house,
00:26:28.98\00:26:33.79
maybe for the last time,
00:26:34.46\00:26:35.49
and you send up a little prayer
00:26:35.49\00:26:37.13
that your kids
are gonna be okay.
00:26:37.13\00:26:40.33
You launch them and
you want them to succeed.
00:26:40.33\00:26:43.63
But you also know
that they're free agents,
00:26:43.63\00:26:46.10
real people with real choices,
00:26:46.10\00:26:48.60
and there's the
very distinct possibility
00:26:48.60\00:26:51.34
that they're gonna
make some bad decisions
00:26:51.34\00:26:53.31
that cause them pain.
00:26:53.31\00:26:55.64
Yet in spite of that, you
don't lock them in your house
00:26:55.64\00:26:58.05
hoping to prevent the pain,
00:26:58.05\00:26:59.65
not if you're a
decent and reasonable parent.
00:26:59.65\00:27:02.18
You take that risk
and you set them free,
00:27:02.18\00:27:06.35
because that's the only way
00:27:06.35\00:27:08.19
they're gonna find a
meaningful existence.
00:27:08.19\00:27:11.03
And that's what we
have in the "Bible."
00:27:11.03\00:27:13.33
A heavenly Father setting
His full-grown children free.
00:27:13.33\00:27:18.03
The analogy of babyproofing
your house just doesn't apply.
00:27:18.03\00:27:21.54
That's a false equivalence.
00:27:21.54\00:27:23.94
And here's the thing,
00:27:23.94\00:27:25.37
even though we made a
horrible mess of this world,
00:27:25.37\00:27:27.58
God still protects
your right to choose.
00:27:27.58\00:27:29.74
Instead of wiping us out,
00:27:29.74\00:27:31.45
instead of starting all
over with a clean slate,
00:27:31.45\00:27:34.62
He waits for us
hoping we'll accept the path
00:27:34.62\00:27:38.05
out of this mess, the
only path, which is Christ.
00:27:38.05\00:27:43.12
Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:43.93\00:27:45.39
I'm Shawn Boonstra, and you've
been watching "Authentic."
00:27:45.39\00:27:49.23
[gentle music]
00:27:49.23\00:27:51.90
[gentle music continues]
00:27:58.87\00:28:02.34
[gentle music continues]
00:28:08.82\00:28:12.32
[gentle music continues]
00:28:18.79\00:28:22.23
[gentle music ending]
00:28:28.00\00:28:30.34