Category: sin

real questions: suffering?

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suffering

Ned Anzers: It doesn’t seem fair that a loving God would allow bad things to happen. Why does God allow so much suffering?

This is an honest question.

I have often wondered the answer to this question myself. Years ago as a young boy, I would visit the nursing home to see my great grandmother Loretta. I remember these visits to this day. I was enamored by my great grandfather Roman’s care for his wife. They had been married for over half a century, but for many years she had been degenerating from the disease of Alzheimer’s. It was incredibly painful to see such a wonderful, witty woman who was so alive, not recognize who you were. As a young boy and even now as an adult it is still hard to understand why God allows this to happen, especially to one so undeserving. I will talk more about this in my conclusion.

I hear the stories my girlfriend Sarah, who tells me about where she grew up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. How the authorities have raped and pillaged a beautiful land. I see and feel the emotion she bears from the scars of her home land.

Jesus tells a story in the Bible about a real life catastrophe. It was about landmark tower took years to build, and seconds to fall. It stood as a powerful symbol of strength, security and prosperity, but in only moments became cloud of dust that blanketed the neighboring streets. As the dust and debris settled and the death toll rang out to the shaken city (18 people), the skyline was now empty and mournful. People were trying to make sense of the calamity. When Jesus talked about this tragedy at Siloam He knew it wouldn’t be the last (Luke 13:5).

We want explanation for the disaster, injustice, abuse, sickness, poverty, pain and suffering. So did people of the Bible (Jer.12:1, Hab.1:2-3, Ps.6:3). Where are you now God? Have you forgotten? Don’t you care?

Sometimes people think that the presence of suffering means the absence of God. Does suffering mean there is no God?

Certainly not. I would certainly be more fearful of the consequence of believing there is no God.  Jesus says there is significance to the human life (Luke 12:6-7, 24). Those who die are not forgotten by God. If we reject God because of suffering then we have to face a world that is much worse: meaningless suffering. Without God there would be no justice (Ecc.3:16ff; Acts 17:31; Mal.4:5), and no future (Ecc.3:20; John 11:25-26). Death would be the end of life. No after life. Without God there would be no significance to life (Ecc.3:18). We would be just animals with clothes on. Killing becomes like that of a lion killing a antelope. The killings of Cambodia, Columbine, Congo, Auschwitz, Manhattan, Virginia Tech and others would be without pity or horror. That is a scary world to me. A world without hope or meaning.

What is the meaning of suffering?

Going back to the story of Jesus and the collapsed tower we learn some very practical principles about suffering (Luke 12:54-13:5). First, we see the reality of sin. Suffering is not always caused because of man’s sinfulness or lack of acknowledgment that there is a God. God is not a bully trying to pressure His creation into submission. Second, through suffering we see the fragility of life. Life is short and we must trust God with our eternal destiny’s. Third, we see that God is with us through the suffering. Fourth, we see that suffering cause us to depend upon God.

We have a God that knows all about suffering. He is a God that has experienced suffering Himself. Jesus experienced abuse, betrayal of friends, gossip, hunger, alienation from family, torture, thirst, homelessness, religious persecution, bullied, death of close friends, unfair trial, excruciation prolonged execution. He wept and saw suffering like we do and gave up his own life to do something about it. The cross represents forgiveness for all those who cause suffering or experience suffering. On the cross we see a suffering God, suffering for His own people because He loves them and wants to free them from all suffering in eternity (John 3:16). God’s suffering was for our greater good and a proof of His love.

What does this love in suffering look like in real life?

Going back to the story of my great grandmother Loretta Rothe: I the mist of her suffering I saw an amazing picture of love that I would only wish to aspire for one day. My great grandfather would care for her when most in his shoes would bail. He would comb her hair, feed her dinner, read to her and prove that his love for his wife was “in sickness and health, until death do us part.” Suffering shows our true colors. I would only hope to have a similar perseverance in the midst of pain.

stop it

Posted in counseling, family, sinTagged , , , 1 Comment

I remember sitting in my Grandma’s wood-paneled living room as a youngster watching the Bob Newhart Show. She use to laugh so hard that it would make her cry. Every now and then I will watch Newhart reruns on TV. It brings back fond memories of those evenings with grandma and a bowl of popcorn.

Now grandma was a tough woman and would not let me get away with my little idiotic kid-spells. She would say in her tactful tone, “stop it!” Good times! Good times.

I often feel the same way when counseling people for change. I suppose it is those Joan Rothe genes in me mixed with a biblcial perspective on life. Simple lesson: we must see sin the same way God sees it and STOP IT!

Thanks to the seminary guys I see each week I found this funny clip…

real questions: hell yeah?

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Ned Anzers: Why would a God of love send anyone to Hell?

We live in a world in which anything and everything offends somebody. Many are labeled, censored or sued because they are racist, sexist, or intolerant. Especially, Christians are labeled as biased bigots. I wonder what people today would think about Jesus’ words on “hell”?

Hell today is not seen as much as a real place as it is a fill-word like: “Hell yeah,” “Get the hell out of here,” or “Go to hell.” I do not think we would say such a thing if we really knew what hell was. When Jesus mentions hell it is not a joke. His words are not judgmental or bloodthirsty, but chocked with tears. He loves and cares for people so much that He takes a lot of time in His teaching to warn us to avoid it.

When Jesus speaks about hell it is often graphic and vivid. He relates to hell as a place of eternal punishment, eternal fire, the fiery furnace, the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, a place reserved for those who rebel against God. As we come to the Bible, Jesus shares with us a story about two men who have very different ends to their lives. From this story we gain a lot of insight about hell:

1.  Hell is a real place (Luke 16:19-23a).

Hell is not a land-of-make-believe for those who are more evil than Mr. Rogers. “Hades” is a real place. So real is hell that Jesus talks about it a lot.

2.  Hell is not a fun place (16:23b-24).

Hell is not a party or place that anyone should desire to go. The rich man in Jesus’ story says “in torment”, “I am in agony in this fire.” I love Billy Joel’s music, but it is ignorant to say that “I would rather party with the sinners than cry with the saints.”

3.  Hell is eternal separation from God (16:25-26).

It is a wonderful comfort to know that at any moment, place and time God is with us. He is our Immanuel. I could not imagine being in a place without God, but that is how hell is described, “between us and you a great chasm has been fixed…none may cross from there to us.”

4.  Hell is for those who reject God (16:27-31).

The rich man pleads for his family who are still alive that someone would warn them. Yet he does not remember, and chose to forget, that many had warned him. If he or his family does not listen to the warnings from God’s teachers, like Moses and the Prophets, they will not listen to a dead man.

A parent’s greatest fear is that their children would get hurt. That is why they say, “look both ways before you cross the street,” “don’t stick your figure in a light socket,” “Do not drink Drain-O.” This is what Jesus is saying when He speaks about hell. Jesus is pointing out the road signs of clear and present danger. He doesn’t use the scare-tactic, but speaks plainly as parents who care often do when warning their children of matters of life or death.

Love is what motivates Jesus to talk about hell.

Jesus wants us to listen to Him and avoid it. We often misunderstand Gods love. We all know verse that say, “God is love.” (1 John 4) But just because God is love doesn’t mean He loves everything. What is something God doesn’t love? (sin: pride, injustice, murder, lying, etc) God hates sin (Ps.5:4-6).

Hell is a loving necessity.

It is a place where evil is to be locked up. God created hell to deal with evil. He made it to be a final, inescapable prison where all evil, rebellion against God will be confined never to poison men again. Given all the evil in the world today it is a great assurance to know that God notices it and has a plan to do something about it. God does not over look evil.

Hell seems unreasonable when we do not have a good understanding of what sin is against God.

God is holy, and without sin. Sin cannot go unpunished from a perfect God. God’s holiness and our sin are infinitely great, therefore, the greater the crime, the greater the punishment. Sin is an eternal offense against God therefore it deserves an eternal punishment. Sin against God is treason. If you were to disobey a king in the Middle Ages you were receive the death penalty. Thus it is so with the King of the Universe who seeks to care for His creation (Rom.3:23; 6:23).

Rather than asking why God would send anyone to hell, we must ask: How can you allow anyone to go to heaven?

taco bell theology

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Earlier today I was craving a chili cheese burrito. So I decided to head over to Taco Bell for lunch. Why does TB always sound so good, but you hate yourself for days afterwards?

It got me thinking. Taco Bell is a lot like sin. Okay, weird, I know. Just trust me on this.

Sin is fun. In the moment, sin sounds like a good idea. Just like my idea of Taco Bell: I could not resist the hankering for an ooey-gooey chili cheesy burrito (by the way, is that real meat in there?). It tasted so good going down. Mmm, yummy. However, it wasnt but a few minutes later that I already started feeling yucky and questioning why I had made such an idiotic decision. So it is with sin. The after taste of sin is disgusting, unsatisfying and leaving you with an empty gut of guilt. You see, sin is worse than silly Taco Bell. The Bible says, sin separates us from God and that sin is a slap in His face to the satisfying joy He desires us to have (Rom.3:23; 6:23).

I might be thinking outside the bun on this, but God is so more satisfying than Taco Bell. There is no comparison. Psalm 34:8 says, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” When we do not satisfy our hungers with God it is like eating 10 bean burritos at one sitting and expecting to run a marathon immediately afterwards. It ain’t happening.

I am incredibly thankful that God forgives us of our sin, cleans us from all unrighteousness and is more satisfying to the soul than anything on this planet. I am also thankful for the guy at the bank who gave me a breath mint!?

sin is more than

Posted in attributes of God, cross, poetry, sinTagged , , , , 1 Comment
I gathered at the Communion Table like never seen before. On Sunday, I was faced with the reality of my sin as Pastor Kenny preached on the reality of the cross from the perspective of our sin and the wrath of God.  For a majority of the service I was confronted by my darkness that once separated me from the Light. It is my sin that nailed Christ to the cross, but it is also the cross of Christ that frees me from the bondage of sin. The Gospel is so good! By the end of the service, I had my head in my hands praising a God of grace.

I went home that night and wrote a poem reflecting the passage below:

“And you who were dead in your sins…God made alive together with Him, having forgiven all our sins, but canceling the certificate of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14 

 

sin is more than blood and gore
more than neglecting the poor
more than sleeping with a whore
more than being wicked to the core

sin is more than a binge on gin and rum
more than forsaking the lowly bum
more than pretending to be blind, deaf or dumb
more than being compassionately numb

sin is more than committing a vile crime
more than stealing a nickel or dime
more than a mind filled with grime
more than wasting away valuable time

sin is more than one night before the ring
more than an extra-marital fling
more than putting an enemy in a sling
more than having no offering to bring

Sin is slapping a Holy God in the face
defaming the name of His glory and grace
facing a judgement without a case
separating all from His eternal place

 

Sin is recorded on a certificate of debt,
punishable by death; an infinite loss
but Christ has taken the the dirty note
and nailed it to the splintered cross

 

hangnail

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Last week, I had a hangnail removed. In June, a giant basketball sneaker stepped on my foot. It didn’t take long for my big toe to become a purple-swelled, puss-filled nuisance.
 
Over the next few months I became used to the pain and didn’t desire to get it checked out. Then my mother came into town. Mothers will be mothers. She reprimanded me and commanded me to get to the Doc. So like a good little boy, I did.
 
Doc, was happy I did and said, “this is pretty bad…the worst I’ve seen in a while” I nervously stared at the drop ceiling.
 
“Doesn’t it hurt?” he said.
 
“It did” I replied
 
So he cut the nickel sized chuck of nail out from under the skin (sorry for the gruesome details) and gave me instructions on how to care for my bandaged toe.
 
Later that night while soaking the toe in some Epsom salt, I thought: ‘Justin, this is a good object lesson! How often we get used to the pain of anger, callused to sin or live completely unsatisfied…rather than doing what it takes to live an easier, more joyful and godly life.’
 
I am thankful I got rid of my hangnail!


 

people pleaser

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There is an old fable that has been passed down for generations that tells about an elderly man who was traveling with a boy and a donkey. As they walked through a village, the man was leading the donkey and the boy was walking behind. The townspeople said the old man was a fool for not riding, so to please them he climbed up on the animal’s back.
 
When they came to the next village, the people said the old man was cruel to let the child walk while he enjoyed the ride. So, to please them, he got off and set the boy on the animal’s back and continued on his way.
 
In the third village, people accused the child of being lazy for making the old man walk, and the suggestion was made that they both ride. So the man climbed on and they set off again.
 
In the fourth village, the townspeople were indignant at the cruelty to the donkey because he was made to carry two people. The frustrated man was last seen carrying the donkey down the road.
 
The Point: We can’t please everybody, and if we try we end up carrying a heavy burden. When we try to do everything other believers want us to do, we can easily become frustrated and confused . That’s why we need to remember that the One we must please above all others is Jesus Christ. Carried any donkeys lately?