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NASB | Romans 9:20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 9:20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers [arrogantly] back to God and dares to defy Him? Will the thing which is formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" [Is 29:16; 45:9] |
Subject: Is God selfish? |
Bible Note: CURIOUS asked Would we not be better off if we wouldn't even created at all? This question has been ask a lot of different times, by different people, in different ways. "If God is good, why is there evil in the world?" "If God is good why do people suffer?" and so on. First, let me say that Cyclist was dead on in his answer. For us to even have the audacity to ask God this question is an affront to his very nature. But, that he lets us ask it all the same shows his love for us even more. Let me offer these verses to help answer the question: 2 Corinthians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. And Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. I know that this is a bit long, but frankly when I start reading Paul I don't know where to stop. ;) But seriously, look at what he is saying. We undergo hardship that we may know the comfort of God. How would we know God's comfort except that we first know what hardship was? How can we comfort others except that God first comfort us? But also we complain of our suffering, for that is all we have known. That is why we must renew our minds so that we may know the will of God. To understand that suffering is not all there is, but that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. But we don't have that glory now so that we may have hope. Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? Look at what our suffering God is using to build into us, comfort, glory, and hope! Now we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. What more to this can we say? To live is Christ and to die is gain! |