Bible Question:
I have been a christian for 40 years and now my grown son is asking questions I don't know how to answer. How can I prove the validity of the bible in simple and non-confusing rationale? My son has presented this set of questions that I can't find answers for. Statement of Fact: Christian peoples of the world claim that God's word tells them from before time began God set into motion the "Devine Plan." He knows the end from the beginning. He is all knowing, all powerful and everywhere. When praying, pray that God's will be done. Questions? If God's will is the "Devine Plan" and has been in existence since before time began, how does praying help? What if what you're asking for in prayer is not God's will? Are christians so arrogant to want God to change his plan? Does God enjoy hearing people wine, moan, grovel and beg for things they will not get? Does God delight in the monotonous pleadings, mumblings and cryings of people for things that he planned they would get anyway? If the "Devine Plan" was developed by God and set in motion before time began, how can any kind of appeal through prayer alter God's will? Statement of Fact: Christian peoples of the world claim that God's word tells them God's "Devine Plan" includs free will. Each and every man has the free will to choose everlasting life or everlasting hell fire. Questions? If all has been determined in the "Devine Plan" from before time began, where is the free will to change and be spared from the torment of hell fire? If man is given two choices, eternal life through Jesus Christ or eternal hell fire by rejection, where is that person's free will to choose Buddah, Mohamed or to remain neutral? Where is that man's freedom of choice to decide not to choose? Where is his free will? Statement of Fact: Christian peoples of the world claim that God's word tells them that God is loving, just and merciful. Questions? How does a God of love who knows the end from the beginning develop a "Devine Plan" before time began, then create all of mankind knowing that one day the majority of them will have to be sent to hell? How does a God of justice punish his created beings by tormenting them in hell for the rest of eternity for just their one lifetime of sin? How does a God of mercy put into action a "Devine Plan" that calls for such hideous and maniacal cruelty? Statement of Fact: Christian peoples of the world claim that God's word tells them that God created the sun on the fourth day of creation. Questions? How is is possible to have three cycles of morning and evening before the creation of the sun? How is it possible that God would create light on the first day of creation when he didn't create the sun until the fourth day? Doesn't everyone know that light comes from the sun and without the sun we cannot have a morning or an evening? Since the sun is 1.3 million times larger than the earth why didn't God inform the bible writers of its importance to life on earth? |
Bible Answer: Hi You asked: "Statement of Fact: Christian peoples of the world claim that God's word tells them from before time began God set into motion the "Divine Plan." He knows the end from the beginning. He is all knowing, all powerful and everywhere. When praying, pray that God's will be done. Answer. We must distinguish between God's directive will and His permissive will. His directive will controls all things. His permissive will allows adjustments within His directive will. Questions? If God's will is the "Divine Plan" and has been in existence since before time began, how does praying help? Answer: Because we do not pray for God's divine plan to change, but we pray within God's divine plan as His children. God has not purposed everything we do. It is just that our lives are lived within His over all purpose. Question. What if what you're asking for in prayer is not God's will? Are christians so arrogant to want God to change his plan? Answer: If you ask for what is not within His directive will He will not respond to you. No one can change God's overall plan. It is arrogant to expect Him to do so. What they can do is seek adjustments within it. But even then they should be seeking to ensure that they only ask what is within His will. The Christian always prays, 'Your will be done'. Question: Does God enjoy hearing people whine, moan, grovel and beg for things they will not get? Answer. Actually Jesus taught that we should not pray like this 'This', He said, 'is the way the Gentiles pray (who do not know how to pray properly) See Matthew 6.7, 31-32. The Christian is to approach in faith, love and submission to Him as a child to his father in accordance with what is laid out in the Lord's prayer. Question: Does God delight in the monotonous pleadings, mumblings and cryings of people for things that he planned they would get anyway? Answer. God delights in all our prayers when we approach Him as our heavenly Father. Just as parents delight in their children's often unwise words. But what a sad world it would be if children never asked their parents for anything. Prayer is however supposed to be a means of communication, not a method of getting things out of God. Question: If the "Divine Plan" was developed by God and set in motion before time began, how can any kind of appeal through prayer alter God's will? Answer: No prayer can change God's divine plan. It can only cause changes within it. But even then we should be praying only for what we believe is His will. 'If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us,' (1 John 5.14). Thus our prayers should always be for what is in accord with His will. We can be sure that He will never act against His directive will whateve we pray for. |