Perhaps it will help to consider one of the most profound statements in the Bible: “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Never was a more important declaration made than this; never was more meaning crowded into a few words than in this short sentence—God is love. This is a profound statement. God doesn’t just love; He is love. His nature and essence are love. Love permeates His very being and infuses all His other attributes, even His wrath and anger. When we see God as angry, it might help to realize that His anger is filtered through His great love.
It might also help to understand that God is never angry with His children, those who have come to Christ in faith for forgiveness of sin. All His anger was directed against His own Son on the cross, and He will never again be angry with those for whom Christ died. The Bible tells us that “God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11), but we who belong to Christ are not “the wicked.” We are perfect in God’s sight, because when He looks at us, He sees Jesus. “For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). All God’s wrath against our sin was poured out on Jesus on the cross, and He simply will not be angry with us ever again if we have placed our faith in Christ. He did this out of His great love for His own.
The fact that God is loving does not cancel out His holy requirement of perfection. However, because He is loving, He sent Christ to die on the cross in our place, and this completely satisfies God’s requirement of perfection. Because He is loving, God provided a way for man to be no longer separated from Him by sin, but to be able to enter into a relationship with Him as a welcome part of God’s family, placed in that family because of the finished work of Christ on the cross (John 1:12; 5:24).
If, even knowing these things, we still see God as angry and imposing, it could be that we are not sure of our own relationship to Him. The Bible encourages us to “examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). If we doubt that we truly belong to Christ, we only need to repent and ask Him into our hearts. He will forgive us our sin and give us His Holy Spirit who will live in our hearts and assure us that we are His children. Once we are assured that we are His, we can draw close to Him by reading and studying His Word and by asking Him to show Himself to us as He truly is. God loves each of us and desires to know us in a personal relationship. He has assured us that if we seek Him with all our hearts, we will surely find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). Then we will truly know Him, not as imposing and angry, but as a loving and gracious Father.
Sabtu, 16 Oktober 2010
Siapa yang menciptakan Allah? Dari mana datangnya Allah?
Bertrand Russell, seorang ateis, menulis dalam bukunya ”Mengapa Saya Bukan Seorang Kristen” bahwa kalau benar bahwa segala sesuatu perlu penyebab, maka Allah juga perlu ada penyebab. Dari sini dia menyimpulkan bahwa jika Allah perlu ada penyebab, maka Allah bukan Allah (dan jikalau Allah bukan Allah, maka berarti tidak ada Allah). Pada dasarnya ini hanyalah suatu bentuk yang sedikit lebih tinggi dari pertanyaan anak-anak, ”Siapa yang membuat Allah?” Bahkan anak kecilpun tahu bahwa apa yang ada tidak berasal dari yang tidak ada, jadi jikalau Allah adalah ”sesuatu” maka pasti ada yang menyebabkan Allah, begitu bukan?
Pertanyaan ini menjebak karena di dalamnya terselip asumsi yang salah bahwa Allah pasti berasal dari sesuatu dan kemudian bertanya dari mana datangnya Allah. jawabannya adalah bahwa pertanyaan seperti itu sama sekali tidak masuk akal. Pertanyaan seperti itu sama dengan mempertanyakan, ”Bagaimana bau warna biru?” Biru bukan termasuk sesuatu yang punya bau, sehingga dengan demikian pertanyaan itu sendiri mengandung kesalahan. Demikian pula, Allah tidak termasuk dalam kategori sesuatu yang diciptakan atau yang memiliki asal usul. Allah tidak memiliki penyebab dan tidak diciptakan – Allah berada begitu saja.
Bagaimana kita mengetahui hal ini? Kita tahu bahwa dari tidak ada, tidak ada yang menjadi ada. Jadi kalau suatu saat, segala sesuatu betul-betul tidak ada, maka tidak ada sesuatu apapun yang akan menjadi ada. Tapi ternyata ada sesuatu yang berada. Karena tidak mungkin sama sekali tidak ada apa-apa, maka ada sesuatu yang harus selalu ada. Sesuatu yang selalu ada itu adalah yang kita sebut Allah.
Pertanyaan ini menjebak karena di dalamnya terselip asumsi yang salah bahwa Allah pasti berasal dari sesuatu dan kemudian bertanya dari mana datangnya Allah. jawabannya adalah bahwa pertanyaan seperti itu sama sekali tidak masuk akal. Pertanyaan seperti itu sama dengan mempertanyakan, ”Bagaimana bau warna biru?” Biru bukan termasuk sesuatu yang punya bau, sehingga dengan demikian pertanyaan itu sendiri mengandung kesalahan. Demikian pula, Allah tidak termasuk dalam kategori sesuatu yang diciptakan atau yang memiliki asal usul. Allah tidak memiliki penyebab dan tidak diciptakan – Allah berada begitu saja.
Bagaimana kita mengetahui hal ini? Kita tahu bahwa dari tidak ada, tidak ada yang menjadi ada. Jadi kalau suatu saat, segala sesuatu betul-betul tidak ada, maka tidak ada sesuatu apapun yang akan menjadi ada. Tapi ternyata ada sesuatu yang berada. Karena tidak mungkin sama sekali tidak ada apa-apa, maka ada sesuatu yang harus selalu ada. Sesuatu yang selalu ada itu adalah yang kita sebut Allah.
Who created God? Where did God come from?
A common argument from atheists and skeptics is that if all things need a cause, then God must also need a cause. The conclusion is that if God needed a cause, then God is not God (and if God is not God, then of course there is no God). This is a slightly more sophisticated form of the basic question “Who made God?” Everyone knows that something does not come from nothing. So, if God is a “something,” then He must have a cause, right?
The question is tricky because it sneaks in the false assumption that God came from somewhere and then asks where that might be. The answer is that the question does not even make sense. It is like asking, “What does blue smell like?” Blue is not in the category of things that have a smell, so the question itself is flawed. In the same way, God is not in the category of things that are created or caused. God is uncaused and uncreated—He simply exists.
How do we know this? We know that from nothing, nothing comes. So, if there were ever a time when there was absolutely nothing in existence, then nothing would have ever come into existence. But things do exist. Therefore, since there could never have been absolutely nothing, something had to have always been in existence. That ever-existing thing is what we call God. God is the uncaused Being that caused everything else to come into existence. God is the uncreated Creator who created the universe and everything in it.
The question is tricky because it sneaks in the false assumption that God came from somewhere and then asks where that might be. The answer is that the question does not even make sense. It is like asking, “What does blue smell like?” Blue is not in the category of things that have a smell, so the question itself is flawed. In the same way, God is not in the category of things that are created or caused. God is uncaused and uncreated—He simply exists.
How do we know this? We know that from nothing, nothing comes. So, if there were ever a time when there was absolutely nothing in existence, then nothing would have ever come into existence. But things do exist. Therefore, since there could never have been absolutely nothing, something had to have always been in existence. That ever-existing thing is what we call God. God is the uncaused Being that caused everything else to come into existence. God is the uncreated Creator who created the universe and everything in it.
Apa artinya bahwa Allah itu adalah Allah yang cemburu (Keluaran 20:5; Ulangan 4:24)? Saya pikir cemburu itu salah (Galatia 5:20).
Adalah penting untuk memahami bagaimana kata cemburu digunakan. Penggunaan kata ini untuk melukiskan Allah dalam Keluaran 20:5 adalah berbeda dari penggunaannya untuk menggambarkan dosa kecemburuan (Galatia 5:20). Ketika kita menggunakan kata cemburu, kita menggunakannya dalam pengertian iri terhadap seseorang yang memiliki sesuatu yang tidak kita miliki. Seseorang merasa cemburu atau iri kepada orang lain karena orang itu memiliki mobil atau rumah yang bagus (barang kepunyaan). Atau iri kepada orang lain karena kemampuan atau keterampilan orang itu (misalnya kemampuan atletik). Contoh lain adalah seseorang yang cemburu atau iri pada orang lain karena ketampanan atau kecantikan orang itu.
Ketika kita mengamati ayat ini, kita mendapatkan bahwa Allah bukan cemburu atau iri karena seseorang mempunyai sesuatu yang Allah tidak miliki. Keluaran 20:4-5 mengatakan, “Jangan membuat bagimu patung yang menyerupai apapun yang ada di langit di atas, atau yang ada di bumi di bawah, atau yang ada di dalam air di bawah bumi. Jangan sujud menyembah kepadanya atau beribadah kepadanya, sebab Aku, TUHAN, Allahmu, adalah Allah yang cemburu, ….” Perhatikan bahwa dalam ayat ini Allah berbicara mengenai cemburu karena orang mengambil apa yang menjadi milikNya dan memberi kepada yang lain.
Dalam ayat-ayat ini Allah berbicara mengenai orang-orang membuat patung dan sujud menyembah kepada patung-patung ini dan bukannya menyembah Allah sebagaimana layaknya.
Penyembahan dan pelayanan adalah bagi Tuhan semata. Adalah dosa (sebagaimana yang dinyatakan Allah dalam perintah ini) untuk beribadah aau melayani apapun selain dari Dia. Karena itu, secara ringkas, adalah merupakan dosa ketika kita mengingini, atau kita iri, atau kita cemburu pada seseorang karena dia memiliki sesuatu yang tidak kita miliki. Ketika Allah mengatakan Dia adalah Allah yang cemburu, di sini kata cemburu digunakan secara berbeda. Apa yang Allah cemburui adalah apa yang memang merupakan milik kepunyaanNya; ibadah dan pelayanan adalah milikNya semata-mata, dan hanya boleh diberikan kepadaNya.
Mungkin contoh praktis berikut ini dapat membantu kita memahami perbedaannya. Jikalau seorang suami melihat pria lain bersikap genit dan main mata dengan istrinya, dia berhak untuk merasa cemburu karena hanya dia yang boleh bersikap genit terhadap istrinya. Cemburu seperti ini bukanlah dosa. Bahkan sebaliknya, ini adalah sesuatu yang pantas. Cemburu untuk apa yang merupakan milik Anda adalah baik dan pantas. Cemburu adalah dosa ketika itu merupakan keinginan untuk apa yang bukan merupakan milik Anda. Ibadah, pujian, hormat dan penyembahan adalah milik Allah semata-mata karena hanya Dia yang layak untuk itu. Karena itu adalah hak Allah untuk cemburu ketika ibadah, pujian, hormat atau penyembahan diberikan kepada berhala-berhala. Inilah kecemburuan yang digambarkan oleh Rasul Paulus dalam 2 Korintus 11:2, “Sebab aku cemburu kepada kamu dengan cemburu ilahi.”
Ketika kita mengamati ayat ini, kita mendapatkan bahwa Allah bukan cemburu atau iri karena seseorang mempunyai sesuatu yang Allah tidak miliki. Keluaran 20:4-5 mengatakan, “Jangan membuat bagimu patung yang menyerupai apapun yang ada di langit di atas, atau yang ada di bumi di bawah, atau yang ada di dalam air di bawah bumi. Jangan sujud menyembah kepadanya atau beribadah kepadanya, sebab Aku, TUHAN, Allahmu, adalah Allah yang cemburu, ….” Perhatikan bahwa dalam ayat ini Allah berbicara mengenai cemburu karena orang mengambil apa yang menjadi milikNya dan memberi kepada yang lain.
Dalam ayat-ayat ini Allah berbicara mengenai orang-orang membuat patung dan sujud menyembah kepada patung-patung ini dan bukannya menyembah Allah sebagaimana layaknya.
Penyembahan dan pelayanan adalah bagi Tuhan semata. Adalah dosa (sebagaimana yang dinyatakan Allah dalam perintah ini) untuk beribadah aau melayani apapun selain dari Dia. Karena itu, secara ringkas, adalah merupakan dosa ketika kita mengingini, atau kita iri, atau kita cemburu pada seseorang karena dia memiliki sesuatu yang tidak kita miliki. Ketika Allah mengatakan Dia adalah Allah yang cemburu, di sini kata cemburu digunakan secara berbeda. Apa yang Allah cemburui adalah apa yang memang merupakan milik kepunyaanNya; ibadah dan pelayanan adalah milikNya semata-mata, dan hanya boleh diberikan kepadaNya.
Mungkin contoh praktis berikut ini dapat membantu kita memahami perbedaannya. Jikalau seorang suami melihat pria lain bersikap genit dan main mata dengan istrinya, dia berhak untuk merasa cemburu karena hanya dia yang boleh bersikap genit terhadap istrinya. Cemburu seperti ini bukanlah dosa. Bahkan sebaliknya, ini adalah sesuatu yang pantas. Cemburu untuk apa yang merupakan milik Anda adalah baik dan pantas. Cemburu adalah dosa ketika itu merupakan keinginan untuk apa yang bukan merupakan milik Anda. Ibadah, pujian, hormat dan penyembahan adalah milik Allah semata-mata karena hanya Dia yang layak untuk itu. Karena itu adalah hak Allah untuk cemburu ketika ibadah, pujian, hormat atau penyembahan diberikan kepada berhala-berhala. Inilah kecemburuan yang digambarkan oleh Rasul Paulus dalam 2 Korintus 11:2, “Sebab aku cemburu kepada kamu dengan cemburu ilahi.”
Why is God a jealous God?
It is important to understand how the word “jealous” is used. Its use in Exodus 20:5 to describe God is different from how it is used to describe the sin of jealousy (Galatians 5:20). When we use the word “jealous,” we use it in the sense of being envious of someone who has something we do not have. A person might be jealous or envious of another person because he or she has a nice car or home (possessions). Or a person might be jealous or envious of another person because of some ability or skill that other person has (such as athletic ability). Another example would be that one person might be jealous or envious of another because of his or her beauty.
In Exodus 20:5, it is not that God is jealous or envious because someone has something He wants or needs. Exodus 20:4-5 says, “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God...” Notice that God is jealous when someone gives to another something that rightly belongs to Him.
In these verses, God is speaking of people making idols and bowing down and worshiping those idols instead of giving God the worship that belongs to Him alone. God is possessive of the worship and service that belong to Him. It is a sin (as God points out in this commandment) to worship or serve anything other than God. It is a sin when we desire, or we are envious, or we are jealous of someone because he has something that we do not have. It is a different use of the word “jealous” when God says He is jealous. What He is jealous of belongs to Him; worship and service belong to Him alone, and are to be given to Him alone.
Perhaps a practical example will help us understand the difference. If a husband sees another man flirting with his wife, he is right to be jealous, for only he has the right to flirt with his wife. This type of jealousy is not sinful. Rather, it is entirely appropriate. Being jealous for something that God declares to belong to you is good and appropriate. Jealousy is a sin when it is a desire for something that does not belong to you. Worship, praise, honor, and adoration belong to God alone, for only He is truly worthy of it. Therefore, God is rightly jealous when worship, praise, honor, or adoration is given to idols. This is precisely the jealousy the apostle Paul described in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy...”
In Exodus 20:5, it is not that God is jealous or envious because someone has something He wants or needs. Exodus 20:4-5 says, “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God...” Notice that God is jealous when someone gives to another something that rightly belongs to Him.
In these verses, God is speaking of people making idols and bowing down and worshiping those idols instead of giving God the worship that belongs to Him alone. God is possessive of the worship and service that belong to Him. It is a sin (as God points out in this commandment) to worship or serve anything other than God. It is a sin when we desire, or we are envious, or we are jealous of someone because he has something that we do not have. It is a different use of the word “jealous” when God says He is jealous. What He is jealous of belongs to Him; worship and service belong to Him alone, and are to be given to Him alone.
Perhaps a practical example will help us understand the difference. If a husband sees another man flirting with his wife, he is right to be jealous, for only he has the right to flirt with his wife. This type of jealousy is not sinful. Rather, it is entirely appropriate. Being jealous for something that God declares to belong to you is good and appropriate. Jealousy is a sin when it is a desire for something that does not belong to you. Worship, praise, honor, and adoration belong to God alone, for only He is truly worthy of it. Therefore, God is rightly jealous when worship, praise, honor, or adoration is given to idols. This is precisely the jealousy the apostle Paul described in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy...”
Does God punish us when we sin?
In order to answer this question, we first need to distinguish between punishment and discipline. For believers in Jesus, all our sin – past, present and future – has already been punished on the cross. As Christians, we will never be punished for sin. That was done once for all. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Because of the sacrifice of Christ, God sees only the righteousness of Christ when He looks at us. Our sin has been nailed to the cross with Jesus, and we will never be punished for it.
The sin that remains in our lives, however, does sometimes require God’s discipline. If we continue to act in sinful ways and we do not repent and turn from that sin, God brings His divine discipline to bear upon us. If He did not, He would not be a loving and concerned Father. Just as we discipline our own children for their welfare, so does our heavenly Father lovingly correct His children for their benefit. Hebrews 12:7-13 tells us, "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children after all. Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
Discipline, then, is how God lovingly turns His children from rebellion to obedience. Through discipline our eyes are opened more clearly to God's perspective on our lives. As King David stated in Psalm 32, discipline causes us to confess and repent of sin we have not yet dealt with. In this way discipline is cleansing. It is also a growth catalyst. The more we know about God, the more we know about His desires for our lives. Discipline presents us with the opportunity to learn and to conform ourselves to the image of Christ (Romans 12:1-2). Discipline is a good thing!
We need to remember that sin is a constant in our lives while we are yet on this earth (Romans 3:10, 23). And as such, we not only have to deal with God's discipline for our disobedience, but we also have to deal with the natural consequences resulting from sin. If a believer steals something, God will forgive him and cleanse him from the sin of theft, restoring fellowship between Himself and the repentant thief. However, the societal consequences of theft can be severe, resulting in fines or even jail time. These are natural consequences of sin and must be endured. But God works even through those to increase our faith and glorify Himself.
The sin that remains in our lives, however, does sometimes require God’s discipline. If we continue to act in sinful ways and we do not repent and turn from that sin, God brings His divine discipline to bear upon us. If He did not, He would not be a loving and concerned Father. Just as we discipline our own children for their welfare, so does our heavenly Father lovingly correct His children for their benefit. Hebrews 12:7-13 tells us, "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children after all. Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever? For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”
Discipline, then, is how God lovingly turns His children from rebellion to obedience. Through discipline our eyes are opened more clearly to God's perspective on our lives. As King David stated in Psalm 32, discipline causes us to confess and repent of sin we have not yet dealt with. In this way discipline is cleansing. It is also a growth catalyst. The more we know about God, the more we know about His desires for our lives. Discipline presents us with the opportunity to learn and to conform ourselves to the image of Christ (Romans 12:1-2). Discipline is a good thing!
We need to remember that sin is a constant in our lives while we are yet on this earth (Romans 3:10, 23). And as such, we not only have to deal with God's discipline for our disobedience, but we also have to deal with the natural consequences resulting from sin. If a believer steals something, God will forgive him and cleanse him from the sin of theft, restoring fellowship between Himself and the repentant thief. However, the societal consequences of theft can be severe, resulting in fines or even jail time. These are natural consequences of sin and must be endured. But God works even through those to increase our faith and glorify Himself.
Why was God so evident in the Bible, and seems so hidden today?
The Bible records God appearing to people, performing amazing and undeniable miracles, speaking audibly, and many other things that we do not seem to witness today. Why is this? Why was God so willing to reveal and prove Himself in Bible times, but almost seems "hidden" and silent today? God used miracles and direct communication with people in order to reveal to them His character and nature, as well as His plans and commands. His first miracle – creation – was the primary evidence of God’s existence and exhibited many of His attributes. From what was made, man could conclude that God is powerful, sovereign, and good. The creation was His first declaration to mankind. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the expanse proclaims His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). Following creation, God spoke to people to further declare Himself and to inform man of His law and His ways. He first spoke to Adam and Eve, giving them commandments to follow and, when they disobeyed, pronouncing a curse upon them and their descendants. He also assured them, and all mankind, that He would send a Savior to redeem us from sin. Thereafter, God spoke to Moses, giving him the law for His people to follow. He performed miracle after miracle to verify His existence to His people and to build their faith in Him. In addition, He spoke to His prophets so they would write down His words, words which were preserved for us in the Bible.
When Jesus came to earth, He also performed miracles to prove that He was indeed the Son of God and to foster belief in Him (Matthew 9:6; John 10:38). After His miraculous resurrection, He enabled His disciples to continue performing miracles in order to prove they were truly His, again so that people would believe on Him who sent them. So why does God no longer speak audibly to us?
There are several reasons for this. As noted above, God has already spoken, and His words have been miraculously kept for us down through the ages. Now we have the completed canon of scripture, and we need no further miracles to “validate” the Bible. In His perfect Word is everything we need “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is complete and is perfectly able to make us “wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15), a “more sure Word of prophecy to which we would do well to take heed” (2 Peter 1:19). We need nothing more, and we are not to seek extra-biblical revelations. To do so calls into question the efficacy of Scripture which God has declared to be sufficient.
Second, we have within us the Holy Spirit whom God has given to us to “lead us into all truth” (John 16:13). He speaks to us continually, teaching us (1 Corinthians 2:3), reminding us of all things that Jesus taught (John 14:26), guiding, correcting, and convicting us of sin (John 16:8). God is indeed “speaking” to us today through the Holy Spirit, who is certainly not hidden. Another reason for God’s seeming concealment is alluded to by the prophet Habakkuk: “The just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). God does not give His people a continual chain of miraculous signs; He expects them to trust what He has already done, search the Scriptures daily, respond to the Holy Spirit within, and live by faith, not by sight (Matthew 16:4; John 20:29).
Finally, let us remember that even in those times when it seems that God is doing nothing, He is still the sovereign Lord of all creation, and He is constantly at work, bringing about the fruition of His perfect plan. One of the best examples of God’s “hidden” working is the book of Esther, in which God is never mentioned, but which plainly shows His sovereign hand at work from beginning to end.
When Jesus came to earth, He also performed miracles to prove that He was indeed the Son of God and to foster belief in Him (Matthew 9:6; John 10:38). After His miraculous resurrection, He enabled His disciples to continue performing miracles in order to prove they were truly His, again so that people would believe on Him who sent them. So why does God no longer speak audibly to us?
There are several reasons for this. As noted above, God has already spoken, and His words have been miraculously kept for us down through the ages. Now we have the completed canon of scripture, and we need no further miracles to “validate” the Bible. In His perfect Word is everything we need “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is complete and is perfectly able to make us “wise to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15), a “more sure Word of prophecy to which we would do well to take heed” (2 Peter 1:19). We need nothing more, and we are not to seek extra-biblical revelations. To do so calls into question the efficacy of Scripture which God has declared to be sufficient.
Second, we have within us the Holy Spirit whom God has given to us to “lead us into all truth” (John 16:13). He speaks to us continually, teaching us (1 Corinthians 2:3), reminding us of all things that Jesus taught (John 14:26), guiding, correcting, and convicting us of sin (John 16:8). God is indeed “speaking” to us today through the Holy Spirit, who is certainly not hidden. Another reason for God’s seeming concealment is alluded to by the prophet Habakkuk: “The just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). God does not give His people a continual chain of miraculous signs; He expects them to trust what He has already done, search the Scriptures daily, respond to the Holy Spirit within, and live by faith, not by sight (Matthew 16:4; John 20:29).
Finally, let us remember that even in those times when it seems that God is doing nothing, He is still the sovereign Lord of all creation, and He is constantly at work, bringing about the fruition of His perfect plan. One of the best examples of God’s “hidden” working is the book of Esther, in which God is never mentioned, but which plainly shows His sovereign hand at work from beginning to end.
Why does God love us?
This short question is among the most profound questions ever asked. And no human would ever be able to answer it sufficiently. One thing is certain, however. God does not love us because we are lovable or because we deserve His love. If anything, the opposite is true. The state of mankind since the fall is one of rebellion and disobedience. Jeremiah 17:9 describes man’s inner condition: “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” Our innermost beings are so corrupted by sin that even we don’t realize the extent to which sin has tainted us. In our natural state, we do not seek God; we do not love God; we do not desire God. Romans 3:10-12 clearly presents the state of the natural, unregenerate person: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” How then is it possible for a holy, righteous, and perfect God to love such creatures? To understand this we must understand something of the nature and character of God.
First John 4:8 and 16 tell us that “God is love.” Never was a more important declaration made than this; never was more meaning crowded into a few words than in this short sentence—God is love. This is a profound statement. God doesn’t just love; He is love. His nature and essence are love. Love permeates His very being and infuses all His other attributes, even His wrath and anger. Because God’s very nature is love, He must demonstrate love, just as He must demonstrate all His attributes because doing so glorifies Him. Glorifying God is the highest, the best, and the most noble of all acts, so, naturally, glorifying Himself is what He must do, because He is the highest and the best, and He deserves all glory.
Since it is God's essential nature to love, He demonstrates His love by lavishing it on undeserving people who are in rebellion against Him. God’s love is not a sappy, sentimental, romantic feeling. Rather, it is agape love, the love of self-sacrifice. He demonstrates this sacrificial love by sending His Son to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin (1 John 4:10), by drawing us to Himself (John 6:44), by forgiving us of our rebellion against Him, and by sending His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, thereby enabling us to love as He loves. He did this in spite of the fact that we did not deserve it. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
God's love is personal. He knows each of us individually and loves us personally. His is a mighty love that has no beginning and no end. It is this experiencing of God’s love that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. Why does God love us? It is because of who He is: "God is love."
First John 4:8 and 16 tell us that “God is love.” Never was a more important declaration made than this; never was more meaning crowded into a few words than in this short sentence—God is love. This is a profound statement. God doesn’t just love; He is love. His nature and essence are love. Love permeates His very being and infuses all His other attributes, even His wrath and anger. Because God’s very nature is love, He must demonstrate love, just as He must demonstrate all His attributes because doing so glorifies Him. Glorifying God is the highest, the best, and the most noble of all acts, so, naturally, glorifying Himself is what He must do, because He is the highest and the best, and He deserves all glory.
Since it is God's essential nature to love, He demonstrates His love by lavishing it on undeserving people who are in rebellion against Him. God’s love is not a sappy, sentimental, romantic feeling. Rather, it is agape love, the love of self-sacrifice. He demonstrates this sacrificial love by sending His Son to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin (1 John 4:10), by drawing us to Himself (John 6:44), by forgiving us of our rebellion against Him, and by sending His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, thereby enabling us to love as He loves. He did this in spite of the fact that we did not deserve it. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
God's love is personal. He knows each of us individually and loves us personally. His is a mighty love that has no beginning and no end. It is this experiencing of God’s love that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. Why does God love us? It is because of who He is: "God is love."
Apakah Allah mendengar/menjawab doa-doa orang berdosa/tidak percaya?
Yohanes 9:31 menyatakan, “Kita tahu, bahwa Allah tidak mendengarkan orang-orang berdosa, melainkan orang-orang yang saleh dan yang melakukan kehendak-Nya.” Juga dikatakan bahwa “satu-satunya doa yang Allah dengar dari orang berdosa adalah doa untuk diselamatkan.” Sebagai akibat dari bagian Kitab Suci ini, sebagian orang percaya bahwa Allah tidak mendengar dan/atau tidak akan pernah menjawab doa-doa dari orang yang tidak percaya. Ayat-ayat Alkitab berikut ini menggambarkan bahwa Allah mendengar dan menjawab doa-doa orang yang tidak percaya. 1 Yohanes 5:14-15 memberitahukan kita bahwa Allah menjawab doa-doa kita berdasarkan apakah yang diminta itu sesuai dengan kehendakNya atau tidak. Prinsip ini, mungkin, dapat diterapkan pada orang-orang tidak percaya. Jika seorang tidak percaya berdoa kepada Allah sesuai dengan kehendakNya, tidak ada yang menghalangi Allah menjawab doa tsb – sesuai dengan kehendakNya.
Dalam menganalisa ayat-ayat ini kebanyakan ada hubungannya dengan doa. Dalam satu atau dua peristiwa kita melihat Allah menjawab jeritan hati (tidak dikatakan apakah seruan itu diarahkan kepada Allah atau bukan). Dalam beberapa kasus kelihatannya doa itu dikombinasikan dengan penyesalan. Namun dalam kasus lainnya, doa tsb. hanyalah merupakan doa minta berkat atau kebutuhan jasmani, dan Allah menjawabnya, baik karena kasihan maupun sebagai jawaban atas permintaan yang tulus atau iman dari orang itu. Berikut ini adalah beberapa bagian Alkitab yang berhubungan dengan doa dari orang yang tidak percaya.
Orang-orang Niniweh; Yunus 3:5-10; agar Niniweh luput dari bencana.
Hagar dan Ismael; Kejadian 21:14-19; bukan sekedar doa, namun suatu jeritan hati demi anaknya yang hampir mati.
Ahab, 1 Raja-Raja 21:17-29; khususnya ayat 27-29; Ahab berpuasa dan meratapi nubuat Elia mengenai keturunannya. Allah menjawab dengan tidak menimpakan malapetaka pada zaman Ahab.
Wanita dari daerah Tirus dan Sidon; Markus 7:24-30; supaya Yesus melepaskan anaknya dari roh jahat.
Kornelius, seorang perwira Roma; Kisah Rasul 10, apa yang didoakan tidak disebut (Kisah 10:30) namun dia ditunjukkan jalan keselamatan.
Allah sudah membuat suatu janji yang berlaku untuk semua orang (baik yang sudah diselamatkan atau yang belum) seperti dalam Yeremia 29:13: “Apabila kamu mencari Aku, kamu akan menemukan Aku; apabila kamu menanyakan Aku dengan segenap hati.” Inilah yang terjadi dengan Kornelius dalam Kisah 10:1-6. Namun ada banyak janji yang berdasarkan konteks dari ayat-ayat tsb. hanya berlaku bagi orang-orang Kristen. Karena orang-orang Kristen telah menerima Yesus, kita dinasihati untuk dengan berani datang ke tahta anugrah untuk menerima pertolongan pada saat kita membutuhkannya (Ibrani 4:14-16). Kita diberitahu bahwa ketika kita meminta berdasarkan kehendak Allah, Dia mendengar dan memberi apa yang kita minta (1 Yohanes 5:14-15). Ada begitu banyak janji lainnya bagi orang Kristen yang juga berhubungan dengan doa (Matius 21:22; Yohanes 14:13; 15:7). Jadi, ya, ada contoh-contoh di mana Allah tidak menjawab doa dari orang yang tidak percaya. Pada saat yang sama, dalam anugrah dan kemurahanNya, Allah juga dapat campur tangan dalam kehidupan orang-orang yang belum percaya untuk menjawab doa-doa mereka.
Dalam menganalisa ayat-ayat ini kebanyakan ada hubungannya dengan doa. Dalam satu atau dua peristiwa kita melihat Allah menjawab jeritan hati (tidak dikatakan apakah seruan itu diarahkan kepada Allah atau bukan). Dalam beberapa kasus kelihatannya doa itu dikombinasikan dengan penyesalan. Namun dalam kasus lainnya, doa tsb. hanyalah merupakan doa minta berkat atau kebutuhan jasmani, dan Allah menjawabnya, baik karena kasihan maupun sebagai jawaban atas permintaan yang tulus atau iman dari orang itu. Berikut ini adalah beberapa bagian Alkitab yang berhubungan dengan doa dari orang yang tidak percaya.
Orang-orang Niniweh; Yunus 3:5-10; agar Niniweh luput dari bencana.
Hagar dan Ismael; Kejadian 21:14-19; bukan sekedar doa, namun suatu jeritan hati demi anaknya yang hampir mati.
Ahab, 1 Raja-Raja 21:17-29; khususnya ayat 27-29; Ahab berpuasa dan meratapi nubuat Elia mengenai keturunannya. Allah menjawab dengan tidak menimpakan malapetaka pada zaman Ahab.
Wanita dari daerah Tirus dan Sidon; Markus 7:24-30; supaya Yesus melepaskan anaknya dari roh jahat.
Kornelius, seorang perwira Roma; Kisah Rasul 10, apa yang didoakan tidak disebut (Kisah 10:30) namun dia ditunjukkan jalan keselamatan.
Allah sudah membuat suatu janji yang berlaku untuk semua orang (baik yang sudah diselamatkan atau yang belum) seperti dalam Yeremia 29:13: “Apabila kamu mencari Aku, kamu akan menemukan Aku; apabila kamu menanyakan Aku dengan segenap hati.” Inilah yang terjadi dengan Kornelius dalam Kisah 10:1-6. Namun ada banyak janji yang berdasarkan konteks dari ayat-ayat tsb. hanya berlaku bagi orang-orang Kristen. Karena orang-orang Kristen telah menerima Yesus, kita dinasihati untuk dengan berani datang ke tahta anugrah untuk menerima pertolongan pada saat kita membutuhkannya (Ibrani 4:14-16). Kita diberitahu bahwa ketika kita meminta berdasarkan kehendak Allah, Dia mendengar dan memberi apa yang kita minta (1 Yohanes 5:14-15). Ada begitu banyak janji lainnya bagi orang Kristen yang juga berhubungan dengan doa (Matius 21:22; Yohanes 14:13; 15:7). Jadi, ya, ada contoh-contoh di mana Allah tidak menjawab doa dari orang yang tidak percaya. Pada saat yang sama, dalam anugrah dan kemurahanNya, Allah juga dapat campur tangan dalam kehidupan orang-orang yang belum percaya untuk menjawab doa-doa mereka.
Does God hear / answer the prayers of a sinner / unbeliever?
John 9:31 declares, “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.” It has also been said that “the only prayer that God hears from a sinner is the prayer for salvation.” As a result, some believe that God does not hear and/or will never answer the prayers of an unbeliever. In context, though, John 9:31 is saying that God does not perform miracles through an unbeliever. First John 5:14-15 tells us that God answers prayers based on whether they are asked according to His will. This principle, perhaps, applies to unbelievers. If an unbeliever asks a prayer of God that is according to His will, nothing prevents God from answering such a prayer—according to His will.
Some Scriptures describe God hearing and answering the prayers of unbelievers. In most of these cases, prayer was involved. In one or two, God responded to the cry of the heart (it is not stated whether that cry was directed toward God). In some of these cases, the prayer seems to be combined with repentance. But in other cases, the prayer was simply for an earthly need or blessing, and God responded either out of compassion or in response to the genuine seeking or the faith of the person. Here are some passages dealing with prayer by an unbeliever:
The people of Nineveh prayed that Nineveh might be spared (Jonah 3:5-10). God answered this prayer and did not destroy the city of Nineveh as He had threatened.
Hagar asked God to protect her son Ishmael (Genesis 21:14-19). God not only protected Ishmael, God blessed him exceedingly.
In 1 Kings 21:17-29, especially verses 27-29, Ahab fasts and mourns over Elijah's prophecy concerning his posterity. God responds by not bringing about the calamity in Ahab's time.
The Gentile woman from the Tyre and Sidon area prayed that Jesus would deliver her daughter from a demon (Mark 7:24-30). Jesus cast the demon out of the woman’s daughter.
Cornelius, the Roman centurion in Acts 10, had the apostle Peter sent to him in response to Cornelius being a righteous man. Acts 10:2 tells us that Cornelius “prayed to God regularly.”
God does make promises that are applicable to all (saved and unsaved alike) such as Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” This was the case for Cornelius in Acts 10:1-6. But there are many promises that, according to the context of the passages, are for Christians alone. Because Christians have received Jesus as the Savior, they are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace to find help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). We are told that when we ask for anything according to God's will, He hears and gives us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). There are many other promises for Christians concerning prayer (Matthew 21:22; John 14:13, 15:7). So, yes, there are instances in which God does not answer the prayers of an unbeliever. At the same time, in His grace and mercy, God can intervene in the lives of unbelievers in response to their prayers.
Some Scriptures describe God hearing and answering the prayers of unbelievers. In most of these cases, prayer was involved. In one or two, God responded to the cry of the heart (it is not stated whether that cry was directed toward God). In some of these cases, the prayer seems to be combined with repentance. But in other cases, the prayer was simply for an earthly need or blessing, and God responded either out of compassion or in response to the genuine seeking or the faith of the person. Here are some passages dealing with prayer by an unbeliever:
The people of Nineveh prayed that Nineveh might be spared (Jonah 3:5-10). God answered this prayer and did not destroy the city of Nineveh as He had threatened.
Hagar asked God to protect her son Ishmael (Genesis 21:14-19). God not only protected Ishmael, God blessed him exceedingly.
In 1 Kings 21:17-29, especially verses 27-29, Ahab fasts and mourns over Elijah's prophecy concerning his posterity. God responds by not bringing about the calamity in Ahab's time.
The Gentile woman from the Tyre and Sidon area prayed that Jesus would deliver her daughter from a demon (Mark 7:24-30). Jesus cast the demon out of the woman’s daughter.
Cornelius, the Roman centurion in Acts 10, had the apostle Peter sent to him in response to Cornelius being a righteous man. Acts 10:2 tells us that Cornelius “prayed to God regularly.”
God does make promises that are applicable to all (saved and unsaved alike) such as Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” This was the case for Cornelius in Acts 10:1-6. But there are many promises that, according to the context of the passages, are for Christians alone. Because Christians have received Jesus as the Savior, they are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace to find help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). We are told that when we ask for anything according to God's will, He hears and gives us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). There are many other promises for Christians concerning prayer (Matthew 21:22; John 14:13, 15:7). So, yes, there are instances in which God does not answer the prayers of an unbeliever. At the same time, in His grace and mercy, God can intervene in the lives of unbelievers in response to their prayers.
Apakah Allah masih berbuat mujizat? Mengapa Allah tidak terus melakukan mujizat sebagaimana yang dilakukanNya dalam Alkitab?
Ketika Allah melakukan mujizat-mujizat yang ajaib dan dahsyat bagi orang-orang Israel, apakah semua itu mengakibatkan mereka menaati Dia? Tidak, orang-orang Israel tetap saja tidak taat dan memberontak melawan Allah sekalipun mereka telah melihat semua mujizat tsb. Orang yang sama yang melihat Allah membelah Laut Merah kemudian meragukan apakah Allah mampu menaklukkan para penghuni Tanah Perjanjian. Bacalah perumpamaan dalam Lukas 16:19-31. Dalam kisah ini si orang di dalam neraka meminta kepada Abraham supaya dia mengirim Lazarus kembali dari antara orang mati untuk memberi peringatan kepada saudara-saudaranya. Abraham memberitahukan orang itu, “Jika mereka tidak mendengarkan kesaksian Musa dan para nabi, mereka tidak juga akan mau diyakinkan, sekalipun oleh seorang yang bangkit dari antara orang mati." (Lukas 16:31).
Yesus melakukan tak terhitung banyaknya mujizat, namun mayoritas yang amat besar tetap tidak percaya kepadaNya. Jikalau Allah melakukan mujizat-mujizat pada jaman sekarang sebagaimana yang dilakukannya di masa lalu, hasil yang sama akan pula terjadi. Orang akan terkagum-kagum dan percaya Allah untuk waktu yang singkat. Iman mereka dangkal dan akan menghilang begitu sesuatu yang tidak diharapkan atau yang ditakuti terjadi. Iman yang berdasarkan mujizat bukanlah iman yang dewasa. Allah melakukan mujizat yang terbesar sepanjang sejarah dengan datang ke dalam dunia dalam diri Manusia Yesus Kristus untuk mati di salib untuk dosa-dosa kita (Roma 5:8) supaya kita dapat diselamatkan (Yohanes 3:16). Allah masih melakukan mujizat – hanya saja banyak di antaranya terjadi tanpa mendapatkan perhatian atau sama sekali disangkali. Namun demikian, kita tidak membutuhkan lebih banyak mujizat. Yang kita perlukan adalah percaya pada mujizat keselamatan melalui iman dalam Yesus Kristus.
Konsep penting lain yang perlu dipahami adalah fakta bahwa tujuan dari mujizat adalah untuk meneguhkan identitas dari sang pembuat mujizat. Kisah 2:22 menyatakan, “Hai orang-orang Israel, dengarlah perkataan ini: Yang aku maksudkan, ialah Yesus dari Nazaret, seorang yang telah ditentukan Allah dan yang dinyatakan kepadamu dengan kekuatan-kekuatan dan mujizat-mujizat dan tanda-tanda yang dilakukan oleh Allah dengan perantaraan Dia di tengah-tengah kamu, seperti yang kamu tahu.” Hal yang sama dikatakan mengenai para Rasul, “Segala sesuatu yang membuktikan, bahwa aku adalah seorang rasul, telah dilakukan di tengah-tengah kamu dengan segala kesabaran oleh tanda-tanda, mujizat-mujizat dan kuasa-kuasa” (2 Korintus 12:12). Saat ini kita memliki kebenaran mengenai Yesus sebagaimana tercatat dalam Kitab Suci. Kita memiliki tulisan dari para Rasul dalam Kitab Suci. Yesus dan para Rasul, sebagaimana dicatat dalam Kitab Suci, adalah batu penjuru dan dasar iman kita (Efesus 2:20). Dalam pengertian ini mujizat tidak lagi perlu karena berita dari Yesus dan para RasulNya telah dibuktikan dan dicatat secara akurat dalam Kitab Suci. Ya, Allah masih melakukan mujizat. Pada saat yang sama kita tidak perlu mengharapkan mujizat terjadi pada jaman sekarang ini dengan cara yang sama yang terjadi dan dicatat dalam Alkitab.
Yesus melakukan tak terhitung banyaknya mujizat, namun mayoritas yang amat besar tetap tidak percaya kepadaNya. Jikalau Allah melakukan mujizat-mujizat pada jaman sekarang sebagaimana yang dilakukannya di masa lalu, hasil yang sama akan pula terjadi. Orang akan terkagum-kagum dan percaya Allah untuk waktu yang singkat. Iman mereka dangkal dan akan menghilang begitu sesuatu yang tidak diharapkan atau yang ditakuti terjadi. Iman yang berdasarkan mujizat bukanlah iman yang dewasa. Allah melakukan mujizat yang terbesar sepanjang sejarah dengan datang ke dalam dunia dalam diri Manusia Yesus Kristus untuk mati di salib untuk dosa-dosa kita (Roma 5:8) supaya kita dapat diselamatkan (Yohanes 3:16). Allah masih melakukan mujizat – hanya saja banyak di antaranya terjadi tanpa mendapatkan perhatian atau sama sekali disangkali. Namun demikian, kita tidak membutuhkan lebih banyak mujizat. Yang kita perlukan adalah percaya pada mujizat keselamatan melalui iman dalam Yesus Kristus.
Konsep penting lain yang perlu dipahami adalah fakta bahwa tujuan dari mujizat adalah untuk meneguhkan identitas dari sang pembuat mujizat. Kisah 2:22 menyatakan, “Hai orang-orang Israel, dengarlah perkataan ini: Yang aku maksudkan, ialah Yesus dari Nazaret, seorang yang telah ditentukan Allah dan yang dinyatakan kepadamu dengan kekuatan-kekuatan dan mujizat-mujizat dan tanda-tanda yang dilakukan oleh Allah dengan perantaraan Dia di tengah-tengah kamu, seperti yang kamu tahu.” Hal yang sama dikatakan mengenai para Rasul, “Segala sesuatu yang membuktikan, bahwa aku adalah seorang rasul, telah dilakukan di tengah-tengah kamu dengan segala kesabaran oleh tanda-tanda, mujizat-mujizat dan kuasa-kuasa” (2 Korintus 12:12). Saat ini kita memliki kebenaran mengenai Yesus sebagaimana tercatat dalam Kitab Suci. Kita memiliki tulisan dari para Rasul dalam Kitab Suci. Yesus dan para Rasul, sebagaimana dicatat dalam Kitab Suci, adalah batu penjuru dan dasar iman kita (Efesus 2:20). Dalam pengertian ini mujizat tidak lagi perlu karena berita dari Yesus dan para RasulNya telah dibuktikan dan dicatat secara akurat dalam Kitab Suci. Ya, Allah masih melakukan mujizat. Pada saat yang sama kita tidak perlu mengharapkan mujizat terjadi pada jaman sekarang ini dengan cara yang sama yang terjadi dan dicatat dalam Alkitab.
Does God still perform miracles?
Many people desire God to perform miracles to “prove” Himself to them. “If only God would perform a miracle, sign, or wonder, then I would believe!” This idea, though, is contradicted by Scripture. When God performed amazing and powerful miracles for the Israelites, did that cause them to obey Him? No, the Israelites constantly disobeyed and rebelled against God even though they saw all the miracles. The same people who saw God part the Red Sea later doubted whether God was able to conquer the inhabitants of the Promised Land. This truth is explained in Luke 16:19-31. In the story, a man in hell asks Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers. Abraham informed the man, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31).
Jesus performed countless miracles, yet the vast majority of people did not believe in Him. If God performed miracles today as He did in the past, the result would be the same. People would be amazed and would believe in God for a short time. That faith would be shallow and would disappear the moment something unexpected or frightening occurred. A faith based on miracles is not a mature faith. God performed the greatest miracle of all time in coming to earth as the Man Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins (Romans 5:8) so that we could be saved (John 3:16). God does still perform miracles—many of them simply go unnoticed or are denied. However, we do not need more miracles. What we need is to believe in the miracle of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
The purpose of miracles was to authenticate the performer of the miracles. Acts 2:22 declares, “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” The same is said of the apostles, “The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance” (2 Corinthians 12:12). Speaking of the gospel, Hebrews 2:4 proclaims, “God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.” We now have the truth of Jesus recorded in Scripture. We now have the writings of the apostles recorded in Scripture. Jesus and His apostles, as recorded in Scripture, are the cornerstone and foundation of our faith (Ephesians 2:20). In this sense, miracles are no longer necessary, as the message of Jesus and His apostles has already been attested to and accurately recorded in the Scriptures. Yes, God still performs miracles. At the same time, we should not necessarily expect miracles to occur today just as they did in Bible times.
Jesus performed countless miracles, yet the vast majority of people did not believe in Him. If God performed miracles today as He did in the past, the result would be the same. People would be amazed and would believe in God for a short time. That faith would be shallow and would disappear the moment something unexpected or frightening occurred. A faith based on miracles is not a mature faith. God performed the greatest miracle of all time in coming to earth as the Man Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins (Romans 5:8) so that we could be saved (John 3:16). God does still perform miracles—many of them simply go unnoticed or are denied. However, we do not need more miracles. What we need is to believe in the miracle of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
The purpose of miracles was to authenticate the performer of the miracles. Acts 2:22 declares, “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” The same is said of the apostles, “The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance” (2 Corinthians 12:12). Speaking of the gospel, Hebrews 2:4 proclaims, “God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.” We now have the truth of Jesus recorded in Scripture. We now have the writings of the apostles recorded in Scripture. Jesus and His apostles, as recorded in Scripture, are the cornerstone and foundation of our faith (Ephesians 2:20). In this sense, miracles are no longer necessary, as the message of Jesus and His apostles has already been attested to and accurately recorded in the Scriptures. Yes, God still performs miracles. At the same time, we should not necessarily expect miracles to occur today just as they did in Bible times.
Where was God on September 11?
On September 11, 2001, God was exactly where He always is – in Heaven in total control of everything that happens in the universe. Why, then, would a good and loving God allow such a tragedy to happen? This is a more difficult question to answer. First, we must remember, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). It is impossible for finite human beings to understand the ways of an infinite God (Romans 11:33-35). Second, we must realize that God is not responsible for the wicked acts of evil men. The Bible tells us that humanity is desperately wicked and sinful (Romans 3:10-18, 23). God allows human beings to commit sin for His own reasons and to fulfill His own purposes. Sometimes we think we understand why God is doing something, only to find out later that it was for a different purpose than we originally thought.
God looks at things from an eternal perspective. We look at things from an earthly perspective. Why did God put man on earth, knowing that Adam and Eve would sin and therefore bring evil, death, and suffering on all mankind? Why didn’t He just create us all and leave us in Heaven where we would be perfect and without suffering? It must be remembered that the purpose for all creation and all creatures is to glorify God. God is glorified when His nature and attributes are on display. If there were no sin, God would have no opportunity to display His justice and wrath as He punishes sin. Nor would He have the opportunity to show His grace, His mercy, and His love to undeserving creatures. The ultimate display of God’s grace was at the Cross where Jesus died for our sins. Here was unselfishness and obedience displayed in His Son who knew no sin but was “made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This was all to the “praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:14).
When thinking of September 11, we tend to forget the thousands of miracles that occurred on that day. Hundreds of people were able to flee the buildings just in the nick of time. A small handful of firemen and one civilian survived in a tiny space in a stairwell as the one of the towers collapsed around them. The passengers on Flight 93 defeating the terrorists was a miracle in and of itself. Yes, September 11 was a terrible day. Sin reared its ugly head and caused great devastation. However, God is still in control. His sovereignty is never to be doubted. Could God have prevented what happened on September 11? Of course He could, but He chose to allow the events to unfold exactly as they did. He prevented that day from being as bad as it could have been. Since September 11, how many lives have been changed for the better? How many people have placed their faith in Christ for salvation as a result of what happened? The words of Romans 8:28 should always be in our minds when we think of 9-11, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, and are called according to His purpose.”
God looks at things from an eternal perspective. We look at things from an earthly perspective. Why did God put man on earth, knowing that Adam and Eve would sin and therefore bring evil, death, and suffering on all mankind? Why didn’t He just create us all and leave us in Heaven where we would be perfect and without suffering? It must be remembered that the purpose for all creation and all creatures is to glorify God. God is glorified when His nature and attributes are on display. If there were no sin, God would have no opportunity to display His justice and wrath as He punishes sin. Nor would He have the opportunity to show His grace, His mercy, and His love to undeserving creatures. The ultimate display of God’s grace was at the Cross where Jesus died for our sins. Here was unselfishness and obedience displayed in His Son who knew no sin but was “made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). This was all to the “praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:14).
When thinking of September 11, we tend to forget the thousands of miracles that occurred on that day. Hundreds of people were able to flee the buildings just in the nick of time. A small handful of firemen and one civilian survived in a tiny space in a stairwell as the one of the towers collapsed around them. The passengers on Flight 93 defeating the terrorists was a miracle in and of itself. Yes, September 11 was a terrible day. Sin reared its ugly head and caused great devastation. However, God is still in control. His sovereignty is never to be doubted. Could God have prevented what happened on September 11? Of course He could, but He chose to allow the events to unfold exactly as they did. He prevented that day from being as bad as it could have been. Since September 11, how many lives have been changed for the better? How many people have placed their faith in Christ for salvation as a result of what happened? The words of Romans 8:28 should always be in our minds when we think of 9-11, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, and are called according to His purpose.”
What are the different names of God and what do they mean?
Each of the many names of God describes a different aspect of His many-faceted character. Here are some of the better known names of God in the Bible:
EL, ELOAH: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Genesis 7:1; Isaiah 9:6) – Etymologically, El appears to mean power, as in “I have the power to harm you” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Numbers 23:19), jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31), but the root idea of might remains.
ELOHIM: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) – The plural form of Eloah, which is accommodating of the doctrine of the Trinity. From the Bible’s first sentence, the superlative nature of God’s power is evident as God (Elohim) speaks the world into existence (Genesis 1:1).
EL SHADDAI: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5) – Speaks to God’s ultimate power over all.
ADONAI: “Lord” (Genesis 15:2; Judges 6:15) – Used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used in God’s dealings with His people, while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles.
YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH: “LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 9:14) – Strictly speaking, the only proper name for God. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai “Lord.” The revelation of the name is first given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3).
YAHWEH-JIREH: "The Lord will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) – The name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.
YAHWEH-RAPHA: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from diseases, and by curing them when afflicted with them and in soul, by pardoning their iniquities.
YAHWEH-NISSI: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17.
YAHWEH-M'KADDESH: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, could cleanse His people and make them holy.
YAHWEH-SHALOM: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) – The name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him.
YAHWEH-ELOHIM: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – Combination of God’s unique name YHWH and the generic “Lord,” signifying that He is the Lord of Lords.
YAHWEH-TSIDKENU: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness to man, ultimately in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us “that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
YAHWEH-ROHI: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship God had with him, and so he declares “Yahweh-Rohi is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).
YAHWEH-SHAMMAH: "The Lord is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – The name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once departed glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 8—11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4).
YAHWEH-SABAOTH: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) – “Hosts” means hordes, both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven, and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that he is able to accomplish what he determines to do.
EL ELYON: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) – Derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to lordship.
EL ROI: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) – The name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah (Genesis 16:1-14), when she met the Angel of the Lord and realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.
EL-OLAM: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time and contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”
EL-GIBHOR: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) – The name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the destruction of God’s enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15).
EL, ELOAH: God "mighty, strong, prominent" (Genesis 7:1; Isaiah 9:6) – Etymologically, El appears to mean power, as in “I have the power to harm you” (Genesis 31:29). El is associated with other qualities, such as integrity (Numbers 23:19), jealousy (Deuteronomy 5:9), and compassion (Nehemiah 9:31), but the root idea of might remains.
ELOHIM: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) – The plural form of Eloah, which is accommodating of the doctrine of the Trinity. From the Bible’s first sentence, the superlative nature of God’s power is evident as God (Elohim) speaks the world into existence (Genesis 1:1).
EL SHADDAI: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5) – Speaks to God’s ultimate power over all.
ADONAI: “Lord” (Genesis 15:2; Judges 6:15) – Used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used in God’s dealings with His people, while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles.
YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH: “LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 9:14) – Strictly speaking, the only proper name for God. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai “Lord.” The revelation of the name is first given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3).
YAHWEH-JIREH: "The Lord will Provide" (Genesis 22:14) – The name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.
YAHWEH-RAPHA: "The Lord Who Heals" (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from diseases, and by curing them when afflicted with them and in soul, by pardoning their iniquities.
YAHWEH-NISSI: "The Lord Our Banner" (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17.
YAHWEH-M'KADDESH: "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy" (Leviticus 20:8; Ezekiel 37:28) – God makes it clear that He alone, not the law, could cleanse His people and make them holy.
YAHWEH-SHALOM: "The Lord Our Peace" (Judges 6:24) – The name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him.
YAHWEH-ELOHIM: "LORD God" (Genesis 2:4; Psalm 59:5) – Combination of God’s unique name YHWH and the generic “Lord,” signifying that He is the Lord of Lords.
YAHWEH-TSIDKENU: "The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness to man, ultimately in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us “that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
YAHWEH-ROHI: "The Lord Our Shepherd" (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship God had with him, and so he declares “Yahweh-Rohi is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).
YAHWEH-SHAMMAH: "The Lord is There” (Ezekiel 48:35) – The name ascribed to Jerusalem and the Temple there, indicating that the once departed glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 8—11) had returned (Ezekiel 44:1-4).
YAHWEH-SABAOTH: "The Lord of Hosts" (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) – “Hosts” means hordes, both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven, and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that he is able to accomplish what he determines to do.
EL ELYON: “Most High" (Deuteronomy 26:19) – Derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to lordship.
EL ROI: "God of Seeing" (Genesis 16:13) – The name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah (Genesis 16:1-14), when she met the Angel of the Lord and realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.
EL-OLAM: "Everlasting God" (Psalm 90:1-3) – God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time and contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”
EL-GIBHOR: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) – The name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the destruction of God’s enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15).
Is God sovereign or do we have a free will?
When we talk about free will, we are usually concerned with the matter of salvation. Few are interested in whether we have the free will to choose salad or steak for our dinner tonight. Rather, we are troubled over who exactly is in control of our eternal destiny.
Any discussion of man’s free will must begin with an understanding of his nature because man’s will is bound by that nature. A prisoner has the freedom to pace up and down in his cell, but he is constrained by the walls of that cell and can go no further, no matter how much his will might desire it. So it is with man. Because of sin, man is imprisoned within a cell of corruption and wickedness which permeates to the very core of our being. Every part of man is in bondage to sin – our bodies, our minds, and our wills. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the state of man’s heart: it is “deceitful and desperately wicked.” In our natural, unregenerate state, we are carnally minded, not spiritually minded. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be” (Romans 8:6-7). These verses tell us that before we are saved, we are at enmity (war) with God, we do not submit to God and His law, neither can we. The Bible is clear that, in his natural state, man is incapable of choosing that which is good and holy. In other words, he does not have the “free will” to choose God because his will is not free. It is constrained by his nature, just as the prisoner is constrained by his cell.
How then can anyone be saved? Ephesians 2:1 describes the process. We who are “dead in our trespasses and sins” have been “made alive” through Christ. A dead man cannot make himself alive because he lacks the necessary power to do so. Lazarus lay in his tomb four days unable to do a thing to resurrect himself. Christ came along and commanded him to come to life (John 11). So it is with us. We are spiritually dead, unable to rise. But “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He calls us out of our spiritual graves and gives us a completely new nature, one undefiled by sin as the old nature was (2 Corinthians 5:17). God saw the desperate and helpless state of our souls, and in His great love and mercy, He sovereignly chose to send His Son to the cross to redeem us. By His grace we are saved through the gift of faith which He gives us so that we can believe in Jesus. His grace is a free gift, our faith is a free gift, and our salvation is a free gift given to those whom God has chosen “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). Why did He chose to do it this way? Because it was “according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Ephesians 1:5-6). It’s important to understand that the plan of salvation is designed to glorify God, not man. Our response is to praise Him for the “glory of His grace.” If we chose our own salvation, who would get the glory? We would, and God has made it clear that He will not give the glory due to Him to anyone else (Isaiah 48:11).
The question naturally arises, how do we know who has been saved “from the foundation of the world”? We don’t. That is why we take the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, telling all to repent and receive God’s gift of grace. Second Corinthians 5:20 tells us we are to be pleading with others to be reconciled to God before it is too late. We cannot know who God will choose to release from their prison cells of sin. We leave that choice to Him and present the Gospel to all. The ones who come to Jesus He “will in no way cast out” (John 6:37).
Any discussion of man’s free will must begin with an understanding of his nature because man’s will is bound by that nature. A prisoner has the freedom to pace up and down in his cell, but he is constrained by the walls of that cell and can go no further, no matter how much his will might desire it. So it is with man. Because of sin, man is imprisoned within a cell of corruption and wickedness which permeates to the very core of our being. Every part of man is in bondage to sin – our bodies, our minds, and our wills. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the state of man’s heart: it is “deceitful and desperately wicked.” In our natural, unregenerate state, we are carnally minded, not spiritually minded. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be” (Romans 8:6-7). These verses tell us that before we are saved, we are at enmity (war) with God, we do not submit to God and His law, neither can we. The Bible is clear that, in his natural state, man is incapable of choosing that which is good and holy. In other words, he does not have the “free will” to choose God because his will is not free. It is constrained by his nature, just as the prisoner is constrained by his cell.
How then can anyone be saved? Ephesians 2:1 describes the process. We who are “dead in our trespasses and sins” have been “made alive” through Christ. A dead man cannot make himself alive because he lacks the necessary power to do so. Lazarus lay in his tomb four days unable to do a thing to resurrect himself. Christ came along and commanded him to come to life (John 11). So it is with us. We are spiritually dead, unable to rise. But “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He calls us out of our spiritual graves and gives us a completely new nature, one undefiled by sin as the old nature was (2 Corinthians 5:17). God saw the desperate and helpless state of our souls, and in His great love and mercy, He sovereignly chose to send His Son to the cross to redeem us. By His grace we are saved through the gift of faith which He gives us so that we can believe in Jesus. His grace is a free gift, our faith is a free gift, and our salvation is a free gift given to those whom God has chosen “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4). Why did He chose to do it this way? Because it was “according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Ephesians 1:5-6). It’s important to understand that the plan of salvation is designed to glorify God, not man. Our response is to praise Him for the “glory of His grace.” If we chose our own salvation, who would get the glory? We would, and God has made it clear that He will not give the glory due to Him to anyone else (Isaiah 48:11).
The question naturally arises, how do we know who has been saved “from the foundation of the world”? We don’t. That is why we take the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, telling all to repent and receive God’s gift of grace. Second Corinthians 5:20 tells us we are to be pleading with others to be reconciled to God before it is too late. We cannot know who God will choose to release from their prison cells of sin. We leave that choice to Him and present the Gospel to all. The ones who come to Jesus He “will in no way cast out” (John 6:37).
Apakah Allah mengasihi semua orang atau hanya orang Kristen?
Dalam pengertian tertentu Allah mengasihi semua orang di seluruh dunia (Yohanes 3:16, 1 Yohanes 2:2; Roma 5:8). Kasih ini bukan kasih yang bersyarat – kasih ini berdasarkan fakta bahwa Allah adalah kasih (1 Yohanes 4:8, 16). Kasih Allah pada semua umat manusia mengakibatkan Allah menunjukkan kemurahanNya dengan tidak segera menghukum mereka karena dosa mereka (Roma 3:23; 6:23). Kalau Allah tidak mengasihi semua orang, kita semua akan ada dalam neraka saat ini juga. Kasih Allah kepada dunia ini dimanifestasikan dengan memberi kesempatan kepada orang untuk bertobat (2 Petrus 3:9). Namun demikian, kasih Allah akan dunia ini tidak membuat Dia mengabaikan dosa. Allah juga adalah Allah yang adil (2 Tesalonika 1:6). Dosa tidak akan dibiarkan untuk selama-lamanya (Roma 3:25-26).
Perbuatan kasih kekal yang paling utama dinyatakan dalam Roma 5:8, “Akan tetapi Allah menunjukkan kasih-Nya kepada kita, oleh karena Kristus telah mati untuk kita, ketika kita masih berdosa.” Siapapun yang mengabaikan kasih Allah, yang menolak Kristus sebagai Juruselamat, yang menolak Juruselamat yang sudah membeli dia (2 Petrus 2:1) – orang itu akan mengalami murka Allah untuk selama-lamanya (Roma 1:18), bukan kasihNya (Roma 6:23). Allah mengasihi semua orang secara tanpa syarat dengan menunjukkan kemurahanNya kepada semua orang. Secara bersyarat Allah mengasihi hanya mereka yang beriman kepada AnakNya untuk keselamatan (Yohanes 3:36). Hanya mereka yang percaya kepada Yesus Kristus sebagai Tuhan dan Juruselamat akan mengalami kasih Allah untuk selama-lamanya.
Apakah Allah mengasihi semua orang? Ya. Apakah Allah mengasihi orang-orang Kristen lebih daripada orang bukan Kristen? Tidak. Apakah Allah mengasihi orang-orang Kristen dengan cara yang berbeda dari orang-orang bukan Kristen? Ya. Allah mengasihi semua orang secara setara dalam pengertian Dia bermurah hati kepada semua orang. Allah hanya mengasihi orang-orang Kristen dalam pengertian bahwa orang-orang Kristen mendapatkan anugrah dan kemurahanNya selama-lamanya – janji kasihNya untuk selama-lamanya di Surga. Adalah kasih Allah pada semua orang yang harusnya menarik kita untuk menerima kasihNya yang kekal.
Perbuatan kasih kekal yang paling utama dinyatakan dalam Roma 5:8, “Akan tetapi Allah menunjukkan kasih-Nya kepada kita, oleh karena Kristus telah mati untuk kita, ketika kita masih berdosa.” Siapapun yang mengabaikan kasih Allah, yang menolak Kristus sebagai Juruselamat, yang menolak Juruselamat yang sudah membeli dia (2 Petrus 2:1) – orang itu akan mengalami murka Allah untuk selama-lamanya (Roma 1:18), bukan kasihNya (Roma 6:23). Allah mengasihi semua orang secara tanpa syarat dengan menunjukkan kemurahanNya kepada semua orang. Secara bersyarat Allah mengasihi hanya mereka yang beriman kepada AnakNya untuk keselamatan (Yohanes 3:36). Hanya mereka yang percaya kepada Yesus Kristus sebagai Tuhan dan Juruselamat akan mengalami kasih Allah untuk selama-lamanya.
Apakah Allah mengasihi semua orang? Ya. Apakah Allah mengasihi orang-orang Kristen lebih daripada orang bukan Kristen? Tidak. Apakah Allah mengasihi orang-orang Kristen dengan cara yang berbeda dari orang-orang bukan Kristen? Ya. Allah mengasihi semua orang secara setara dalam pengertian Dia bermurah hati kepada semua orang. Allah hanya mengasihi orang-orang Kristen dalam pengertian bahwa orang-orang Kristen mendapatkan anugrah dan kemurahanNya selama-lamanya – janji kasihNya untuk selama-lamanya di Surga. Adalah kasih Allah pada semua orang yang harusnya menarik kita untuk menerima kasihNya yang kekal.
Does God love everyone or just Christians?
There is a sense in which God loves everyone in the whole world (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; Romans 5:8). This love in not conditional—it is based only on the fact that God is a God of love (1 John 4:8, 16). God’s love for all of mankind results in the fact that God shows His mercy by not immediately punishing people for their sins (Romans 3:23; 6:23). God’s love for the world is manifested in the fact that He gives people the opportunity to repent (2 Peter 3:9). However, God’s love for the world does not mean He will ignore sin. God is also a God of justice (2 Thessalonians 1:6). Sin cannot go unpunished forever (Romans 3:25-26).
The most loving act of eternity is described in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Anyone who ignores God’s love, who rejects Christ as Savior, who denies the Savior who bought him (2 Peter 2:1) will be subject to God’s wrath for eternity (Romans 1:18), not His love (Romans 6:23). God loves everyone unconditionally in that He shows mercy to everyone by not destroying them immediately because of sin. At the same time, God only has “covenant love” for those who place their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation (John 3:36). Only those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will experience God’s love for eternity.
Does God love everyone? Yes. Does God love Christians more than He loves non-Christians? No. Does God love Christians to a different extent than He loves non-Christians? Yes. God loves everyone equally in that He is merciful to all. God only loves Christians in that only Christians have His eternal grace and mercy and the promise of His forever love in heaven. The unconditional love God has for everyone should bring us to faith in Him, receiving in thankfulness the great conditional love He grants all those who receive Jesus Christ as Savior.
The most loving act of eternity is described in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Anyone who ignores God’s love, who rejects Christ as Savior, who denies the Savior who bought him (2 Peter 2:1) will be subject to God’s wrath for eternity (Romans 1:18), not His love (Romans 6:23). God loves everyone unconditionally in that He shows mercy to everyone by not destroying them immediately because of sin. At the same time, God only has “covenant love” for those who place their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation (John 3:36). Only those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will experience God’s love for eternity.
Does God love everyone? Yes. Does God love Christians more than He loves non-Christians? No. Does God love Christians to a different extent than He loves non-Christians? Yes. God loves everyone equally in that He is merciful to all. God only loves Christians in that only Christians have His eternal grace and mercy and the promise of His forever love in heaven. The unconditional love God has for everyone should bring us to faith in Him, receiving in thankfulness the great conditional love He grants all those who receive Jesus Christ as Savior.
Why does God allow the innocent to suffer?
In answering this question, the first thing to consider is whether such a thing as “the innocent” even exists. According to the Bible, “the heart is wicked and deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9), and “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, no one is innocent in the sense of being sinless. Sin entered the world when Adam and Even rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, and mankind has been in rebellion ever since. Sin’s effects permeate everything, and the suffering we see all around us is a direct result of that sin.
But God did not leave us here to suffer pointlessly. Our loving and merciful God has a perfect plan to use that suffering to accomplish His threefold purpose. First, He uses pain and suffering to draw us to Himself so that we will cling to Him. Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). Trials and distress are not something unusual in life; they are part of what it means to be human in a fallen world. In Christ we have an anchor that holds fast in all the storms of life, but if we never sail into those storms, how would we know that? It is in times of despair and sorrow that we reach out to Him, and, if we are His children, we always find Him there waiting to comfort and uphold us through it all. In this way, He proves His faithfulness to us and ensures that we will stay close to Him. An added benefit is that as we experience God’s comfort through trials, we are then able to comfort others in the same way (2 Corinthians 1:4).
Second, He proves to us that our faith is real through the suffering and pain that are inevitable in this life. How we respond to suffering is determined by the genuineness of our faith. Those with faith truly from God, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), will not be crushed by suffering, but will come through the trial with their faith intact, having been “proven through fire” so that it “might be found to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). Those are the ones who do not shake their fists at God or question His goodness, but instead “count it all joy” (James 1:2), knowing that trials prove that they are truly the children of God. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).
Finally, God uses suffering to take our eyes off this world and put them on the next. The Bible continually exhorts us to not get caught up in the things of this world, but to look forward to the world to come. This world and all that is in it will pass away, but the kingdom of God is eternal. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), and those who would follow Him must not see the things of this life, both good and bad, as the end of the story. Even the sufferings we endure and which seem so terrible “are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
Could God prevent all suffering? Of course. But He assures us that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). So even suffering is part of the “all things” that God is using to accomplish His good purposes. His plan is perfect, His character is flawless, and those who trust Him will not be disappointed.
But God did not leave us here to suffer pointlessly. Our loving and merciful God has a perfect plan to use that suffering to accomplish His threefold purpose. First, He uses pain and suffering to draw us to Himself so that we will cling to Him. Jesus said, “In the world you shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). Trials and distress are not something unusual in life; they are part of what it means to be human in a fallen world. In Christ we have an anchor that holds fast in all the storms of life, but if we never sail into those storms, how would we know that? It is in times of despair and sorrow that we reach out to Him, and, if we are His children, we always find Him there waiting to comfort and uphold us through it all. In this way, He proves His faithfulness to us and ensures that we will stay close to Him. An added benefit is that as we experience God’s comfort through trials, we are then able to comfort others in the same way (2 Corinthians 1:4).
Second, He proves to us that our faith is real through the suffering and pain that are inevitable in this life. How we respond to suffering is determined by the genuineness of our faith. Those with faith truly from God, “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2), will not be crushed by suffering, but will come through the trial with their faith intact, having been “proven through fire” so that it “might be found to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). Those are the ones who do not shake their fists at God or question His goodness, but instead “count it all joy” (James 1:2), knowing that trials prove that they are truly the children of God. “Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).
Finally, God uses suffering to take our eyes off this world and put them on the next. The Bible continually exhorts us to not get caught up in the things of this world, but to look forward to the world to come. This world and all that is in it will pass away, but the kingdom of God is eternal. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), and those who would follow Him must not see the things of this life, both good and bad, as the end of the story. Even the sufferings we endure and which seem so terrible “are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
Could God prevent all suffering? Of course. But He assures us that “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). So even suffering is part of the “all things” that God is using to accomplish His good purposes. His plan is perfect, His character is flawless, and those who trust Him will not be disappointed.
Apakah Tuhan menciptakan kejahatan?
Pada mulanya bisa saja kelihatan sepertinya jika Allah menciptakan segala sesuatu, berarti kejahatan juga diciptakan oleh Allah. Namun demikian, di sini ada asumsi yang perlu dijernihkan. Kejahatan bukanlah sebuah ”benda” – seperti batu atau listrik. Anda tidak dapat memiliki satu kaleng kejahatan! Sebaliknya, kejahatan adalah sesuatu yang terjadi, seperti berlari. Kejahatan tidak berada secara sendirinya, kejahatan adalah tidak adanya hal-hal yang baik. Misalnya, lubang itu riil, tapi hanya ada dalam sesuatu yang lain. Kita bisa katakan tidak adanya tanah sebagai sebuah lubang, tapi lubang tidak bisa dipisahkan dari tanah. Jadi waktu Allah menciptakan, semuanya itu baik. Salah satu hal baik yang diciptakan Tuhan adalah bahwa mahkluk ciptaanNya memiliki kebebasan untuk memilih yang baik. Agar mereka benar-benar memiliki pilihan, Allah harus mengijinkan sesuatu yang berbeda dengan yang baik supaya bisa ada pilihan. Karena itu Allah mengijinkan para malaikat dan manusia untuk memilih yang baik atau yang tidak baik (jahat). Ketika hubungan yang tidak baik terjadi di antara dua hal, kita sebut itu kejahatan, namun tidak berarti itu adalah ”sesuatu” yang diciptakan oleh Tuhan.
Mungkin ilustrasi berikut dapat menolong menjelaskan. Misalnya saya bertanya kepada orang, ”Apakah dingin itu ada?” – kemungkinan besar mereka akan menjawab ya. Namun sebenarnya ini salah. Dingin itu tidak ada. Yang dinamakan dingin adalah tidak adanya panas. Demikian, tidak ada kegelapan. Kegelapan adalah saat tidak adanya terang. Demikian pula kejahatan adalah tidak adanya kebaikan, atau yang lebih tepat, kejahatan adalah tidak adanya Tuhan. Tuhan tidak menciptakan kejahatan, namun Dia mengijinkan hilangnya kebaikan.
Perhatikan Ayub dalam Ayub 1-2. Iblis ingin menghancurkan Ayub, dan Tuhan mengijinkan Iblis berbuat apa saja, kecuali membunuh Ayub. Tuhan mengijinkan ini untuk membuktikan kepada Iblis bahwa Ayub adalah orang benar karena dia mencintai Tuhan, bukan karena Tuhan telah memberkati dia dengan berlimpah. Tuhan berdaulat dan mengontrol segala sesuatu yang terjadi. Iblis tidak dapat berbuat apa-apa kecuali mendapatkan “ijin” dari Tuhan. Tuhan tidak menciptakan kejahatan, namun Dia mengijinkan kejahatan. Jikalau Tuhan tidak mengijinkan kejahatan, manusia dan malaikat melayani Tuhan sebagai keharusan dan bukan karena pilihan. Tuhan tidak menghendaki “robot” yang melakukan apa saja yang Dia inginkan karena ”diprogram” dengan cara demikian. Tuhan membuka kemungkinan untuk kejahatan supaya kita dapat memiliki kehendak bebas dan memilih apakah kita mau melayani Dia atau tidak.
Pada akhirnya, pertanyaan seperti ini tidak ada jawaban yang betul-betul dapat kita mengerti. Kita, sebagai manusia yang terbatas tidak pernah dapat secara penuh memahami Tuhan yang tidak terbatas (Roma 11:33-34). Kadang-kdang kita berpikir kita dapat memahami mengapa Tuhan melakukan sesuatu hanya untuk kemudia mendapatkan bahwa maksud Tuhan sama sekali berbeda dengan apa yang sebelumnya kita pikirkan. Tuhan melihat segala sesuatu dari perspektif kekekalan. Kita melihat segalanya dari perspektif duniawi. Mengapa Tuhan menempatkan manusia di bumi ini walaupun Dia tahu bahwa Adam dan Hawa akan berdosa dan sebagai akibatnya membawa kejahatan, kematian dan penderitaan pada umat manusia? Mengapa Tuhan tidak saja menciptakan kita dan membiarkan kita di Surga di mana kita menjadi sempurna dan bebas dari penderitaan? Jawaban yang paling baik yang dapat saya berikan adalah: Tuhan tidak menghendaki sebuah ras robot yang tidak punya kehendak bebas. Tuhan mengijinkan kemungkinan terjadinya kejahatan supaya kita bisa betul-betul memilih mau menyembah Tuhan atau tidak. Jika tidak pernah menderita dan mengalami yang jahat, dapatkah kita betul-betul mengetahui betapa indahnya surga? Tuhan tidak menciptakan kejahatan, Dia mengijinkannya. Jikalau Tuhan tidak mengijinkan kejahatan, kita akan menyembah Dia secara terpaksa dan bukan karena kita memilih dengan kemauan sendiri.
Mungkin ilustrasi berikut dapat menolong menjelaskan. Misalnya saya bertanya kepada orang, ”Apakah dingin itu ada?” – kemungkinan besar mereka akan menjawab ya. Namun sebenarnya ini salah. Dingin itu tidak ada. Yang dinamakan dingin adalah tidak adanya panas. Demikian, tidak ada kegelapan. Kegelapan adalah saat tidak adanya terang. Demikian pula kejahatan adalah tidak adanya kebaikan, atau yang lebih tepat, kejahatan adalah tidak adanya Tuhan. Tuhan tidak menciptakan kejahatan, namun Dia mengijinkan hilangnya kebaikan.
Perhatikan Ayub dalam Ayub 1-2. Iblis ingin menghancurkan Ayub, dan Tuhan mengijinkan Iblis berbuat apa saja, kecuali membunuh Ayub. Tuhan mengijinkan ini untuk membuktikan kepada Iblis bahwa Ayub adalah orang benar karena dia mencintai Tuhan, bukan karena Tuhan telah memberkati dia dengan berlimpah. Tuhan berdaulat dan mengontrol segala sesuatu yang terjadi. Iblis tidak dapat berbuat apa-apa kecuali mendapatkan “ijin” dari Tuhan. Tuhan tidak menciptakan kejahatan, namun Dia mengijinkan kejahatan. Jikalau Tuhan tidak mengijinkan kejahatan, manusia dan malaikat melayani Tuhan sebagai keharusan dan bukan karena pilihan. Tuhan tidak menghendaki “robot” yang melakukan apa saja yang Dia inginkan karena ”diprogram” dengan cara demikian. Tuhan membuka kemungkinan untuk kejahatan supaya kita dapat memiliki kehendak bebas dan memilih apakah kita mau melayani Dia atau tidak.
Pada akhirnya, pertanyaan seperti ini tidak ada jawaban yang betul-betul dapat kita mengerti. Kita, sebagai manusia yang terbatas tidak pernah dapat secara penuh memahami Tuhan yang tidak terbatas (Roma 11:33-34). Kadang-kdang kita berpikir kita dapat memahami mengapa Tuhan melakukan sesuatu hanya untuk kemudia mendapatkan bahwa maksud Tuhan sama sekali berbeda dengan apa yang sebelumnya kita pikirkan. Tuhan melihat segala sesuatu dari perspektif kekekalan. Kita melihat segalanya dari perspektif duniawi. Mengapa Tuhan menempatkan manusia di bumi ini walaupun Dia tahu bahwa Adam dan Hawa akan berdosa dan sebagai akibatnya membawa kejahatan, kematian dan penderitaan pada umat manusia? Mengapa Tuhan tidak saja menciptakan kita dan membiarkan kita di Surga di mana kita menjadi sempurna dan bebas dari penderitaan? Jawaban yang paling baik yang dapat saya berikan adalah: Tuhan tidak menghendaki sebuah ras robot yang tidak punya kehendak bebas. Tuhan mengijinkan kemungkinan terjadinya kejahatan supaya kita bisa betul-betul memilih mau menyembah Tuhan atau tidak. Jika tidak pernah menderita dan mengalami yang jahat, dapatkah kita betul-betul mengetahui betapa indahnya surga? Tuhan tidak menciptakan kejahatan, Dia mengijinkannya. Jikalau Tuhan tidak mengijinkan kejahatan, kita akan menyembah Dia secara terpaksa dan bukan karena kita memilih dengan kemauan sendiri.
Did God create evil?
At first it might seem that if God created all things, then evil must have been created by God. However, evil is not a “thing” like a rock or electricity. You cannot have a jar of evil. Evil has no existence of its own; it is really the absence of good. For example, holes are real but they only exist in something else. We call the absence of dirt a hole, but it cannot be separated from the dirt. So when God created, it is true that all He created was good. One of the good things God made was creatures who had the freedom to choose good. In order to have a real choice, God had to allow there to be something besides good to choose. So, God allowed these free angels and humans to choose good or reject good (evil). When a bad relationship exists between two good things we call that evil, but it does not become a “thing” that required God to create it.
Perhaps a further illustration will help. If a person is asked, “Does cold exist?” the answer would likely be “yes.” However, this is incorrect. Cold does not exist. Cold is the absence of heat. Similarly, darkness does not exist; it is the absence of light. Evil is the absence of good, or better, evil is the absence of God. God did not have to create evil, but rather only allow for the absence of good.
God did not create evil, but He does allow evil. If God had not allowed for the possibility of evil, both mankind and angels would be serving God out of obligation, not choice. He did not want “robots” that simply did what He wanted them to do because of their “programming.” God allowed for the possibility of evil so that we could genuinely have a free will and choose whether or not we wanted to serve Him.
As finite human beings, we can never fully understand an infinite God (Romans 11:33-34). Sometimes we think we understand why God is doing something, only to find out later that it was for a different purpose than we originally thought. God looks at things from a holy, eternal perspective. We look at things from a sinful, earthly, and temporal perspective. Why did God put man on earth knowing that Adam and Eve would sin and therefore bring evil, death, and suffering on all mankind? Why didn’t He just create us all and leave us in heaven where we would be perfect and without suffering? These questions cannot be adequately answered this side of eternity. What we can know is whatever God does is holy and perfect and ultimately will glorify Him. God allowed for the possibility of evil in order to give us a true choice in regards to whether we worship Him. God did not create evil, but He allowed it. If He had not allowed evil, we would be worshipping Him out of obligation, not by a choice of our own will.
Perhaps a further illustration will help. If a person is asked, “Does cold exist?” the answer would likely be “yes.” However, this is incorrect. Cold does not exist. Cold is the absence of heat. Similarly, darkness does not exist; it is the absence of light. Evil is the absence of good, or better, evil is the absence of God. God did not have to create evil, but rather only allow for the absence of good.
God did not create evil, but He does allow evil. If God had not allowed for the possibility of evil, both mankind and angels would be serving God out of obligation, not choice. He did not want “robots” that simply did what He wanted them to do because of their “programming.” God allowed for the possibility of evil so that we could genuinely have a free will and choose whether or not we wanted to serve Him.
As finite human beings, we can never fully understand an infinite God (Romans 11:33-34). Sometimes we think we understand why God is doing something, only to find out later that it was for a different purpose than we originally thought. God looks at things from a holy, eternal perspective. We look at things from a sinful, earthly, and temporal perspective. Why did God put man on earth knowing that Adam and Eve would sin and therefore bring evil, death, and suffering on all mankind? Why didn’t He just create us all and leave us in heaven where we would be perfect and without suffering? These questions cannot be adequately answered this side of eternity. What we can know is whatever God does is holy and perfect and ultimately will glorify Him. God allowed for the possibility of evil in order to give us a true choice in regards to whether we worship Him. God did not create evil, but He allowed it. If He had not allowed evil, we would be worshipping Him out of obligation, not by a choice of our own will.
Mengapa Tuhan mengijinkan hal-hal yang tidak baik terjadi pada orang baik?
Mengapa hal-hal tidak baik terjadi pada orang baik? Ini adalah salah satu pertanyaan yang sulit dijawab. Allah adalah kekal, tak terbatas, maha tahu, maha hadir, maha kuasa, dll. Bagaimana mungkin kita manusia (yang tidak kekal, terbatas, tidak maha tahu, tidak maha kuasa atau tidak maha hadir) dapat mencoba memahami jalan-jalan Tuhan secara sepenuhnya? Kitab Ayub membicarakan soal ini. Tuhan mengijinkan Iblis melakukan apa saja terhadap Ayub, asal jangan membunuh dia. Bagaimana reaksi Ayub? ”Lihatlah, walaupun Ia hendak membunuh aku, aku hendak berharap kepadaNya (Ayub 13:15 – terjemahan dari NIV) "Dengan telanjang aku keluar dari kandungan ibuku, dengan telanjang juga aku akan kembali ke dalamnya. TUHAN yang memberi, TUHAN yang mengambil, terpujilah nama TUHAN!" (Ayub 1:21). Ayub tidak memahami mengapa Tuhan mengijinkan semua yang terjadi, namun dia tahu bahwa Tuhan itu baik dan karena itu dia tetap percaya kepadaNya. Pada akhirnya itu seharusnya juga menjadi sikap kita. Allah itu baik, adil, pengasih dan pemurah. Sering kali kita tidak bisa mengerti hal-hal yang terjadi. Namun demikian, daripada meragukan kebaikan Tuhan, kita seharusnya percaya kepadaNya. ”Percayalah kepada TUHAN dengan segenap hatimu, dan janganlah bersandar kepada pengertianmu sendiri. Akuilah Dia dalam segala lakumu, maka Ia akan meluruskan jalanmu” (Amsal 3:5-6).
Barangkali pertanyaan yang lebih baik adalah, “Mengapa hal-hal yang baik terjadi pada orang jahat?” Tuhan itu suci (Yesaya 6:3; Wahyu 4:8). Umat manusia berdosa adanya (Roma 3:23; 6:23). Anda mau tahu bagaimana Tuhan memandang manusia? “Seperti ada tertulis: "Tidak ada yang benar, seorangpun tidak. Tidak ada seorangpun yang berakal budi, tidak ada seorangpun yang mencari Allah. Semua orang telah menyeleweng, mereka semua tidak berguna, tidak ada yang berbuat baik, seorangpun tidak. Kerongkongan mereka seperti kubur yang ternganga, lidah mereka merayu-rayu, bibir mereka mengandung bisa. Mulut mereka penuh dengan sumpah serapah, kaki mereka cepat untuk menumpahkan darah. Keruntuhan dan kebinasaan mereka tinggalkan di jalan mereka, dan jalan damai tidak mereka kenal; rasa takut kepada Allah tidak ada pada orang itu." (Roma 3:10-18). Setiap manusia di bumi ini pantas untuk dilempar ke dalam neraka pada saat ini juga. Setiap detik yang kita hidupi itu adalah karena anugrah Tuhan. Bahkan kesengsaraan yang paling mengerikan yang kita alami dalam dunia ini masih ringan dibanding dengan apa yang kita pantas dapatkan, neraka lautan api untuk selama-lamanya.
”Akan tetapi Allah menunjukkan kasih-Nya kepada kita, oleh karena Kristus telah mati untuk kita, ketika kita masih berdosa” (Roma 5:8). Tanpa menghiraukan kejahatan dan pribadidosa dari orang-orang dalam dunia ini, Allah tetap mengasihi kita. KasihNya cukup untuk membuat Dia mati untuk menanggung hukuman dosa-dosa kita (Roma 6:23). Yang kita perlu lakukan hanyalah percaya kepada Yesus Kristus (Yohanes 3:16; Roma 10:9) supaya memperoleh pengampunan dan janji rumah surgawi (Roma 8:1). Apa yang kita pantas dapat adalah neraka. Apa yang kita diberikan adalah hidup kekal di surga asal kita bersedia untuk percaya. Dikatakan bahwa dunia ini adalah satu-satunya neraka yang dialami oleh orang-orang percaya dan dunia ini adalah satu-satunya surga yang akan dinikmati oleh orang-orang yang tidak percaya. Lain kali waktu kita bertanya, ”Mengapa Tuhan mengijinkan hal-hal yang tidak baik terjadi pada orang baik?” mungkin kita lebih baik bertanya, ”Mengapa Tuhan mengijinkan hal-hal yang baik terjadi pada orang jahat?”
Barangkali pertanyaan yang lebih baik adalah, “Mengapa hal-hal yang baik terjadi pada orang jahat?” Tuhan itu suci (Yesaya 6:3; Wahyu 4:8). Umat manusia berdosa adanya (Roma 3:23; 6:23). Anda mau tahu bagaimana Tuhan memandang manusia? “Seperti ada tertulis: "Tidak ada yang benar, seorangpun tidak. Tidak ada seorangpun yang berakal budi, tidak ada seorangpun yang mencari Allah. Semua orang telah menyeleweng, mereka semua tidak berguna, tidak ada yang berbuat baik, seorangpun tidak. Kerongkongan mereka seperti kubur yang ternganga, lidah mereka merayu-rayu, bibir mereka mengandung bisa. Mulut mereka penuh dengan sumpah serapah, kaki mereka cepat untuk menumpahkan darah. Keruntuhan dan kebinasaan mereka tinggalkan di jalan mereka, dan jalan damai tidak mereka kenal; rasa takut kepada Allah tidak ada pada orang itu." (Roma 3:10-18). Setiap manusia di bumi ini pantas untuk dilempar ke dalam neraka pada saat ini juga. Setiap detik yang kita hidupi itu adalah karena anugrah Tuhan. Bahkan kesengsaraan yang paling mengerikan yang kita alami dalam dunia ini masih ringan dibanding dengan apa yang kita pantas dapatkan, neraka lautan api untuk selama-lamanya.
”Akan tetapi Allah menunjukkan kasih-Nya kepada kita, oleh karena Kristus telah mati untuk kita, ketika kita masih berdosa” (Roma 5:8). Tanpa menghiraukan kejahatan dan pribadidosa dari orang-orang dalam dunia ini, Allah tetap mengasihi kita. KasihNya cukup untuk membuat Dia mati untuk menanggung hukuman dosa-dosa kita (Roma 6:23). Yang kita perlu lakukan hanyalah percaya kepada Yesus Kristus (Yohanes 3:16; Roma 10:9) supaya memperoleh pengampunan dan janji rumah surgawi (Roma 8:1). Apa yang kita pantas dapat adalah neraka. Apa yang kita diberikan adalah hidup kekal di surga asal kita bersedia untuk percaya. Dikatakan bahwa dunia ini adalah satu-satunya neraka yang dialami oleh orang-orang percaya dan dunia ini adalah satu-satunya surga yang akan dinikmati oleh orang-orang yang tidak percaya. Lain kali waktu kita bertanya, ”Mengapa Tuhan mengijinkan hal-hal yang tidak baik terjadi pada orang baik?” mungkin kita lebih baik bertanya, ”Mengapa Tuhan mengijinkan hal-hal yang baik terjadi pada orang jahat?”
Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?
This is one of the most difficult questions in all of theology. God is eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Why should human beings (not eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent) expect to be able to fully understand God’s ways? The book of Job deals with this issue. God had allowed Satan to do everything he wanted to Job except kill him. What was Job’s reaction? “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21). Job did not understand why God had allowed the things He did, but he knew God was good and therefore continued to trust in Him. Ultimately, that should be our reaction as well.
Why do bad things happen to good people? The biblical answer is there are no “good” people. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that all of us are tainted by and infected with sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 6:23; 1 John 1:8). Romans 3:10-18 could not be clearer about the non-existence of “good” people: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Every human being on this planet deserves to be thrown into hell at this very moment. Every second we spend alive is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve, eternal hell in the lake of fire.
A better question would be “Why does God allow good things to happen to bad people?” Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Despite the evil, wicked, sinful nature of the people of this world, God still loves us. He loved us enough to die to take the penalty for our sins (Romans 6:23). If we receive Jesus Christ as Savior (John 3:16; Romans 10:9), we will be forgiven and promised an eternal home in heaven (Romans 8:1). What we deserve is hell. What we are given is eternal life in heaven if we come to Christ in faith.
Yes, sometimes bad things happen to people who seem undeserving of them. But God allows things to happen for His reasons, whether or not we understand them. Above all, however, we must remember that God is good, just, loving, and merciful. Often things happen to us that we simply cannot understand. However, instead of doubting God's goodness, our reaction should be to trust Him. ”Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Why do bad things happen to good people? The biblical answer is there are no “good” people. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that all of us are tainted by and infected with sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 6:23; 1 John 1:8). Romans 3:10-18 could not be clearer about the non-existence of “good” people: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Every human being on this planet deserves to be thrown into hell at this very moment. Every second we spend alive is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve, eternal hell in the lake of fire.
A better question would be “Why does God allow good things to happen to bad people?” Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Despite the evil, wicked, sinful nature of the people of this world, God still loves us. He loved us enough to die to take the penalty for our sins (Romans 6:23). If we receive Jesus Christ as Savior (John 3:16; Romans 10:9), we will be forgiven and promised an eternal home in heaven (Romans 8:1). What we deserve is hell. What we are given is eternal life in heaven if we come to Christ in faith.
Yes, sometimes bad things happen to people who seem undeserving of them. But God allows things to happen for His reasons, whether or not we understand them. Above all, however, we must remember that God is good, just, loving, and merciful. Often things happen to us that we simply cannot understand. However, instead of doubting God's goodness, our reaction should be to trust Him. ”Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
What is theology proper / Paterology?
Theology proper is the study of God and His attributes. Theology proper focuses on God the Father. Paterology comes from two Greek words which mean "father" and "word" - which combine to mean "the study of the Father." Theology proper answers several important questions about God:
Does God exist? God exists and ultimately everyone knows that He exists. The very fact that some attempt so aggressively to disprove His existence is in fact an argument for His existence.
What are the attributes of God? In the words of the hymn writer, “immortal, invisible, God only wise…most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, Victorious, thy great name we praise.” Knowing God’s attributes leads to glorifying and praising Him.
What does the Bible teach about the Trinity? Though we can understand some facts about the relationship of the different persons of the Trinity to one another, ultimately, it is incomprehensible to the human mind. However, this does not mean it is not true or not based on the teachings of the Bible.
Is God sovereign, or do we have a free will? When we talk about free will, we are usually concerned with the matter of salvation. Few are interested in whether we have the free will to choose salad or steak for our dinner tonight. Rather, we are troubled over who exactly is in control of our eternal destiny.
Theology proper discusses God's omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, and eternality. It teaches us about who God is and what He does. Paterology focuses on how God the Father is distinct from God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Only by knowing who God is and what He does can we properly relate to Him. Many people have unbiblical perceptions about God that affect how they understand Him. Some people see God as a brutal tyrant, with no love or grace. Other people see God as a loving friend, with no justice or anger. Both perceptions are equally incorrect. God is full of mercy, love, and grace - and at the same time righteous, holy, and just. God grants mercy and sends judgment. God punishes sin and forgives sin. God will grant believers entrance into Heaven and send unbelievers to Hell. Theology proper gives us a more complete understanding of who God is and what He does.
Romans 11:33 is perhaps a good summary verse for theology proper / Paterology: "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!"
Does God exist? God exists and ultimately everyone knows that He exists. The very fact that some attempt so aggressively to disprove His existence is in fact an argument for His existence.
What are the attributes of God? In the words of the hymn writer, “immortal, invisible, God only wise…most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, Almighty, Victorious, thy great name we praise.” Knowing God’s attributes leads to glorifying and praising Him.
What does the Bible teach about the Trinity? Though we can understand some facts about the relationship of the different persons of the Trinity to one another, ultimately, it is incomprehensible to the human mind. However, this does not mean it is not true or not based on the teachings of the Bible.
Is God sovereign, or do we have a free will? When we talk about free will, we are usually concerned with the matter of salvation. Few are interested in whether we have the free will to choose salad or steak for our dinner tonight. Rather, we are troubled over who exactly is in control of our eternal destiny.
Theology proper discusses God's omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, and eternality. It teaches us about who God is and what He does. Paterology focuses on how God the Father is distinct from God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Only by knowing who God is and what He does can we properly relate to Him. Many people have unbiblical perceptions about God that affect how they understand Him. Some people see God as a brutal tyrant, with no love or grace. Other people see God as a loving friend, with no justice or anger. Both perceptions are equally incorrect. God is full of mercy, love, and grace - and at the same time righteous, holy, and just. God grants mercy and sends judgment. God punishes sin and forgives sin. God will grant believers entrance into Heaven and send unbelievers to Hell. Theology proper gives us a more complete understanding of who God is and what He does.
Romans 11:33 is perhaps a good summary verse for theology proper / Paterology: "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!"
Dapatkah monoteisme dibuktikan?
Definisi monoteisme – Monoteisme berasal dari kata “mono” (tunggal) dan “teisme” (kerpercayaan pada Allah). Khususnya monoteisme adalah kepercayaan pada satu Allah yang sejati yang adalah satu-satunya Pencipta, Pemelihara, dan juga Hakim dari segala makhluk. Monoteisme berbeda dari henoteisme yang adalah kepercayaan pada bermacam allah dengan satu allah yang lebih utama dari semua allah yang lain. Monoteisme juga bertolak belakang dengan politeisme yang adalah kepercayaan pada adanya banyak allah.
Ada banyak argumen yang mendukung monoteisme, termasuk di dalamnya pewahyuan khusus (Alkitab), pewahyuan alam (filosofi), dan juga antropologi sejarah. Berikut ini semuanya akan diuraikan secara amat singkat walaupun penjelasan ini tidak boleh dianggap sebagai penjelasan yang menyeluruh.
Argumen Biblika untuk monoteisme – Ulangan 4:35, “Engkau diberi melihatnya untuk mengetahui, bahwa Tuhanlah Allah, tidak ada yang lain kecuali Dia.” Ulangan 6:4, “ Dengarlah, hai orang Israel: TUHAN itu Allah kita, TUHAN itu esa!” Maleakhi 2:10a, “Bukankah kita sekalian mempunyai satu bapa? Bukankah satu Allah menciptakan kita?” 1 Korintus 8:6, “ namun bagi kita hanya ada satu Allah saja, yaitu Bapa, yang dari pada-Nya berasal segala sesuatu dan yang untuk Dia kita hidup, dan satu Tuhan saja, yaitu Yesus Kristus, yang oleh-Nya segala sesuatu telah dijadikan dan yang karena Dia kita hidup.” Efesus 4:6, “satu Allah dan Bapa dari semua, Allah yang di atas semua dan oleh semua dan di dalam semua.” 1 Timotius 2:5, “Karena Allah itu esa dan esa pula Dia yang menjadi pengantara antara Allah dan manusia, yaitu manusia Kristus Yesus.” Yakobus 2:19, “Engkau percaya, bahwa hanya ada satu Allah saja? Itu baik! Tetapi setan-setanpun juga percaya akan hal itu dan mereka gemetar.”
Jelas bahwa bagi banyak orang tidaklah cukup untuk mengatakan bahwa hanya ada satu Allah karena Alkitab mengatakan demikian. Ini adalah karena tanpa Allah tidak ada cara untuk membuktikan bahwa Alkitab benar-benar adalah FirmanNya! Namun demikian, orang bisa saja mengatakan bahwa karena Alkitab memiliki bukti supranatural yang paling dapat diandalkan yang menguatkan apa yang diajarkan, ini dapat menjadi dasar yang meneguhkan monoteisme. Argumen yang serupa adalah kepercayaan dan pengajaran Yesus Kristus yang membuktikan bahwa Dia adalah Alah (atau paling sedikit Dia diperkenankan Allah) melalui kelahiranNya yang merupakan mujizat, kehidupanNya, dan mujizat kebangkitanNya. Allah tidak dapat berdusta atau ditipu; karena itu apa yang dpercayai dan diajarkan Yesus adalah benar adanya. Karena itu, monoteisme, sebagaimana yang dipercayai dan diajarkan Yesus, adalah benar adanya. Argumen ini mungkin tidak akan berkesan dalam bagi mereka yang tidak mengenal bukti supranatural Alkitab dan Kristus, namun ini merupakan suatu permulaan yang baik bagi mereka yang memahaminya.
Argumen historis untuk monoteisme – Argumen yang berdasarkan popularitas sangat perlu dicurigai, namun adalah menarik melihat betapa monoteisme mempengaruhi agama-agama dunia. Teori yang terkenal mengenai perkembangan agama secara evolusi berasal dari pandangan mengenai realita secara umum, dan anggapan mengenai antropologi evolutionis yang memandang kebudayaan-kebudayaan “primitif” sebagai wakil dari tahapan awal perkembangan agama. Namun ada beberapa masalah dengan teori evolusi semacam ini: (1) Perkembangan yang dilukiskan tidak pernah diamati – bahkan kenyataannya kelihatannya tidak ada peningkatan ke arah monoteisme dari kebudayaan manapun – yang terjadi malah kebalikannya. (2) Metode antropologi mendefinisikan “primitif” dengan menyamakannya dengan perkembangan tehnologi, namun ini bukanlah kriteria yang memuaskan karena dalam suatu budaya terdapat begitu banyak komponen.
(3) Tahapan-tahapan yang dimaksud sering hilang atau dilangkahi. (4) Akhrnya, kebanyakan budaya politeistik memperlihatkan sisa-sisa monoteisme dari tahap awal perkembangan mereka. Apa yang kita temukan adalah Allah yang monoteistik ini merupakan suatu pribadi, maskulin, tinggal di langit, memiliki pengetahuan dan kuasa yang luar biasa, menciptakan dunia, sumber dari moralitas yang harus kita taati, namun kita langgar dan sebagai akibatnya kita terbuang, namun jalan pendamaian sudah disediakan. Bisa dikata semua agama mengandung variasi dari Allah semacam ini pada dulunya sebelum kemudian “merosot” pada kacaunya politeisme, animisme dan sihir – bukan sebaliknya (Islam adalah kasus yang amat jarang, di mana Islam berbalik 360 derajat kembali kepada kepercayaan monoteistik). Namun sekalipun dengan pergerakan seperti ini, politeisme sering kali merupakan monoteistik atau henoteistik fungsional. Jarang ada agama politeistik yang tidak memiliki salah satu dari dewa dewi sebagai allah yang berkuasa di atas allah-allah lainnya, di mana allah-allah lainnya ini bertindak hanya sebagai pengantara.
Argumen filosofis/teologis untuk Monoteisme – Ada banyak argumen filosofis mengenai ketidakmungkinan untuk adanya lebih dari satu Allah. Banyak dari argumen ini bergantung pada posisi metafisik seseorang dalam soal natur dari realita. Dalam artikel yang begitu pendek ini adalah tidak mungkin untuk menjabarkan semua pandangan dasar metafisik ini dan kemudian memperlihatkan pandangan mereka mengenai monoteisme, tapi percayalah bahwa ada dasar-dasar filosofis dan teologis dari kebenaran-kebenaran ini yang sudah beribu tahun lamanya (dan kebanyakan tidak perlu dijelaskan lagi). Secara singkat, berikut ini adalah tiga argumen yang seseorang dapat pilih untuk diteliti (mulai dari yang kurang sulit):
1. Kalau ada lebih dari satu Allah, maka alam semesta akan kacau karena ada bermacam pencipta dan penguasa, tapi kenyataannya alam semesta tidak kacau; karena itu hanya ada satu Allah.
2. Karena Allah adalah makhluk yang sempurna, maka tidak mungkin ada Allah yang kedua karena keduanya pasti akan ada perbedaan, dan untuk berbeda dari yang sempurna berarti kurang sempurna dan bukan Allah.
3. Karena Allah ada secara tidak terbatas, maka Allah tidak bisa terbagi-bagi (karena bagian tidak dapat dijumlahkan untuk menjadi tidak terbatas). Kalau keberadaan Allah bukan hanya merupakan bagian dari diriNya (sebagaimana lazimnya bagi segala sesuatu baik yang ada maupun tidak ada), maka Allah haruslah memiliki memiliki keberadaan yang tidak terbatas. Oleh karena itu tidak mungkin ada dua makhluk yang tidak terbatas karena yang satu haruslah berbeda dari yang lainnya, dan berbeda dari keberadaan yang tidak terbatas berarti tidak ada sama sekali.
Orang mungkin bisa berargumen bahwa banyak argumen ini tidak menyingkirkan “allah-allah” tingkat yang lebih rendah, dan itu bisa saja diterima. Walaupun kita tahu bahwa ini tidaklah benar secara Alkitabiah, secara teori sama sekali tidak ada salahnya. Dengan kata lain, Allah bisa saja mencipta “allah-allah” tingkat lebih rendah, namun kenyataannya Dia tidak melakukan hal itu. Kalau Dia melakukannya, bukan saja “allah-allah” ini merupakan makhluk ciptaan yang terbatas, mungkin sangat mirip dengan para malaikat (bdk. Mazmur 82). Hal ini tidak akan merusak monoteisme yang tidak pernah mengatakan bahwa tidak ada makhluk rohani lainnya – hanya saja tidak ada Allah lainnya.
Ada banyak argumen yang mendukung monoteisme, termasuk di dalamnya pewahyuan khusus (Alkitab), pewahyuan alam (filosofi), dan juga antropologi sejarah. Berikut ini semuanya akan diuraikan secara amat singkat walaupun penjelasan ini tidak boleh dianggap sebagai penjelasan yang menyeluruh.
Argumen Biblika untuk monoteisme – Ulangan 4:35, “Engkau diberi melihatnya untuk mengetahui, bahwa Tuhanlah Allah, tidak ada yang lain kecuali Dia.” Ulangan 6:4, “ Dengarlah, hai orang Israel: TUHAN itu Allah kita, TUHAN itu esa!” Maleakhi 2:10a, “Bukankah kita sekalian mempunyai satu bapa? Bukankah satu Allah menciptakan kita?” 1 Korintus 8:6, “ namun bagi kita hanya ada satu Allah saja, yaitu Bapa, yang dari pada-Nya berasal segala sesuatu dan yang untuk Dia kita hidup, dan satu Tuhan saja, yaitu Yesus Kristus, yang oleh-Nya segala sesuatu telah dijadikan dan yang karena Dia kita hidup.” Efesus 4:6, “satu Allah dan Bapa dari semua, Allah yang di atas semua dan oleh semua dan di dalam semua.” 1 Timotius 2:5, “Karena Allah itu esa dan esa pula Dia yang menjadi pengantara antara Allah dan manusia, yaitu manusia Kristus Yesus.” Yakobus 2:19, “Engkau percaya, bahwa hanya ada satu Allah saja? Itu baik! Tetapi setan-setanpun juga percaya akan hal itu dan mereka gemetar.”
Jelas bahwa bagi banyak orang tidaklah cukup untuk mengatakan bahwa hanya ada satu Allah karena Alkitab mengatakan demikian. Ini adalah karena tanpa Allah tidak ada cara untuk membuktikan bahwa Alkitab benar-benar adalah FirmanNya! Namun demikian, orang bisa saja mengatakan bahwa karena Alkitab memiliki bukti supranatural yang paling dapat diandalkan yang menguatkan apa yang diajarkan, ini dapat menjadi dasar yang meneguhkan monoteisme. Argumen yang serupa adalah kepercayaan dan pengajaran Yesus Kristus yang membuktikan bahwa Dia adalah Alah (atau paling sedikit Dia diperkenankan Allah) melalui kelahiranNya yang merupakan mujizat, kehidupanNya, dan mujizat kebangkitanNya. Allah tidak dapat berdusta atau ditipu; karena itu apa yang dpercayai dan diajarkan Yesus adalah benar adanya. Karena itu, monoteisme, sebagaimana yang dipercayai dan diajarkan Yesus, adalah benar adanya. Argumen ini mungkin tidak akan berkesan dalam bagi mereka yang tidak mengenal bukti supranatural Alkitab dan Kristus, namun ini merupakan suatu permulaan yang baik bagi mereka yang memahaminya.
Argumen historis untuk monoteisme – Argumen yang berdasarkan popularitas sangat perlu dicurigai, namun adalah menarik melihat betapa monoteisme mempengaruhi agama-agama dunia. Teori yang terkenal mengenai perkembangan agama secara evolusi berasal dari pandangan mengenai realita secara umum, dan anggapan mengenai antropologi evolutionis yang memandang kebudayaan-kebudayaan “primitif” sebagai wakil dari tahapan awal perkembangan agama. Namun ada beberapa masalah dengan teori evolusi semacam ini: (1) Perkembangan yang dilukiskan tidak pernah diamati – bahkan kenyataannya kelihatannya tidak ada peningkatan ke arah monoteisme dari kebudayaan manapun – yang terjadi malah kebalikannya. (2) Metode antropologi mendefinisikan “primitif” dengan menyamakannya dengan perkembangan tehnologi, namun ini bukanlah kriteria yang memuaskan karena dalam suatu budaya terdapat begitu banyak komponen.
(3) Tahapan-tahapan yang dimaksud sering hilang atau dilangkahi. (4) Akhrnya, kebanyakan budaya politeistik memperlihatkan sisa-sisa monoteisme dari tahap awal perkembangan mereka. Apa yang kita temukan adalah Allah yang monoteistik ini merupakan suatu pribadi, maskulin, tinggal di langit, memiliki pengetahuan dan kuasa yang luar biasa, menciptakan dunia, sumber dari moralitas yang harus kita taati, namun kita langgar dan sebagai akibatnya kita terbuang, namun jalan pendamaian sudah disediakan. Bisa dikata semua agama mengandung variasi dari Allah semacam ini pada dulunya sebelum kemudian “merosot” pada kacaunya politeisme, animisme dan sihir – bukan sebaliknya (Islam adalah kasus yang amat jarang, di mana Islam berbalik 360 derajat kembali kepada kepercayaan monoteistik). Namun sekalipun dengan pergerakan seperti ini, politeisme sering kali merupakan monoteistik atau henoteistik fungsional. Jarang ada agama politeistik yang tidak memiliki salah satu dari dewa dewi sebagai allah yang berkuasa di atas allah-allah lainnya, di mana allah-allah lainnya ini bertindak hanya sebagai pengantara.
Argumen filosofis/teologis untuk Monoteisme – Ada banyak argumen filosofis mengenai ketidakmungkinan untuk adanya lebih dari satu Allah. Banyak dari argumen ini bergantung pada posisi metafisik seseorang dalam soal natur dari realita. Dalam artikel yang begitu pendek ini adalah tidak mungkin untuk menjabarkan semua pandangan dasar metafisik ini dan kemudian memperlihatkan pandangan mereka mengenai monoteisme, tapi percayalah bahwa ada dasar-dasar filosofis dan teologis dari kebenaran-kebenaran ini yang sudah beribu tahun lamanya (dan kebanyakan tidak perlu dijelaskan lagi). Secara singkat, berikut ini adalah tiga argumen yang seseorang dapat pilih untuk diteliti (mulai dari yang kurang sulit):
1. Kalau ada lebih dari satu Allah, maka alam semesta akan kacau karena ada bermacam pencipta dan penguasa, tapi kenyataannya alam semesta tidak kacau; karena itu hanya ada satu Allah.
2. Karena Allah adalah makhluk yang sempurna, maka tidak mungkin ada Allah yang kedua karena keduanya pasti akan ada perbedaan, dan untuk berbeda dari yang sempurna berarti kurang sempurna dan bukan Allah.
3. Karena Allah ada secara tidak terbatas, maka Allah tidak bisa terbagi-bagi (karena bagian tidak dapat dijumlahkan untuk menjadi tidak terbatas). Kalau keberadaan Allah bukan hanya merupakan bagian dari diriNya (sebagaimana lazimnya bagi segala sesuatu baik yang ada maupun tidak ada), maka Allah haruslah memiliki memiliki keberadaan yang tidak terbatas. Oleh karena itu tidak mungkin ada dua makhluk yang tidak terbatas karena yang satu haruslah berbeda dari yang lainnya, dan berbeda dari keberadaan yang tidak terbatas berarti tidak ada sama sekali.
Orang mungkin bisa berargumen bahwa banyak argumen ini tidak menyingkirkan “allah-allah” tingkat yang lebih rendah, dan itu bisa saja diterima. Walaupun kita tahu bahwa ini tidaklah benar secara Alkitabiah, secara teori sama sekali tidak ada salahnya. Dengan kata lain, Allah bisa saja mencipta “allah-allah” tingkat lebih rendah, namun kenyataannya Dia tidak melakukan hal itu. Kalau Dia melakukannya, bukan saja “allah-allah” ini merupakan makhluk ciptaan yang terbatas, mungkin sangat mirip dengan para malaikat (bdk. Mazmur 82). Hal ini tidak akan merusak monoteisme yang tidak pernah mengatakan bahwa tidak ada makhluk rohani lainnya – hanya saja tidak ada Allah lainnya.
Can monotheism be proven?
The word “monotheism” comes from two words, “mono” meaning “single” and “theism” meaning “belief in God.” Specifically, monotheism is the belief in one true God who is the only creator, sustainer, and judge of all creation. Monotheism differs from “henotheism,” which is the belief in multiple gods with one supreme God over all. It is also opposed to polytheism, which is the belief in the existence of more than one god.
There are many arguments for monotheism, including those from special revelation (Scripture), natural revelation (philosophy), as well as historical anthropology. These will only be explained briefly below, and this should not in any way be considered an exhaustive list.
Biblical arguments for Monotheism - Deuteronomy 4:35: “You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides Him there is no other.” Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” Malachi 2:10a, “Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us?” 1 Corinthians 8:6: “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” Ephesians 4:6: “One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” James 2:19: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”
Obviously, for many people, it wouldn’t suffice to simply say that there is only one God because the Bible says so. This is because without God there is no way to prove that the Bible is His Word in the first place. However, one might argue that since the Bible has the most reliable supernatural evidence confirming what it teaches, monotheism can be affirmed on these grounds. A similar argument would be the beliefs and teaching of Jesus Christ, who proved that He was God (or at the very least approved by God) by His miraculous birth, life, and the miracle of His resurrection. God cannot lie or be deceived; therefore, what Jesus believed and taught was true. Therefore, monotheism, which Jesus believed and taught, is true. This argument may not be very impressive to those unfamiliar with the case for the supernatural confirmations of Scripture and Christ, but this is a good place to start for one who is familiar with its strength.
Historical arguments for Monotheism - Arguments based on popularity are notoriously suspect, but it is interesting just how much monotheism has affected world religions. The popular evolutionary theory of religious development stems from an evolutionary view of reality in general, and the presupposition of evolutionary anthropology which sees “primitive” cultures as representing the earlier stages of religious development. But the problems with this evolutionary theory are several. 1) The kind of development it describes has never been observed; in fact, there seems to be no upward development toward monotheism within any culture—actually the opposite seems to be the case. 2) The anthropological method's definition of “primitive” equates to technological development, yet this is hardly a satisfactory criterion as there are so many components to a given culture. 3) The alleged stages are often missing or skipped. 4) Finally, most polytheistic cultures show vestiges of monotheism early in their development.
What we find is a monotheistic God who is personal, masculine, lives in the sky, has great knowledge and power, created the world, is the author of a morality to which we are accountable, and whom we have disobeyed and are thus estranged from, but who has also provided a way of reconciliation. Virtually every religion carries a variation of this God at some point in its past before devolving into the chaos of polytheism. Thus, it seems that most religions have begun in monotheism and “devolved” into polytheism, animism, and magic—not vice versa. (Islam is a very rare case, having come full circle back into a monotheistic belief.) Even with this movement, polytheism is often functionally monotheistic or henotheistic. It is a rare polytheistic religion which does not hold one of its gods as sovereign over the rest, with the lesser gods only functioning as intermediaries.
Philosophical/Theological arguments for Monotheism - There are many philosophical arguments for the impossibility of there being more than one God in existence. Many of these depend a great deal on one’s metaphysical position concerning the nature of reality. Unfortunately, in an article this short it would be impossible to argue for these basic metaphysical positions and then go on to show what they point to regarding monotheism, but rest assured that there are strong philosophical and theological grounds for these truths that go back millennia (and most are fairly self-evident). Briefly, then, here are three arguments one might choose to explore:
1. If there were more than one God, the universe would be in disorder because of multiple creators and authorities, but it is not in disorder; therefore, there is only one God.
2. Since God is a completely perfect being, there cannot be a second God, for they would have to differ in some way, and to differ from complete perfection is to be less than perfect and not be God.
3. Since God is infinite in His existence, He cannot have parts (for parts cannot be added to reach infinity). If God’s existence is not just a part of Him (which it is for all things which can have existence or not), then He must have infinite existence. Therefore, there cannot be two infinite beings, for one would have to differ from the other.
Someone may wish to argue that many of these would not rule out a sub-class of “gods,” and that is fine. Although we know this to be untrue biblically, there is nothing wrong with it in theory. In other words, God could have created a sub-class of “gods,” but it just happens to be the case that He did not. If He had, these “gods” would only be limited, created things—probably a lot like angels (Psalm 82). This does not hurt the case for monotheism, which does not say that there cannot be any other spirit beings—only that there cannot be more than one God.
There are many arguments for monotheism, including those from special revelation (Scripture), natural revelation (philosophy), as well as historical anthropology. These will only be explained briefly below, and this should not in any way be considered an exhaustive list.
Biblical arguments for Monotheism - Deuteronomy 4:35: “You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides Him there is no other.” Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” Malachi 2:10a, “Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us?” 1 Corinthians 8:6: “Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.” Ephesians 4:6: “One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” James 2:19: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”
Obviously, for many people, it wouldn’t suffice to simply say that there is only one God because the Bible says so. This is because without God there is no way to prove that the Bible is His Word in the first place. However, one might argue that since the Bible has the most reliable supernatural evidence confirming what it teaches, monotheism can be affirmed on these grounds. A similar argument would be the beliefs and teaching of Jesus Christ, who proved that He was God (or at the very least approved by God) by His miraculous birth, life, and the miracle of His resurrection. God cannot lie or be deceived; therefore, what Jesus believed and taught was true. Therefore, monotheism, which Jesus believed and taught, is true. This argument may not be very impressive to those unfamiliar with the case for the supernatural confirmations of Scripture and Christ, but this is a good place to start for one who is familiar with its strength.
Historical arguments for Monotheism - Arguments based on popularity are notoriously suspect, but it is interesting just how much monotheism has affected world religions. The popular evolutionary theory of religious development stems from an evolutionary view of reality in general, and the presupposition of evolutionary anthropology which sees “primitive” cultures as representing the earlier stages of religious development. But the problems with this evolutionary theory are several. 1) The kind of development it describes has never been observed; in fact, there seems to be no upward development toward monotheism within any culture—actually the opposite seems to be the case. 2) The anthropological method's definition of “primitive” equates to technological development, yet this is hardly a satisfactory criterion as there are so many components to a given culture. 3) The alleged stages are often missing or skipped. 4) Finally, most polytheistic cultures show vestiges of monotheism early in their development.
What we find is a monotheistic God who is personal, masculine, lives in the sky, has great knowledge and power, created the world, is the author of a morality to which we are accountable, and whom we have disobeyed and are thus estranged from, but who has also provided a way of reconciliation. Virtually every religion carries a variation of this God at some point in its past before devolving into the chaos of polytheism. Thus, it seems that most religions have begun in monotheism and “devolved” into polytheism, animism, and magic—not vice versa. (Islam is a very rare case, having come full circle back into a monotheistic belief.) Even with this movement, polytheism is often functionally monotheistic or henotheistic. It is a rare polytheistic religion which does not hold one of its gods as sovereign over the rest, with the lesser gods only functioning as intermediaries.
Philosophical/Theological arguments for Monotheism - There are many philosophical arguments for the impossibility of there being more than one God in existence. Many of these depend a great deal on one’s metaphysical position concerning the nature of reality. Unfortunately, in an article this short it would be impossible to argue for these basic metaphysical positions and then go on to show what they point to regarding monotheism, but rest assured that there are strong philosophical and theological grounds for these truths that go back millennia (and most are fairly self-evident). Briefly, then, here are three arguments one might choose to explore:
1. If there were more than one God, the universe would be in disorder because of multiple creators and authorities, but it is not in disorder; therefore, there is only one God.
2. Since God is a completely perfect being, there cannot be a second God, for they would have to differ in some way, and to differ from complete perfection is to be less than perfect and not be God.
3. Since God is infinite in His existence, He cannot have parts (for parts cannot be added to reach infinity). If God’s existence is not just a part of Him (which it is for all things which can have existence or not), then He must have infinite existence. Therefore, there cannot be two infinite beings, for one would have to differ from the other.
Someone may wish to argue that many of these would not rule out a sub-class of “gods,” and that is fine. Although we know this to be untrue biblically, there is nothing wrong with it in theory. In other words, God could have created a sub-class of “gods,” but it just happens to be the case that He did not. If He had, these “gods” would only be limited, created things—probably a lot like angels (Psalm 82). This does not hurt the case for monotheism, which does not say that there cannot be any other spirit beings—only that there cannot be more than one God.
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