IMAGES OF GOD #15

Many people question God on two counts: on the one hand, they say 'Why does God allow so much suffering?' And on the other hand, they say 'Why doesn't Jesus Christ hurry up and come back?'

The answer to both of these questions is the incredible patience of God.

The plain facts are:

1. God did intervene in earth's history, once, no, twice, to put an end to the madness of human sin. If we are asking him to stop suffering, then we are asking him to stop our sin, for every time we sin we inflict suffering on ourselves or others. Do we really want him to do that? To send another world-wide catastrophe like the flood? Or to cause a massive dispersion and alienation of people from people as he did at Babel?
2. When Jesus Christ returns he will return as the Judge. The day of his return will be the Day of Judgement. Do those who have not received his forgiveness really want that day to come? Do those of us who have unsaved family and friends want him to return before they acknowledge him?

The Bible tells us that the very reason the return of Christ is delayed, is 'he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.'

Let us think twice before we accuse God of being unloving, or unfair, or hard, or slack. In his immense patience with us, in the abundance of his grace, he allows us to exist, giving us time to repent and acknowledge him before the Judgement Day, before he will deal completely with sin and suffering, banishing them forever.

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:3-15; Genesis 6-8; 11; 1 Corinthians 15:24-26; Revelation 21:4.