Got questions?

---

Got questions? Questioning God, week 6

Question 1  If God created man to enjoy his company eternally in a perfect state and relationship, why wouldn’t he know (being omniscient) that man would disobey thereby destroying the perfect relationship and communion and resulting in expulsion?

A response…   A variant of the problem of evil? The two classic responses:   Evil is justified by the fact that it makes freedom possible   Evil is justified by the fact that it is inherent in the development of certain traits of character

  Bottom line: God, being omniscient, knew   Christ was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:18-20), by an ‘eternal purpose’ (Eph 3:11), for the eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began (Titus 1:2)

Question 2  What is the fate of those who have never heard about the Gospel?

How to deal with this?   The exclusivity of Jesus Christ for salvation   ‘No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn 14:6)   No one will have an excuse   “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.’ (Rom 1:19-20) cf.Rom 2:12-16

  The character of God:   God desires that none “should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet 3:9) (1 Tim 2:4)   He will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31)

Question 3   Do babies and small children who die ‘go to heaven?’

A biblical-theological answer   Distinction between sinful nature and actual sin   Distinction between guilt and liability to punishment   God’s concern and love for children:   ‘Your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.’ (Mt 18:14)   The kingdom of God belongs to the little children (Lk 18:15-17)

  Biblical hope   David and Bathsheba’s son: 2 Sam 12:22,23

  Age of accountability? Isa 7:15 a child who ‘will eat curds and honey at the time he knows enough to refuse evil and choose good.’

Question 4  Jesus died for all our sins, past, present and future. So is it all done? We need not do anything? But believe he died and rose from the dead?