Struggling with believing God's goodness

[Starise]

I went through a time like this (temptation to doubt) at least partially because I delved into what the atheists were teaching. I never was or intended to be an atheist. I just had an interest in why they looked at things the way they did. When they asked these crazy kinds of questions about God, I set out to analyze their ideas and study to answer for myself WHY they felt this way.

I will say some of them are more knowledgeable about the bible than many Christians are. I also took note especially of the way they would twist context to such an extent that you almost couldn't get the original ideas behind it unless you either knew those passages or did further study. They use perverted CONTEXT as one of their main tools.

I'm not sure  @Figure of eightyif some of those ideas might have boiled to the surface from another source causing you to feel this way. If so, I assure you none of it holds any water under contextual scrutiny.

If no evil existed we wouldn't have any problems. Sin and evil are the chief problems. Since men are evil from birth we are destined to inherit problems. God and sin are like water and oil. They don't get along. God can't allow it. Several of His creations just decided to rebel, including men, since we had wills He has allowed us all to use them.

One of God's ways has been to let things run their course. This seems to further assist in accomplishing His ultimate purposes which is to rid the world of evil eventually and establish His kingdom. Much in the same way as when there is a huge forest fire and it is decided to let a large swath of the fire burn to a certain point where there is a trench dug to stop it there. It WILL be stopped eventually. What we are seeing right now is the fire burning off. The wicked mostly do themselves in, but God might step in and help them along. God's ways are not our ways, so God will never always do the kinds of things men think are logical. I would much rather rely on God's logic than man's logic. The very minute a man figures out exactly everything God is doing is the minute God ceases to be God. And that will NEVER happen in a trillion years.

[DeighAnn]

10 hours ago, JohnR7 said:

As I said in another post this follows the rules of Hermeneutics that they teach in Bible college.  I have two years of Bible college and a lot of pastors only have two years of Bible School. 

OK.  Thank you

[DeighAnn]

1 hour ago, Your closest friendnt said:

 

Hello DeighAnn, I keep reading the verse in 2Corinthians 5:14, over and over again...and I am trying to understand and put it in my own words and without adding or subtracting from the original message...

This is it I am wondering what is the original message in the above verse...could that be truth? 

Why Paul says that were all dead? 

Who is included in that fraise or is anyone excluded? 

Is there anyone Jesus did not died for? 

 Can anyone be in Jesus Christ without believing that Jesus died for him? 

Paul knew the scriptures that say, "I am the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob". 

They were alive to God,  why then the "we were all dead", that's why Jesus had to die for all. 

2 Corinth
The for love of Christ compels us, having concluded this, that ONE for all has died, therefore all have died.

And for all He died, that those LIVING no longer to themselves should live but to the {One} for them having died and having been raised

Therefore we from now no one regard according to [the] flesh, Though even we have regarded according to flesh Christ, yet now no longer we regard


I believe it simply is the US we should look to,  for the 'therefore all have died',  as we all do,  when becoming a new creature. 

Whomsoever would - would require 'the act' of HIS dying to cover ALL,  so that no matter what,  ALL the whomsoevers would be covered and it would never have to be done again.  

What does it take to become one of those 'living'?  The Lord and Saviour for Christians

I don't think you can understand it by trying to make it stand on its own.  It takes the whole context.  Many times when I find myself in this situation, I just go to the Hebrew or Greek and just start typing out the Chapter.  I type fairly slow so it gives me time to back away from all MY thoughts and just read what is written.  Sometimes I will do it again and again so I can just listen to the words of God.  Usually (when I keep myself out of the mix) Gods meaning will just come blaring through.  I always know because of the dissolving of any conflicts I was having and the lack of any new conflicts being created.  Sometimes, I get nothing and know it's time to give it time and ponder and pray and sometimes I just don't get anything and know it won't be given until that day I read the 'there a little' to go with the 'here a little' I am presently studying.  ANYWAY, that is how I approach it.  

In the end, the blood of Christ is only for those saved,  so though He died for ALL, it will not benefit ALL just whomsoever would

AND ALL were dead 1  Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

I hope I have covered everything. 

It was kinda strange this morning because as soon as I read what you were doing, I started doing it too,  and found myself feeling what I believe you may have been.  It felt really funny for a little bit.  Hence the explanation of how I got out of it and most things...God Bless You friend.   

Edited July 9, 2022 by DeighAnn
the the

[CaptWalker]

19 hours ago, JohnR7 said:

I did not understand this until I want to a third world nation where there were people who had needs greater than my own. You do not waste anything there because there is always someone who wants and needs a part of our abundance. I pay $1 for a pair of reading glasses. When they break I throw them in the missions box because I know that in their poverty there is someone that can use them. In Manila they talk about smoky mountain and people who make a living going through the dump and finding stuff that they can sell. I use to pick up stuff off of the curb here and take it out to the flea market and sell it. 

Well i work as a hotel housekeeper and find good food left behind a lot, so i take it home and eat it...since it's better than throwing it away. Since you can't give that kind of stuff to food banks, but maybe i am just missing your point??

Edited July 9, 2022 by CaptWalker

[Fidei Defensor]

On 7/8/2022 at 9:18 PM, Sower said:

 

I find it amazing how much you 'assumed/discerned' about 'The Rich Young Man' from the verses above. He ask a question, Jesus answered, the man explained he kept the commandments from his youth. And now his desire was to know how to  'inherit eternal life.'
Jesus told him the cost. (Not the money, but the love/trust of it).
He then is said to have been sorrowful and disheartened.
I believe Jesus knew the man was putting his trust in possessions, not God.
Kinda like everybody I know at one time, lost/saved.
The scripture made it a point to say "Jesus loved him"
The scripture does not say what happened to him. I probably would have also spent some(much) time thinking about that one if confronted to give away all my possessions. I personally do not know anyone who has given everything away.
Have you Fidei?  We all had to count the cost, and some took longer than others.
I cannot assume the many faults you found with the man.


 

I didn’t assume anything, I read in depth look at the Rich Young Ruler by Theologian Diedrich Bonhoeffer, in his book “The Cost of Discipleship.”