Life B-P Church Weekly - 29 August 2010
Scripture Memory: Salvation
VERSE : Ezekiel 18:32 "For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye."
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O Worship the LORD in the Beauty of Holiness
29 August 2010
8.00 am Worship Service:
Rev Colin Wong (Positional Argument: The Present Position of The Believer)
10.45 am Worship Service:
Dr Steve Reynolds (The End)
6:00 pm Evening Service:
Mark Chen (Being Content In Singleness)
5 September 2010
8.00 am Worship Service:
Eld Khoo Peng Kiat (Walking Circumspectly)
10.45 am Worship Service:
Rev Charles Seet (Who's On Trial Here?)
6:00 pm Evening Service:
Mark Chen (A Word To The Divorced and Separated)
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GOD IS UNFAIR. HALLELUJAH!
People Say that God Is Unfair
There are many people who say that God is unfair. God is often accused of being unfair because everyone is not equally wealthy. The statistics are staggering. 1.5 billion people in the world live in absolute poverty. Most of them are children and 24,000 of them die daily due to poverty-related issues. God must be unfair!
God is also accused of being unfair because the wicked get away with their wickedness and the innocent suffer evil at their hands. If God is such a good God, why don't the wicked receive their just punishment and the innocent vindicated? God must be unfair!
God is also accused of being unfair because the innocent are affected by disasters along with the wicked. In fact, more innocent than guilty suffer!
Recently, a freak accident involving a bus and a crane claimed the life of a man. He left behind a wife and four sons. Two of his sons have kidney problems, and one is still in primary school. He was the sole breadwinner of the family, earning less than $1000 a month. Of all the families and people for this tragedy to befall, why did it have to be this one? God must be unfair!
Our False Assumption and Wrong Expectation
Unfortunately, we measure God by our standard of unfairness. And our standards are based on a false assumption and a wrong expectation.
Firstly, we falsely assume that there are people who are good and innocent, and as such, do not deserve these misfortunes.
Secondly, we wrongly expect that God is obligated to prevent these things from happening. Since God is supposed to be good, he cannot allow misfortune to befall good people.
No One Is Good
If it is a false assumption that there are people who are good and innocent, and undeserving of these misfortunes, then what is the reality? The reality is that there is no one who is good - all are guilty.
The Bible says that all are sinners. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Sin means to come short of God's glory.
What makes God glorious? It is his holiness. Isaiah 6:3 says, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." So, if man is not as holy as God is, man sins.
But man doesn't even have to be as holy as God to sin. He just has to break his own rules. James 4:17 says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." Everyone breaks his own rules.
And when we break just one rule, it's as good as breaking all of them. James 2:10 says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
The so-called good that man does is not able to overcome all the sins he has committed. His goodness is not good enough. Isaiah 64:6 says, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags."
Hence, the assumption that there are those who deserve a break because they are good or pitiable is false. There is no one who deserves any such thing.
God Is Angry with Sinners
If God is holy, what is his attitude towards those who sin? He is angry with them. Psalm 5:4-5 says, "For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity."
If God hates sinners because they have sinned against him, what would a just God do to sinners? Psalm 11:6 says, "Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup."
All of us deserve to be judged. Ezekiel 18:20 says, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die."
Hence, the expectation that God is obligated to prevent misfortunes is wrong. In fact, we should expect the opposite.
If God Were Fair
If God were fair, we would not be here to debate if he were fair or not. We would've been annihilated eons ago. The meaning of "fair" is "to be free from bias or injustice." If God were to be fair, we would be destroyed. If God were fair, even the most pitiable person would not be spared. He would have to be just and punish sin.
The Unfairness of God
Those who say that God is unfair don't realize how true the statement is. God is unfair! But not in the way we understand it. How is God unfair? He shows mercy. Mercy is to withhold the justice that we deserve. And if God does not show that mercy, he is being fair. But every second that we live is an act of mercy.
And God's mercy is offered to us, even to the extent that he will spare us of the eternal punishment we deserve. This shows the unfairness of God again.
God commands us to repent of our sins and believe in Christ, and he will not punish us. Romans 10:9 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
Why is it important to believe in Christ to be saved from God's anger? It is because Christ takes our sins upon himself as a substitute.
Sin still has to be punished. If God does not punish sin, he would not be a just God. That is why God provides Christ as a substitute for sinful men, who will take upon himself their sins and suffer the wrath of God. 1 Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh..."
This also shows the unfairness of God. God pours out his wrath upon an innocent person, so that we, the guilty, will experience the mercy of God.
The unfairness upon Christ becomes even more shocking when we realize that he is the Son of God. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Because of his mercy upon sinful mankind, he spared not his son. God is unfair - the justice due to us did he give to another, and the mercy due to another did he give to us. God is unfair. Hallelujah!
Our Response to God's Unfairness
Dear Reader, what is your response to God's unfairness? He is angry with you because you have sinned against him. He is not obliged to save you. Yet, he offers mercy. He is merciful to you, even to let you know the only way to salvation.
All of us want the mercy of God. But we are unwilling to obey his conditions to receive that mercy. And not only do we want the mercy of God, but we demand that God show that mercy "fairly" on all. The creature has no right to command the creator. The subject has no authority over the king. Mercy is shown. Let us humbly and gratefully receive it.
Will you obey his commandment to repent and believe in Christ for salvation? If you do not, you will one day face the fairness of God, and receive the wrath you deserve. But if you do, you will receive the unfairness of God, and receive the fullness of his mercy. -Mark Chen
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Life Church 60th Anniversary
Praise Service on Sat, 16 Oct, 5pm in the church sanctuary, followed by a thanksgiving sit-down dinner at the Beulah house premises. The sale of dinner tickets will begin next Sunday (5 Sep).
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1) Prayer Session: In view of the Court of Appeal hearing that is fixed for the week commencing 29 Nov 2010, Rev Colin will be leading a prayer session on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month commencing this Friday at 10am to 12pm. The prayer session will be held at Beulah Center Room 2-1. Please come and pray.
2) Filipino Worship Service beside the Greek & Hebrew room for all Filipino domestic helpers every Sunday at 10.45am (except first Sunday). There is a Sunday School class for them. All employers are encouraged to allow their domestic assistants to participate.
3) Infant Baptism on Anniversary Sunday, 17 Oct 10. Parents who intend to have their infants baptised must register by 12 Sep 10. Please call the Church office (6594-9399) or email Yin Chan giving child's name, date of birth and parents' names and contact.
4) Hymns of Grace & Glory. Please see Dn Tan Cheow Hock if you wish to purchase. $25 per copy.
5) Library Opening Hours: 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, 7.30 to 7.55am. Every Sunday, 12.15 to 12.45pm. There are books for all ages.
Preaching appointment: Rev Seet at Moriah B-P Church, 9.15 am and 11.15 am.
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