The Omni-benevolence of God

Yesterday I gave you Psalm 103 as a Thanksgiving tool. There is a lot in that passage about things for which we can be grateful. As I examined it, I came across some ... interesting things.

One of the "problems" that Christianity faces is the problem of evil. The problem goes something like this. If God is omnipotent and omni-benevolent, why is there evil and suffering? You see, it would appear that God is either unable (not "omnipotent") or unwilling (not "omni-benevolent") to change these sad conditions.

My answer is "True!" The idea of God's "omni-benevolence" is that He is "all-loving", that His love is without end, and covers all. We like that one. We affirm that one. We ... are wrong on that one.

Look at what David says in just this little Psalm:

As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.

As a father shows compassion to His children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him.

The steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him (Psa 103, 11, 13, 17)

"See?" you might want to say, "It repeatedly talks about His 'steadfast love' and all that good stuff." Yeah, okay, but did you notice something else? There is always a conditional statement. "... so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him." "... the LORD shows compassion to those who fear Him."

There is a sense in which God loves everyone. He gives rain to the righteous and the wicked. He feeds both. He sustains both. There is a type of "omni-benevolence". However, God Himself puts limits on His love for His creation. He is not actually "omni-benevolent". His love for humans has limits. To suggest that His love is infinite and unconditional is simply not biblical.