It is not uncommon to hear people, believers and unbelievers, say something like "If God is like that, I want nothing to do with Him." Think about that for a moment. The position is remarkable.
It requires several things to hold that position. It requires the ability to judge God. It requires a moral superiority over God. It requires that God submit to my standards.
And, yet, here we are. I would venture to guess that a large number of people, even classifying themselves as "Christian", deny the biblical explanations of God and His character because "If God is like that, I want nothing to do with Him." "If God chooses whom He will save, I want nothing to do with Him." "If God creates light and calamity, I want nothing to do with Him." "If God willingly allows people to go to Hell, I want nothing to do with Him." "If God ordered the deaths of the Amorites, I want nothing to do with Him." And on and on.
In Defense and Explanation of All the Articles, pg. 81 of Luther’s Works, Vol. 32, Luther said, "Even Lucifer was not guilty of so great a sacrilege in heaven, for he only presumed to be God’s equal." Not us. Some presume to be His superior. As long as He aligns with our allowed pattern of what God ought to be and what our version of "good" is, they will allow Him. I guess that makes some of us more demonic than the demons.
2 comments:
Indeed we do see it among those calling themselves Christians. Just try bringing up the OT stories of God calling the Hebrews to destroy the people of the lands He was giving to them.
I find it odd that anyone would take such an attitude. Consider that it suggests the person would believe and abide if God acted differently. Either one believes or one doesn't. God's actions don't make any difference to that. If God was absolute evil, it wouldn't matter to whether or not one should believe in His existence and how one should live.
What's more, there's no way one can NOT have anything to do with God regardless of how one judges His actions.
The last point is quite true. "I don't want anything to do with Him" won't help in the final judgment. On the other hand, there is a sense in which, in that final judgment for those who rejected Him, He will say, "Well, then, I don't want anything to do with you." And that will be a terrible thing.
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