THE FAITH ON WHICH I STAND
(Confession of Faith):

“There is one God – Jehovah, and Jesus Christ is His only begotten Son who perfectly reveals His character.”

The truth is not the Bible; the truth is in the Bible.

God is good; God is love.  God is not wicked and selfish (as popular religions make Him out to be).

Of all the various ideas and philosophies that attempt (or seek) to explain the existence of evil in the face of a good, almighty and omniscient God there is only one perspective that is consistent with itself (in terms of its implications).  That one perspective – the truth – is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the express image (or perfect revelation) of God’s character (Heb. 1:1-3).  All other perspectives, in their implications, portray God as being wicked and selfish.

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.” St. John 17:3.

“Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:5.

God is the Saviour, not the destroyer

Given that there is a God who is almighty, omniscient and good, the only explanation for the existence of evil that is consistent with itself in all its implications is that it is not in God’s character to destroy people.  Therefore, evil will be brought to an end in a manner that is consistent with God’s loving, humble and peaceful way of operating.

The basis for this thought is Jesus Christ.  Being the Son of God, the perfect revelation of God’s character, it should be accepted that God (in accordance with Jesus’ portrayal of Him) is not of a spirit to destroy men’s lives, but rather to save them.

If evil is not self-perpetuating, then it must come to an end unless God preserves it, which is contrary to His character to do; but He can and will certainly save those who reject evil and accept Him.

“But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.  For the son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke 9:55, 56.

Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah   59:1,2.

God’s wrath is the hiding of His face from those who reject Him, which leaves them without protection from the myriad evils that have been caused by sin.

LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. Psalms 30:7.

Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. Psalms 143:7.

God consistently does good and no evil at all.  Thus, for example, the Father did not kill His Son on the cross nor require His death in man’s place.   The Son volunteered to take man’s place and bear the consequences of sin in man’s behalf. Jesus said: “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself”. John 10:17, 18.

It is SIN that destroys!  GOD is the Saviour.  Sin is the destroyer.  We are being saved by GOD from SIN and its consequences, not from GOD and some arbitrary penalty that He prescribes.  SIN causes death, both physical and eternal.  Death is not a penalty that GOD prescribes and executes.  Death is a consequence of SIN that we suffer when we reject Divine protection.  Divine protection comes in at least two forms: (1) GOD’S LAW (2) GOD’S GRACE.  God did not require the death of the sinner; neither did He require the death of His Son in the sinner’s place.  Such is the philosophy behind pagan sacrifices.  Bible Christianity holds that the sinner faces death on account of his alliance with sin, which causes death.  God, through Christ, offers salvation from sin and its ultimate consequence.