“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:8.
The Scriptures tell us that God is love; the sacrifice of Jesus Christ His Son to cleanse us of all sin and bring us near to Him shows it.
“He [Jesus] came to His own [Israel], and His own did not receive Him. But as many [Jew or Gentile] as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name…” John 1:11-12.
Obviously He wants us to act in like manner.
“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [full payment] for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:9-11.
“…we also ought to love one another.” Once you consider mankind’s greed, which for centuries has kept millions in poverty and working under dangerous conditions to survive.
Often this is through forced labor and slavery. By this we can see that it is not God who is the problem.
Not just Africans but South American natives, ancient European slavery, and an estimated 27 million black people held in slavery in Muslim countries today.
There is also the destruction of land through slash and burn farming, the use of unsafe pesticides, some of which are actually infused into the produce we eat.
Couple this with incompetent communists, dictators and governmental agencies telling farmers how to farm, causing untold waste and manmade famines.
Need there be mention of criminal acts of arson fires which have caused untold numbers of deaths destroyed thousands homes and blackened millions of acres of forest and farmland; does this pollute the earth?
Add to this, man’s continual desire to destroy others through needless warfare, creating more death, maiming, famines, and destruction on land and in the oceans, which were given to us by God to care for.
Who is responsible for child pornography and sex trafficking? Who is responsible for poisonous illegal drugs like fentanyl?
Who is responsible for public schools and libraries teaching children deviant behavior by child sex offenders?
Let this go deep into your psyche, never forget it, never. Children do not know how to process grotesque or, to them, unimaginable things like drag queens, men dressed up like women.
Children do not understand the concept of perverted anal sex, having sex with an adult, trans-sexuals, drag queens, even homosexuals.
These are things which are learned by adults whose minds are able to understand them and make a knowledgeable, good or bad decision as how to respond to them.
These things when introduced to children, even for a moment, even a pornographic photo, plant a seed of destruction deep within a child’s soul.
Even if this seed of destruction does not pervert the child, it will increase their acceptance of perverse things. This destroys civilizations.
Who is responsible for reducing women to a thing inferior to a trans-man? God created women to be equal with men and exalted as a helpmeet not just a child bearer.
Whose responsibility is it to eradicate these evil practices? It is mans’ responsibility!
Is it not for these very things that God destroyed the original earth with a flood?
The entire Bible warns men against such behavior and warns them that they will be held responsible; yes men will be held responsible for their sins, all of them.
Yes you will see Judgment Day with your very own eyes, not hear of it, see it!
The comedian Flip Wilson used to dress up like a woman named Geraldine, and when Geraldine would get herself into trouble she would say, “The devil made me do it!”
Now this statement is partially true, the devil incites us to do the things that we are weakest in, but he cannot make us do it, it is only when we put ourselves in a position to listen to him that we find ourselves doing things that we know are wrong.
For instance, for a recovering alcoholic the last place they should be is in a bar. If someone quits smoking they will find that the more they are around friends who smoke the more likely they are to be seduced back into the smoking habit.
Not that these things are evil in themselves but they are unhealthy and destructive, but beware, there are things which are evil and dangerous.
“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’” 1 Corinthians 15:33, New American Standard Bible.
If someone associates with thugs and thieves, soon enough they will become one, or find themselves in a great deal of trouble because of that association.
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
As it is said, if you lie down with dogs you are going to get fleas.
Having said that it should be added that we do a lot of damage on our own, gossip, lying, and cheating do not need the devil as a catalyst, we do these and other things quite well on our own thank you very much.
Once we have made this distinction it is important to realize that the horror and chaos we see in the world today was orchestrated by Satan the Devil, and his constant stooge mankind.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8.
Satan dupes and then he enslaves. He also blinds:
“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age [Satan] has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.
The gospel of Christ is, in short, this.
“For God so loved the world [you] that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever [you] believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
Have you ever had a friend in school walk up on your left side and tap you on the right shoulder, causing you to look for him on your right?
Or have you had some clown hit you with a spit wad or wad of paper and point to someone else when you looked up?
That is exactly what Satan is doing to mankind, he and his helpers defile this world and point at God as if He was the one responsible, and we buy it! God is both infinitely good and holy or He is not.
“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser [Satan] of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.’” Revelation 12:10.
Satan brings accusations against Christians before God day and night (didn’t think you were that popular did you?). The Devil accuses us, but what we do not consider is that he accuses God before us day and night!
Do not forget that the next time the thought that God is angry with you or mean to you enters your mind.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.
Always hang on to the above verse, even in the most brutal of circumstances.
Trials may come because of our own selfish sinfulness or from another source, but God will never leave us, read Hebrews chapters 11 and 12 carefully.
So, God is infinitely good and holy or He is not. If He were not, this world would be a hell that would go far beyond anything the most twisted science fiction writer could conjure.
Satan was created as a holy angel named Lucifer who sinned because he was filled with pride and is now an evil fallen angel who is incapable of doing anything more than God will allow.
And God allows as much as man gives himself over to the Devil, this is what the book of Revelation is about, how much man will give himself over to Satan, willingly.
This would be a good time to point out another thing that God gets unjustly blamed for, the God of the Bible is not the God of Islam, Allah.
The name Allah does not allow itself to be interpreted as a triune God, and Islam even mocks the fact that there is a God the Son, much less God the Holy Spirit.
The God of the Bible is a triune God, a unity consisting of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit, all one essence, one God functioning in three separate ways, clearly taught in Scriptures.
If the God of the Bible were the same as Allah, He would be telling His followers to love their neighbors on the one hand and on the other He would be telling His followers to kill those that will not accept Islam and swear allegiance to Allah alone.
In short, He would have to be psychotic to be both, and a psychotic God would not be fit to run creation. Muslims know that Allah and God are not the same, but it is convenient to allow both Christians and the man on the street to think so.
Please do not miss this; Allah has nothing in common with the God of the Bible.
Allah’s character is more like Baal, Vishnu, Shiva, or Kali and not at all like our loving Father God.
So, is God good or is He a monster? Read through the Psalms in the Old Testament and underline the descriptive words of God, words like loving kindness, mercy, righteousness, holiness, justice, goodness, tender mercies, and gentleness.
He gives us light, He is our rock, our salvation, He is a shield in trouble, He is our help, His eye is continually upon us, and He considers all our ways, even when we were in the womb.
Read Psalm 139 and put your name in there wherever the word I or me occurs, and remember, it does not matter whether you are a Christian or an unbeliever (though the promises in it concern the godly).
Psalm 139 is written to you but you must respond, you can either continue in rebellion, or you can believe what He says about His Son Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world, your sins if you will accept Him as your Savior.
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…” Deuteronomy 33:27a.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!” Luke 13:34.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son [Jesus] into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [full payment] for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:7-11.
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’” Revelation 21:4-5.
God is Not a Monster, Part 2 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 10-14-18, updated on 4-9-23.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.