This is going to be
a series on basically the magnificence of Jesus Christ's crucifixion.
We'll be looking it
at philosophically and theologically.
The motivation for
this is to give us a refresher on the uniqueness and grounding of
God's love so that we can continue to make the connection between the
longest road: the distance between our head and heart.
Why important for
men?
Because we recognise
injustice in the world around us. Because we each ask ourselves and
God: where are you in this injustice - how can you allow it to
continue?
And because we don't
know how to respond to the question: If God exists, how can He allow
so much evil to occur?
And finally to help
us have a position on injustice that occurs in our world and know how
to view it and respond to it.
Morality
Justice
Righteousness
So let's start with
this:
1 The prophecy that
Habakkuk the prophet received.
Habakkuk’s
Complaint
2 How long, Lord,
must I call for help,
but you do not
listen?
Or cry out to you,
“Violence!”
but you do not
save?
3 Why do you make me
look at injustice?
Why do you
tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and
violence are before me;
there is strife,
and conflict abounds.
4 Therefore the law
is paralyzed,
and justice
never prevails.
The wicked hem in
the righteous,
so that justice
is perverted
Today's context:
Estimated 200
million people killed in 20th century through war and
violence. This is more than the past 19 centuries put together
Every 30 seconds
someone is trafficked in the world – estimated 27-30 million slaves
in the world today
Boys in Pakistan
raping other young boys at bus shelters
Rwanda, Khmer Rouge,
Idi Amin, Mao, Stalin, Mussolini, Kim Jon, Pinochet, Burma Junta,
Mugabe, Assad, pick your region and decade. Better stil just live in
Africa, Europe, Middle East or Asia and see the viloence and
injustice.
PNG – 95% rate of
violence and rape of ALL women.
Stalin estimated to
have killed 30 million of his own
Khmer Rouge
estimated to have wiped out 1/3 of their population – in the mid
1970's!!!
Over 30 gangs in one
small county in Los Angeles – Compton
Auschwitz killing
12,000 people a day at its height.
A director from
“Kids Helpline” spoke at C3 Love Sydney event this year: said she
was reminded about getting a call from a 5 year in Penrith. The girl
was hiding in the laundry basin, when asked why because her mummy
said she had a new boyfriend.
Biblical Context
Ahaz' killing 70 of
his siblings so he can ensure his reign
Herod murdering
babies under 2 in Bethlehem
Child sacrifice by
kings and queens to Asherah and other gods
Sodom and Gomorrah
Noah's day
Canaan – so
debauched that God gave them 400 years to have them repent before
judgement came.
An innocent man
scourged and crucified
Stephen Hawking made
the subliminal idiotic statement as any scientific geneuis would make
in the 1990's (post his book “A Brief History of Time”) that his
one major hope for mankind is that if he can not destroy himself
within the next century, that at least that will give scientist
enough time to figure out how to inhabit other planets and therefore
we can live on those other multiple planets so as to not completely
destroy each other and the human race can live on.
The Moral Argument
1. If God does not
exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist.
2. Objective moral
values and duties do exist.
3. Therefore, God
exists.
Read more:
http://www.reasonablefaith.org/formulating-the-moral-argument#ixzz34u3T2wZI
Why do we need God
to have objective morality?
e.g. is it morally
right to torture a baby under any circumstances?
Is it morally right
to commit genocide even if Germany had won the war and had brain
washed everyone?
No
Therefore, objective
morality does exist.
Who has the
authority to stipulate that morality?
Someone outside of
humanity, otherwise it's subjective. (relativism)
How do we know that
there is objective morality?
Through several
means, including experience, consciousness, conmen sense and knowing
purpose.
What is evil? The
misuse of something from it's original purpose.
An atheistic student
shouted at Ravi Zacharias:
How can God allow so
much evil to occur?”
Ravi said:
In order to assume
evil you have to assume there is good? - Yes
In order to assume
there is good you have to assume there is a moral law on the basis to
differentiate between good and evil? - Yes
In order to assume
there is a moral law, you have to posit a moral law giver? - Yes
Yet that's the
person you're trying to disprove and not prove?
Therefore if there
is no author no God, there is no moral giver, if there is no moral law
then there is no basis to differentiate between good and evil, if there is no good or evil then what was your question?
“I don't know,
what then am I asking?" Replied the student.
