This Happened That The Works Of God May Be Displayed

(Photo: Unsplash/Erik Mclean)Is God in some way behind the current coronavirus pandemic? Is He sending us all a warning? Or is it just an example of life being out of control in a world full of problems?It may not surprise you to know, dear reader, that with many people confined to their homes but having easy access to the internet, some of these questions have been passionately (even heatedly!) debated online over the last few days. Fortunately, we're here to solve all your knotty theological problems definitively, clearly, and in just a few hundred words. Or something like that.Ok, well if not quite all that, then at least to get you thinking.So how indeed might we approach the question 'does God cause pandemics?' – and other related issues?1.

I have never felt God’s presence so deeply and consciously before and I have a deep sense of peace even during this unprecedented pandemic. God is so faithful & indeed God’s work is being displayed in so many little and enormous ways in all of this. To Him be all glory, honor and praise!

With the BibleThat's how Christians always do theology because we believe it is the authoritative written word of God. So, does God initiate pandemics?

Well, Exodus 32v35 and 1 Samuel 24v15 give us two pretty clear examples of the Lord doing exactly that. And in the final book of the Bible we read of God 'having control' of plagues (Revelation 16v9).

So the short answer to the question is, 'yes, He may cause pandemics'. But this is not all we will want to say.2.

With Christians who have gone before usWe'll want to think about these things with the wisdom of past Christian thinkers, especially when there is a broad consensus among them.Theologian John Chrysostom (347-407) states: 'The providence of God everywhere directs all things according to its own wisdom' and 'all things are ordered by the providence of God, who, for reasons known to Himself, permits some things and actively works others'.With even natural disasters we should thus not 'be despondent, but worship Him who caused them'. And that is fairly much mainstream Christian thinking from the time of the early church fathers onwards.Rightly understood, the doctrine of providence - God's constant care of us - is one of the most practical, comforting and helpful in Scripture, and can be so even in the face of horrific situations, as in recent years.This raises all sorts of further questions, of course. To what extent does God order all things, when it 'feels' as though humans make 'free' choices? Does God micro-manage every detail, or set broad parameters within which there can be a bit of 'flexibility'?

How does it work?Theologian J.I. Packer that while 'a person takes action, or an event is triggered by natural causes, or Satan shows his hand – yet somehow God over-rules'.At the same time, Packer says, exactly how He 'makes His will of events come to pass. without violating the nature of things, the ongoing causal processes, or human free agency is mystery to us. but consistent Biblical teaching'.And this mystery leads us to the third point.3. With cautionWe must be cautious about trying to explain why God allows particular pandemics or hardships at particular times. It's true that Jesus sometimes gives his disciples a specific explanation of the providence of God. Thus one blind man's affliction is not due to his sin but 'happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him' (John 9).

Yet another man's disability does seem somehow linked to his sin (John 5v1-14).However, we lack the divine knowledge of Jesus. And he cautions us against trying to read providence (to say exactly what God is up to at any one time, and why) more closely than we actually can – especially in the context of disasters.Once, when discussing the collapse of a tower (Luke 13v1-5), Jesus says his hearers should respond not by speculating on the sins of those who died underneath it – but by repenting of their own sins. Job's 'comforters' analysed Job's suffering but had no idea what actually, in the providence of God, was going on (Job 1v6-2v10).Martin Lloyd-Jones against interpreting providence too specifically, citing mistaken views of German evangelicals about Hitler in the 1930s.While 'the doctrine is plain and clear,' he writes, 'always be careful in your application of any particular event.' Thus it is wise to be cautious about trying to shoe-in the coronavirus pandemic into a specific timeline of apocalyptic events, or trying to be over-precise about what sins in society it may somehow be linked with. Rather, we should first and foremost repent of our own sin as Jesus urges us.Equally, we should be cautious about over-simplifying things in the other direction.

IntroductionI can remember when I was a member at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship (OCBF) in Dallas, Texas. Tony Evans was my pastor. Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship had several ministries for young people. It was one of many reasons I became a member.There was a College and Career ministry for young people in college or just starting their careers. Carol McHale was over this ministry.

The first and last time I went camping was with this ministry. I remember three things about this camping experience.Firstly, I remember how hard the ground was and how I did not sleep well.

Secondly, I remember that the breakfast was very good the next morning. Lastly, I remember total darkness the night before. I am from Dallas, Texas which is a major city in the Texas. I did not own a flashlight and being in the woods without one, well it just wasn’t smart. I could not see my hand in front of my face. I had a time trying to locate the latrine, but I made it with the help of a lantern that someone provided.Can you imagine living your life in the darkness as a blind man? Evoke 1xt software update.

In this lesson we will see how Jesus can take you out of the darkness and into the light.The Reason for Blindness There is another question that I find very odd. It can be found in the ninth chapter of John. The disciples posed this question.

This question is odd to me, because I am a part of a different culture. In our culture we do not connect the sins of the father to the sins of the child.You may hear other religious groups or even some Christians speaking about generational curses. There are other religious that speak of karma. It is regarding the future of an individual and not about the future of children. In my opinion, this is an unholy curiosity as to whether the individual man sinned or did his father sin? In the unholy minds of various non-Christian religions, this would be the reason why this man was born blindness.This does not make sense to me because a baby cannot sin in his mother’s womb. A baby is innocent in his mother’s womb but is born into sin after birth.

What could a baby do in the womb or the birth canal that would warrant him to be born blind? Jesus put this question to rest. In, Jesus states, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Like Job, God allowed him to be born blind so that he God could be glorified in his life! This was an opportunity to turn the blind man’s pain into a preaching pedestal so that the power of God could be known. Today are you willing to let your pain become your pedestal to preach about the power of God?The Resolve for Blindness Jesus made a startling declaration about this man and his parents.

Jesus states in, “'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” The blind man had not sinned to cause his blindness. The blind man’s parents had not sinned to cause their son’s blindness.

The resolve of the man’s blindness was that the works of God might be displayed in him.I have never heard of anyone going through a difficult trial being accused of being put on display for God’s glory. Most of the time, we are like Job’s friends accusing people of some hiding a sin in their lives.A preacher once said that that Job was “Pick Out to Be Pick On.”. I am not sure I could fill those shoes that Job wore.

The blind man’s whole life was purpose for this one moment in time. In the same way that Jesus’s life was leading to that one moment in time. He would die for the sins of the world though He do not sin. No, Jesus did not sin but, this happened so that the works of salvation may be displayed to a lost and dying world. In it states, “ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”We were all lost in the blindness of our sins; before Jesus died for our sin. He enabled us to walk in the light of our salvation.

In Roman 10:9-10 it states, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” You may be picked out to be picked on.