Is God Fair? | God Blog

Life's not fair. It's only short.
- Hank Phillippi Ryan

Is God Fair?

The question of God's fairness is one we all deal with in a number of ways. Invisible and inaudible, we're forced to employ a variety of criteria when considering the goodness of God. Far from just a religious or philosophical exercise, over a lifetime thousands of decisions hinge on our willingness to trust our Creator.

For modern Christians, the amount of time and energy we invest in serious Bible study and prayer, service and devotion may reveal more about our deepest feelings on this subject than what church we attend or the choruses we sing.

This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are my thoughts the same as yours! For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than yours.

- Isaiah 55:8-9

The concept of what's good and fair is fairly relative. We tend to judge fairness by our lives meeting or exceeding a certain level of expectation. In the modern world, many of our expectations are predicated on achieving lifestyles that exceed our own. Such thinking seems quite reasonable, particularly for we immersed in today's consumer culture driven by Madison Avenue advertising and Hollywood glamour.

Yet relatively few in 1st World Nations take the time to consider the Big Picture. Through the meteoric rise of knowledge and technology, even the poor among us enjoy amazing blessings past generations could have hardly imagined. For example, today only 7% of the world own's a car. Factor in our ancestors and the figure drops to a fraction of a single percentage. Even so, how easy it is for various forms of "road rage" to replace the wonder and thankfulness that we should feel who are fortunate enough to get behind the wheel. King Solomon, for all his wealth and wisdom, was never carried along at 70 mph in leather bucket seats in the comfort of air conditioning, enjoying his pick of thousands of musical artists while conversing with anyone anywhere in the entire world.

Such advances as this, not to mention airplanes and cruise ships, grant us lifestyles that in many ways exceed all those from the past but that of the mythical gods. All the more so when you throw in modern education and business, housing and health care, food and recreation. Something as mundane as shopping at a grocery store would be considered a miracle to billions today and throughout history. Easily taken for granted, few figure our modern wealth, and the responsibility it brings, into the equation when deciding if life, much less God, is fair.

The question of fairness grows more interesting when considering the vast gulf between humanity's have and have nots. Just a few sobering statistics reveal the great disparity between reasonable lifestyle expectations among the modern, verse developing world. Annually, over one hundred billion dollars is spent on alcohol in Europe alone and globally illegal drug sales total nearly half a trillion. Meanwhile a billion people live on less than a dollar a day with someone dying of hunger every 16 seconds.

Understandably, suffering has long raised serious questions as to not only the fairness and/or goodness of God, but His existence and identity. Yet when the modern world points a finger at Omnity, few notice those pointing back at us. When it comes to taking issue with God over global poverty one might well ask would Christ have multiplied the fishes and loaves had half his audience had warehouses overflowing with food within walking distance yet refused to share.

Equally troubling is the lack of appreciation we "haves" have. The original sin of entitlement permeates the world and much of the modern Church. Rather than heading the Apostle Paul's admonition that "Godliness with contentment is great gain" hundreds of millions have "pierced themselves threw with many sorrows" in the pursuit of accumulating even greater wealth.

Given human frailty and the precariousness of our mortality, it's reasonable that mankind has issues with God. Loneliness and depression, bitterness and loss, illness and disease as well as pain and death conspire to paint a picture of our Creator as silent and distant. Yet the Bible offers another explanation for evil. An Evil One, an architect of a heavenly rebellion overflowing onto the earth. By temptation, deception and resistance Scripture reveals Satan (the Adversary) wreaking havoc throughout human history with the worst yet to come.

Standing in the Supreme Court of Creation, the former archangel Lucifer, turned Devil or Prosecutor accuses mankind day and night for high crimes against God and one another. Tragically, the Arch Deceiver and "god of this world" has also succeeded in blinding the eyes of men to his part in inflaming human entitlement and misery while attacking the character, nature and existence of God.

Judging With Righteous Judgment

Daily challenges and opportunities so captivate 1st World citizens that most, even among the Church, spend little time pondering life's ultimate questions. Instead of pursuing truth and seeking God through Bible study and prayer, righteousness and service we focus our attention on wealth and entertainment. Yet, for those willing to invest the time and effort, scripture's full of astounding revelations. It's overview of the history of eternity sets the stage of a whodunnit play that few believe today. As in the story of Job, some layman level Biblical forensics uncovers a cosmic drama encompassing all creation and it's Creator. Revealing the end from the beginning, the authenticity and authority of the word of God is being made even more certain in our day as scriptural prophecies of the last days begin to unfold.

Should the Biblical version of reality prove true, the question of fairness takes on much greater depth of meaning including such spiritual and eternal aspects as God's continual offer of love and mercy, faithfulness and forgiveness of sin purchased by Christ's costly atonement, extolled throughout the Old and New Testament as exemplified by passages by Isaiah and Jeremiah:

"Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this? The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away. We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him.' Isaiah 53: 1-6

"Seek God while he's here to be found, pray to him while he's close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness." Isaiah 55:6-7

"Let's take a good look at the way we're living and reorder our lives under GOD. Let's lift our hearts and hands at one and the same time, praying to God in heaven: "We've been contrary and willful, and you haven't forgiven. "You lost your temper with us, holding nothing back. You chased us and cut us down without mercy. You wrapped yourself in thick blankets of clouds so no prayers could get through." Lamentations 3:40-45

"Do I hear you saying, 'That's not fair! God's not fair!'? "Listen, Israel. I'm not fair? You're the ones who aren't fair! If a good person turns away from his good life and takes up sinning, he'll die for it. He'll die for his own sin. Likewise, if a bad person turns away from his bad life and starts living a good life, a fair life, he will save his life. Because he faces up to all the wrongs he's committed and puts them behind him, he will live, really live. He won't die. "And yet Israel keeps on whining, 'That's not fair! God's not fair.' "I'm not fair, Israel? You're the ones who aren't fair. The upshot is this, Israel: I'll judge each of you according to the way you live. So turn around! Turn your backs on your rebellious living so that sin won't drag you down. Clean house. No more rebellions, please. Get a new heart! Get a new spirit! Why would you choose to die, Israel? I take no pleasure in anyone's death. Decree of GOD, the Master. "Make a clean break! Live!"Ezekiel 18:25-32 The Message

The Devil's Due

Among the New Testament's many references, Jesus dedicates a substantial portion of the Lord's Prayer to emphasize the power of Satan's temptations:

"Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one." Matthew 6:9-13 NLT

Another crucial passage, Revelation 12:7-12, is a colossal find in the world of theological archeology. In a few verses we may be given as much insight into Satan's heavenly rebellion, and it's future effects on Earth, as the rest of the Bible combined:

“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon: and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 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 of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has cone down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” Revelation 12:7-12 NKJV

Biblical prophecy provides glimpses of amazing past and future events penned millennia ago. In this case, Revelation's timeline places this coming angelic conflict about midway through the Great Tribulation. Just before the Antichrist is revealed, and prior to the Rapture of the Church. Here are just a few of Revelation 12:7’s amazing insights:

Satan and his fallen angels are not on earth but in Heaven. “And war broke out in heaven…The dragon and his angels fought.”
They have been in Heaven for eons. Perhaps since the Ascension of Christ or even Lucifer’s insurrection: "nor was a place found for them in Heaven any longer.”
Up to this point Satan the Devil, acts as Accuser or Prosecutor, revealing a trial in Heaven's Supreme Court.
This and other Scriptures suggest that the original Luciferian rebellion has yet to be completely judged and dealt with.
Satan, accompanied by his angels, accuses mankind and the church "day and night,” while his demonic cohort carry out his earthly campaign of deception and worse.
This Heavenly Supreme Court Trial may well have begun with the angelic rebellion, possibly predating the creation of Earth. Or even that of the universe.
Any such trial would be far from a farce, requiring real rules and consequences. Implying an Agreement and perhaps a Wager.
The trial ends with full scale war. Likely the first throughout the history of Heaven.
Only after the Devil's expulsion from Heaven is Christ's Kingdom and power announced.
Heaven rejoices at Satan and his angels being cast to the Earth.
Earth is warned of the Devil's wrath and of further Great Tribulation.

Outside of Scripture, Satan rarely gets his due. Foremost among the reasons why is a fundamental concept all but universally overlooked:

Simply put, creation is at war. Careful Scriptural archeology and Biblical forensics reveals much. By stitching scores of passages together, a theological theme emerges revealing Who created the multiverse and why. The truth about Lucifer's Rebellion and how it effects Heaven and Earth. How the trial in Eternity's Supreme Court overflows into the affairs of men.

It can’t be overstated that according to the context of Scripture, spiritual conflict is not a mythical analogy, but rather eternity’s reality. In fact, in a variety of ways, a myriad of Biblical passages and conflict Scriptures attest to the unpleasant fact that all creation is at war with (alongside or against) God. There is no neutral territory.

Consider Christ's quantum parable of the Sheep and Goats. It is an event that will take place at a designated future place and time. It is true that all of mankind will be separated into those entering “everlasting punishment” and “the righteous into eternal life.” It is not true that people are sheep and goats. Although “sheeple” often seems an apt metaphor. It is true that Jesus is “the savior of all men.” Here and elsewhere, Scripture reveals that all humanity is loosed from the power of the first death through universal resurrection. A shared benefit of Christ’s costly atonement. It is not true that this translates to universal salvation. Just ask the goats. As well as “the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Here, according to Jesus, not only sins of commission, but omission, carry an eternal penalty:

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:41-46 NKJV

Notice the wording of Christ's warning. "Everlasting fire" was prepared for "the devil and his angles." And by extension, members of humanity failing to rightly recognize and appropriately resist Satan's rebellion and tyranny.

Such conflict theology partially explains the Bible’s harsh or even horrible accounts of earthly conquest. For example, consider one of Scripture’s most gruesome passages of Divinely sanctioned genocide:

“Moses said to the people, “Some of you must take arms to wage Jehovah’s war against Midian… And every man of Midian was killed. Among those killed were all five of the Midianite kings—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. Balaam, the son of Beor, was also killed. Then the Israeli army took as captives all the women and children, and seized the cattle and flocks and a lot of miscellaneous booty. All of the cities, towns, and villages of Midian were then burned… but Moses was very angry with the army officers and battalion leaders. “Why have you let all the women live?” he demanded. “These are the very ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the people of Israel to worship idols on Mount Peor, and they are the cause of the plague that destroyed us. Now kill all the boys and all the women who have had sexual intercourse. Only the little girls may live; you may keep them for yourselves.” Numbers 31:2-18 TLB

Today such atrocities are rightly deemed inexcusable. Though genocide continues to devastate millions. In its day such slaughters were all too common. How dreadful the massacre of Midian. Commanded to obliterate five kingdoms in revenge for having seduced Israel to sin, the soldiers killed every man, including the rogue prophet “Balaam son of Beor.” Plundering the dead and looting the cities, they captured livestock and took women and children as slaves. One of many incidents closely examined in Paul Copan’s insightful book, “Is God A Moral Monster?”

Upon returning, the army’s leaders were rebuked by Moses on God’s behalf. At his command, already covered in the blood and gore of every man of Midian. They were forced to execute all the women, non virgin girls and every boy. How can a good and loving Creator so treat His creation? Fallen or otherwise?

Some justify God by suggesting the evil Midianites had it coming. No doubt they were far from perfect. It’s likely the Midianites had, and/or would have, done as much to others. It’s also true mankind has an inherent inward witness of right and wrong. The passage itself explains they had already led God’s fledgling people into judgment for immorality and idolatry. Furthermore, God’s warning that cohabiting with wicked Canaanites would lead to more of the same, proved true on numerous occasions. Nevertheless, it takes little effort to imagine ourselves, and those we love, as Midianites under God’s blade. And this while never having benefited from the training in godliness Abraham’s descendants were given generations to absorb.

By definition Omnity is Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent. By implication God is also good. At least as eternity defines it. Moreover, as previously discussed, the incarnation and inconceivably costly atonement of Christ give credence to the same. Additionally Scripture explains:

“This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are my thoughts the same as yours! For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than yours.” Isaiah 55:8-9 TLB

Differences between humanity and Omnity are glaringly evident. Often producing unfortunate silence and distance on both parts. Nevertheless, we owe it to ourselves, and others, to take God up on His gracious and hopeful offer to “come now, and let and reason together.” Along with explanations already given for the destruction of Midian, consider another somewhat less obvious rationale from an eternal perspective. Like it or not, the multiverse; i.e. First, Second and Third Heaven, and all its considerable fullness, belong to their Creator. This includes all the space-time, matter and energy comprising our universe and galaxy, solar system and planet. For the sake of argument, let’s say God’s plan of putting down the Luciferian rebellion, while simultaneously offering indescribable and glorious redemption to mankind, required a little geography. Throughout our entire universe Omnity chooses to annex, and that for only a few thousands years out of billions, a comparatively tiny territory about the size of New Jersey.

Why? To provide an unprecedented offer of eternal glory to His people the Jews and through them, in the fullness of time, all of mankind. Still seem too much to ask? Maybe. But remember, ours and countless generations before and after are beneficiaries of Omnity’s plan and Christ's costly atonement. Should we choose to fully participate.

Down through millennia Scripture continues to whisper and shout there is far more going on than is immediately apparent. This is why the Bible warns that God’s promise of reward is reserved for those diligently, rather than casually, seeking Him. With Hell to loose and Heaven to gain, could even Omnity provide greater motivation? Primary reasons for both Old Testament narratives and the New Testament's call to arms.

Yet, for a variety of reasons, the overwhelming vast majority of modern Christians refuse to accept Biblical insight and warning.

Nevertheless, comprehension of the context of Scripture is vital to understanding its content. While no longer in vogue, Scripture's context is most certainly one of warfare theology. Like the whodunnit story of Job, considered by many to be the oldest Book of the Bible and perhaps its key codex, conflict between God the "Lord of Hosts" (angel armies) and Satan the "prince of the power of the air" (god of this world), provides the backdrop to Job's story. And much, if not all, the entire Old and New Testaments. As exemplified in a couple of familiar passages referencing conflict with the fallen angelic:

"When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross." Colossians 2:15 AMP

" Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:7-8 NKJV

Such verses and scores of other conflict Scriptures suggest the content of Scripture can only be fully understood by embracing the Bible's overarching context. They testify that the content of Scripture can only be fully understood by embracing the Bible's overarching context. Again, a task for which modern Christianity, not to mention the developed world, are ill equipped. Not surprising when the the vast majority of Christians are not only prayerless (stopping to pray less than 5-10 minutes a day) but Biblically illiterate (unable to quote, much less rightly understand and apply even 5-10 verses in a row).

More Than Fair?

Life, being far more than simply what meets the eye, has a spiritual dimension we are wise not to ignore. Like a chess or checker board with three layers, comprehending the movement of pieces on the middle layer requires understanding the strategy being played out above and below. Scripture reveals an end that far more than justify the means, repeatedly declaring fickle and fleeting human joy and suffering is not worthy to be compared to the eternal rewards and punishments awaiting mankind:

"Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay." Romans 8:18-21

"For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)" Romans 8:22-25

"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good." Romans 8:26-28 The Message

"That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.' But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us." 1 Corinthians 9:10-12

"These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 The Message

Simply put, the Bible explains that the incomprehensibly costly atonement of Christ assures those continuing to please God though living faith will experience only earthly sorrow mitigated by the comfort of the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, for those rejecting God's gracious gift, the pleasure and pain of this life is the nearest heaven they shall ever be.

Viewed through such a perspective, mortal life becomes vastly more important than our daily concerns. As a drop of water hardly compares to a vast ocean, so our short time on earth is swallowed by endless eons of eternity. Scripture assures that with this in mind God closely watches over us. From the vantage point of heaven, not even a "sparrow falls to the ground" without Omnity's notice. With the very "hairs of our head numbered." the Bible assures that "all things work together for good for those who please Him and are living according to His will."

Even with such "great and precious promises" circumstances can conspire to make it difficult, if not at times next to impossible, to believe God is fair. Recognizing this, Omnity sent Christ into the world as the ultimate example being unfairly treated. By His costly incarnation and atonement, Jesus revealed the true nature of the Godhead that dwelt in Him bodily. Through his willingness to suffer the greatest pain and indignities, "God made him who knew no sin to become sin that through him we might have the righteousness of God in Christ." By modeling His passionate love for God and sinners alike, Jesus "disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross." While Christ's triumph was a victory on many levels, an important one was regarding the question of the goodness of God. Who, while witnessing even just the last day of Christ's life as portrayed in Mel Gibson's "The Passion" can deny that the love, mercy and faithfulness of Jesus towards mankind didn't excel all human examples of fairness?

Even so, Jesus Himself understood the challenge that faith is a constant battle. After feeding the 5,000, the disciples were caught in a storm while crossing the lake to Capernaum. Walking on the water, Jesus rescues the twelve and the boat immediately reached the shore. The next day, motivated by the multiplying of the fish and loaves, the astonished crowd sought out Christ. Jesus warned them to be more concerned with feeding their souls than with perishable food. When asked what the true work of God was, He replied, "believe on Him who God has sent." Far from merely mental assent, genuine belief requires our mind, heart and will working in concert while embattled by temptations deceptions and resistance of this "present evil age."

The Bible warns that only to the degree we are willing to see our lives through God's eyes do we have the means to judge what is truly good. With this in mind, what is and isn't fair takes on a whole new meaning. Scripture states that moved by divine love and mercy, the Heavenly Father uses a variety of life's circumstances to improve and reprove those He loves. This suggests that some of life's unpleasantness may in fact be part of God's plan to bring about an eternally greater good:

"As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?" Hebrews 12:7-9

Odd Blessings

Judging earthly experiences from a truly heavenly point of view is clearly one of life's greatest challenges. The Bible declares that worldly desires and those of the Holy Spirit are not only incompatible but hostel to one another. Warning no one can serve two masters, scripture explains that like Moses, we all must choose between the future eternal rewards for serving the Kingdom of God or the immediate gratification from the"pleasures of sin for a season" and everlasting punishment for our rebellion.

The choice between eternal life or death sounds simple enough, yet given the distractions and temptations of modern life, even genuine believers meet tremendous resistance when attempting to understand and accept God's concepts of goodness and blessing. Perhaps some of the greatest examples of this spiritual paradox may be found in Christ's famous Sermon on the Mount. Here Jesus reveals it's the that circumstances that cause us to acknowledge our neediness and dependance on God that are in fact life's greatest gifts:

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought. You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat. You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for. You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family. You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom." Matthew 5:3-10 The Message

Here we find the horns of our dilemma. Impoverishment of spirit and mourning, spiritual hunger and persecution are blessings few hope for. While it's comforting that God promises to reward the faithful for their endurance, it's human nature to long for immediate deliverance. When relief fails to appear or our circumstances worsen, God can seem silent, distant and unfair. At such points, it may be more our faith than the goodness of God, that is being judged. Have we taken the demands and promises of scripture seriously? Have we adopted the habits and lifestyles described in the New Testament? Have we settled the decision and committed to follow Christ regardless of the cost?

C.S. Lewis beings his insightful book entitled The Problem With Pain with an interesting quote from George McDonald. "The Son of God suffered unto the death not that men might not suffer, but that their sufferings might be like His." Yet today, the concept of embracing of suffering is anathema to the me-ism of our times. Even within the Churchianity, it's Christ's cross rather than our own that gets the attention. Unfortunately, such thinking has left billions ill prepared to "fight the good fight of faith" within even their own hearts in minds, much less with their society, as Jesus and His apostles did:

"While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him." Hebrews 5:7-9

Without question, the quest to seek and serve the immortal invisible God is mankind’s most challenging endeavor. So much so few today are willing to follow the example of Jesus, even in regards to prayer. All but a lost art within modern Christianity, intercession long ago fell out of favor. With devoted prayer times averaging but a few minutes a day, those willing to invest themselves heavily in being still and waiting on God are a dying bread. Yet without fervent and frequent seasons of prayer and fasting it's highly unlikely we will realize the will or experience the power of God in our lives.

Scripture’s advice to those of us struggling with the circumstances of life is to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." We are encouraged to "take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong." Or as another version puts it:

"Don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it!" Hebrews 12:12-13 The Message

Christian or not, we are all telling ourselves a story. Wading through tens of thousands of thoughts a day, we’re constrained to constantly choose what to believe and act on. In the face of mortal woes and suffering, the issue of how good and fair God is certainly ranks among the greatest question on the minds of mankind. Even those claiming to deny Omnity's existence often do so for less than scientific motives. Truth is there are relatively few honest atheists today. Given our generation's ability to evidence the fantastic fine tuning intricacies of creation, intelligent design's more fact than theory. It greatly behoves us to daily exercise our faith, being diligent in hopes of praying through and experience the fullness of God to answer both the skepticism of agnostics and doubt of believers. It's up to the remnant of the remnant of the Church to care enough to lay siege to heaven, asking day and night for an unprecedented global outpouring of the presence and power, provision and protection of the Spirit of God. Those willing to pay the price of brokenness and sanctification, radical discipleship and pre-revival repentance must arise, crying out to God for a lost and deceived generation.

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