Faith Is For Weak People By Ray ComfortSample

“If God is supposed to be in control of the world, why does it seem so out of control?”

The world doesn’t just seem out of control. It is out of control. Nations rise against one another. Violence occurs in homes and in the workplace. There is corruption in politics, in law enforcement, and in the pulpit. Natural disasters devastate. We have epidemics of alcoholism, school shootings, drug addiction, and suicide. Marriages are shattered, children are scarred, and people are plagued by fear.

Whatever the case, there are two important points to make when answering the question about the world’s chaos and God’s involvement. The first point is that when God created all things, they were very good. There was no disease, pain, or death. But Adam sinned against God, and with sin came our separation and rebellion against God along with suffering and death.

Every human suffering is recognized as the result of living in the fall of creation as detailed in Genesis 3 and Romans 8. There is no mystery about this, because we have the perfect explanation from God Himself. For those who don’t believe the biblical explanation, chaos and death are dark mysteries. And so, they are plagued with the question why, couched in the accusation that God is incompetent. For those that don’t ask the question, they are inclined to see life’s horrors as the way God planned it. They are deeply disillusioned with both their image of God and life itself.

The second point to be made is that the Bible tells us that although God is Sovereign Creator of all things, Satan is the god of this world blinding the minds of unbelievers from seeing the light of the gospel. This blindness causes them to not believe and belief is pivotal to salvation. The enemy knows this. Satan uses the chaos of this world to cast doubt on God’s Sovereignty and compassion. But our God uses even the plots of the wicked to bring about His purposes and will.

The first step toward understanding is also one of faith—to trust the Word of God, turn away from our sins, and then “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14). It all starts with belief: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36). In a world that is out of control, our message to unbelievers is that “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

How would you describe life before the fall? Why is belief so important? How would you describe an unbeliever?