What a question, huh?

This question about Ebola was posed to me by an Instagram user who happened onto one of my photos of the update I received from Samaritan’s Purse reporting Dr. Ken Brantley having said that God saved his life.

 

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“I prayed that #God would help me be #faithful even in my #illness, and that in my #life or #death, He would be glorified.” *Dr. #KenBrantley on how he reacted to the realization he had contracted #Ebola Amazing update from #SamaritansPurse!! #faith #Godisgood #prayer #Heisable #hope

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The first comment from @MorganTalks was that the doctors had saved his life, not God. Okay. Well, it’s fine if you want to believe that. We all have a right to believe whatever we choose, but I find it interesting that this person felt the need to challenge the opinion of the man who received the healing. So he ended up asking me if I believed God created Ebola.

So did God create Ebola?

I was talking with John about this and he told me I should talk with our friend and Life Group leader, Dale, at church about a discussion that had taken place in class about Adam and Eve being the only human beings “directly” created by God. I had begun serving in our church’s student ministry so missed the discussion.

Yes, this does relate, so stay with me!

I tagged Dale in a Facebook post asking if he would inform me about this discussion and let him know the context of how this had come up. I can’t do his response justice if I were to try to recap it, so with his permission, I am quoting it directly:

All the way back to Adam and Eve

This had to do with a discussion I had with someone a while back about the very subject John was talking about today, I think…. My point to that person was that God only created TWO people “directly” — Adam and Eve.

Every subsequent individual has been “mediately” created through the agency of OTHER human beings — human beings who have been guilty of sin, and so have passed on the fallen nature and all its consequences TO subsequent generations. Thus, God does not “create” anyone to be a “sinner.” They are born in sin. HOW they sin depends on any number of factors — but that they are sinners is never in doubt.

I would contend that the jury is still out on whether or not a person is “born” a homosexual — but even if they are, it isn’t because God “made them that way,” it would be because of the corruption of sin that has distorted their nature. That’s what sin does — spiritually, and physically. In one way or another, it mars what God has intended from the beginning.

As to Ebola — God created the world “in the beginning, “and it was good.” It was “perfect,” in fact. The “curse” came on earth, and man’s toil, man’s sweat, the diseases man suffers — and death — by SIN. God didn’t, therefore, “cause” Ebola. Ebola is just one more way that Death manifests itself and steals what God never intended for His creation.

Scripture says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a), and, “The thief cometh not but to steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10a). God’s answer is: “but the gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6:23b), and “I [Jesus Christ] am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10b).

In short, Ebola is the product of the sinfulness of man, of the curse that came upon man, his nature and all of nature because of sin. God did not “create” Ebola, any more than He “created” sin. All suffering is, to one degree or another, either directly or indirectly, attributed to the fallenness (the “total depravity”) of humans, and only God can offer humans “salvation” from that. And He does — through Faith in Christ.

So, no, God did not “create” Ebola. Man’s sinfulness either directly or indirectly did. Satan is using it to “steal, kill and destroy.” But humans are battling back, because God has enlightened some to see HOW this disease can be treated — and ultimately defeated — perhaps even healed/cured.

Just my $.02 worth. If it makes no sense let me know. Blessings!

Yes! It made such perfect sense to me, I asked his permission to share it. Since he said okay, there you go! It is what I believe but didn’t necessarily have the words to communicate it so well.

Handling Life’s Toughest Questions

I get that these types of questions aren’t easy ones ….

At.

All.

I get that lots of people have a hard time with faith, in part, because of these types of questions.

Here’s where I’ve come in my relationship with God when it comes to life’s toughest questions. It boils down to one, simple word.

Humility.

Humility does not come easy. But God calls those who trust Him to live humbly.

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

I believe humility gives us a proper, healthy perspective of our place in the grand scheme of things, versus God’s place. We know we won’t understand everything in life … but if we belong to Him and have spent time getting to know Him, we also know we can ultimately trust Him.