Why does God allow death?

Nothing lasts forever, as they say.

• The US Congress certified Donald Trump as our nation’s 47^th president yesterday, but he cannot run again per the 22^nd Amendment to the US Constitution.
• Justin Trudeau stepped down as party leader and prime minister in Canada.
• The 134-year-old sanctuary of First Baptist Church in Dallas is being demolished after a devastating fire last July. This is especially nostalgic for me; I once preached in this historic worship center and attended numerous services and events there.
• A Washington Post writer, commenting on “an unimaginable AI future,” notes: “It’s no longer clear how much of ordinary life will survive the next twenty-five years.”
• Louisiana reported yesterday the first bird flu-related human death in the US. Officials are watching the escalation of H5N1 cases with concern.
• The killing of fourteen people on New Year’s Day in New Orleans is the latest sign of a resurgence in radical Islamist terrorism around the world.

Despite the obvious reality of human finitude and mortality, tech millionaire Bryan Johnson says he spends upwards of $2 million a year on an anti-aging regimen he believes is enabling his body to “achieve the lowest possible biological age.” Netflix’s new documentary, “Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants To Live Forever,” was released on January 1 and tells his story.

Johnson takes over one hundred supplements and pills a day and engages in daily medical scans, blood draws, a rigorous and restrictive diet, an exercise regimen, and various experimental medical procedures.

I hope he doesn’t die in a car wreck.

Why is this world vital to the world to come?

Johnson’s story, coupled with the other news of the morning, raises a question for me: Why does an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God allow death?

If the Lord could take Enoch (Genesis 5:24) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11) directly to heaven without passing through physical death, why not the rest of us? In fact, why did God even create this temporal world and require us to inhabit it? Why did he not create us in heaven to spend eternity with him there? What is it about this world that is vital to the world to come?

God made us to love him and each other (Matthew 22:37–39), but love is a choice, and choice requires options. As a result, God created a world in which we could choose to be our own god (Genesis 3:5) rather than obey and worship him. Our decision to enthrone ourselves explains all the tragedy in this broken world, from the natural disasters resulting from the Fall (Genesis 3:17–19; 6:11–12; Romans 8:22) to the suffering we inflict on others and ourselves (cf. 1 John 2:16).

If the Fall had never happened, you and I would live in a world where we have the freedom to choose to worship and serve God without any of the horrific consequences of choosing against him. But our loving Father redeems even the tragedy of our misused freedom by using its consequences to grow us spiritually (James 1:2–4) when we submit to his Spirit (Ephesians 5:18; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

He uses the reality of physical death to remind us of the finitude of life (James 4:13–17) and the urgency of turning to him as Lord today (2 Corinthians 6:2). If people simply disappeared or their ascent to heaven was known only to those who happened to witness it, the compelling power of death and the appeal of life beyond it would be diminished.

Why there will be no atheists in heaven

But there’s a problem: If worshiping God requires that we have the option to sin by refusing such worship, how is it that we will worship and love God perfectly in a perfect heaven where there is no sin (Revelation 21:4)?

The Lord gives us the choice in this world to trust him as our Lord, a decision that transforms us into his children for eternity (John 1:12). My sons cannot go back before their birth and no longer be my sons. In the same way, once we choose to be “born again” in this world of options (John 3:3), we become permanently the children of God and need no such options to be who we are in heaven.

Anyone who sees God on his throne in paradise will be compelled to worship him as king (cf. Revelation 7:9–12). It’s impossible for a sighted person to deny the sun once the clouds move away. There will be no atheists in heaven.

This is why God brings us into this world where we can choose for or against him, intending us to choose for him in this life (2 Peter 3:9) so we can “glorify God and enjoy him forever” in the life to come (Westminster Shorter Catechism).

“The continuation of our Savior’s life in us”

One last question: Why does God leave us in this fallen world once we have chosen to trust him as Lord and received eternal life by his grace?

One reason is so we can share that grace with as many as possible so they can experience eternal life with us. John Wesley encouraged us:

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

The other is that this life affords us the opportunity to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18) as we seek to become ever more like our Lord (Romans 8:29). Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774–1821), the first person born in America to be canonized by the Catholic Church, explained her spiritual life this way:

I once read or heard that an interior life means but the continuation of our Savior’s life in us; that the great object of all his mysteries is to merit for us the grace of his interior life and communicate it to us, it being the end of his mission to lead us into the sweet land of promise, a life of constant union with himself. And what was the first rule of our dear Savior’s life? You know it was to do his Father’s will. Well, then, the first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.

Will you choose “a life of constant union” with your Lord today?

NOTE: For more on the power and privilege of personal worship, I encourage you to experience our ministry’s First15 devotional for today: “What Is Worship?”

Tuesday news to know:

• Powerful earthquake kills nearly 100 in Tibet, rattles Nepal
• Hamas and Israel wrangle over talks as Israeli strikes in Gaza intensify
• Biden bans offshore drilling across vast area of US
• US Steel and Nippon Steel sue Biden over move to block merger
• On this day in 1789: first US presidential electors chosen

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.” —Max Lucado

Denison Forum

Does religion do more harm than good?

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to resign as early as this morning. A major winter storm moved across multiple states over the weekend. The Golden Globes kicked off the awards season last night. The NFL playoffs are set after the Lions defeated the Vikings. Normally, any of these stories would be my focus for today’s Daily Article. I would much rather not write on the New Orleans terrorist attack again this morning. But that’s the nature of tragedy—it consumes us long after it strikes.

“100 percent inspired by ISIS”

President Biden will visit New Orleans today to “grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack” that occurred there New Year’s morning. Tributes are pouring in for the victims even as US agencies worry about copycat attacks in the coming days.

Amid fears of the Islamic State’s resurgence in Syria, many are calling for the terrorist group to be dismantled before it can inspire more terrorism in the US. Meanwhile, officials are studying the “secret radicalization” of Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the alleged New Orleans attacker. One stated that Jabbar was “100 percent inspired by ISIS.”

How was this former Army soldier radicalized? The Telegraph reports that Jabbar was “visited by IS in his dreams.” He apparently made a series of video recordings prior to the attack. In one, he said he had several dreams telling him to join the Islamic State.

That Jabbar would take such a drastic step on the basis of dreams should not surprise us. Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad received the Qur’an from the angel Gabriel through dreams and visions. They believe that Allah continues to guide his people in this way today (Qur’an 30:23).

Jabbar’s attack in New Orleans is consistent with a radicalized corruption of Islam claiming that America is part of an attack on the Muslim world and that Muslims are therefore required to attack Americans to defend Islam. This is not the view of the vast majority of Muslims, but it does motivate the Islamic State, al Qaeda, and other jihadist groups around the world.

When I read the Telegraph story on the religious motives behind the New Orleans atrocity, I imagined many people asking, Does religion do more harm than good in the world?

My dinner with imams in Bangladesh

It’s an understandable question. The conflict in the Middle East centers primarily on religion: Jews believe God gave them their land, while Muslims see the existence of the modern state of Israel as an attack on the Muslims who lived there previously and thus on Islam. Iran’s leaders are reportedly seeking nuclear weapons in the belief that using them to attack Israel would speed the return of the Mahdi, their messiah.

The Crusades were the most horrific chapter in Christian history, leading to the death of at least a million people. Clergy abuse scandals continue to make the news. Violence against others has long been a part of Buddhist and Hindu history as well.

So, does religion cause more harm than good?

Let’s begin with the fact that there is no such reality as “religion,” only particular religions, just as there is no such reality as “medicine,” only particular medicines. If I asked you if “medicine” does more harm than good, you would see the point.

So, we’re really asking about particular religions. And, of course, different people at different times can practice a particular religion in very different ways, just as doctors prescribe different medicines in different ways. Some commit atrocities against Americans in the name of Allah, but in my travels, I have experienced wonderful hospitality from Muslim hosts in the name of Allah. I will always remember a dinner with village imams in Bangladesh that could not have been more gracious, for example.

Religion contributes $1.2 trillion to the US economy

To focus our question more specifically on Christianity: While some have done horrible things in the name of our faith, they were adamantly not representing Christians or our Lord. Jesus clearly taught us to forgive and even love and pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44), an example he set on the cross (Luke 23:34). Just as the crimes of one American do not represent all Americans, so the sins of one so-called Christian do not represent all Christians.

To the contrary: Christianity has clearly and emphatically done enormous practical good in our fallen world. For example, the acclaimed historian Tom Holland notes that the Christian themes of humility and inclusivity changed the Western world by inspiring benevolence and valuing individuals over the state.

In his book Jesus Skeptic: A Journalist Explores the Credibility and Impact of Christianity, John S. Dickerson shows that followers of Jesus created the university and college systems, advanced literacy through public education, founded modern science, began the fight for women’s rights, ended open slavery, drove racial reconciliation, and fought for justice and progress in a multitude of arenas.

Christian teachings led to the establishment of the first hospitals and influenced the development of modern medicine. Many of the best-ranked hospitals in the US were founded by Christians. And more than 90 percent of universities founded in the US prior to the Civil War were created by Christian denominations. According to the World Economic Forum, religion annually contributes $1.2 trillion dollars of socio-economic value to the US economy.

“The grace that invites all men to find Christ”

Of course, the most significant contribution Christianity makes is personal: changed people change the world.

When we walk with the living Lord Jesus each day, we are transformed by his Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) as we manifest his character (Romans 8:29). Then we love as he loved (1 John 4:19) and serve those in need as he serves us (Matthew 25:35–40).

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrating the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem to worship the Christ. We often think of the wise men and their journey and gifts, but Pope St. Leo the Great (c. 400–91) encouraged us to consider the star that guided them as well:

The star beckoned the three wise men out of their distant country and led them to recognize and adore the King of heaven and earth. The obedience of the star calls us to imitate its humble service: to be servants, as best we can, of the grace that invites all men to find Christ.

Who will find Jesus because of “the obedience of the star” in your life today?

NOTE: For more on the veracity and credibility of biblical faith, see my new website article, “Surgeon General warns of link between alcohol and cancer: What do we do when science seems to contradict Scripture?”

Monday news to know:

• Jimmy Carter’s final trip begins with procession through rural Georgia
• Biden awards Medal of Freedom to Hillary Clinton, George Soros and others
• What to expect at CES 2025
• US plans $8 billion sale of arms, including bombs, to Israel
• On this day in 2021: US Capitol riot

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.” —Helen Keller

Denison Forum

Christianity is once again the most persecuted religion in the world according to the latest report from the International Christian Concern (ICC), a non-profit based in Washington DC that has tracked the statistic for nearly three decades. Persecution against Christians has long been a fixture of the faith in places dominated by Islamic extremism, such as in parts of the Middle East and Africa. North Korea, China, and India are other locales where the government is known to be hostile toward Christianity.

Yet the report found that persecution has also increased in Latin American countries like Nicaragua and Venezuela—both traditionally Christian.

As ICC president Jeff King notes, these nations have begun “the targeting of religious citizens and suppression of dissenting voices.” And they have done so largely through the advanced surveillance technology that China has provided to the countries’ authoritarian leaders.

In India and Pakistan, social media has also played a role, with groups using the platforms to “incite mob violence and spread disinformation about Christian communities, leading to targeted attacks.”

Ultimately, the majority of places where the church seems to have escaped direct persecution are the countries in the West where their governments and culture have increasingly grown disinterested in the faith. And that is, perhaps, the most alarming trend of all.

The slow atrophy of neglect

Christians in America are fortunate to be able to practice our faith, for the most part, without fear of imprisonment or violence. However, it would be a mistake to read about the persecution of other believers around the world and think our faith is safe because we do not face the same threats as our brothers and sisters in those foreign lands.

In nations where Christianity is less established, it appears that Satan still hopes he can stamp out the faith before it takes root and flourishes. That belief seems questionable, given that Iran has one of the fastest-growing Christian populations in the world, the underground church continues to flourish in China, and the faith is also spreading in many of the other nations where it is most dangerous to practice.

But in much of the West—and America in particular—it’s unlikely the government or society will ever turn to persecution in the same way. Christianity is simply too entrenched in the broader culture and history to be overcome so directly, and the value placed on religious liberty is enshrined to a degree that would be difficult to overcome. As such, Satan has adopted a much different strategy here.

While persecution certainly exists and is, in some ways, increasing, threats to our sense of comfort and cultural security are still accomplishing his goals quite well.

As such, if Christianity is going to die here, it will have to be through the slow atrophy of neglect rather than the swift attack of persecution. So what can we do to avoid that fate?

What is required of us to be good?

A recent article for Christianity Today describes a lesson gathered from the personal correspondence of the great Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. While the article applied that lesson to the field of parenting—and it’s worth reading for that context as well—the basic point is also relevant to our current conversation.

In the story, Dostoevsky is asked by a reader for advice on how to teach her eight-year-old to know right from wrong. His answer is to simply model what it means to be good by loving the truth. As the article goes on to describe, Dostoevsky essentially defines a love of truth as “the personal commitment to moral goodness in everyday life and opposition to any form of a lie, both lies to ourselves and lies to others.”

Dostoevsky’s understanding of what it means to be good—one that starts with the development of personal character rather than outward action—is also the key to fighting against the slow atrophy of our faith that we see in so much of America today.

A faith God can bless

A Christianity more focused on doing good than being good will eventually become so useless to the advancement of God’s kingdom that, for all practical purposes, it might as well be dead.

Such a religion was quite similar to what Jesus encountered from the religious leaders in the Gospels, and he was quick to denounce that form of faith. Instead, he called his followers to remember that their responsibility to the Lord starts with their hearts, and it was only when they were right with God personally that they could expect to glorify him with their actions.

After all, our private thoughts, words, and actions shape our character in ways that cannot help but manifest themselves in public. And, chances are, you don’t have to look too far into your own history to see how that’s true.

If you nurse vengeful or angry thoughts about those who have hurt you in the past, you will not be able to extend God’s love to them in the present. If you curse in the relative privacy of your own home, a time will come when those same words slip out for others to hear. And if you fail to pour into your marriage and kids at home, don’t be surprised when the façade of the perfect family begins to crack on your way into church on Sundays.

God has never been interested in the kind of performative religion that prioritizes outward actions over inner character. So of course he’s not going to bless a faith that accepts such hypocrisy as its foundation.

The primary reason that the church continues to grow in the places where it is persecuted the most is that the believers there understand that truth and have embraced their relationship with God on his terms. That doesn’t mean they live perfect lives or have flawless theology, but their faith is genuine in a way that can be difficult for us to replicate. They can’t afford to be cultural Christians, and the gospel is thriving as a result.

Fortunately, what God is doing in Iran, China, and throughout so much of the rest of the world, he can still do here. But if awakening is going to come, it has to start with individual Christians deciding that Jesus will be their Lord when only he is watching, rather than just when their faith is on display for the world to see.

Will that be you today?

Friday news to know:

• Update on the New Orleans terror attack and the man who perpetrated it
• Suspect identified in the explosion outside of the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas
• Guidance for embracing a sacred approach to your schedule
• Notre Dame defeated Georgia after the game was delayed by Wednesday’s attack in New Orleans
• On this day in 1521: Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote of the day:

“So often we try to develop Christian character and conduct without taking the time to develop God-centered devotion. We try to please God without taking the time to walk with Him and develop a relationship with Him. This is impossible to do.” —Jerry Bridges

Denison Forum