War And Complexity

D-Day

V-Day

There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan. . . .

Creation, fall and redemption

CreationGod is the source and sustainer of all things

FallThe creation as it is is not as God intended it to be it is distorted, disrupted, deformed

Garden of Eden

City: New Jerusalem

Not the way it’s supposed to be!

Evil, sin and suffering are alien invasions into God’s good creation

6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.7 The LORD said to Satan, Where have you come from? Satan answered the LORD, From roaming through the earth and going to and fro in it.8 Then the LORD said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job? There is no-one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.9 Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan replied.10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.12 The LORD said to Satan, Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger. Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.7 The LORD said to Satan, Where have you come from? Satan answered the LORD, From roaming through the earth and going to and fro in it.8 Then the LORD said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job? There is no-one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.9 Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan replied.10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.12 The LORD said to Satan, Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger. Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.7 The LORD said to Satan, Where have you come from? Satan answered the LORD, From roaming through the earth and going to and fro in it.8 Then the LORD said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job? There is no-one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.9 Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan replied.10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.12 The LORD said to Satan, Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger. Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them.7 The LORD said to Satan, Where have you come from? Satan answered the LORD, From roaming through the earth and going to and fro in it.8 Then the LORD said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job? There is no-one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.9 Does Job fear God for nothing? Satan replied.10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.12 The LORD said to Satan, Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger. Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Is suffering part of God’s punishment for doing wrong?

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them - do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them - do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.

Is suffering part of a cosmic training ground?

Mr Jones' rheumatism was a judgement, until his daughter swore to you on the Bible that the tale of his secret drinking was a baseless slander. Her father was a saint. His rheumatism was, therefore, a trial. But then the bowling club went on a day's outing and drove their [bus] into the sea; and Mr Jones' rheumatism, since it kept him at home on the occasion, proved a blessing in disguise, and a providence indeed.

Is suffering just a matter of perspective?

Is suffering a necessary means for good?

Is suffering part and parcel of the way the world is?

Why doesn’t God do something about evil?

Redemption ...is all about redeeming creation from the effects of evil

How?

Through suffering!

God in Jesus suffers too

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

1 Jn 3:8

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public

spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Col 2:15

We are a battleground -

We are in a battleground

It is a virtue to disbelieve what does not exist. It is dangerous to disbelieve what exists outside our current limited categories.

Joint-heirs with Christ Rom 8

The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in us Rom 8:11

Know who we are in Christ:

 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his

mighty power.  

 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his

mighty power.  

 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his

mighty power.  

 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his

mighty power.  

 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his

mighty power.  

11 Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against

the devil's schemes.     

11 Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against

the devil's schemes.     

  12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the

rulers, against the authorities, against the

powers of this dark world and against the

spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.   

  12 For our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the

rulers, against the authorities, against the

powers of this dark world and against the

spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.   

13 Therefore put on the full armour of God, so

that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground,

and after you have done everything, to stand.

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled

round your waist,

with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness

that comes from the gospel of peace.   

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of

faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.   

17 Take the helmet of salvation

and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word

of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all

kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on

praying for all the saints.

How do we put on the armour?

Make sure it fits!

But most of all we need to be putting on Christ –

abide in him: he is our armour.

Armour Jesus

belt truthHe is the way the truth and the life

breastplate righteousnessHe is our

righteousness

feet gospel of peace He is our peace

shield faithHe is our faithand our shield

helmet salvation He is salvation

sword word of GodJesus is the Word,

logos