On Preparing for Suffering and Evil from D. A. Carson

Last week I gave you notes on the first sermon of Donald Carson’s two sermons on this subject.  The two sermons give us five pillars on which to “lay out a stable way on which to think about suffering and evil.”  (I suggest you listen to this second sermon for yourself and only use my notes to supplement  it. I like to listen to sermons and lectures while I do the drudgework around here, and that might work for you, too.)  The first sermon included the first three of the five pillars, and this one included the last two. I’m including the first three pillars in my list here for clarity’s sake, and then the notes on the second sermon start with pillars four and five.

1. Insights from the beginning of the Bible’s story line: Creation and fall.
2. Insights from the end of the Bible’s story line: There’s a heaven to be gained, and a hell to be shunned.
3. Insights from the place of innocent suffering: Job.


4. Insights from the mystery of providence: God is sovereign, but human beings are responsible.
   
   This is one of the most difficult areas to work through theologically, and yet it is very important for us to come to some sort of stable view of these matters. Carson begins with two propositions, which he says are biblically mandated for thoughtful Christians. 
   
   
   • God is utterly sovereign, but his sovereignty never functions to mitigate human responsibility.
   • Human beings are morally responsible creatures, but their moral responsibility never functions to make God absolutely contingent (dependent on us in some way).
     
   These propositions can be defended in text after text after text. The trick is to put them together. In philosophical theology, the fact that they belong together is sometimes called compatibilism.  Compatibilism doesn’t claim that we can know exactly how they are compatible. It merely claims that we can know enough to believe both propositions.

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Sign of Spring

 Copyright © 2007, Andrew Stark. All rights reserved.

I’ve caught spring fever and thought it was about time to post a photo of one of the signs of spring at our house.  We’ve no trees in bloom, no lush green grass, no bright coloured tulips, but we do have this. Those who want to see the beauty in closer detail can click on the photo for a larger view.

 

And in case you haven’t seen photos of the Landcruiser previously, it’s supposed to look like this.

 

Copyright © 2006-2007, Andrew Stark. All rights reserved.

 

Yep, it’s spring in the Yukon, when green turns brown.

Sunday's Hymn: William Cowper

One more hymn of hope from someone who often felt he had no hope.

The Saints Should Never Be Dismayed

The saints should never be dismayed,
Nor sink in hopeless fear;
For when they least expect His aid,
The Savior will appear.

This Abr’am found: he raised the knife;
God saw, and said, “Forbear!
Yon ram shall yield his meaner life;
Behold the victim there.”

Once David seemed Saul’s certain prey;
But hark! the foe’s at hand;
Saul turns his arms another way,
To save th’invaded land.

When Jonah sunk beneath the wave,
He thought to rise no more;
But God prepared a fish to save,
And bear him to the shore.

Blest proofs of power and grace divine,
That meet us in His Word!
May every deep felt care of mine
Be trusted with the Lord.

Wait for His seasonable aid,
And though it tarry, wait:
The promise may be long delayed,
But cannot come too late.

Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:

• Happy the Home When God is There at Above the Clouds
• The Covenant at The Thirsty Theologian.
  
• Shall We Gather at the River at IMD 2.0.
• O Mother Dear, Jerusalem at John Dekker’s Journal
• Be Still, My Soul at Seasonings of the Heart
• God, Who in Various Methods Told at joythruChrist
• The Collect for the Fifth Sunday after Easter at Magic Statistics

Have you posted a hymn this Sunday and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar, and I’ll add your post to the list.