generation to generation. It concluded at the time of the death of the last members of the apostolic band. We do not believe such signs will become common place in the last days. Q. Manitoba, Canada "Why did God, who knows all from the beginning to the end, create Lucifer, knowing that he would become Satan and deceive many? A lso, why does God cause natural calamities so that innocent babies and children die? Why must the righteous su ffer with those who reject Christ?" A . The entire matter of permission of evil is something that no human mind knows for certain. It is locked in the infinite, grac ious , compassionate and omniscient mind of God. Acts 15:18 tells us, “ Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the age.” God created Lucifer, son of the morning, knowing that he would become Satan. God, in His infinite wisdom, does not want just machines. He desires those who will respond to His love. The Lo r d , therefore, allows the pos s i b i l i t y of moral choice between good and evil. Adam was permitted to choose fruit from any tree in the Garden but one. Here was the opportunity for man to be tested. We all have been given a free will. Unfortunately, too often we follow the devil rather than the directive will of the Lord. Considering this problem of permission of evil read Romans 11:36. No matter how desperate situations may look today, God is still on the throne; His master plan can never be thwarted. When it comes to the suffering and death
of those who are innocent we find one of the hardest questions to answer. Referring to “ innocent babies” we mean those who have not committed sin on their own. Of course, since Adam and Eve fell no one has been born innocent in the strict sense. The point is that all nature and humanity is in an abnormalistic state before God. We are not as we were originally created in pristine beauty, glory and obedience. We know that there are different purposes for suffering. In Job’s case it was for ref in ing . God has different purposes for both saved and unsaved. It ’s our conviction that babies who die in infancy, or before the age of accountability, go to be with the Lord. Since the child cannot respond to the message of redeeming grace, God, in mercy and grace, covers the need of that one with the i n f i n i t e l y ampl e , abundant salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Q. Do you think it is right fo r godly men to go to the Holy Land, encouraging others to travel with them? What about John 4:20-24?” A . There are advantages of going to the Holy Land which far out-weigh any of the so-called disadvantages. The passage about which you have asked concerns the worshipping of the Lord from the heart in truth and sincerity. This is something we all should do, to be sure. There is a danger that some will simply enter the travel field to make a profit, without any better objective. This cannot be blessed of the Lord. The reason Biola sponsors such tours is simply because we want people to see firsthand what the Page 37
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