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The Problem of Good: When the World Seems Fine Without God
These essays tackle questions raised by God's common grace: Do moral non-Christians really need the gospel? How do we respond to impressive non-Christian contributions to culture and society?
192 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 10, 2020
Great book. Such thoughtful topic, I will say. After learned triperspectival by Frame, I do think that it can be applied to common grace doctrine. Metaphysically, God provides the needs to unbelievers daily and of course it is not like that God has drop these things in their life but through His beloved agents. Often unbelievers either did not realize or they may have but choose resist such acknowledge. Epistemological, unbelievers do reveal some of truths through general revelation but those truths come from Him. For He himself is the truth. Ethically, in our society we do see many unbelievers who made many wonderful contribute to the society. But again, where does the such of goodness come from? God, of course.
The chapter one dicussed concering restraining Sin and Wrath. After read it, i can see how it is combined of metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical. Metapyscially, all of us are fallen creature after the Fallen but that does not mean that all of us are spurn into full evil but that God, through his sovereignty, He chose to restrict sins in unbelievers. Epistemological, unbelievers knew the civil government is founded in order to keep the society safe. So that knowledge come from Him. Ethical, most of them do understand how sins have consequences therefore they seek to minimum and in an alternative, they are seeking to contribute something good toward the society. That is common grace.
Only thing, I am struggling to understand the chapter one is that what about Noah 6? In here, the Lord saw so much of wickness and violence on the Earth where to the point the Lord decided to bolt out the Earth by the Flood. So, according to this Scripture...does that mean God was not able to restrict their sins or that God were tried to but their sins had overcome God's effort? Obliviously, the latter is eliminated since God is omnipotent. So what then? This is where I am unsure of what reasons are.
Nevertheless, the book indeed taught me many good points especially Hardwired for Pleasure, chapter eight, by Paul Tripp.
The chapter one dicussed concering restraining Sin and Wrath. After read it, i can see how it is combined of metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical. Metapyscially, all of us are fallen creature after the Fallen but that does not mean that all of us are spurn into full evil but that God, through his sovereignty, He chose to restrict sins in unbelievers. Epistemological, unbelievers knew the civil government is founded in order to keep the society safe. So that knowledge come from Him. Ethical, most of them do understand how sins have consequences therefore they seek to minimum and in an alternative, they are seeking to contribute something good toward the society. That is common grace.
Only thing, I am struggling to understand the chapter one is that what about Noah 6? In here, the Lord saw so much of wickness and violence on the Earth where to the point the Lord decided to bolt out the Earth by the Flood. So, according to this Scripture...does that mean God was not able to restrict their sins or that God were tried to but their sins had overcome God's effort? Obliviously, the latter is eliminated since God is omnipotent. So what then? This is where I am unsure of what reasons are.
Nevertheless, the book indeed taught me many good points especially Hardwired for Pleasure, chapter eight, by Paul Tripp.
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December 27, 2020Too embedded in religious thought & religion for my taste. But it interrogates questions of common grace so I got interested in what the book had to say about “me,” the unregenerate. I mostly just skimmed through most of it and read some parts that I found more interesting.
December 24, 2014
Grace is topic that’s often talked about, especially in the reformed circles. But how much does an average christian know about common grace? Surprisingly, I doubt one will have much to talk about it.
The problem of evil is not a strange question for christians. But what about the problem of good? What do you do with non-christians who live morally good and proper lives, who’s happily living without God? Common grace is the answer!
Marion Clark starts by giving a good introduction to common grace and also a grand overview about what the book will cover. The first two chapters then explores and explains what the doctrine of common grace is, the first from the negative aspect, in the way God restraints evil in the world. And the second from the positive aspect, in the way God blesses all men.
After that comes the applications of the doctrine in various areas of life. I found the second part especially helpful as they are practical and discusses about topics that relevant for all christians. They cover from topics like how common grace should shape our worship, how it will affect the way we evangelise and love our neighbours, how christians can and should learn from what non-christians have discovered, and how to enjoy the pleasures that God gives to all men.
As someone who’s not well versed with common grace. I found the book especially enlightening. Furthermore, sometimes in a book that has multiple authors, the quality of the chapters sometimes can vary quite a bit. However, I have to say that I found these chapters to be consistently well-written, each and every one of them.
If you are a christian, or even a pastor who wants to learn about common grace, there is no better introduction that this book. Pastors may have to supplement their reading from other sources that is referred to within the book, but this book does already have a substantial amount of good teaching in itself already. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5 / 5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The problem of evil is not a strange question for christians. But what about the problem of good? What do you do with non-christians who live morally good and proper lives, who’s happily living without God? Common grace is the answer!
Marion Clark starts by giving a good introduction to common grace and also a grand overview about what the book will cover. The first two chapters then explores and explains what the doctrine of common grace is, the first from the negative aspect, in the way God restraints evil in the world. And the second from the positive aspect, in the way God blesses all men.
After that comes the applications of the doctrine in various areas of life. I found the second part especially helpful as they are practical and discusses about topics that relevant for all christians. They cover from topics like how common grace should shape our worship, how it will affect the way we evangelise and love our neighbours, how christians can and should learn from what non-christians have discovered, and how to enjoy the pleasures that God gives to all men.
As someone who’s not well versed with common grace. I found the book especially enlightening. Furthermore, sometimes in a book that has multiple authors, the quality of the chapters sometimes can vary quite a bit. However, I have to say that I found these chapters to be consistently well-written, each and every one of them.
If you are a christian, or even a pastor who wants to learn about common grace, there is no better introduction that this book. Pastors may have to supplement their reading from other sources that is referred to within the book, but this book does already have a substantial amount of good teaching in itself already. Highly recommended.
Rating: 5 / 5
Disclaimer: I was given this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews