What do you think?
Rate this book
Flawed By Design: Think Your Sins are Ruining God's Plans for Your Life? Think Again
From review - "This book is just one of Zender's books that is on target. He makes sense of the world in a short, easy to read book. This is one of his best."
75 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2004
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 17, 2024
A CREATIVE INTERPRETATION OF THE ‘PURPOSE’ OF SIN AND EVIL
Martin Zender bills himself as “the World's Most Outspoken Bible Scholar”; he also does a syndicated radio show with Dan Sheridan. He has written a number of other books, such as as 'How to Quit Church Without Quitting God: 7 Good Reasons to Escape the Box,' 'How to Be Free from Sin While Smoking a Cigarette,’ ‘The First Idiot in Heaven: Secrets of the Apostle Paul and Why the Meek Merely Inherit the Earth,' 'Martin Zender Goes to Hell,’ 'The Really Bad Thing About Free Will,' etc.
He wrote in this 2004 book, “The Catholics kneel because of Him. The Pentecostals raise their hands. Baptist preachers get all singy-songy and glisten with sweat. All of this because the Creator … took flesh at Bethlehem. ‘Thank God He came!’ is the cry of these earnest worshippers… The worship season is over, however, and it’s time for Phase 2. All must be damned now that has ever withstood Christ. The Catholics distribute flagellums and begin beating themselves (all right, most merely give up candy for Lent)… The Baptists burn Pilate in effigy, along with some R-rated videos.
“Only one thing is missing from this picture: Mature reflection. There would be no Christ to kneel before had no Sin invaded the world… And what becomes of His resurrection without an Adversary to ensure His death? I would like… to make two statements. Some will consider these heretical, for they are all logical; logic, as we know is the enemy of all religion. Nevertheless: 1) Since there can be no salvation without something to be saved from, sin is necessary, and 2) Since ‘all is of God’ [2 Cor 5:18]… and sin exists, then sin must be of God… I am not saying that God sins. But if God meant for sin to enter the universe, then He did not miss the mark, when it came.” (Pg. 21-22)
He asserts, “What is the divinely appointed task of sin and evil?... it is the work of contrast… Creation cannot know good apart from evil; it cannot know love apart from hate… The plan is this: Give all creation a limited experience of evil, hate, enmity, and sin. This and this alone will prepare it for an eternal appreciation of good, love, friendship, and grace… Temporary evil is bartered for eternal good. Fair enough? Next, all creation is shown this good in the actions of a Man so full of love for them that He gives Himself to a degrading death He doesn’t deserve, for their sakes… Then God raises Him from the dead victorious, all our missteps left behind, never to condemn us. Thus vindicated and glorified, this Man eventually… draws all of creation to His feet, where they acclaim the greatness of God.” (Pg. 26-27)
He argues, “It’s tempting to get frustrated with God here, asking why He would go through this lengthy trial when He could just as easily… have produced the promised seed the first time. But remember: God is always making matters humanly impossible first, so He can set up what He is going to do later. It’s the same reason you are a sinner now. Why not just make you perfect and skip this humiliating sin part? It’s simple, really. It’s because you won’t be able to enjoy perfection later unless you’ve been a sinner now… The joy of perfection rests on the misery of missing the earthly mark. So really, God isn’t doing this sin thing TO you, He’s doing it FOR you. This imperfect life of yours is a backhanded favor.” (Pg. 45)
He notes, “Isaiah says, ‘Why, O Lord, dost Thou cause us to stray from Thy ways, and harden our heart from fearing Thee?’ Orthodoxy has no answer for this. God causes people to stray?... God uses sin to backdrop salvation… remove the stumbling block … that God is sinning by causing these people to sin. He’s not… God can cause people to sin without sinning Himself. He doesn’t sin by causing people to sin because the sinning is an integral part of His plan.” (Pg. 55)
He summarizes, “It will help you to remember what we discussed earlier, that God will one day discard the dark side of these contrasts. The sickness, the death, and sin and the evil will do their duty, then depart. This is the opposite of what religion has told you… Rather than seeing sin and evil as Act I of a masterpiece, [religion has] drawn the curtain too soon, putting a universe in chaos beyond His reach. No. To think of evil, sin and death as endless is to rob these of their purpose in revealing God. For what purpose?... That God may be ‘all in all.’ (1 Cor 15:28) This is the grand purpose toward which God is marching.” (Pg. 62-63)
As always, Zender’s iconoclastic ideas will be rejected many of the more “orthodox”; but they will also appeal to others.
Martin Zender bills himself as “the World's Most Outspoken Bible Scholar”; he also does a syndicated radio show with Dan Sheridan. He has written a number of other books, such as as 'How to Quit Church Without Quitting God: 7 Good Reasons to Escape the Box,' 'How to Be Free from Sin While Smoking a Cigarette,’ ‘The First Idiot in Heaven: Secrets of the Apostle Paul and Why the Meek Merely Inherit the Earth,' 'Martin Zender Goes to Hell,’ 'The Really Bad Thing About Free Will,' etc.
He wrote in this 2004 book, “The Catholics kneel because of Him. The Pentecostals raise their hands. Baptist preachers get all singy-songy and glisten with sweat. All of this because the Creator … took flesh at Bethlehem. ‘Thank God He came!’ is the cry of these earnest worshippers… The worship season is over, however, and it’s time for Phase 2. All must be damned now that has ever withstood Christ. The Catholics distribute flagellums and begin beating themselves (all right, most merely give up candy for Lent)… The Baptists burn Pilate in effigy, along with some R-rated videos.
“Only one thing is missing from this picture: Mature reflection. There would be no Christ to kneel before had no Sin invaded the world… And what becomes of His resurrection without an Adversary to ensure His death? I would like… to make two statements. Some will consider these heretical, for they are all logical; logic, as we know is the enemy of all religion. Nevertheless: 1) Since there can be no salvation without something to be saved from, sin is necessary, and 2) Since ‘all is of God’ [2 Cor 5:18]… and sin exists, then sin must be of God… I am not saying that God sins. But if God meant for sin to enter the universe, then He did not miss the mark, when it came.” (Pg. 21-22)
He asserts, “What is the divinely appointed task of sin and evil?... it is the work of contrast… Creation cannot know good apart from evil; it cannot know love apart from hate… The plan is this: Give all creation a limited experience of evil, hate, enmity, and sin. This and this alone will prepare it for an eternal appreciation of good, love, friendship, and grace… Temporary evil is bartered for eternal good. Fair enough? Next, all creation is shown this good in the actions of a Man so full of love for them that He gives Himself to a degrading death He doesn’t deserve, for their sakes… Then God raises Him from the dead victorious, all our missteps left behind, never to condemn us. Thus vindicated and glorified, this Man eventually… draws all of creation to His feet, where they acclaim the greatness of God.” (Pg. 26-27)
He argues, “It’s tempting to get frustrated with God here, asking why He would go through this lengthy trial when He could just as easily… have produced the promised seed the first time. But remember: God is always making matters humanly impossible first, so He can set up what He is going to do later. It’s the same reason you are a sinner now. Why not just make you perfect and skip this humiliating sin part? It’s simple, really. It’s because you won’t be able to enjoy perfection later unless you’ve been a sinner now… The joy of perfection rests on the misery of missing the earthly mark. So really, God isn’t doing this sin thing TO you, He’s doing it FOR you. This imperfect life of yours is a backhanded favor.” (Pg. 45)
He notes, “Isaiah says, ‘Why, O Lord, dost Thou cause us to stray from Thy ways, and harden our heart from fearing Thee?’ Orthodoxy has no answer for this. God causes people to stray?... God uses sin to backdrop salvation… remove the stumbling block … that God is sinning by causing these people to sin. He’s not… God can cause people to sin without sinning Himself. He doesn’t sin by causing people to sin because the sinning is an integral part of His plan.” (Pg. 55)
He summarizes, “It will help you to remember what we discussed earlier, that God will one day discard the dark side of these contrasts. The sickness, the death, and sin and the evil will do their duty, then depart. This is the opposite of what religion has told you… Rather than seeing sin and evil as Act I of a masterpiece, [religion has] drawn the curtain too soon, putting a universe in chaos beyond His reach. No. To think of evil, sin and death as endless is to rob these of their purpose in revealing God. For what purpose?... That God may be ‘all in all.’ (1 Cor 15:28) This is the grand purpose toward which God is marching.” (Pg. 62-63)
As always, Zender’s iconoclastic ideas will be rejected many of the more “orthodox”; but they will also appeal to others.
February 27, 2013
Why I'm not perfect and why that's ok. Thanks Martin Zender!
January 31, 2023
An interesting perspective on how to read and interpret the Bible.
December 30, 2025
So many truths in this tiny book. I'll be rereading this as many times as needed to really drive the point home.
"What we do not understand is that an imperfect walk is the main idea of this life."
"Your humble little vessel of sin is made that way on purpose."
"What we do not understand is that an imperfect walk is the main idea of this life."
"Your humble little vessel of sin is made that way on purpose."
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews