Why is the World and All In It So Evil?

 By Pastor Benjamin Glaser - Posted at Thoughts From Parson Farms:

Finding Hope in the Midst of Darkness

Howdy!

Well, we have some encouraging and happy stuff to talk about today…not really. Whenever sin is on the menu it’s going to be a bitter meal. A common question many Christians have is why people choose freely to commit idolatry and wickedness and then seek to promote it among impressionable souls. How can an honest person be in favor of murdering children in the womb or where is the mindset grown which can think that God would approve of the bodily mutilation of underage teens? It can be hard to comprehend, but the situation isn’t new. Whether it be the Babel folks building a tower to challenge the LORD or the Israelites thinking they could make an idol and somehow Jehovah would be proud of them our catechism questions this morning point us to an answer. Also when we think of the punishment due to sin our minds are likewise drawn to illness, disasters, and other more physical realities that exist because of the eating of the forbidden fruit.

Here we see one of the places where the Larger Catechism expands on the teaching of the Shorter Catechism so that we can better understand our faith and how the world works in light of the Fall and the consequences which flow from it.

Here are the two Q/A’s:

Q. 28. What are the punishments of sin in this world?
A. The punishments of sin in this world are either inward, as blindness of mind, a reprobate sense, strong delusions, hardness of heart, horror of conscience, and vile affections; or outward, as the curse of God upon the creatures for our sakes, and all other evils that befall us in our bodies, names, estates, relations, and employments; together with death itself.

Q. 29. What are the punishments of sin in the world to come?
A. The punishments of sin in the world to come, are everlasting separation from the comfortable presence of God, and most grievous torments in soul and body, without intermission, in hell-fire forever.

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