How Do We Know if the Good Things We Experience Are the Result of God’s Actions?
Oct 7, 2024
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The discussion dives into whether good experiences are directly linked to God's actions or mere coincidences. It addresses the dilemma of miracles being scientifically explainable and challenges the notion of divine intervention. The hosts tackle the skepticism surrounding prayer, especially when faced with drought, emphasizing that prayers reflect genuine requests rather than attempts to manipulate outcomes. Ultimately, they highlight the omnipresence of God's goodness, extending even to non-believers.
The concept of common grace illustrates that both believers and non-believers can experience good outcomes as part of God's design for human flourishing.
Miracles and natural occurrences can coexist, as miracles represent God's intervention while still involving established natural processes.
Deep dives
God's Involvement in Goodness
Good things experienced by believers and non-believers can be attributed to God's design in creating a world that functions for human flourishing. Scriptural references indicate that every good gift originates from God, illustrating His goodness towards all people. The concept of common grace suggests that God allows good outcomes for everyone, even those who do not acknowledge Him. Therefore, while believers credit God directly for positive events, the underlying order of nature established by God is also responsible for the goodness experienced by non-believers.
Understanding Miracles and Natural Events
The distinction between miracles and natural occurrences highlights that both can coexist in God's creation. A miracle occurs when God intervenes at a specific moment, utilizing natural forces to achieve extraordinary results—like the parting of the Red Sea. However, many events perceived as miraculous, such as childbirth, arise from established biological processes and are better understood as secondary causes rather than immediate divine actions. This understanding necessitates a nuanced definition of miracles, where divine intervention is recognized even when natural explanations exist.
Prayer and its Efficacy
When prayers for rain go unanswered, it can be difficult to address skepticism from those who do not believe in God. The argument acknowledges that prayer aligns with a relational dynamic where individuals seek outcomes from a divine being who ultimately makes decisions on whether to respond. The potentiality for rain to occur reflects God's sovereign nature rather than a mechanical cause-and-effect scenario. The distinction between genuine prayer and a transactional expectation of results underlines the need to understand the complexities of faith and divine will.
Questions about how we know if the good things we experience are the result of God’s actions, whether something can be considered a miracle if it can be explained scientifically, and how to respond to atheists who are mocking a Christian’s prayers for rain.
Believers credit God for the good things that happen to them, but good things happen to non-believers also, so how do we know if the good things we experience are the direct result of God’s actions or would have just happened anyway without his involvement?
Can something still be considered a miracle from God if it can be explained scientifically?
Recently, a Christian who said he was praying for rain in a drought was mocked by atheists who said prayer won’t create rain. How does one respond to this when the drought continues despite many prayers?
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