How can something come from nothing?

R.S.
The vicissitudes of human history are more than our minds can hold. And understanding the times in which these things happened are during horrible quagmires of human rebellion. The people(s) that were struck in these ways had absolutely incongruent life styles -- worshipping false gods which had them sacrificing their own children in fire. You know that if they were doing those types of things, most of their other ways were atrocious as well. Do a study on these false gods that were worshipped -- what an eye full. The children and babies were not held responsible for the atrocities the men and women were accountable for. The young were taken to God's care (so to speak) but the cities and the inhabitants thereof were ripe for judgment. Romans 1:32 says, "Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." God had to take matters into His own hands -- it could not continue. If we think God just waylaid people who were decent folks -- we haven't the foggiest understanding about human history and barbarism and/or worse.

Someone has said, if there were truly a God, why is there so much wrong in the world -- to which one could answer, Ok, for sake of argument -- there's no God, now whose fault is it?

I'm not sure what the claim is about child abuse but to my knowledge unless it is the rod that is to be used to discipline -- I don't know. I do know that I had my share of swats in school years ago -- the likelihood that I'd receive them if I got out of line kept my decisions on the mend. Discipline is crucial -- obviously not child abuse though. The Bible says loosely paraphrased, 'If you don't discipline a child you aren't really loving him."

No one is righteous no not one. I deserve judgment too, I've fallen short in more ways than I care to remember. God takes no pleasure in punishing anyone. There's a story of a women before a judge in a court room. The woman knows she is guilty and is expecting a stiff penalty -- perhaps one that is more than she can handle. Sure enough the gavel comes down and the penalty is leveled against her and it is indeed stiff. In the court room she breaks down and cries for mercy. To everyone's amazement the judge stands and takes off his judicial robe and walks down in front of the bench, takes out his check book and after writing a check and placing it before the woman, walks up behind the podium again -- brings the gavel down pronouncing her not guilty. Everyone found out later that the judge was the woman's father. He was a just judge but a loving father.
This is how it is with God -- He paid the penalty in full on Calvary in and through the person of His Son. Would anyone offer their son to die in place of a righteous man -- perhaps, but God gave His Son to pay the penalty for unrighteousness -- the just for the unjust. For God so loved the world.

R.S.
A person can forgive someone for a personal trespass against them but Jesus forgave people whom He had never met before. Again, I can forgive someone who wrongs me personally but I cannot forgive someone whose wrongs were never against me personally. Jesus forgave people that never personally did anything to him. The people who heard him say "your sins are forgiven" thought to say that to someone who never wronged him personally as a man was something only God could do. They were right!

If I break a lamp in your house -- you can certainly forgive me but you have to pay the price for the breakage. Jesus paid the price and also forgives the trespass as well. The scale on which the price is paid is the issue. God is as loving as He is just. Speeding is punishable in a traffic court -- everyone understands that and a fine has to be paid. We don't naturally always see how our trespasses against God can separate us from Him -- but He was more than willing to pay our debt in the highest court in the universe. A debt by the way that we could never pay.
Jesus had to die in a human body -- exactly as our own human bodies to pay the price for us. Fully God and fully man.

. . . .Would anyone offer their son to die in place of a righteous man -- perhaps, but God gave His Son to pay the penalty for unrighteousness -- the just for the unjust. For God so loved the world. . . .

A "sin"...

...is something that offends the god.

If it doesn't offend the god...if the god finds that it is not offensive...it is not a sin.

Correct?

. .. . It was an excruciating experience for God to see His Son on the cross dying for our sins . . .

You parrot the teachings of the bible without much insight into the errors, omissions, and contradictions that are also part and parcel of the bible. Blind people usually can't see the reality that surrounds them.

Frank Apisa wrote:

A "sin"...

...is something that offends the god.

If it doesn't offend the god...if the god finds that it is not offensive...it is not a sin.

Correct?

No.
Sin is any thing that misses the standard of perfection set by God.

All sin is, therefore, offensive.

But since we have been sold into slavery to sin, God forgives.

It is only those who "practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth" that cannot obtain forgiveness. (Hebrews 10:26)

R.S.
"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." The gift of pardon is available for everyone. Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. In order for God's love to freely flow towards us -- the penalty had to be paid in our stead. Love was the motivation that brought Jesus to earth. It was an excruciating experience for God to see His Son on the cross dying for our sins -- love was the motivation, He knew we were helpless in and of ourselves to wash away our trespasses. God turned away from judgment and put love in it's place -- in order to freely pardon the wrong-doer (you and I). Because God is a just judge and in order for love to win the day He had to pay the penalty Himself -- that what Love does. Mercy triumphs over judgment -- it's clearly seen on Calvary.

By the way, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most documented account in history. There are certain tests that historians use to verify documents from antiquity. One such test is how many individual fragments are in existence presently. These fragments or copies were written not printed. I believe there are 20,000 fragments of the new testament in existence today. That is the first and most important rest to prove the historicity of a document. The book of Luke is highly valued by historians -- they classify Luke as a first class historian. There is extra biblical evidence as well from other writing as well that document the darkness that came over the land for three hours before Jesus actually died. Altogether, he stayed on the cross for 6 hours. There's a letter from antiquity (extra biblical) from a nobleman to a friend asking the friend if he had any idea what caused the darkness over all the land that day.

Again, this is God's truth, I'm a recipient of its redemptive power. Either Jesus died for all sin, or He died for no sin.
He died for all sin -- it's all paid up -- call on His name and see.

R.S.
"Contradictions" that people cite throughout scripture are only biased by there inability to place into context the real intent by its Author for their own purpose i.e. not to believe. The bible stands alone as the most exquisite book the world has ever seen.

The prophetic utterances given by its human agents through God breathed inspiration is second to none. To even mention another book as its equal would make a sham of us all.

The prophetic utterances given by its human agents through God breathed inspiration is second to none.