Become New with John Ortberg 5. God is great and God is good
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Aug 13, 2021 A reflection on the two simple thoughts: God is great and God is good. Conversations about responses to suffering, including critiques of “God is dead” and process theology. Exploration of biblical images of God’s power and the hope rooted in resurrection. Speculation about mercy after death and the tension between hope for universal salvation and moral accountability.
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God Is Both Mighty And Active
- John Ortberg contrasts two attributes: God is great (powerful, creator) and God is good (loving, kind).
- He cites Lou Smedes rejecting “process theology” that makes God immature, insisting God existed fully competent at creation.
Responding To ‘God Is Dead’ And Process Theology
- Ortberg recounts debates like “God is dead” and process theology that emerged after atrocities like the Holocaust.
- He describes Lou Smedes’ response: he couldn’t accept a God too weak to prevent such evil.
Scripture Presents God As Competent Actor
- Ortberg highlights biblical language that emphasizes God's competence: maker of heaven and earth, the living God who acts, and the one who raises the dead.
- He uses Paul’s suffering in 2 Corinthians to show suffering can push trust toward the God who raises the dead.
