Excerpt from Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler of “Who Made God?”
Finite godism was popularized in the early 1980’s by Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of the best-selling book “When Bad Things Happen To Good People.” In wrestling with the premature death of his son, Kushner concluded that God wants the righteous to live happy lives, but sometimes He can’t bring it out. There are some things God simply can’t control. God is good but He is not powerful enough to bring about all the good things He desires. In short, God is finite (limited). Kushner writes, “I recognize His limitations. He is limited in what He can do by laws of nature and by the evolution of human nature and human moral freedom.” He laments that “even God has a hard time keeping chaos in check and limiting the damage that evil can do.”
Finite godism espouses a God who, because He is finite, can only be a contingent being who Himself needs a cause. Such a God is not worthy of our worship. Nor is this God worthy of our trust, for there is no guarantee that He will be able to defeat evil in the future. Finitism fails to consider that God’s timing is not human timing. As noted previously, the fact that God has not defeated evil today does not mean He is not eliminating it in the future (2 Peter 3:7-12, Revelation 20-22). This is not the best of all possible worlds, but it is the best way to the best possible worlds.
Finitism clearly goes against the biblical testimony of God. Scripture portrays that God as being omnipotent – He is all-powerful. He has the power to do all the He desires and wills. Some fifty-six times Scripture declares that God is almighty (e.g.Revelation 19:6). God is abundant in strength (Psalm 147:5) and has incomparably great power (2 Chronicles 20:6, Ephesians 1:19-21). No one can hold back God’s hand (Daniel 4:35). No one can reverse God’s actions (Isaiah 43:13) and no one can thwart Him (Isaiah 14:27). Nothing is impossible with God (Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27, Luke 1:37) and nothing is too difficult for Him (Genesis 18:14, Jeremiah 32:17, 27). The Almighty reigns (Revelation 19:6) and He will one day overthrow all evil.
