Weekly Devotional 10-13-14 God Could Have / God Could
How often have you heard someone ask, “Why did God allow sin into the world? Why doesn’t God end the misery that is the experience of life?”You may have asked these questions yourself. Certainly, He who spoke the world into existence could have prevented sin from entering into His creation. Certainly, He who spoke the world into existence could bring an end to the misery that is the experience of life. But, He didn’t prevent sin from entering the world, and He hasn’t, yet, brought an end to the miseries of life. So, we must look for His purpose in both.
From the Genesis account, we read that God’s creation was without sin, that everything had the stamp of being good. (Genesis 1:31). We also read that of all of God’s created things, it was only man that was created with the ability to know and worship God (Genesis 2:7). Man was created a spiritual being. But, what is worship? Is it not of free agency? Worship is not worship if it is forced. Thus, we have the answer to the first question, “Why did God allow sin into the world?” God desired the worship of man but gave him freedom to not worship Him. In his worship of God, man had the choice to hold God above everything else, including self. To do otherwise would not be
true worship. Choice was of man’s makeup.
Man did choose to do otherwise, and in doing so, he diminished God. He went from worshiping God to worshiping himself. But, God loved man and still desired man’s worship. How could He possibly bring man back to Him? Before His creative acts, He made provision for man’s restoration (see Revelation 13:8; 17:8) and drew up the plans for a new heaven and a new earth (See Revelation, chapter 21).
After demonstrating that no matter how benevolent He was to man (through His chosen people, Israel), He took upon Himself human flesh and, through that flesh, paid the price of redemption (see Hebrews 10:1-14). But, sacrificing Himself for the payment of man’s sin would not cause man to turn to Him. That would take a special work. God would have to convince man of his sin, of his need of a savior, and turn his heart from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. He accomplished this by sending His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) among men.
However, his work could not be a work that would force man to return to God. It needed to be a work that would cause man to seek God once again. Thus, we have the answer to the second question asked above; “Why doesn’t God end the misery that is the experience of life?” God uses the miseries of life to cause man to seek relief and convince him, by His Spirit, that relief is found in Him alone.
God also uses the miseries of life to cause the Christian to desire relief. We Christians are not exempt from the miseries of life. However, when (because of His indwelling Spirit) we come to understand the reason for these miseries, we gain victory and return to Him in worship, which was His desire all along.
God “could have” prevented sin from entering His creation, and God “could” end it at any time. He is sovereign. But, He wants man to worship Him freely, by his own choice. The reward to those who do will be the experience of the new heaven and the new earth where miseries will not exist. We read; “1Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4 NKJV).
The apostle John (God’s messenger) went on to write; “7He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:7-8 NKJV).
Who are these people described by verse 8? They are those who have refused to understand and accept that God could have prevented sin from entering creation and that He can bring sin to an end, which He will do some day, but only after His purpose of salvation has been satisfied in those called.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
www.gbchurch.us
Sent out early as we of Transforming Power will be at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY. Between 10-9 and 10-15-14.
God Bless