You occasionally hear God blamed for the condition of the world because He created Adam and Eve already knowing they would sin and plunge all of us into darkness.
Of course you have to consider that God also knew the hope set before us in creation. In Romans 8:18-20 Paul says, "I consider our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that shall be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it in hope."
Let's consider the possible worlds God could have created. He could have abstained from creating any world at all. He was eternally self-sufficient. He could have created a world without sentient beings. He could have created intelligent beings who could not choose to reject Him. But in none of these worlds would we have the choice to love him, the challenge of true devotion, the chance to obey in the face of temptation. And none of these options would give us the possibility of repentance, redemption, or the wonder of grace as we know it.
When Jesus commanded the stone to be removed from the tomb of Lazarus in John 11, Martha protested, "Lord, by this time he will stink."
I too stink. Our world stinks of sin and corruption. Jesus answered Martha and me, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"
That day they saw a pantomimed foretaste of what we hope for. Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Romans 8 continues with verses 22-25.
"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is not hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."
Suppose two people were given an odious task. One is told, “At the end of one year you will be paid $10,000 and be sent on your way.” The other is told, “At the end of one year you will be rewarded with forty million dollars and be revered by the entire world for the rest of your life.”
Which one will be better able to endure? In a hard world you can have a great hope.
In his book 10 Philosophical Mistakes, Mortimer Adler posed this question. If you were asked in the middle of a ball game with your favorite team so far behind that they could never catch up, "Is this a good game?", what would you say?
But suppose your team comes back at the very end and to win against impossible odds. That would be a better game than you could have imagined while your team was behind.
We are hoping against sight and smell in the promise of the Sovereign God who created the heavens and the earth that we will see glory beyond anything anyone can imagine!
http://thinkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/
http://watchinginprayer.blogspot.com/
http://daveswatch.com/index.html
Comments
Bless you, Malva!
No, I didn't know about those. I looked them up just now and put in my favorite places for study. Thank you for telling me, David. I pray God will encourage you and yours this coming week. How wonderful to know that El Shaddai, the Almighty God, has His eye on us all. May He refresh and strengthen and bring relief as needed to every one. After the suffering, the glory will come, because He said so. Peace and blessings.
Are you familiar with the group on The Names of God? Also, Steve Hall, has written a book on them.
Thank you David, I agree. I find much strength and beauty and reassurance in the Names of God. I wrote some down with their meanings and read them over and over thanking God for that. It brings peace. God be with you and your people and restore joy and hope to all who need it.
I am not sure why, Malva, but it seems that many of us have been bombarded with discouragement this week. And it is important to immerse our thinking in this truth. I often suggest that people spend a whole day giving thanks for what God is doing to keep emotional balance. But I think we have to start with a foundation of truth or we will find it impossible to give thanks.
"I consider our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that shall be revealed in us."
The right word for me after a week of being very downhearted about failing to see answers to desperate prayer. Thank you, David. God bless!