Some people argue that Calvin's theology implies that God may have designed evil for the purpose of destroying people. According to this interpretation, since God decreed the sin of the first man, He may have had destructive purposes in mind for humanity as a whole. But if we believe that, it raises the question of whether we are just as guilty of angering at God as we are of angering at the perpetrators of crimes. What is the difference between God and a criminal, if both are responsible for destruction?Instead of focusing on the individual sins that God views, let's focus on how God protects us from the destructive consequences of sin in general. Obviously, if there is one sin, it is not only a deed done against God, but also against mankind. Here is the problem: if God is a God of destruction, then what kind of reaction would be acceptable other than to rejoice in the destructive acts that man does against one another? I do not think we can have a God who is half in the destructive mood and half in the renewal mood.It is impossible to know definitively why God allowed sin to enter the world, but it is clear that it had a significant impact on the course of history. Thanks be to God for His mercy and providence, which have allowed us to overcome the challenges posed by sin and live in a world that is far more peaceful and secure than it would have been otherwise. The purpose of God allowing sin to enter the world is unclear, but there are a number of possible explanations. Perhaps God wanted to allow humans to experience pain and suffering, so that they would eventually learn to rely on Him for forgiveness. Alternatively, God might have allowed sin to enter the world in order to teach humans about the consequences of their choices. Or, perhaps God simply allowed sin to happen in order to show us the futility of trying to achieve perfect happiness on our own.There is a great deal of mystery surrounding why God would allow sin and destruction. Since God does not provide a great deal of detail on this topic, we are at risk of exacerbating the destructive effects of sin, and thus increasing the amount of pain and suffering that comes with it. If we try to pursue answers to these mysteries, we may only end up causing ourselves more harm.The point is that God has decided to protect us from destruction by giving us a clear view of the difference between what sin does and how God acts to renew the earth. It's like this: if we didn't know about the diseases that are killing people, we wouldn't know what to avoid. However, He has not explained all the reasons that He has decreed sin, but He has given us an explanation about identifying it and having a full remedy so that we do not suffer the physical and mental effects of it. We know that sin has brought the curse of death, but God has given us a desire to live. That desire is called a blessing in the Bible.And on the other hand, the consequences of sin is to be cursed. So the question is, since God has not explained the reasons He decreed sin, then isn't it a curse to us to try to explain the evils and the destructive consequences in trying to blame God? And this is the whole point of God declaring that He alone is the judge of the earth. Its for our own good.If we were to question God's fairness in His decree of sin, it is possible that we would try to take on the role of God. However, we must remember that God does not explain Himself. He simply states that He is a God of salvation and that, in order to restore balance to the world, He must curse sin in order to protect His people from its curse. By taking this action, God is able to protect His people from the harmful effects of sin while still allowing them to experience salvation.When you were raising kids, you probably found that it was best to only discipline them for the most important things. You let other things slide because you knew they were just immature and would pass with time. So you didn't become overbearing. The Bible warns us against covering up a multitude of sins. So by distancing ourselves from being the arbitrators of ultimate justice, and by recognizing that God has both blessed and cursed some, saints are able to empathize with all men. God has given saints all the freedom to fail and move on, by taking on the responsibility of being the ultimate arbitrator himself.
No comments:
Post a Comment