Book 3 of Musings Perfectly sensible
Everything God does is perfectly sensible and perfectly righteous, even though it does not always appear to be so to our rebellious minds.
Those of us who have walked with the Lord for a number of years know how many times we have been perplexed over the Lord's working. This is not always true, Sometimes-perhaps most of the time-we can see the reason for the things that happen to us.
There are occasions, however, when we are mystified. A child or young person dies. There are problems in the church; problems on the job. A great tragedy may befall a Christian family.
We think of the five missionaries who had prepared themselves to bring Christ to the Auca Indians, only to be slain at the outset.
In today's paper the account is given of a bus full of teenagers that was blown up in Israel. One fourteen-year-old girl who was killed was active in promoting friendship between Israeli and Palestinian young people.
We know God is well able to prevent incidents like this. You would think He would protect a young person who was seeking an end to the destructive hostilities.
For that matter, consider the world of today. Horrible crimes are being committed in America at this time. The perpetrators behave like wild beasts with no regard for human life. Yesterday two little children were found locked in a garage. They were naked. The garage was filthy. There were no sanitary provisions.
"How could a loving God who loves children permit this to happen?" we ask.
Do you know, there are people who will not accept Christ because they blame God for what is taking place in the world? Or they say there cannot be a God, in the light of the crimes against humanity that take place every day.
The answer to questions of that kind are answered by the sight of the Son of God on the cross. God so loved the world that He gave His Son. Who could accuse God of indifference after Calvary?
Why, then, since He has all power, does God permit the suffering and insanity to continue?
First of all, we have to declare that whether we understand why God acts as He does, we know He is righteous and what He permits to happen is for our good. We make that statement by faith. Such a declaration, based on little other than our assessment of God's character, is a force that overcomes the Accuser.
God is good. We cry that in the face of the worldwide practice of forcing children into sexual slavery; we cry that when there are gross miscarriages of justice; we cry that when the great sewer pipes of Hollywood, California continue to pour out their moral filth, when the American government is unable to eliminate the child pornography on the Internet.
God is good, righteous, and sensible in all He does. Once we make that declaration with no hesitation, we can begin to understand a little of why God permits such destruction to continue, when he could stop it with one word of His mouth.
God is accomplishing many thing by allowing the world to continue in its drunken vomit.
There are two major purposes that are being fulfilled: first, God is portraying His wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms; second, God is forming kings who will govern along with the Lord Jesus Christ all the works of God's hands.
As far as the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms are concerned, they evidently call God's wisdom and power into question. We don't hear a great deal of teaching about the rebellion of the angels, but much that has taken place since Satan and his followers rebelled has been a reaction to that rebellion.
The giving of the Ten Commandments, for example, is a reaction to the satanic rebellion.
The whole idea of creating creatures from the dust of the ground, then testing them in every conceivable way, and finally directing the angels to minister to them, is a reaction to the rebellion.
The revelation of God's purpose is coming through people on the earth. As preachers on the earth give voice to the Spirit of revelation, Heaven listens and learns.
We suppose when we go to Heaven we will understand everything. Not so. When people who are waiting for the pre-tribulation rapture die and go to Heaven, they still believe in the pre-tribulation rapture. We don't learn just by the mere fact of dying.
The heavens have to wait for the purposes of God to be revealed through His saints on the earth.
So all of Heaven is watching, the wicked angels and the righteous angels, to learn of the wisdom of God.
We on earth are just vehicles that God is using to demonstrate his wisdom to those highly placed beings in the heavenlies who seem to be unsure of the wisdom and goodness of God.
The reason evil is permitted to continue on the earth is to demonstrate what is in Satan's personality, so all of Heaven can see the folly of Satan. The Father is portraying to the heavenly rulers the end of those who follow the heavenly Absalom.
The second major purpose of God in permitting evil to continue on the earth is to perfect kings who will govern along with the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is said commonly among Christians that we will rule with Christ. This is true. What we don't refer to as often is the terribly strict training that a king must endure.
We have to be tested in every conceivable manner. Our obedience to the Father must be proven beyond doubt. We must be absolutely free from worldliness, the lusts and passions of the flesh and soul, and self-will. Otherwise we are not qualified to be one of God's kings.
When we consider the need for our training, the kind of transformation we must endure, we readily can see the need for the pains and problems we encounter. Sin is destroyed from our personality. We learn to live in Christ, in the power of His resurrection. We learn of the dependability of Christ and God. We learn these while living in the valley of the shadow of death. We are trained in obedience! obedience! obedience!
God, in order to show the scorn He has for His enemies, prepares a table for us in the midst of them.
There is nothing they can do. They have been outwitted at every turn, provided we have remained faithful to God.
So we hold fast our faith in the wisdom, power, and kindness of God. We do not look at Satan or his works. We do not fret about them. We see that the whole earth is filled with the Glory of God. God has proven Himself to us.
We are to proclaim God's Person, His will, His way, and His eternal purpose in Christ by our every thought, word, and action. We overcome the accuser by doing so.
Let those who wish to do so, find fault with God. But as for us, we will continue to glorify Him who alone is good, righteous, and sensible in all He has done, is doing, and yet shall do.
One thing more-it appears we are heading toward a war with Iraq (March 7, 2003). We must keep in mind that when people are killed it is not the end of them. They all are in God's hands.
They will be placed where they fit in the spirit realm. They will rise in the Day of Resurrection. If they have done good, they will rise to live in the Presence of God. If they have done evil, they will rise to face Divine judgment.
No one is gone from our sight forever. For a brief season we cannot see them, but they are all around us in the spirit realm. Let us who lose loved ones in the coming days take comfort in that fact.
His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, (Ephesians 3:10)