The Mystery of God’s Will
In the good providence of God, I have been born into an era and a geographical location where there is access to a divine record of the thoughts and plans of God for His creation.
Again, in the good providence of God, the eyes of my understanding have been opened to the truths of the gospel, as were those of Lydia, and I have bowed beneath His aweful eye!
My personal response is that of the poet who said, “…why was I made to hear His voice and enter while there’s room, while millions make a wretched choice, and rather die than come…?”
From that perspective, I read the text of scripture and notice two irrefutable truths: the Sovereignty of God, and the Responsibility of Man.
In my readings, I see it everywhere. This morning, I read in 2 Kings 24ff of Israel’s continued rebellion and subsequent captivity in Babylon. Yet, I read where God has fore-ordained it, even engineered it!
Then, I read in the last chapters of 2 Chronicles the reality of Jeremiah’s prophecy of the length of Israel’s captivity and the foreordination of Cyrus’ actions in their release!
How are these seemingly “contradictions” reconciled?
I have learned they are one of “perspective”! There is no contradiction!
As a creature, I view them from the perspective of a “creature”. I have been created to be “responsible”, and responsible to my Creator. I was not created to be an “independent” being. I will always have to “answer” to one higher than myself, in time and in eternity.
I read this divine record, i.e. the holy scriptures, as a creature.
As a creature, and while I read, I recognize, by virtue of the Creator’s enlightenment, the Creator is not subject to anyone, Nay, anything; and is, in fact, in absolute control of every aspect of His creation!
The temptation, because of Adam’s stain, is to rebel and believe that I am “…one who determines good and evil…”. It is at this juncture, perspective is lost!
God is the one who is in control of every aspect of His creation. He is the One who determines “good and evil”. He is the One who determined to “…make man in His image…”, bestowing upon us ‘reason and rationality’. In the good providence of God, we, men and women, “KNOW”, the creature/Creator distinction, yet rebel against it…just as did Lucifer.
The other day, someone asked me, “…what is the abundant life referred to in John 10:10…?”
For me, it is the progressive realization of this creature/Creator distinction on this side of the veil of death.
‘…Why was I made to hear His voice…?
Pearcey Report
3 comments:
And isn't it interesting that God chose to interact with us on both levels. He could have always dealt with us only as creatures, yet every once in a while he pulled back the curtain and let us see things from his perspective.
And what is our normal response? I want to be the Wizard!
Like the counsel of the Priest in the movie "Rudy", there are two irrefutable truths I've learned. One, there is a God, and two, I am not him.
I appreciate this perspective. I was listening to a reformed preacher on the way home yesterday on WFIL. It's not that often they get air time. He did an excellent job in articulating God's sovereignty. Accepting this aspect of God is one thing, understanding it and articulating it is another. It just validates the importance of the Word being in you.
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