The Everlasting Covenant
The Covenant of God to redeem mankind, as presented throughout history.
| Home Covenants: Old and New | Email | Print |
|
13.7 Come Now and Let Us Reason Together
by Hubert F. Sturges, www.everlastingcovenant.com, October 2009
by Hubert F. Sturges, www.everlastingcovenant.com, October 2009
Topics:
How do we Know that God Exists?
How do we Know that the Bible it True?
Why Did God Give Men and Angels Free Will?
How do we Know that the Bible it True?
Why Did God Give Men and Angels Free Will?
Why did not God Deal with Sin when it First Arose?
What did Jesus Do when He died on the Cross?
How Does Jesus’ Sacrifice Affect My Life?
What did Jesus Do when He died on the Cross?
How Does Jesus’ Sacrifice Affect My Life?
In this article I will discuss:
Who is God, and does He exist?
Why did He give men and angels free will?
Why did God not deal immediately and conclusively when sin arose?
What did Jesus do when He died on the Cross?
What is the process by which a man is saved? What does it mean to be born again? To be a new creature?
What place does decision, consent, faith, and grace play in salvation?
Are these things a work?
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18, KJV)
How do we Know that God Exists?
The Bible does not “prove” God, but rather “declares” Him. Obviously, a declaration is not necessarily proved. Thus it is open to question. An important aspect of this is that:
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, KJV).
There is that word – faith. What is faith? Faith is a gift from God, that exercised is the basis of an intuitive relationship with God. Through faith a person becomes a Friend of God. It is by having faith in God, experiencing Him in the life, that the Bible declaration of God becomes a reality in the life. Thus we know that God exists by faith. Yet it is faith that rests on evidence.
How do we Know that the Bible is True?
The Bible is the message of God given to prophets, who then use their own language to pass on what God has said. Thus it is a combination of the human and divine. This same approach is used in the Creation of this world, in that God not only created this world, but that He continues to support His creation through laws that He has established. Human beings are created in the image of God. Through frequent communication, they were to become more and more like Him. Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, became a man that He might show men what God is like, and by His sacrifice on Calvary open the door to salvation to all men.
The combination of the human and the divine is an important aspect of God in His relation to all that He has created.
When you believe that God exists, and is Creator and Sustainer of His Creation, you begin to believe also what He has said in the Bible. Then we observe objective facts: The beauty, intricacies, and balance of Nature declare the Creator God. Men and nations that believe in God and keep His laws are blessed and prospered. The great majority of the prophecies in the Bible are fulfilled to the exact letter. (I say “great majority” as some prophecies are “conditional” and depend on the response of the people.)
Why Did God Give Men and Angels Free Will?
Why did God create living beings at all? Wasn’t there enough in the starry heavens to satisfy His taste for beauty and order?
First, God is love. Love cannot exist in a vacuum, there must be an object for love. This love was returned by all the creatures that He made – but it was an instinctive love, and lacked creativity. Then He made Angels and Men. With free choice love and praise became a willing choice. Being in the image of God, they had creativity, and their love and praise constantly took new directions. Heaven and earth became interesting places to be!
Did God limit His sovereignty in giving free will? Yes! I believe He did. Did He weaken his position and authority? No! He did not. By His willing choice to give free will to men and angels He could only expand His sovereignty and strengthen His position. Sinless beings naturally were devoted to God, and used all their creativity to bring honor and glory to His name!
The government of God was thus based on His love, and on the freedom to choose and the creativity He gave to men and to angels. This aspect of Creation was so important that God would not step outside of His plan to deal summarily when evil arose. He would permit evil to be fully developed so that men and angels, even evil men and angels, would eventually confess the love, mercy, and justice of God. (This did not change the fact that evil men and angels had chosen death in rebelling against God.) Because of this patience of God, His government will be firmly established for eternity.
Why did not God Deal with Sin when it First Arose?
It is easy for us to imagine that God, being all powerful, did not have the power to deal with sin immediately when it first arose. And not only is it easy to imagine, we have the examples of the Flood, the Tower of Babel, and Sodom and Gomorrah as to how it could be done. Why did He not exercise His power and stop sin immediately?
The previous section gives us a hint. The government of God is based on law, certainly, but it also operates on the basis if love, persuasion, and freedom to choose. God desires a creation that serves Him willingly out of heart felt love.
It is Satan’s charge that God is capricious, arbitrary, and selfish. To deal with sin and sinners as some have suggested would serve only to lend support to these charges. Men and Angels would then serve God out of fear. But choosing to let Satan develop his plans and demonstrate his methods would present to the universe a clear choice as to the love and harmony in the plan of God. Love, persuasion, and freedom would be seen as far superior, and conducive to a happy life. Satan, in carrying his plans to the point of attempting to murder the Son of God clearly revealed the result of a rule of force and greed, and eliminated any remaining trace of sympathy he might have had with the angels in heaven.
When Christ came to earth, lived a sinless life, and gave of Himself as a sacrifice on Calvary, He showed the depths of self-sacrificing love. In the New Earth, when we learn more and more of what that means, our love and praise to Him will know no bounds. While we will still have the power of choice, knowing what our salvation cost will be a barrier against sin that we will never cross.
What did Jesus Do when He died on the Cross?
There is a somewhat popular concept that Jesus came to earth, and died on Calvary to show us what God is like. That He is a God of love. But there was nothing to indicate that He died FOR us.
Yet, there are numerous references using words like redeem, ransom, paid for, etc. pointing to the substitutionary aspect of His death. The very sacrificial system of the Old Testament Hebrews points to this. Sacrificing a lamb for sin tells us nothing about “how good God is” except in the promise of the sacrifice of His Son. And it tells us everything about His substitutionary death for us.
“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18)
This verse tells us that in the free gift of Jesus Christ we have life. There are other verses that emphasize this aspect. This free gift was given to Adam and Eve after they sinned in Eden.
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).
Because of their sin, Adam and Eve had forfeited their dominion to Satan, and had become themselves slaves to Satan. But Christ came with the covenant. He would write the law in their hearts (put enmity between thee and the woman) and would destroy sin and sinners through His own suffering.
This was a remarkable event. Satan had won dominion of this earth, and taken mastery over the human race. Then Jesus Christ comes and “buys back” the human race, on the basis of the sacrifice He would make far in the future.
There are several aspects to this event. Adam and Eve would have a desire to do right, yet still suffer the temptations of the evil one. They were free to choose in this way either Christ or Satan. They were given a new probation, a second chance to choose Whom they would serve.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary would atone for the sins of the human race – of all who would confess His name. The covenant of God throughout the Old Testament was now confirmed (Hebrews 9:15). All the sacrifices for sin in the Old Testament period were now made effective. All the decisions for Christ made during the probationary time given to Adam and Eve were now confirmed.
Men now stood before the throne of God without condemnation.
How Does Jesus’ Sacrifice Affect My Life?
This is the area that requires real study, thought, reasoning, and logic. It is so important, so critical to Christian living, that there are many books on the matter. I will present some thoughts from what the Bible says to me:
This is discussed at some length in the following articles: www.144000.cc/10salvation.htm , and www.144000.cc/20grace.htm , and www.144000.cc/30overcomer.htm . Note that it is .cc not .com.
(More to follow)
Who is God, and does He exist?
Why did He give men and angels free will?
Why did God not deal immediately and conclusively when sin arose?
What did Jesus do when He died on the Cross?
What is the process by which a man is saved? What does it mean to be born again? To be a new creature?
What place does decision, consent, faith, and grace play in salvation?
Are these things a work?
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18, KJV)
How do we Know that God Exists?
The Bible does not “prove” God, but rather “declares” Him. Obviously, a declaration is not necessarily proved. Thus it is open to question. An important aspect of this is that:
“Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6, KJV).
There is that word – faith. What is faith? Faith is a gift from God, that exercised is the basis of an intuitive relationship with God. Through faith a person becomes a Friend of God. It is by having faith in God, experiencing Him in the life, that the Bible declaration of God becomes a reality in the life. Thus we know that God exists by faith. Yet it is faith that rests on evidence.
How do we Know that the Bible is True?
The Bible is the message of God given to prophets, who then use their own language to pass on what God has said. Thus it is a combination of the human and divine. This same approach is used in the Creation of this world, in that God not only created this world, but that He continues to support His creation through laws that He has established. Human beings are created in the image of God. Through frequent communication, they were to become more and more like Him. Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, became a man that He might show men what God is like, and by His sacrifice on Calvary open the door to salvation to all men.
The combination of the human and the divine is an important aspect of God in His relation to all that He has created.
When you believe that God exists, and is Creator and Sustainer of His Creation, you begin to believe also what He has said in the Bible. Then we observe objective facts: The beauty, intricacies, and balance of Nature declare the Creator God. Men and nations that believe in God and keep His laws are blessed and prospered. The great majority of the prophecies in the Bible are fulfilled to the exact letter. (I say “great majority” as some prophecies are “conditional” and depend on the response of the people.)
Why Did God Give Men and Angels Free Will?
Why did God create living beings at all? Wasn’t there enough in the starry heavens to satisfy His taste for beauty and order?
First, God is love. Love cannot exist in a vacuum, there must be an object for love. This love was returned by all the creatures that He made – but it was an instinctive love, and lacked creativity. Then He made Angels and Men. With free choice love and praise became a willing choice. Being in the image of God, they had creativity, and their love and praise constantly took new directions. Heaven and earth became interesting places to be!
Did God limit His sovereignty in giving free will? Yes! I believe He did. Did He weaken his position and authority? No! He did not. By His willing choice to give free will to men and angels He could only expand His sovereignty and strengthen His position. Sinless beings naturally were devoted to God, and used all their creativity to bring honor and glory to His name!
The government of God was thus based on His love, and on the freedom to choose and the creativity He gave to men and to angels. This aspect of Creation was so important that God would not step outside of His plan to deal summarily when evil arose. He would permit evil to be fully developed so that men and angels, even evil men and angels, would eventually confess the love, mercy, and justice of God. (This did not change the fact that evil men and angels had chosen death in rebelling against God.) Because of this patience of God, His government will be firmly established for eternity.
Why did not God Deal with Sin when it First Arose?
It is easy for us to imagine that God, being all powerful, did not have the power to deal with sin immediately when it first arose. And not only is it easy to imagine, we have the examples of the Flood, the Tower of Babel, and Sodom and Gomorrah as to how it could be done. Why did He not exercise His power and stop sin immediately?
The previous section gives us a hint. The government of God is based on law, certainly, but it also operates on the basis if love, persuasion, and freedom to choose. God desires a creation that serves Him willingly out of heart felt love.
It is Satan’s charge that God is capricious, arbitrary, and selfish. To deal with sin and sinners as some have suggested would serve only to lend support to these charges. Men and Angels would then serve God out of fear. But choosing to let Satan develop his plans and demonstrate his methods would present to the universe a clear choice as to the love and harmony in the plan of God. Love, persuasion, and freedom would be seen as far superior, and conducive to a happy life. Satan, in carrying his plans to the point of attempting to murder the Son of God clearly revealed the result of a rule of force and greed, and eliminated any remaining trace of sympathy he might have had with the angels in heaven.
When Christ came to earth, lived a sinless life, and gave of Himself as a sacrifice on Calvary, He showed the depths of self-sacrificing love. In the New Earth, when we learn more and more of what that means, our love and praise to Him will know no bounds. While we will still have the power of choice, knowing what our salvation cost will be a barrier against sin that we will never cross.
What did Jesus Do when He died on the Cross?
There is a somewhat popular concept that Jesus came to earth, and died on Calvary to show us what God is like. That He is a God of love. But there was nothing to indicate that He died FOR us.
Yet, there are numerous references using words like redeem, ransom, paid for, etc. pointing to the substitutionary aspect of His death. The very sacrificial system of the Old Testament Hebrews points to this. Sacrificing a lamb for sin tells us nothing about “how good God is” except in the promise of the sacrifice of His Son. And it tells us everything about His substitutionary death for us.
“Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18)
This verse tells us that in the free gift of Jesus Christ we have life. There are other verses that emphasize this aspect. This free gift was given to Adam and Eve after they sinned in Eden.
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).
Because of their sin, Adam and Eve had forfeited their dominion to Satan, and had become themselves slaves to Satan. But Christ came with the covenant. He would write the law in their hearts (put enmity between thee and the woman) and would destroy sin and sinners through His own suffering.
This was a remarkable event. Satan had won dominion of this earth, and taken mastery over the human race. Then Jesus Christ comes and “buys back” the human race, on the basis of the sacrifice He would make far in the future.
There are several aspects to this event. Adam and Eve would have a desire to do right, yet still suffer the temptations of the evil one. They were free to choose in this way either Christ or Satan. They were given a new probation, a second chance to choose Whom they would serve.
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary would atone for the sins of the human race – of all who would confess His name. The covenant of God throughout the Old Testament was now confirmed (Hebrews 9:15). All the sacrifices for sin in the Old Testament period were now made effective. All the decisions for Christ made during the probationary time given to Adam and Eve were now confirmed.
Men now stood before the throne of God without condemnation.
How Does Jesus’ Sacrifice Affect My Life?
This is the area that requires real study, thought, reasoning, and logic. It is so important, so critical to Christian living, that there are many books on the matter. I will present some thoughts from what the Bible says to me:
This is discussed at some length in the following articles: www.144000.cc/10salvation.htm , and www.144000.cc/20grace.htm , and www.144000.cc/30overcomer.htm . Note that it is .cc not .com.
(More to follow)
This is an article in preparation. It is posted for your interest.
Email the Author to ask questions? or to make comments !
The New Covenant
Articles In this section