Even though sin and guilt are forgiven and removed, temporary consequences remain. The ongoing sin of mankind continually reminds us of our innate sinfulness and fosters an opportunity for God to lovingly discipline people with a view to promote reconciliation. As a dutiful father disciplines his son because he loves him and wants what is best for him, so also God disciplines His children. He loves each and every one of us as we are made in His image and likeness. Man is His offspring. As a godly father patiently establishes an appropriate environment for learning through a combination of affirmation and discipline that expands in scope as the child matures, so also God has established the fallen world as a comprehensive learning environment in which we can learn of sin, judgment, and righteousness.
God desires us to be reconciled to Himself. To that end, He has brilliantly crafted the world with all its features and cycles to appeal to the intellect and will which we all possess. He requires that we willingly seek Him. As we reflect on the cycles of nature, the course of mankind, the demise of our earth and the next life, we can begin to see God’s revelation come into focus. Instead of acting as a powerful slave trader who redeemed us only to force his will on us as his slaves, God acts as a loving father who welcomes us back and provides love and security counting us as His heirs. For our own benefit, He provided physical and spiritual death so we would experience and understand the loss of fellowship with our Creator and long for this reconciliation. All the time, Christ was (and is) present and sustaining life for humanity. God allows us to sin and fail so we can understand that we cannot make it alone. It is when we trust entirely in the finished Work of Christ that we can experience peace with God and rest in His righteousness. This is a concept that needs to develop over the course of time. It may be compared to a young adult who realizes that the discipline received during childhood was for his own benefit. Once that light comes on, there is a higher level of understanding which results in a new appreciation and respect for his parents.
Next Section: One Cause, Two Effects
Table of Contents: The Last Adam
Text for this post has been borrowed from my Kindle eBook The Last Adam (Book 1 of the Grace and Knowledge Series), by Brother Woody Brohm. Copyright 2012.
I’ve included the full text of the book on this blog and you are free to read the book in this format if you please. Just follow the Next Section Link or view the Table of Contents to skip to wherever you prefer.
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
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