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| GOD HAD A PROBLEM TOO
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#108
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In the New Testament, those who are “in Christ” are granted
the tremendous privilege of being forgiven of sins. Ephesians
1:7 reads, “In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of our trespasses ....” Obviously, the
forgiveness of sins is available, and it appears that God has a
great desire to give His children another chance. But still, we
wonder why this blessing came at such tremendous cost. Hebrews
9:22 says, “Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
Why did Jesus have to die on the cross before this privilege
could become reality? The answer to this question is found in an
unavoidable dilemma our Heavenly Father faced from the beginning
of time.
God’s problem begins with the motive for His
creation. The apostle John considered the outstanding
characteristic of God to be “love” (I John 4:8). We might
speculate, then, that the motive behind creation was God’s
desire to love and to be loved. Undoubtedly, God wanted mankind
to love and obey Him; but we could never do so unless we were
granted freedom of choice. You see, love is a choice. And where
there is no choice, there can be no love. But, where there is
choice, there will always be the problem of sin. Of course, God
could have created beings without this freedom; who were
programmed to always do, say, and be exactly what He
wanted. If He had, then sin would have never become a problem.
However, love could also have never been a possibility. And
without love, the whole reason for creation would be eliminated.
So there had to be freedom of choice.
What, then, would God do about sin? Would He condemn and
banish every soul that sinned? If so, then He would never have
had a people with whom to share His love. Creation would have
been for nothing. Would He forgive every person who sinned and
remain in union with them all? Even the rebellious and those who
were hateful toward God? Even those who actually desired no
relationship with Him? That would be as bad as the first
alternative and totally unthinkable. But, if He forgave some
sinners and not others, that would make Him a partial judge --
unfair and unjust. The question, then, is this: How could God
impose a penalty upon sin and disobedience yet still be fair if
He rescued those who loved and sought Him?
Undoubtedly, our Heavenly Father realized all of this
before He began the process of creation. He already knew the
solution to the problem before the problem was ever a problem.
The apostle Peter explained that the sacrifice of Christ was
“foreknown before the foundation of the world” (I Peter 1:20).
But, again we face the question of WHY? Why did the death of
Jesus on the cross solve this great problem?
In Romans 3:25-26, Paul explained why Jesus died on the
cross. He said it was to demonstrate that God was righteous even
though He had “passed over the sins previously committed.” You
see, from the time of Adam to the time of Christ, God had
allowed human beings to continue upon the earth even though they
all were sinners. In light of this, God had an enemy who was
constantly in His face, reminding Him how unrighteous He was to
let this go on. In Revelation 12:10 this enemy is called “the
accuser of our brethren ... who accuses them before
our God day and night.” This adversary was not only reminding
God of the sinfulness of mankind, but was also accusing God
Himself of being unfair and unjust in His dealings with men. In
the first chapter of Job, Satan comes right into heaven and
tells Almighty God that He has blessed this mortal man with far
too much. We have to wonder how this rebellious and sinful angel
could so freely roam both heaven and earth while laying
accusations against both God and His people. Obviously, this was
all a part of God’s problem. Satan’s accusations had to be
answered and Satan’s rebelliousness had to be dealt with, along
with all other sins of mankind.
The message of the New Testament writers unanimously agree
that the death of Christ on the cross solved all of these
problems. Revelation 12:7-11 reveals that Satan was
defeated and cast out of God’s presence because of the blood of
Christ. I Peter 1:18-19 explains that God’s people were
purchased back to Him with the precious blood of Christ. In
Romans 3:24-26, Paul declares that the sacrificial death of
Christ solved God’s problem and ours. Somehow, it showed
God to be fair in His dealings with sin, and, it allowed us to
be innocent in His sight if we have faith in Jesus.
In our next study, we shall consider exactly HOW IT IS
that the death of Jesus accomplished these things and why
Salvation is Only in Christ.
| Bible
Probe |
GOD HAD A
PROBLEM TOO |
108
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1. Agree/Disagree: It seems probable that the motive behind
creation was God’s desire to love and to be loved. (I John 4:8)
2. Why do you think God allowed mankind to have freedom of
choice?
3. If God condemned and banished every person that sinned, how
many people would be left to enjoy a loving relationship with
Him?
4. Why would it be unthinkable for the Lord to excuse every
single person that sinned?
5. Before the atonement of Christ’s death, why would it have
been “unjust” for God to forgive and pardon some sinners while
condemning others?
6. Do you believe that God understood this dilemma before the
first man was ever created? (I Peter 1:18-20)
7. Did the Lord believe it was important that He solve this
problem in a fair and righteous manner? (Romans 3:24-26)
8. Who tried to take advantage of the apparent injustice with
which God treated mankind? (Revelation 12:7-10; Job 1)
9. Until the time of Christ’s death on the cross, how do you
think “the adversary” was able to “get away with” his own
wickedness?
10. How would you sum up the problem that God needed to solve at
Calvary?
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Your Bible questions answered here.