One of the great misconceptions, or great deceptions, that people have about God is that if he knows everything why does he allow bad things to happen?
Depending upon who you listen to or what you have heard or been told about God … He may or may not answer prayers, he may or may not do something good for you or that certain things found in the Bible do not apply to our lives today. I hope what you are about to read will help you to better understand how God really is and that He is always ready to move in the live of a believer.
I would like to begin with 2 Peter :1-4 (KJV) … “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
These four verses tell a lot about what love God and the Lord Jesus Christ have for people: grace and peace which come by knowledge, all things that pertain to life and godliness, a calling to glory and virtue and exceeding great and precious promises. Why? To be partakers of the divine nature!
There is much that I could share about God’s nature but I will keep this fairly simple and according to scripture.
Point 1 … God proved his love for man through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus and as a result became the perfect sacrifice for the sin of mankind. John 3:16-17 states: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” This is powerful in that it points out that it was God’s choice on how to save mankind. It was by his precious son Jesus Christ!
Contrast this with Abraham and his son Isaac in Genesis 22. We find in verse 2 that Abraham was tested (tried) by God who told him to take his son Isaac (the child promised by faith) to an appointed mountain and “… offer him there for a burnt offering.” Bear in mind that Isaac was old enough to ask the question “where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” They arrived at the appointed place and Abraham built the altar, bound Isaac and laid him upon the altar upon the wood (vs. 10). Abraham was about to carry through and even raised his knife when the angel of the Lord said, in so many words, “stop, don’t do it!” The angel told Abraham in the last half of vs. 12 “… For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”
What follows is very important to note. Because of Abraham’s obedience and faith toward God a ram was provided for the sacrifice, Isaac lived and God’s resulting blessing to Abraham was incredible. “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” (vs. 17-18).
This served as a forerunner (type or shadow) of what Jesus would do in that he became the perfect sacrifice for man’s sin.
Point 2 … God’s love and power changes our lives. Romans 2:4 says “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” We can see plainly that it is God’s goodness that leads us to repent (have a change of mind or thinking) and that we cannot do it on our own. The point here is that we are unable to deal with our sin nature which God obviously knows. He gives us numerous chances in our lifetimes but all too often we blow it off. There does come a point in time when people will have lost the opportunity to ask for, and receive, salvation.
An example to consider concerns Saul, later to be known as Paul the apostle. A quick summary of Saul is this: a religious man who set out to find and imprison Christians. It did not matter if some died because he consented to their deaths. In Acts 9 Saul was on the road to Damascus looking for more Christians. However, he had an encounter that changed his life forever. He became blinded by a great light, wound up on the ground and heard the Lord himself speak to him these words “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Saul replied, “Who art thou, Lord?” The reply must have been staggering to Saul … “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” The rest is history because Saul would go on to serve the Lord and write about two thirds of the New Testament.
Point 3 … God only has good for mankind. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (being, creation): old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” Please note an exchange between Jesus and two of his disciples, James and John, found in Luke 9. James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven and consume those people who opposed Jesus. Verses 55 – 56: “But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” And they went to another village.
I encourage you to consider what you have read and ask God to give you understanding. It is very obvious that people have not been taught how God really is and that he has a very good plan for each person. Read the verses I have referenced but also the verses that appear before and following. It is very important that you read the Bible for yourself and not simply rely on what doctrine you were raised under or what people have told you. Finally, in John 8:31 -32 Jesus said “… If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Blessings,
JR