Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Orange Moon Wednesday, December 29, 2021 "The Worst Evil, the Greatest Good"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…


"The Worst Evil, the Greatest Good"


     Good is good.  Evil is evil.  The line of demarcation between the two realities is precisely and forever fixed in spiritual and moral substance.  Thus,  the God who "is good" does not determine, cause, or even tempt anyone to sin (Psalm 100:5).  Moreover, His character, nature, and way are pristinely perfect to the degree He cannot even be enticed to sin.

    "He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He" (Deuteronomy 32:4).
    "Let no man say when He is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man" (James 1:13).

   No greater error exists than the assigning of responsibility for moral evil to God.  Indeed, the very first devilish temptation of humanity involves Satan's besmirching the Lord's character by suggesting to Eve that her Creator withheld something something of benefit to she and Adam (Genesis 3:5).  The devil implied evil in God's character by slandering His ways.  Thus, as we seek to understand our Lord's working in all things, we must assiduously avoid proposing even the slightest sense of culpability to Him for the wrongs of either devils or people.  No more more deluded or dangerous darkness exists in our understanding of our Lord, or our response to Him.

    "As for God, His way is perfect" (II Samuel 22:31).

   Such vital awareness notwithstanding, the truth remains that our Heavenly Father, without causing evil, works in all things to fulfill "the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:11).  The cross of Calvary most confirms this universal undertaking of God's heart and hand.  The Lord's suffering and death at the hands of humanity constitutes the greatest evil that has ever occurred, or will occur.  "This is your hour, and the power of darkness" said the Lord to those whose wicked actions led to the cross (Luke 22:53).  When thinking of evil, we must first venture to Calvary, where "the power of darkness" most enshrouded the world with moral wrong.  The sinful murdered the Sinless, thus revealing the magnitude of devilish and human immorality.

   However, Christ's suffering and death also transpired through the purposes of Another.  "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2:23).  Our Heavenly Father, knowing that which would transpire if He sent His Son into the world, nevertheless did so according to His wisdom and the purpose of establishing the hope of eternal redemption for sinners.  Thereby, God unveiled the clearest revelation of His nature of love and grace, namely, the worst evil of devils and humanity becomes the wondrous means of revealing His greatest good.  "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Romans 5:20).

   This would be a good moment for us all, whether physically or within our hearts, to fall to our faces in adoring and awed wonder.  "Oh the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.  How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33).  How can such a Being of such love, grace, goodness, righteousness, holiness, justice, wisdom, understanding, and power even exist???  How can the God "of purer eyes than to behold evil" nevertheless fulfill His purposes through evil no less than by good? (Habbakuk 1:13).  How can the moral horror of the cross become the very hope for our becoming "the righteousness of God in Him?" (II Corinthians 5:21).  How can the utter injustice of Calvary fulfill the justice of God to the degree He becomes "just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus?" (Romans 3:26).  How can the Prince of life have suffered death through our bloody hands, resulting in His pierced hands that makes possible the redemption of our hearts?  How can our sin have opened a portal into the heart of God so sublime that angels desire to look therein to see the grace only the cross could have brought into view? (I Peter 1:12).  How can the worst evil have served as a means whereby God brought forth the greatest good????  We could go and and on in the contemplation…

    And we will.  Forever…

    "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved), and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."
(Ephesians 2:4-7)

Weekly Memory Verse
   Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
(Romans 4:8)

 





































6396





















































No comments: