I love answering questions people ask me on this blog or on Twitter. I’m not saying I have the full or complete answer ever, but I do know I have more questions than most people have time to think about.
A few days ago, someone asked me this on Twitter. I’ve just been able to put together an answer now. Here’s the question she subsequently emailed me:
How come we all became sinners after the fall? No choice in the matter.
But to have eternal life we HAVE to make a choice. It just doesn’t seem very fair.(not that God is always fair) Would love an answer.
The first thing I want to affirm is that when creation was completed with us God said it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Every other day ended with “it was good.” When we were created it was “very good.” We need to remember:
- God made us very good.
- He takes His delight in us (Psalm 149:4).
- He made us for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11).
- He doesn’t delight in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11).
- He delights in showing unfailing love (Micah 7:8).
All of this is amazing when we consider what we know of the holiness of God. God is so good and so holy and so loving that He allows Himself to be described as:
God IS good.
God IS holy.
God IS love.
These aren’t just descriptions but are attributes of Him.
Now the question seems to focus on the academic and we all can be offended when our logic is questioned. So I am asking you to read on knowing I’m trying hard not to give you pat answers, and that I’ve needed to extend this into another post because there is so much to cover.
One common derivative of this question is:
How can a good, holy and loving God, let people go to hell?
It’s a question that misses the revelation of His goodness, the experience of His holiness, and the tangibleness of His love.
God has done everything to bring us into right relationship with Him and satisfy the penalty for sin. We don’t have to work out our justification (removing the guilt), or redemption (paying the price of sin), or propitiation (washing the sin away), or reconciliation (make friends again with God) or even, expiation (satisfying the demands of God) because of what Christ did. We are holy, because He is Holy.
God cares more about grace than He does about fairness.
Don’t allow an offense against your logic to keep you from experiencing and knowing the delight the Father has for you. He will reveal it to you in ways you’ll grasp but never fully understand.
I’ll answer the question more in the next post. Love to hear your comments on how it’s going so far.
I’m Trevor Lund, a Christian Writer, Christian Speaker and Lead Dreamer for Expectancy Ministries. My passion is imparting hope and empowering destiny in others. Get resources for fasting for negativity from www.LifeAbovetheNegativity.com
Connect with me online.
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It’s true you do like to answer questions. I reached out to you randomly on twitter after my cousin went through some hard times. I was more upset by her travails than she was. You took out a huge chunk of your personal time to answer my question. And I am a Jew!!!! My cousin is Christian and that is why I came to you. You did not turn me away and were very compasstionate, thank you.
Charlotte,
Thanks so much. I meant to mention to you that if your cousin is up to it, I’d love to send her an advanced copy of my next book “How to Hope at the End of the Rope” I think it will have some encouraging thoughts and tools for her situation. Email me if she (or you) want a pre-pub copy. All I’d require is your honest feedback.