Ezekiel 18:23, 31
23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!
There is so much darkness in our world. This didn't just begin in the last few years - it's been happening all along. As a result, many people question God. Does God really exist? If He does exist is He really good? If He is really good, why is there so much evil in the world - why doesn't He just stop it, destroy it, or send it away for good? These are really good questions. How do we answer them?
The first answer comes in the form of a question: where does evil (wickedness) come from? Jesus deals with this in Mark 7.
"It is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person" (verses 21-23).
The problem is the fallen-ness, the evil, of the human heart. All of us have one - no one is exempt.
So, what would it look like for God to do away with evil for good? Death…the destruction of the human heart by destroying people. This is clearly not God's desire. He takes no pleasure in the death wicked. What pleases Him is when the evil, obstinate, heart of stone dies and a new heart with a new spirit lives. Our Loving Father, in all His mercy, is waiting for the creation that He loves to repent, turn to Him, and find the life they have been seeking since the beginning. He's "leaving the light on" waiting for His children to come home.
In the meantime, people express the very things on their hearts, both good and evil. There is a lot of darkness around us. But, I see the beauty of God's mercy in His patient waiting and waiting for us to "get it." It's like the cartoonist's light bulb that turns on when a person finally understands. And that light is what we lovingly and humbly share with others. It's the reality that we don't have to live in the dark anymore. For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life…In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. (John 3:16; 1:4)
No comments:
Post a Comment