Interventions

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3, NIV 1984).

My Musings – In light of the above statement we wouldn’t expect anyone to ever say, “if God is so great, why doesn’t He love us more?” Yet we often hear “if God is a God of love, why is there so much hate in His creation?” And “if God is a God of justice, why is there so much injustice in His creation?”

For starters, God could not possibly love us more. Just look at what our adoption as His children cost Him. The simple answer to both questions above (hate and injustice) is sin. There is so much hate and injustice in the world because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23, NIV 1984). All. No exceptions, other the Jesus the God man. Not “if God,” but because “all have sinned.”

This being the case, the better question is why isn’t there more hate and injustice in the world? Why isn’t “every inclination of the thoughts of [man’s] heart…only evil all the time?” (Genesis 6:5, NIV 1984). It was once, and God intervened to “will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth,” (Genesis 6:7, NIV 1984) and start over, because “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8, NIV 1984).

It will be that way again and God will intervene again. “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the [second] coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:36–37, NIV 1984). To put an end to hate and injustice for good. “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, [or hate or injustice], for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4, NIV 1984).

But in between was the greatest intervention of all. An undeserved intervention, because it is mankind that chose hate and injustice. Not God. Powerless to change things. Yet “at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [Demonstrating] His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6, 8, NIV 1984). He “died for us” to serve justice, because of “His own love for us.” Now that’s “lavish” (bountiful, extravagant, excessive, generous, freely, abundant). Without this intervention there would be more hate and injustice than there is.

My Advice – This intervention is not lavish in the sense that it is universally applied to all. Each individual has the same choice to make. His lavish and undeserved love, or His righteous and deserved justice. Neither choice involves God’s hate or injustice.

Make the right choice. “For the wages of sin is death [justice], but the gift of God is eternal life [love/grace] in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:22–23, NIV 1984). We only get what we ask for. Wages (deserved justice) or gift (undeserved grace).