First Things First

For the most part, people assume that since they are alive, they deserve to be alive. (Many assume that they deserve a lot of other good things.) However, that is backward thinking. It begins with man and his aliveness as a starting point. The signers of the U. S. Declaration of Independence held that life was a self-evident unalienable right. Yet, they asserted that such a right was endowed by the Creator.

Whenever man and his aliveness serve as the backdrop to interpret one’s existence, and life, God and the wrath of God are sure to be misunderstood. On the other hand, when a person begins with God, life and God’s wrath come into focus. So, every person chooses to interpret his/her world based on the answer to the question: Which came first: God or man?

For those whose answer is man, then it must be acknowledged that the idea of God came from the mind of man. Taking this idea to its natural conclusion, God, Scripture and religion are all products of human imagination.

Many people accept this view as true. In many cases, they are driven to this conclusion because of the presence of evil in the world. They wonder, “How could a good God create a world in which there is evil and suffering?” Not finding a suitable answer, they dismiss God.

For those who answer that God existed before man, things look very different. First, the Bible stands as the revelation of God providing understanding to mankind. That is God’s claim.

God is presented as a being that existed before the universe and all things in it. He is the one who conceived of man and the universe in which man lives. He commanded all things into existence by His authority. By God’s own evaluation, all that He created was good.

However, man tainted God’s glorious creation when he rebelled. When man sinned, you might say that, from man’s perspective, God was presented a dilemma. Should He destroy something that was created as good, yet that had engaged in evil? Or should God show mercy toward these beings that were created in His image?

In reality, there was no dilemma. God acted according to His divine nature: love. He took His time in becoming angry: patience.

Then the Lord passed by in front of him (Moses) and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.

--Exodus 34:6

And yet, while God was patient and merciful, He did not sweep the dirt of sin under the rug. Without ignoring or tolerating sin, He demanded that there be payment for sin. That reveals another attribute of God’s divine nature: justice.

The Apostle Paul described God as being just but also the one who is the justifier (Romans 3:26). In other words, God deals fairly with man when He holds us accountable for sin. (That's justice.) Yet at the same time, He is the one who justifies people, that is, makes things right.

How is God the Justifier? He brought justice by providing the sacrifice that would be satisfactory for all sin for all people: Jesus.

Jesus was better than any other sacrifice...

• Because He was God’s own Son;
• Because He was a willing sacrifice;
• Because He had never sinned.

So, in reality, no one who has sinned possesses the right to live. All sinners deserve death! Yet, God values life. With patience He extends mercy and has provided the way to eternal life.

So, the only question is which makes more sense: man before God?? Or, God before man??

The Apostle Paul wrote that the existence of God is self-evident.

For since the creation of the world His (God's) invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they (unbelievers) are without excuse.

--Romans 1:20

 

Just look outside; you can’t miss it!

Mark Stinnett

January 1, 2023

(Photo by Mark Stinnett)