the basic message #E280
8/22/04
What does God want? Have you ever thought about it? This is a Christian website, so my views are based on my knowledge of scripture mostly from the New Testament. I'm usually part of a small minority when it comes to my thoughts and opinions, but that doesn't concern me. We can look back in history and find plenty of examples in which a particular situation or philosophy had the support of the majority, but that didn't mean that they were correct in their beliefs. As I write this, I see a continuing trend in which Americans are less and less supportive of George W. Bush's decision to wage war on Iraq. I was one of the "anti-patriotic" people that questioned the wisdom of the war weeks before it started, but that's a story for another day. And so, I ask again, "What does God want?"
The average Christian might respond, "God wants for everyone to become a Christian". Is that what God wants? Why would God want that? Let's take a quick stroll down memory lane to see where we started and where we are today.
How did it all start? Every kindergartener knows the story of Adam and Eve, yet few people consider what the original deal was: God wanted some company, so he simply created man and woman. What did he want from them besides their company? It was pretty simple- he wanted them to follow his instructions. They were very well cared for, and God allowed them access to everything except one thing: The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God was very clear in his explanation about the tree- if Adam and Eve ate from it, they would "surely die". Was God setting Adam and Eve up for a fall? I don't think so, since God could have prevented them from even getting close to the tree. Rather, this was the beginning of free-will. God could have very easily created zombies that would do everything he programmed them to do, but is that a good thing? As a parent, I've been through some pretty serious highs and lows in the process of raising my children. Although there have been times that I wished they were zombies, carrying out my every instruction, I really want them to do the right thing on their own. God has the same thing in mind for us.
The situation in the Garden of Eden is well documented in Genesis:
Genesis 2:8-9
Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Let's pick up in verse 15 to see what else God had in mind:
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Why is this important? I think it's pretty simple- God wanted the man to have an investment in the blessings God was giving him. Unless a human has a personal investment in something, he's not likely to really appreciate that thing. Could God have allowed the man to kick back and sleep the day away or sit around idly? Sure, but God knew that being busy would keep Adam occupied and on track. God and Adam had a good relationship- a relationship that will never be as good until we reach Heaven. Here's a good indication of how much God loved Adam:
Genesis 2:19
Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
There's two things to be learned here: First of all, God enjoyed Adam's participation in the process of naming the animals, and secondly, Adam apparently had nothing to fear with being that close to the animals, some of which could have crushed him or ripped him to pieces. Adam was "bullet-proof". God loved Adam enough to give him a mate, Eve. God's master plan was to populate the earth with the offspring of Adam and Eve- a population that could remain perfect in God's eyes as long as they did what? As long as they didn't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Simple enough, right? Not quite. Satan was already in existence at this time, and took the form of the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Was God napping when the serpent began to talk to Eve? Of course not- God was simply allowing Adam and Eve to exercise their free will. We believe that God sees and knows all, but did he know ahead of time that Eve would eat from the forbidden tree? Most folks would say that God knew that she would, but I wonder. The important thing to remember is that Satan was a smooth-talker then, and he's only gotten better as time passes. We know that Satan's lies overtook the warning that God gave to Adam, and the rest, as they say, is history. So what can we say caused Adam and Eve's banishment from the Garden of Eden? Disobedience, pure and simple. What is causing problems for mankind 6000 years later? Disobedience, pure and simple. If God had given-up on mankind, that would be the end of the story, but God never wanted to walk away from his creation, rather he provided ways for us to reconnect to him. It should be obvious that God has, and will always want a relationship with humans, although sometimes it seems that humans don't have as much interest in returning the gesture.
It would take hundreds of words to list the basics of how God provided ways for man to "make amends" for his sins over time, but those methods, including the blood sacrifices of animals, are well-documented in the Bible. What is the one action God has always required from man when dealing with God? Obedience. This is the foundation of every interaction God has had with us, yet we still want to find other ways to "get around" this critical component of our successful connection to God. It is the basic rebellious nature of man, fueled by Satan's continuous reminder, "yeah, that's right, God owes you whatever you want" that keeps us in trouble.
As recently as 250 years ago, men like Jonathan Edwards taught congregations that obedience and repentance were critical in their relationship with God, but here we are in 2004 and Satan has found a surprisingly simple and effective way to continue the lie he started back in the Garden of Eden. And just what is that method? Simply proclaim from the pulpits of America that if a rebellious sinner will say, "I accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior" that sinner will automatically be guaranteed a home in Heaven. I should note at this point two things: First of all, I'm shocked at the frightening lack of understanding of Salvation, and Secondly, there are still a few pulpits out there that have a pastor preaching the facts. Satan hasn't bothered to spend a lot of time corrupting those pulpits since he can reach millions quite easily through television and radio programs of men like Charles Stanley, David Jeremiah and Chuck Swindoll. One of the few modern "big name" pastors that will call a spade a spade is R.C. Sproul. Although Sproul is sometimes difficult to follow, his message's foundation is built on repentance and obedience.
We can sit and quibble over the order of events: "Does Salvation come after repentance and obedience, or does obedience and repentance come after Salvation", but one thing we must agree on is critical: obedience and repentance are part and parcel of Salvation. Jesus Christ is God's way of saying, "hey, I created you because I wanted you, and I still want you". Jesus Christ is our scholarship to the University of Salvation, but we still must attend classes, study and progress in our understanding to graduate to Heaven. Why is that so difficult to understand?