Darkness
When God began creating the things we experience, we find out darkness was present. Darkness isn’t a created thing, it is the absence of creation. Light was created and displayed the darkness’ lack. With His words, Jesus, in agreement with the Father’s perfect plan, and the power of the Holy Spirit hovering over the uncreated canvas of darkness, created all things seen and unseen, for Himself.
Genesis 1:1-3 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
Colossians 1:16-17 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
God created man for Himself, to be with Him, to be a "royal family." God created us for a full and satisfying relationship. God created us for love.
Love requires a choice. God did not forget that one tree was dangerous in the Garden. That tree had to be there because of God’s commitment to love…his commitment to relationship. It takes two to tango. Love requires a choice to love back. Choice implies free will, and free will requires an option to rebel…to refuse love. In His mercy, God left one choice for rebellion in the perfect Garden. He could have left mostly choices for rebellion and one choice for agreement…but God is LOVE…ooh, how tender and kind. One choice for rebellion:
Genesis 2:15-17 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
We know the story: free will was exercised and paradise was broken. We see it all around us, the blooming of the imperfect…the malignancy that started in the Garden has overtaken the creation. It lives and breathes, but this is not what it was meant to be.
God did not create the earth imperfect. God did not create evil. Evil is darkness, it is the absence of what God created, it is the absence of agreement with God. Because of love, free will had to exist, because of free will, the absence of love was always a possibility…the absence of love has manifested itself to what we call evil.
The yin and the yang, the idea that good and evil were both created to balance out life, is a lie. Evil doesn’t balance good, it is the absence of agreement with God, who called what He made “very good.” Man chose to rebel against what was “very good” and evil corrupted the world. Yet, in His stunning brilliance, God kept His commitment to love!
The sheer power of the calculations God must make in any given second should absolutely floor us, but God, in brilliant, stunning, uncreated knowledge and wisdom beyond the reach of my mind, has undertaken the adventure of redeeming all of creation back to the state He called “very good,” all the while committing to the working out of “all things for the good who love Him” (Rom 8:28) and maintaining His commitment to free will! Can you attempt to fathom that for a minute!
Jesus paid the price for the rebellion, and because of that, all that is required to for me to taste redemption is for me to come back into agreement with God (repentance is the fancy word we use for this). When I mess up, I invite the absence of what God calls “good” into my life..evil enters in. BUT, if I admit it to God, ask Him to apply Jesus’ sacrifice to it, and agree with God about what is good, right, and true …viola …redemption ...or restoration to “very good”…happens. This is the miracle of salvation. This is why repentance is key to salvation, or being right with God, throughout the Bible.
Repentance is necessary because forgiveness for sin, without agreeing with God that what I did was wrong, is not possible. I can say the words, kill a sheep, commit to not doing it again, or try to do something good to balance it out, but not agreeing with God about my actions will not restore anything back to “very good.” Agreeing with God is essential, but it is that easy. How many times can I mess up, apply the blood of Jesus, and agree with God?...seventy times seven (that is symbolic for as “many times as it takes”)….but agreeing with God is necessary.
The life changing question is: how many times will my heart allow me to mess up and really agree with God that it was wrong, and keep messing up?...Way less than I would imagine! When I really agree with God and taste the mercy and the restoration, my heart changes! When we see who Jesus is we want the “very good” way more than the evil (the absence of the very good)!
The evil in the world is not from God. He tempts no one. Evil is the lack of God. Evil is free will exercised in rebellion to the One who created, longs for, paid the price for, and has a brilliant plan to re-establish “very good.” Agree with Him!
Genesis 1:1-3 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
Colossians 1:16-17 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
God created man for Himself, to be with Him, to be a "royal family." God created us for a full and satisfying relationship. God created us for love.
Love requires a choice. God did not forget that one tree was dangerous in the Garden. That tree had to be there because of God’s commitment to love…his commitment to relationship. It takes two to tango. Love requires a choice to love back. Choice implies free will, and free will requires an option to rebel…to refuse love. In His mercy, God left one choice for rebellion in the perfect Garden. He could have left mostly choices for rebellion and one choice for agreement…but God is LOVE…ooh, how tender and kind. One choice for rebellion:
Genesis 2:15-17 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
We know the story: free will was exercised and paradise was broken. We see it all around us, the blooming of the imperfect…the malignancy that started in the Garden has overtaken the creation. It lives and breathes, but this is not what it was meant to be.
God did not create the earth imperfect. God did not create evil. Evil is darkness, it is the absence of what God created, it is the absence of agreement with God. Because of love, free will had to exist, because of free will, the absence of love was always a possibility…the absence of love has manifested itself to what we call evil.
The yin and the yang, the idea that good and evil were both created to balance out life, is a lie. Evil doesn’t balance good, it is the absence of agreement with God, who called what He made “very good.” Man chose to rebel against what was “very good” and evil corrupted the world. Yet, in His stunning brilliance, God kept His commitment to love!
The sheer power of the calculations God must make in any given second should absolutely floor us, but God, in brilliant, stunning, uncreated knowledge and wisdom beyond the reach of my mind, has undertaken the adventure of redeeming all of creation back to the state He called “very good,” all the while committing to the working out of “all things for the good who love Him” (Rom 8:28) and maintaining His commitment to free will! Can you attempt to fathom that for a minute!
Jesus paid the price for the rebellion, and because of that, all that is required to for me to taste redemption is for me to come back into agreement with God (repentance is the fancy word we use for this). When I mess up, I invite the absence of what God calls “good” into my life..evil enters in. BUT, if I admit it to God, ask Him to apply Jesus’ sacrifice to it, and agree with God about what is good, right, and true …viola …redemption ...or restoration to “very good”…happens. This is the miracle of salvation. This is why repentance is key to salvation, or being right with God, throughout the Bible.
Repentance is necessary because forgiveness for sin, without agreeing with God that what I did was wrong, is not possible. I can say the words, kill a sheep, commit to not doing it again, or try to do something good to balance it out, but not agreeing with God about my actions will not restore anything back to “very good.” Agreeing with God is essential, but it is that easy. How many times can I mess up, apply the blood of Jesus, and agree with God?...seventy times seven (that is symbolic for as “many times as it takes”)….but agreeing with God is necessary.
The life changing question is: how many times will my heart allow me to mess up and really agree with God that it was wrong, and keep messing up?...Way less than I would imagine! When I really agree with God and taste the mercy and the restoration, my heart changes! When we see who Jesus is we want the “very good” way more than the evil (the absence of the very good)!
The evil in the world is not from God. He tempts no one. Evil is the lack of God. Evil is free will exercised in rebellion to the One who created, longs for, paid the price for, and has a brilliant plan to re-establish “very good.” Agree with Him!
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