With the world going crazy, it doesn’t seem like God is in control of things. If He is, why is He letting all of this happen? This devotion looks at how God is still in control, even when we feel the consequences of sin.
Nuggets
- God created a paradise in which man was to live, but the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin messed that up
- Just because we have consequences of sin doesn’t mean God isn’t in control.
- God may sentence us to the consequences, or sometimes He just allows them as a natural course of punishment.
- Our temples won’t be completed until we die, or until God calls everyone home.
- Those who haven’t ABCDed will be going to hell, but it is their choice.
- Earth is going to end, but we don’t know the when.
This is a scary time we’re living in right now. It is easy to think that God isn’t in control.
He still is.
Let’s look at a couple of points.
Consequences of Sin Is Death
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6: 23 CSB)
When God created the Earth (Gen. 1: 1), there was no illness. There was no death.
God created a paradise in which man was to live. “The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he placed the man he had formed” (Gen. 2: 8 CSB).
We don’t know how long that lasted, but in the scheme of things, it didn’t last long. Adam and Eve chose to sin. It was their choice because they could have chosen not to bite. They chose to do what God told them not to do.
We talked before that it looks like God just accepted Adam and Eve’s decision to disobey Him and gave up. He did kick them out of the Garden (Gen. 3: 24) but not before He provided for them (Gen. 3: 21). He didn’t unleash His great wrath then (Eph. 5: 6; Rev. 14: 10-11).
God put the plan of salvation in place long before Adam and Eve sinned. So, maybe God did just accept because that was part of The Plan (Eph. 1: 4).
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
God Allows Consequences
I see you jumping up and down and screaming, “But then God created all this bad stuff that happens to us.” Let’s look at it this way.
God’s original intent was to have us live for eternity in His fellowship and image, but the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin messed that up. That is where the poverty, disease, death, yada, yada, yada came into the world – i.e., Satan, not God.
We forget, though, that Paul was talking more about spiritual death than physical death. Spiritual death is the separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin. Even if we do not feel that we have sinned (but we have), those who have not been given salvation are separated from God.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Romans 6: 23 is doing double duty. It is talking about physical and spiritual death. Both are the consequences of sin.
Hear this loud and clear. Just because we have consequences of sin doesn’t mean God isn’t in control. He allows the consequences to happen – we have to have consequences of wrong actions.
Sometimes, God may sentence us to the consequences – if we can grow through them. In my opinion, I think sometimes He just allows them as a natural course of punishment.
Either way, disease and death wouldn’t be in the world if Adam and Eve would have told Satan, “We are not going to deny our God.” Since they didn’t, we have to deal with it.
We also have to remember that Satan is ruling this world right now, not God. “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (II Cor. 4: 4 ESV). Satan is all about deceit and chaos. So, he is loving this right now — especially if God is getting blamed,
God Doesn’t Leave
“Then David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He won’t leave you or abandon you until all the work for the service of the LORD’s house is finished” (I Chron. 28: 20 CSB)
Sometimes when it seems like God is allowing the consequences to happen, it seems like He has abandoned us.
Not going to happen.
“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deut. 31: 8 ESV emphasis added).
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deut. 31: 6 ESV emphasis added).
“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you” (Josh. 1: 5 ESV emphasis added).
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13: 5-6 ESV emphasis added).
Let’s go back to the back half of the Chronicles verse for a second. “… He won’t leave you or abandon you until all the work for the service of the LORD’s house is finished” (I Chron. 28: 20 CSB).
David may have been talking about the physical temple. This verse is doing double duty, also.
Remember, we are to be a living sacrifice for God (Rom. 12: 1). Peter wrote, “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God” (I Pet. 2: 5 NLT).
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #1
Be a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12: 1-2)
David may have told Solomon that God wouldn’t abandon him until the physical temple was built — God isn’t going to abandon us even then.
Our temples won’t be completed until we die, or until God calls everyone home. Then we will be judged. It becomes sheep and goats time.
To read a related devotion, click on the appropriate button below.
Will Being Kind to Others Get Us into Heaven?
If we have ABCDed, then we get to spend eternity with God. That isn’t abandoning us!
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Oh, I hear your arguments that, if God condemns us to hell, He will be abandoning us. No, He won’t.
To read devotions in the Hell Does Have Fury series, click the appropriate button below.
Yes, those who haven’t ABCDed will be going to hell. But it is their choice — just like it was Adam and Eve’s choice to bite. They will have earned the consequences of their actions. That isn’t on God.
This heaven and earth will pass away (Rev. 21: 1). Life as we know it will end. Eternity will start. Where are you going to be? Are you a sheep on the right or a goat on the left?
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Are We in the End Times Now?
Jesus told us three things about the end times that are relevant to this discussion.
“Now concerning that day and hour [when these things will happen] no one knows — neither the angels of heaven nor the Son — except the Father alone” (Mt. 24: 36 CSB).
“This is why you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Mt. 24: 44 CSB).
“Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you’” (Mt. 24: 4 CSB).
I know worldview people don’t want to hear this. They would rather accuse disciples of being the ones to spread the fear.
I tell you this because I love you. I don’t want you to spend eternity in torment.
This is going to happen, people. Earth is going to end — but not when all the climate change people say it is. It won’t be in a way we can say, “Oh, look how we killed the earth.”
We don’t know the when. God will end it on His timetable in His way.
There is only one way to escape that torment — be prepared — ABCD.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (Jn. 14: 6 NIV emphasis added).
“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Ac. 2: 38 ESV emphasis added).
“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10: 9 ESV emphasis added).
“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out” (Ac. 3: 19 ESV emphasis added).
We can’t wait until Jesus returns, and then think we will accept the gift of salvation. It will be too late then. We have to prepare now.
To read devotions in the Foundations of Salvation series, click the appropriate button below.
Since we don’t know when the end is coming, disciples are told to watch. Jesus told us some signs for which to look.
To read devotions in the How Do We Know If We Don’t Know series, click the appropriate button below.
When Jesus opens the seals, one consequence is going to be that “they [Death and Hades] were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by the sword, by famine, by plague, and by the wild animals of the earth” (Rev. 6: 8 CSB). Are we there now? Only God knows.
But we have to watch. He gave us the signs. If you haven’t read Revelation, here is a link in case you don’t have a Bible. If you have read it, read it again.
You can scroll through the chapters as you read them. Read to the end. Don’t leave a chapter out and call it a mystery.
If there is something that you don’t understand, try Biblical Illustrator on Bible Hub.
Making the Connections
We’ve said before that God wants us to get back to where Adam and Eve were before the original sin, which we can through grace. The only way that is going to happen is we die or be called home – and if we have asked and He has forgiven us of our sins.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
We have to prepare ourselves for the Lord’s second coming. We need to make sure He finds enough in our lives to say we are a sheep.
We are also considering what we would say if a non-believer asked us. Here is the worksheet again. What would you say?
- What does the Scriptures say?
- What do I believe?
- Why do I believe the same/differently than the Scriptures?
- What are the talking points when witnessing to a non-believer?
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
How Do We Apply This?
- Watch
- Pray
- Seek God
- Grow
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
Father. These days are scary. We know, though, You are still in control. Give us Your peace. Help us to continually seek You. We know we will find You when we genuinely seek You. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
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