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“The Manifold Wisdom of God”

The Evil That Is In Me — (Romans 7:18)

 

If the god you trust can be controlled, hindered, or even influenced by you, by Satan, or by all the powers of earth and hell, then the god you trust is no God at all; and you are an idolater. Our God is not a spectator or even a competitor in this world. He is the Ruler of it. Salvation is knowing him, the only true and living God as he is revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ his Son, the God-man, our Savior (John 17:3). He who is our God is the God, the only God you can trust.

 

Jews Cast Off

It was the rejection of the gospel by the Jews which caused the nation of Israel to be cast off and blinded, and the gospel to be sent to God’s elect among the Gentiles (Romans 9-11). Our great, all-wise God used national Israel’s rebellion, unbelief, and self-righteousness, and his judgment upon that nation for the salvation of his elect, the Israel of God. The casting away of them is the reconciliation of his elect scattered among the nations of the world (Romans 11:15, 26).

 

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)

 

My Own Sin

I see murder, rape, adultery, abortion, drunkenness, envy, jealousy, greed, racism, pornography, war, idolatry, homosexuality, incest, fornication, the abandonment of families by selfish, self-loving men and women, the murder of children by their parents,  and the murder of parents by their children.  These are

 

 

 

great evils. These are the evils that perplex us all. But I have to deal with a far greater problem, with far more confusing evils than these.

      The evil that is in me is far more disturbing than the evil around me. Yet, this, too, is according to God’s purpose and is under God’s control. Were it his purpose to do so, God almighty could destroy the influence of sin and eradicate it from his people as easily now as he shall when he takes us to glory. But he has not chosen to do so.

      The Lord has fixed it so that as long as we are in this world, his people will have to struggle and fight with sin, sin within. As long as we are here, we are a people at war with ourselves (Romans 7:14-23). And this is best. God has arranged things this way for good reasons.

·      To Make us Humble

·      To Teach us to be Kind, Gracious, and Forgiving

·      To Keep us Looking to Christ

·      To Keep us Aware that Salvation is by Grace Alone

·      To Wean us from this World

 

God’s Glory

All the evil that is in us and all the evil there is in God’s creation will, in the end, redound to the everlasting praise of our God and to the everlasting happiness of his people. I do not pretend to know the details of how he will do it; but this I do know, that our God will put all Christ’s enemies under his feet and wipe all tears from our eyes.

      When all things that must be have been, there will be no regrets in the world of the redeemed. Everything shall give praise to our God and yield everlasting happiness to our hearts. Christ shall be triumphant at last. Satan, the demons of hell, wicked men, and all evil shall prove the goodness of our God as surely as songs of the heavenly angels.

·      Christ shall make the evil good by his blood atonement

·      He shall turn the evil to good by his omnipotent grace.

·      Our God shall turn evil to good in the day called the “restitution of all things” (Acts 3:19-21; Revelation 4:9-11; 5:11-14; 19:1-6; 21:1-4).

 

Soon every creature shall show forth the honors of our God:

All things in heaven, earth and hell shall praise the triune God.

Every event of providence, and all created things,

Shall bow before God’s sovereign throne, and to Him honor bring.

 

The angels, who rebelled against His throne so long ago,

Shall fall before God’s glorious throne, and there His greatness show.

Sinners, who now in enmity rebel against God’s Son,

Shall be subdued and bow to Him: you shall His greatness own!

 

In vain you fight against the Lord. Surrender, or be damned!

Confess your sin and trust God’s Son, or be forever damned!

We all were made to praise our God, and Him we all shall praise,

Either as objects of His wrath, or of His saving grace!

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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