Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Predicament (03/01/12)
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TITLE: While Angels Watched | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
03/04/12 -
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Man, now spiritually dead, could do nothing (John 15:5) to save himself, and the character and nature of God prevented Him from just forgiving and forgetting what transpired until the uncompromising justice of God was fully satisfied.
The consequences of sin can involve spiritual (Genesis 3:3), physical (Acts 5), and temporal (John 15:5) death (Romans 6:23).
Temporal death refers to the inability of a Church Age believer to produce divine good when out of fellowship with God.
The Fall of Man resulted in immediate spiritual (Genesis 2:17) death and eventual physical (Genesis 3: 22, 24) death.
Spiritual death is not a termination of existence, but existing void of a relationship with God.
Not only did Adam and the woman become spiritually dead, they also received a fallen nature that is hostile (Romans 8:7) towards God and the things of God.
Spiritual death and the hostile sin nature are passed down to the next generation (Psalms 51:5).
The arrogance of the devil and the Ephesians 6:12 forces of evil would not have been so quick to celebrate had they
the omniscience (all knowledge) of God concerning the Divine Decree.
God authored the Divine Decree before the creation of Man (Ephesians 1:4). The Divine Decree contains all of the events that are going to take place during the course of human history.
God being aware of all the decisions that each individual of the human race would make in time factored all of them into account when He authored the Divine Decree.
Even though God knows what choices we will make, we are still accountable because it is we who make the choices.
Divine sovereignty and omniscience directs, allows, or prevents all activity here on Earth. It is what God allows that can be quite challenging to the limited scope of human viewpoint.
The Fall of Man did not take God by surprise, but was among the things that the permissive will of God allowed to take place.
The devil was correct when he rationalized that Man, now separated from God (John 15:5), was and is incapable of doing anything that could regenerate his dead human spirit (Titus 3:5).
The devil was also correct when he reasoned that God, whose eyes cannot even look upon sin in an approving manner (Habakkuk 1:13), could not simply forgive and overlook the sin debt of Mankind.
The fallen angels, with the integrity of their deferred sentence (Matthew 25:41) hanging in the balance, waited with anxious anticipation to see if and how God was going to get Man out of this predicament without compromising His own character and nature.
The divine sentence given to the Satan and the fallen angels (Matthew 25: 41) prior to the creation of Man will not be carried out (Rev. 20:10) until the final stage of the Angelic Conflict and the human environment, as we know it to be today (Rev. 20:11), simultaneously come to their mutual end.
Satan and the fallen angels were well aware that if Man were no longer capable of glorifying God because of the Fall, it would mean that the human race failed to accomplish its divine purpose.
If so, they undoubtedly reasoned, then perhaps the deferred sentence (Matthew 25:41) given to the devil and the fallen angels might be reconsidered.
God’s plan of salvation called for God the Son to take on the sinless form of humanity that Adam and the woman received at creation.
Our Lord had to maintain the integrity of His humanity (Hebrews 4:15) in the capacity of the spotless Lamb of God (John 1:36).
Finally, in the place of Man, our Lord was to atone for the sin debt of all Mankind (1John 2:2) by enduring the spiritual death on the cross (Psalms 22:1) that the justice of God required.
God the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35) circumvented what would have been the disqualifying sin nature from being passed down (Psalms 51:5/1Cor. 15:22) to our Lord’s Humanity.
Believing the Gospel Message results in the regeneration (Titus 3:5) of our dead human spirit and secures the eternal life (John 3:16) of God.
In this way, and not through religious ritual(s), human good behavior, or human deeds, was Man’s greatest predicament resolved.
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I do wonder if quoting so many verses might be a turn-off for someone who is new to Christianity or trying to find out who God is. Even though the scriptures are well placed, sometimes it can be overwhelming to some people usually those who need them the most. It might be more productive to just select one or two and focus on those points. I'd hate to see someone who truly needs to hear these words skip over this profound piece because they are overwhelmed.
Another little thing is don't define common words like omniscience. It's great to introduce the reader to new words but I don't think you need to define it. That is strictly my personal preference and I'm sure there are probably more people who would prefer to have it defined than having to look it up. I love look things up in the dictionary.
You did a great job of staying on topic and using the Bible to back up your points. I can tell you have a passionate desire to spread God's word through your writings.