WORLDVIEWS IN CONFLICT - #3 Part A

GOD’S WORD
Genesis 1-3; Acts 17:22-34; Romans 1:1, 17-19; 3:9-26, 23-32; 5:18-19; I Corinthians 1:18; Ephesians 4:18

Devotional By
Major Wayne Ennis
Salvation Army Officer from Down Under
Box Hill South - Victoria, Australia

We believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocency, but by their disobedience they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.

We live in a world that seems to been turned upside down and finds itself in the grip of mass irrationality, and where reason and objectivity has been replaced in large measure by ideology. Consequently, whenever there is disaster in the world that causes huge chaos and suffering, we hear people asking why is the world the way it is? Why is there such chaotic madness and suffering? Why did a good, and all-powerful God, allow such things to happen? Any wonder Melanie Phillips (The World Turned Upside Down) and others are asking ‘how is anyone to work out who has the answer in the midst of such a babble of experts and with such conflicting information?’ In order to answer the question ‘how did God’s perfectly created and ordered world (Genesis 1:2) descend into chaos, murder, pain and brokenness’, all of which are evidence of the human predicament (Genesis 3-4). In order to answer we need to view God’s world through the lens of God’s Word.

Doctrine five turns our attention to Genesis 3, where Adam and Eve, instead of trusting God decided to trust ‘the lie’ that God was depriving them of what they desired most, to become their own ‘authentic selves’. Why did they do it? Simply because they didn’t want God to be God. Thus, they rebelled against God, choosing to worship and obey their own idolatrous self instead of the Creator God (Romans 1:19-23). As a consequence, of their ‘Fall’ Sin entered in and their understanding became ‘full of darkness and were alienated from the life of God’ (Ephesians 4:18).

‘They lost their purity and happiness, and all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God’. Alienated from God they were banished from the garden, and excluded from God’s presence and friendship. Furthermore, they had no means or way of re-entering the garden – unless God himself would provide the way out of exile. The first hints of that way back and how God will do this is found in Genesis 3:15.

The unpalatable truth is that the whole world is accountable to God (Acts 17:22-34), and are consequently, because of humanities wickedness and unrighteousness are ‘justly exposed to the wrath of God’ (Romans 1:18; Doctrine 5). Having accepted ‘the lie’ of pagan monism humanity suppresses the truth of their situation and then by means of their futile thinking go that step further and exchange the truth about God and creations structures with their own enslaving idolatrous worship and self-serving ‘authentic self’.

We are all by nature rebels against the Creator God who made us for himself. The essence of our Sin and sins is the substitution of ourselves in the place of God and then asserting ourselves over against God. Sins total corruption is made visible in the outward manifestations of our personal decision to suppress the truth about God and thereby pursue ‘the lie’ believing that whatever we have decided to serve in God’s place will set us free. The problem is that such an idol simply constructs a codependent and impotent god who is not good and is powerless to save us. This means, whether we like it or not, that everyone one of us is in a hopeless and helpless situation (Romans 3:9-26).

In todays chaotic post-everything world and where the ‘cross is madness to those who are perishing’ (1 Corinthians 1:18), the challenge we face comes from within, in the temptation to water down the message of the cross so that it becomes less offensive, more palatable to the ordinary darkened mind. While it is true that God hands the unrepentant over to their idolatry, he has provided an escape from the idolatrous self through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which is as Paul states, ‘good news’ concerning ‘the power of God’s salvation to everyone who believes’ (Romans 1:16-17. 1 Corinthians 1:18).

Today, we find ourselves between time and eternity, entrusted with a message that is wonderful in its fullness, set against the backdrop of God’s judgment. Thus, it is necessary that that we continually remind ourselves that the things that offer freedom actually enslave us. The irony in much of this is finding ourselves needing to be called back to ‘not being ashamed of the gospel’ that tells us that while it is true that Jesus came to save us from our sin, he also came to save us from the wrath of God. The gospel, then, is for the whole world, because everyone needs the gospel to shine its light into their dark, bewildering world.

We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behaviour. (John Stott)

OUR CORPORATE PRAYER

Father, in these unbelieveable times we find ourselves and our world in, we lean even more into Your power, knowing that You will equip us for whatever challenges lie ahead. Please grant us the strength to endure these trials. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we may rise above difficulties and find peace in You because it is only in You where true peace will come. We praise you for what is happening in Israel and the Middle East and we thank you that you have given the families of the twenty hostages back to their families and we rejoice with them. You are an amazing God and we give to You all honor and glory that is due Your name. We ask for Your forgiveness and seek You and only You for the sins of our nation. In Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior we ask this prayer, amen.