Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Ask the Pastor

Ask the Pastor: A Q & A with Pastor John.

Q. I was perplexed about these verses from Romans (8: 20-21). In my bible (TLB) the verses read:

'For on that day thorns and thistles, sin, death and decay-the things that overcame the world against its will AT GODS'S COMMAND- will disappear, and the world around us will share in the glorious freedom from sin which God's children enjoy.' (emphasis added)

It appears to me that Paul is saying that God actually commanded (not just allowed or failed to stop) sin to despoil His creation after the act of eating the fruit by Adam & Eve. This is backed up in Genesis 3:17. My question is does God have control of sin, applying it where He wills, thereby limiting certain places to suffer more under sin (ie. cursed) while allowing faith in other places to flourish? I'm thinking here about North Korea and Saudi Arabia v's Australia and the UK. Whilst I can see that God could do this, how does it fit in with Matt 5:45? I'd like to know your thoughts.

A. I've had a quick look at the passage of interest. The NLT really gives a paraphrase rather than a translation of these verses and it's not a very helpful one. A literal translation of the Greek goes like this:

[21.] For the creation was subjected to futility/ emptiness/ hopelessness/ purposelessness (take your pick of these words and check out Eph 4:17, 2 Peter 2:18, Romans 1:21 to see how it is used there) not willingly, but by the one who subjected it, in hope [22.] that the creation will also be set free from the bondage of decay/ destruction/ death into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

The context of the passage is Paul's discussion on how the Christian is free from the power of death and yet we live in the hope of the fulfillment of that freedom (the saint/sinner dynamic). It is only tangentially touching on sin.

Genesis 3:17-19 obviously is in focus here (hence used by the NLT to fill out their paraphrase), but the words 'AT GOD'S COMMAND' are an interpretation (and a misleading one) and not part of the original Greek.

Genesis 3:17 reads: 'And to the man he said, 'Because you have listened. . . cursed is the ground BECAUSE OF YOU' [emphasis added].

God did not create sin, nor command it. In both these passage the sense I get is one of God allowing creation (including human beings) to be subject to sin, death and decay (futility/hopelessness) at that/this time. He didn't command it to happen - it was human beings that caused sin to come into the world - (cf 'through one man's disobedience' Rom5:19) God is also not powerless to stop it. He just didn't sit on his hands and say, "Sorry folks, you're on your own". That's why Paul in Romans talks of hope - the hope of freedom in the glory of God. Freedom for all creation.

If I was to paraphrase what Paul is saying in Romans 20-21 I would say: Sin came into the world through human selfishness and God allowed it to run it's course in order that he might redeem the whole of creation from the futility sin brought into the world.

So, God does have control over sin. He has controlled the power of sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus. When we are in Christ sin has no power over us either. Romans Chapter Six is all about freedom from sin. But, he is not capricious in the way he controls sin. He doesn't MAKE sin to flourish in some places more than others. The whole ground was cursed because of human sin, not just some places.

I think we need to be careful about contrasting so called 'Christian' nations with 'non-Christian' ones and claim God at work more in these nations than others. Remarkably, the growth of the church and of faith happens in times of persecution more so than in times of stability. I think there is strong evidence to see God more powerfully at work (if that's possible) in places like North Korea and Saudi Arabia than in Australia. We are blinded by the 'good life' - the futility of Western materialism. We don't think we need God anymore (the original sin!!) while many in so called 'non Christian' countries know for sure that they do need God and they're willing to die for their beliefs.

Matthew 5:45 still holds true. God sends rain on the just and the unjust because God cares for all people and desires all people to come to the knowledge of the truth which is salvation in Jesus Christ.

This has taken longer than I thought but it's been interesting. Hope it's given you some more food for thought and inspired you into the Scriptures further.

Blessings

Pastor John

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