Ask a Pastor Column

Presenting Biblical answers to tough questions

Q: If God is sovereign, he could have chosen to let history play out in any way He wanted; why did he allow the human race to get into such a mess and then die to save it? What was the point?

A: Christian thinkers have fairly consistently held the perspective that God’s fundamental purpose in creating the universe was self-expression. Like many human artists, God wanted to express Himself and reveal His character and nature through His works. God’s work in Creation reveals His power and authority (Romans 1:20), His skill and wisdom (Psalm 19:1-2), and His amazing artistry (Psalm 139:14).

The twist came when God allowed His work to become corrupted, ruined and stolen from Him through sin (Romans 8:20-22). He could have stopped it, but He didn’t; why? We have no direct answer, but we can make a confident guess based on God’s original purpose. By examining how history has played out, we can see certain characteristics of God (namely, his unconditional love, mercy, and grace) have become evident, which otherwise could never have been known. If no one had sinned, God could never have shown forgiveness. If we did not disqualify ourselves from being loved, we would never have realized God’s love is unconditional. If there were no injustices in the world, God could not demonstrate His greatness as avenger of the weak and giver of grace to the humble. It is amazing to think all of the sin, rebellion and injustice in the world cannot thwart God’s intentions for His creation. On the contrary; they help to fulfill it!

       That being said, we must be careful not to think of ourselves as pawns on God’s gameboard. We are much more than that to Him. We are the objects of God’s divine love and favor, and we have the privilege of being created to know God and understand His character, grace and goodness by experiencing life with God (Romans 9:22-24; Philippians 3:8). We have been blessed with the opportunity to both witness and participate in God’s greatest work, and are meant to enjoy the show for all eternity as God teaches and demonstrates His greatness to us (John 17:3)!

If you have a question that you would like a Biblical answer to, you can send it via email to [email protected] or by mail to Formoso Church; P.O. Box 66; Formoso, Kan. 66942