The Romance of Romans-Part 128

[Michael]

Romans Chapter 16 cont'd

The testimony of your faithfulness to God has been reported throughout
the whole world and I am glad that you've been honored like this. Just
make sure that you preserve your spirit of innocence- be "streetwise"
in good, but not in evil! And soon, the God of peace will crush Satan
under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Yes,
Lord, let it be!

Comments:

The "problem of evil" in this world has been pondered and debated with
great angst and energy by many throughout human history. And...it has
been, maybe the major, stumbling block for people accepting a belief
in the all-powerful and good God that the scriptures clearly declare
him to be. C. S. Lewis wrote somewhere that we may not be able to
fully comprehend the "why" of evil, but we all must face the "fact"
that evil exists. Moreover, we must face the fact that we ourselves
are more than capable of choosing a evil course of being and/or
doing...and indeed...that we have done so at times.

Why would an all-powerful and good Creator allow an enemy to even
exist and mess up his creation? Apparently he has. However, the two
basic philosophical alternatives to this difficult scenario are even
more troubling in my estimation: 1) There is an all-powerful God, but
he is not good. 2) There is no creator and we are the products of the
impersonal forces of time plus chance. I won't take the time to
elaborate, but there are very troubling ramifications of embracing
these two alternative philosophical viewpoints that poses more
difficulties than simply accepting the biblical premise that our all-
powerful, holy and loving Creator has allowed evil to affect his good
creation.

Here is a brief overview of what the scripture teaches about the
"problem of evil":

1) Long ago, a holy archangel rebelled against God in the highest
heavens and was powerful and seductive enough to lure a third of the
holy angels into his ill-fated attempt to displace God. This rebellion
was the genesis of sin, Satan (the accuser) and the demonic forces
that are present in and around our world.

2) Rather than immediately eradicating or finally judging his "fallen"
angelic enemies, God banished them from dwelling in his highest
heaven. However, he allowed the devil and his hosts to continue to
exist and operate within a limited realm.

3) In addition, he wisely chose...and this is where the high drama of
it all takes on new dimensions...to incorporate Satan's presence and
plots into a greater master plan that would mysteriously reveal his
love, power, mercy and glory to the crowning touch of his
creation...human beings...whom he made to reflect his own image and
likeness and from there to the whole of his creation.

4) In order to prepare human beings for our eternal destiny to rule
and reign with him over all other things in the ages to come, he has
"used" the presence of evil and our exposure to evil spirits as a
developmental "testing ground" that challenges us to face and surmount
sin, Satan, demonic powers and death. This has all been a part of his
loving master plan. It can even be said that love is not full and
mature if it is not tested, tried and entered into with freedom of
choice.

5) Our first parents succumbed to the wiles of Satan in a garden
paradise which they were divinely called to rule, cultivate and,
apparently, export to the rest of the planet. However, as a result of
cooperating with the devil, sin, and its consequence,
"death"...spiritual, social and physical...entered the human nature
and human race. The aftermath has been a spreading of both sin and
death to all people throughout the nations of the earth and throughout
all human history. We live in a "fallen" world that is agonizing under
the burdens that evil and its ripple effects have created for us all.

6) But God!...has not been distant or silent throughout the
centuries...though a spiritual war has been raging and there have been
many sobering casualties and tragedies. His heart of love and his
powerful acts have been at work...he has been passionately involved
with humanity and patiently working out his master plan...what I have
called "God's Big God-Story"...to rescue and redeem his beloved
creation from the grip of evil.

7) God carefully prepared the earth for this intervention through many
centuries by making amazing promises to his chosen human vessels
(Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and others of their progeny), sending
prophets to foretell the future and tell forth his will, raising up
and removing regimes, performing astounding signs and wonders,
providentially sustaining human life with his good gifts of food and
waters in addition to many other such kindnesses. Then...at a
strategic moment in human history...he visited the earth "in person"
by sending his Son, who co-created all things and who dwelt with the
Father and the Holy Spirit in fully divine union from eternity past,
as a fully human being. He came in love to show forth the "face"...the
nature...of God and to deal radically with problem of evil in both the
invisible and visible realms by the reality and ramifications of his
incarnation, life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension back to
highest heaven.

8) The kingdom of darkness and its principalities and powers were
dealt a mortal blow through all that ensued with the first coming of
Christ. Those who put their personal trust in Jesus Christ receive
into their souls his eternal life here and now and enter into his
victory of love over all evil...sin, demons and death. This
regeneration and the empowering of the Holy Spirit in their lives
equip them with the divine grace needed to progressively overcome evil
just as their Lord and King overcame evil. They are living witnesses
to the fact that the new creation, that will assuredly "swallow up"
the old, has already been inaugurated. They are "executing the
judgment that has been written" against evil as ambassadors of Jesus
the Christ and his mercy, truth and justice. The conflicts continue
throughout this age...temptations, hassles, persecutions, trials,
disappointments, human failures, tragedies, wars, afflictions, false
accusations, imperfections, physical death...but in addition to God
providing many experiences that help Christ-followers to counteract
and surmount these evil assaults, he is also "using" the spiritual
warfare that they endure to both conform them more fully to the image
of his Son Jesus and to prepare them to receive their full inheritance
and walk in their destiny in the age to come.

9) On a personal level, the powers of darkness yet have the oppressive
ability to whisper accusations, lies, temptations to sin and
horrendous thoughts of evil into the souls and minds of people...even
the followers of Jesus. Satan's main weapon is deception that leads to
the committing of sins that destroy the joys of human existence. This
is a suffering that we encounter and must endure during our pilgrimage
in this life. However, a Christ-follower is called to be awake to
these subtle schemes of the devil, expose their source and firmly
resist his attempt to find a lodging place for some kind of a
deception or a compromise within them. The Holy Spirit will warn them
about and grant them the power to rebuke and overcome these crafty
camouflaged demonic affronts and assaults. As they grow in their
spiritual life they can also train others to do the same. This is the
joy of partnering with the living Christ in ministry.

10) Ultimately, when Jesus Christ returns and the visible and
invisible realms are fully integrated into a new heavens and new
earth, God will banish Satan and his hoards to a divinely constructed
"hell" from which they will never escape to again spread their evil
influence amidst God's redeemed and renewed creation. They will suffer
an unimaginable and, actually indescribable, eternal punishment away
from all that is good. More tragically, many humans who sided with
God's ancient enemy and who rejected his Son will be forever banished
from God's presence as well. This alone should break our hearts for
the salvation of other people through Jesus...even our greatest enemy.
On that day, no fallen angel and no human being will be able to point
their finger at God and accuse him of being unjust or lacking in love
or wisdom (as they do now). Everything will be "right-wised", all our
doubts and troubling questions will be resolved, all our tears will be
wiped away, all our temptations will disappear, all weariness and
heaviness will flee away and our true identity and calling will be
known, seen and affirmed by all. Our innate longing for true justice,
that can become so confused and twisted in this life, will actually be
fulfilled. We will be perfected people living fully in a perfect
place...forever and ever in the love of God.