"GOD WHO CREATED ALL THINGS"
The Supreme Creator
Ever existing as the life source of all creation, the living womb of infinity
itself, there has forever been the eternal Self Existent One, "Yahweh"
.man's eternal "I AM" - Ex.3:14. To Him alone belongs all power and
honour and glory and blessing from every living creature. This most High
One was also known to the ancient Hebrews in the names of "Elohim" & "El
Shaddai" as well as by numerous other names and titles which denote His
awesome nature. The all powerful, majestic, Eternal Being, is better know to
us in the English language as "God Almighty", "the Lord", "the Father", "the
Creator" etc., "having neither beginning of days nor end of life" (Heb.7:3),
who always was, and shall ever be, "God", "from everlasting to everlasting."
Psa.90:2.
Our supreme Creator stated through His prophet Isaiah, "Before Me there
was no God formed (as powerful and sovereign as I), neither shall there
be after me." Isa.43:10. He neither recognizes nor acknowledges any other
opposing god nor power, and neither should we - Ro.13:1. Concerning man,
"the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel" (Isa.43:15) reveals, "O Jacob
and Israel
I have formed thee, thou art my servant." Isa.44:21. "Thus
saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb. I
am the Lord that maketh all things, that strecheth forth the heavens alone;
that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself
that turneth wise men backward
that confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His
messengers." Isa.44:24-26. Believe it or not, He is certainly well able "even
to subdue all things unto Himself." Phil.3:21.
"Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His name and what
is His Son's name?" Prv.30:4. His name is Jesus Christ (Rev.1:5), "Jahshua"
(Matt.1:21), the "Almighty Alpha and Omega" (Rev.1:8), "the beginning
(architect) of the universal creation (that came forth) of God." Rev.3:14;
Eph.3:9. He is the (visible) "image of the invisible God" (Col.1:16), even
"thy Creator" [orig. Hebr. Is Creators--plural] (Eccl.12:1), and we are being
transformed into the very likeness of that image.
When the Bible declares God as "the former of all things" (Jer.51:9). This
obviously refers to His being the "former" (yatsara pressing, forming,
fashioning, moulding process) or Creator of all original heavenly and
earthlythings which were formed, brought forth and made manifest in the
first six days of His universal creation. "God said, Let there be..(Gen.1:3)
and there was! Here, we are not concerned whether the six days are literal
days or not. What we are more concerned with is pointing out that the
Creator of "all things" is necessarily the primary source of all created
things. We might add that He is also the primary cause of all that was
caused in creation with their resulting effects---regardless whether they be
seen as positives or as negatives by the carnal mind of man.
All things of substance in the visible material creation as well things in the
invisible spiritual creation, came forth from energized actions of the creative
Spirit of God Almighty. "For [out] of Him and through Him" and not just
out of nothing
came all things and "are all things." Ro.11:36. When God
spoke, "out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and good?"
Lam.3:38; Jer.51; 7; Ex.4:11. Shall we believe what the scriptures say, or
shall we believe what the traditions of men say in regards to the origin of all
things? Do all things include only "good" things that contain no elements of
evil? Evil is universal in scope and applications? Are the scriptures not?
"He that built [grk. prepared] all things is God." Heb.3:4. This is the
same "great God that is also said to have "formed all things" (Prv.26:10;
Eccl.7:13) and "by Him all things (visible and invisible, earthly and
heavenly, natural and spiritual, dead and living, evil and good) consist."
Col.1:17. He alone, is totally sovereign in creating and governing even all
original things that were to appear and did appear in His creation. Not just
some specified things, but rather "all things (originally) were made by Him
without Him was not anything made that was made." Jn.1:1,3. This is
a totally clear yet often misrepresented truth by men who would let their
traditions dictate otherwise. It is everywhere throughout scripture, yet almost
everywhere the truth of "all things" is qualified, watered-down or even
perverted by the carnal unbelieving minds of religious men.
The forementioned "all things" and the "anything" there would necessarily
have to include all the natural and spiritual laws that were to govern the
whole universe in positives as well as negatives, in good as well as in evil.
The fundamentalist church's basic premise is that the intrinsic nature of evil
itself evolved. It's origin was from somewhere unknown---anywhere but
from the Creator of all things---even from nothing. The Bible does not teach
evolution of all evil things nor even the potential of it
originating from
some unknown source, or else from out of "nowhere." Some call this the
theory of "evilution." And a theory it is, for the scripture is very clear on the
origins of evil and good, darkness and light and that which was to follow.
"God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day and the lesser
light to rule the night: He made the stars also. And God set them
to rule
over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness:
and God saw that it was good." Gen.1:16-18. Not one particle of matter, not
one atom, not one molecule, not one substance nor form of energy nor power
was made to exist but that it was created by and of our Almighty Creator God
Himself. Nothing existed before HIM and nothing exists without Him. "He
is before all things and by Him ALL THINGS CONSIST." Col.1:17. To
believe anything less, takes away from the truth of His absolute
pre-eminence and His absolute sovereignty in all things that exist.
If Almighty God existed before anything was "created" and if "all things"
were "built", "formed", "made" and "consist"---"Of Him" and "through
Him" and "by Him", how can one truly believe that principalities and
powers of other than His own nature came into existence any other way?
Another key scripture which sheds more evident light on this subject, is
found in the words of our Creator Himself who declared through His prophet
Isaiah, "I form the light and I create darkness: I make peace and create
evil: I the lord do all these things." Isa.45:7.
Qualify "all things" and "evil" if you will with lesser evils such as natural
calamities, pestilence's, disasters, judgment against sin or whatever, but the
basic principle of truth remains
."I
.create evil", says the Lord Himself.
"Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?" Am.3:6. Was
not revelation of this truth revealed to His servants the prophets? vs.7.
Yes, God originally formed the many facets which His word refers to in
general as "light" and "darkness". On His right hand he brought forth all
aspects of light and life and truth into creation. In His visible creation, He
brought forth the natural light of the sun to make the day. On the other hand,
He brought forth into visibility the reflected artificial light of the moon which
was to have dominion in the night. He Himself created the very essence and
presence of darkness to both conceal and display the dominant presence of
light and life. Even the natural and spiritual power of death itself was
divinely integrated into the very design of God's plans and purpose for His
universal creation. So also was the original darkness upon the face of the
deep (Gen.1:2) and the darkness of the earthly night - Ezk.32:7,8.
The Creator of all things reserves all power to make goodness and peace,
and to cause and create, any or all facets of that which brings evil to light.
The Lord not only brings forth evil in the form of calamity and destruction
(Jl.1:15; Jer.45:4,5; 44:2 etc.) but He created the original source of all evil
power that would begin to operate in the cosmos. How can this be you ask?
For we are also told that "in Him is no darkness at all."1Jn.1:15.
This is true in that He brought forth into creation, other lesser powers and
natures to originally exist in a realm divided (Gen.1:4,6,7) and apart from
the nature of His own intrinsic holiness. These powers were to be
administered and controlled entirely according to the foreordained workings
(Heb.4:3; Ac.15:18; Isa.46:9,10) of His own counsel and will )Eph.1:11),
even of His own "eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our
Lord." Eph.1:11. Therefore in all of this, it remains of an eternal and infinite
truth that "there is no wisdom, nor counsel, nor understanding against the
Lord" (Prv.21:30) simply because "all things are of God." 2Cor.5:18.
Great revelational truth given to Paul the Apostle in the beginning of the New
Testament dispensation, confirms that "BY HIM were all things created
(directly or indirectly) that are in heaven or that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be THRONES, or DOMINIONS, or
PRINCIPALITIES, or POWERS (good or evil, natural or spiritual): all
things (such as exist in the basic powers of natural or spiritual life or death)
were created (preordained, fabricated, formed, brought forth) by Him, and
for Him (for His eternal purpose in the plan of the ages); and He is before
all things ( in existence, and in power and in glory and in all preeminence),
and by Him all things consist." Col.1:13-17; Rev.4:11. The answers to
some of the greatest mysteries of the ages are to be found in this verse and in
the many others associated with it through the Spirit of Truth.
"Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts, the
earth and all things that are therein, the seas and all that is therein."
Neh.9:6; Ac.14:15; 17:24. "All those things hath mine hand made."
Isa.66:2. In conjunction with this, the Bible clearly associates and reveals
that Satan has a place in the heavens as well as in the earth and in the seas -
2Chr.18:18-21; Jb.chptr.1; Rev.12:3,7,8. Lk.10:18; Isa.27:1. We see that in
the natural realm or plane of the earth that "God created
sea monsters."
(serpents) Gen.1:21. Did he create anything so much different on the
spiritual plane?
Oh church, put on those stronger glasses. Look once again at the word of the
Lord. Cast aside your blinding philosophies and binding traditions and
anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see. "BY HIS SPIRIT He
garnished the heavens; HIS HAND hath FORMED THE CROOKED
SERPENT" (Jb.26:12,13; Rev.10:6), "leviathan, THE PIERCING
SERPENT, even leviathan that CROOKED SERPENT; and He shall slay
THE DRAGON that is in the sea," Isa.27:1; Psa.74:13,14. The word
"leviathan" simply means "sea dwelling beast, monster, serpent, dragon."
This monstrously wicked and beastly spiritual influencing serpent, shall in
time be revealed and ultimately slain when the Lord shall consume him with
the Spirit of His word and shall manifestly destroy him with the brightness of
His coming - 2Ths.2:8.
What sea is it wherein this serpentine dragon does dwell? Keep those strong
glasses on now! This sea is none other than the universal sea of troubled
human minds - Isa.57:20; Jb.28:12,14. It is here "in this great wide sea
wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts."
Psa.104:25. The prophet Ezekiel saw the same truth portrayed in a vision of
the inner court of the temple of his people - Ezk.chptr.8; 1Cor.6:19; 2Ths.
2:4. It is here in the human soul and mind were leviathan, that old crocodile,
comes to the surface in humanity (Psa.104:26), now easily to be seen by
spiritual eyes as "THE GREAT DRAGON, that OLD SERPENT, called
THE DEVIL and SATAN which deceiveth the whole world." Rev.12:9.
Even in the beginning, this spiritual beast, leviathan, "the serpent, was more
subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made." Gen.3:1.
Note that this does not say that this serpent was made in the field (earth). It
simply reveals, he was of the beast nature, and more subtle than any other.
He was conceived and created in the waters (even the spirit realms of the
heavens and of the mind of man) and brought down to dwell in the lower
realms of the creation of humanity, spiritually typified by "the earth", "the
sea" and "under the earth." Rev.4:13; Gen.1:21.
Yes, the serpent "the great dragon" in/of the carnal mind who is in
opposition to God (Ro.8:7) dwells as a ruling Pharaoh in the midst of all the
earth , even as the mind of men who say "my river is mine own and I have
made it for myself." Ezk.29:3. His scales are none other than his own pride
(Jb.41:15) which is enmity with God. Again, spiritually speaking of the king
of Egypt, "
thou art as a whale ("tannim"-leviathan dragon etc.) in the
seas.." (Ezk.322), a great beastly ruler in the midst of the earth.
As has been shown, the subtle deceiving serpent, even the devil himself
(whatever, whoever or however you may picture him as being), was formed
as a work of God's hand. He is a sea dwelling beast. But remember, it is
the most holy Lord Himself who "overall ruleth the raging of the sea."
Psa.89:9. Take note that "both the deceived and the deceiver are His."
Jb.12:16; Ro.9:21. God alone, reserves the right "to make one vessel unto
honour, and another unto dishonour
to shew His wrath, and to make His
power know
that he might make known the riches of His glory on the
vessels of mercy
even us (of the ecclesia) whom he (first) hath
called.."Ro.9:21-24.
The exalted Creator of all things, always has been and ever will be, in total
divine control of all in His natural and spiritual creation. "Thou sendeth forth
thy Spirit, they (small and great creatures, lowered and elevated vessels), they
are created." Psa.124:25-29. He alone has created and now commands "the
heavens and all the hosts of them" Psa.33:6; 148; Prv.16:4; Isa.45:12.
Prayerfully and carefully read Job chapters one and two. The devil is no
exception and is not excluded from "all the hosts."
In every aspect of His sovereignty over man and over all His creation, it is
revealed that there is "no power but of God: (any of) the powers that
(now) be (now exist since their creation and necessarily include the very
real principalities and powers of death, hell, Satan, flesh, carnality, beastly
natures etc. and) are ordained of God." Ro.13:1. It cannot be any other
way! The Lord says, "Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
(Therefore who can have a claim against God, GOD WHO MADE THE
UNMASTERED CROCODILE?) Jb.41:11 [Amplif. Bible]. This beast
"looks all mighty (beasts of prey) in the face (without terror); he is a monarch
of all the sons of pride. [Note: we the creation of man, are the devil's beasts
of prey and fallen humanity are the sons of pride]. (And now Job, who are
you, who dares arouse the unmastered crocodile, yet who dares resist ME,
THE BEAST'S CREATOR; to my face? Everything under the heavens
is mine; therefore who can have a claim against God?" Jb.41:34
[Amplified].
The foregoing thought is carried on in the New Testament where Paul says,
"God has consigned (penned up) all men to disobedience" and then
questions His way by asking, "Who has first given God anything that He
might be paid back or that he could claim a recompense? For (the truth is)
from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.For all things
originate with Him and come from Him; all things live through Him,
and all things center in and tend to consummate and to end in Him. To
Him be glory forever!" Ro.9:32-36 [Amplified].
Because of the man made doctrines of "eternal" hell and "free" will, so many
of God's children have lingering doubts concerning the all encompassing
scope of God's creation in "all things"
whether they be the all things in the
beginnings of creation or the same "all things" in the end of creation. The
evidences of this great truth as revealed in God's word are many. Yet sadly,
the blind leaders continue to lead the blind and most have fallen into deep
ditches of spiritual darkness, unable to find their way out - Lk.6:39. Only the
truth in God's word is "a lamp unto my (our) feet and a light unto my (our)
path." Psa.119:105. Only in "thy light shall we see light." Psa.36:9.
As we continue focusing in on these great truths we find where the Lord
saith, "I HAVE CREATED THE SMITH (even the fabricator of lies, the
maker of evil works) that bloweth the coals in the fire (compare
leviathan-Jb.41:21), and that BRINGETH FORTH AN INSTRUMENT
for his (its evil) work; and I HAVE CREATED THE WASTER (the
devil-Jn.10:10) to destroy." Isa.54:16. This same principle is revealed in the
use of "the Assyrian", typical of Satan whom the Lord says is used as "the
rod of mine anger" and "the staff in whose hand is mine indignation."
Isa.10:5 [Amplified]. See our article "The Lord killeth And Maketh Alive"
for much more scripture and detail on God's involvement in the workings of
evil.
It is God who, for the ultimate purposes of His creation and its perfection,
has in the wisdom of His far-reaching love, created the destroyer, the
devastator, to work havoc---to heat up the fire in this present universal
furnace of affliction - Isa.54:16; Jb.23:10. Yet, in all of this, the many gates
of hell shall not prevail (retain power, prosper) against His new creation -
Matt.16:18. In the end, "No weapon that is formed" (the serpent included)
will have been found to prosper either against God or against His
creaturebut will in fact, be found to have only prospered for them
(Ro.8:35) and in all other things whereunto the Spirit of His word has been
sent to accomplish - Isa.55:11. In a further positive sense, this destroyer of
man was created as an instrument to destroy the flesh and all that's associated
with it, so that the full salvation of the spirit may be completed in the day of
the Lord. This is the principle found in 2Cor.5:5.
This waster and destroyer of mankind was created with the attributes of "a
murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth." Jn.8:44. Many
have been deceived in believing that this deceiver was once righteous and
holy from the beginning and did abide in the truth. Beloved, this deceiver,
from the foundation of his creation and most certainly from the beginning of
natural man's creation, always was and by reason of his first creation nature,
still is, "a liar and the father of it." Jn.8:44. It remains of a truth which-
ever way one looks at it, that "the devil sinneth from the beginning."
1Jn.3:8. Many would have us believe, he was holy from the beginning,
abode in the truth and fell in his sin sometime later.
It is noteworthy to know at this point that all evil is not necessarily sin but all
sin is surely evil. It is also noteworthy to know that evil (with its potential of
sin), was channeled into the present so called "fallen' world through the
disobedient mind of one man and not through one disobedient angel as
tradition so often implies - Ro.5:12. All this was a part of God's creative plan
for the ages to come. After all, if the Lord hadn't wanted the first man Adam
to experience the knowledge of both good and evil, why was it that in the
presence of Adam,"out of the ground made the Lord God to grow
the tree
of the knowledge of both good and evil? In reality, this was planted and
made to grow in the garden of Adam's mind and soul.
The original Adamic creation may have been full of natural wisdom and
perfect in outward beauty (Ezk.28:12,13) in comparison to the rest of the
creation around him, and even relatively perfect in his ways from the day of
his creation (and all this was in the realm of "good" yet a far thing from
holiness) "till iniquity was found in him." Ezk.28:15. Was this by accident?
Did it catch God off guard? Did it just magically appear? No, not at all. It
was entirely "of God" as a part of His eternal plan of creation, redemption
and restitution of all things!
Even as the presence of evil and death was sown in and grown in the first
man Adam, he was also "sown" by God into the presence of evil and death
as a natural bodyeven a life given soul - Gen.2:7; 1Cor.chapter 15. In
contrast as well as in remedy to this, "the last Adam was made a quickening
(life giving) Spirit." 1Cor.15:45. These ways and works were planned and
initiated by reason of the Creator and not of Satan nor man - Ro.8:20. As
a designated part of His earthly creation God formed and made vessels of
wrath. Now in the intermediate and latter states of His creation, He who has
begun a good work in us through mercy and grace, shall perform this work
unto perfection - Ro.chptr 9.
It has never been in the design of God's plan, nor has it been a part of His
will that any of His creatures be eternally destroyed in the process. Nor is it
just or righteous for Him to eternally subject them to the wrath of sin and
suffering. Just as God was responsible in creating "all things" by Him, He
is also responsible for bringing about reconciliation, redemption and
restitution of all things through Him by rebirth in Him - Ro.11:36;
Eph.1:10.
Therefore, we find that the Master Potter of all things in creation
is
through the power of the cross, now instituting His preordained work of
remolding, rebuilding, repairing and restoring the old foundations and waste
places - Isa. 58:12. 61:4; Ezk.16:53-55; 36:11; Am.9:11, 12 etc. God is
presently in the process of destroying the old creation and all that is in it, not
by destroying it forever in the sense of leaving it in a perpetual state of
judgment nor destruction, but rather by reversing the state of creation
through omnipotently changing it - Heb.1:12
The generous, benevolent, predestined work of the Creator now also
includes such divinely connected remaking processes such as
.receiving,
reviving remembering, returning, recompensing, revealing, redeeming,
regenerating, recovering, replenishing, refreshing, rekindling reproving,
rewarding, replacing, resolving, reaching, rescuing, renewing, resurrecting
and reconciling "all things unto Himself; by Him
whether they be things
in earth or things in heaven." Col.1:20. The Creator of heaven and earth and
all things therein, created nothing of the earth in vain - Isa.45:18. Rather. By
reason of Him, He formed it to be inhabited, not only by humanity but also
by Himself, whose reigning Spirit of loving reality shall surely be revealed
to all and in all
that God may ultimately be "all in all." 1Cor. 15:28;
Rev.21:3. Rest assured, the results of His preeminence shall redound to the
great glory of our sovereign predominant Redeemer.
Once again we find where He saith, "I am the Lord that maketh all
things." Isa.44:24. Let us seek to return all vestiges of power to our most
high "God who created all the by Jesus Christ." Eph.3:9. This is the same
Lord "Of whom are all things
by whom are all things" (1Cor.8:6) and to
whom all things in the eternal Spirit of God are already reconciled - Col.1:20.
If the devil of evil wasn't included in the working of God's original purpose
before the foundation of the world, then the loving sacrifice of the Lamb who
taketh away the sin of the world, also need not have been in the plan of the
ages - Rev.13:8; Tit.1:2.
Oh Lord, "the heavens are then, the earth is also thine. As for the world,
and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them." Psa.89:11; 24:1;
Deut.10:14. Truly, "Thou hast created all things, and for they pleasure,
they are were created." Rev.5:11. Truly also, in the finished work of thy
Son, thy pleasure shall prosper - Isa.53:10. For "as in Adam all die, even so
in Christ shall all be made alive (1Cor.15:22); made alive and vivified by
"Him that filleth all in all." Eph.1:23; 4:10. O Lord, thou art worthy of
worship from every creature - Rev.5:13. Therefore, it is only to the credit
of thine glory and power and honour that we do reveal the greatness of thine
ultimate love and truth.
Speaking not only of Himself, Jesus foretold a great and deep prophetic truth
concerning Satan himself. This was in true harmony with the end of His plan
of creation
"for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him
only shalt thou serve." Matt.4:10; Phil.2:10,11; Psa.145:10; Gen.1:24. Is it
not also written, "So shall my word be
it shall not return unto Me void, but
it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing
whereunto I sent it." Isa.55:11.
O Lord, "Thou reignest over all: and in thine hand is power and might: and
in thine hand, it is to make great and give strength unto all." 2Chr.29:2;
Psa.145:16,17. And so He shall! This is part of His pleasure and His
purpose and this He surely shall do - Psa.115:3. "All the inhabitants of the
earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the
army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can
stay His hand, or say unto Him, what doest thou?" Dan.4:35. "Who hath
resisted His will?" Ro.9:19. The answer precious ones, is none---not one
creature in all the creation! In light of this fact, is it not now much easier to
believe that "all things shall be subdued unto Him?" 1Cor.15:28. Surely,
He is the loving author and shall be the loving finisher of all, in both the
natural and spiritual universal creations - Col.1:15-18; Heb.11:2; Rev.1:8.
In the beginning, in the inception of God's plan for mankind, we find that
"the creation was made subject to vanity" (put in subjection, submission),
not by Satan, not my man, not by any other creature, but wholly "by
pre-ordained) reason (and divine plan) OF HIM (God) WHO
SUBJECTED then same in hope." Ro.8:20. Actually, Adam (a type of the
spirit) began its subjection to a lower realm when "the Lord God formed man
out of the dust of the ground
and became a living soul" (Gen:27), a soul
subjected to the reality of evil.
Our subjection to this lower realm of life and the evil fruit that was present in
it, was altogether purposed of the Creator. And now, "Behold, is it not by
appointment of the Lord of Hosts that the nations toil only to satisfy the
fire (that will consume their work of wood, hay and stubble), and the peoples
weary themselves only for emptiness, falseness and futility? But (the time is
coming when) the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the
Lord.." Habk.2:13 [Amplif.]. There is fulfillment of the hope!
The whole creation was created subject to an interim vanity and travail and
all the evils associated therein. This became experientially manifest when Eve
(the soul) chose to partake of the evil fruit of untried and untested sin. As a
result of unlawful disobedience, "this sore travail hath God given to the sons
of men to be exercised (and processed) therewith." Eccl.1:13; 3:10,11. "God
hath concluded them all (shut them all up together in sin, death and) in
unbelief, that (when His plan and purpose are concluded) He might have
mercy upon all." Ro.11:32; 5:12.
"Thou turnest man to destruction (beginning with the first man Adam);
and sayest, return, ye children of men"(Psa.90:3; Hos.6:1-3) through the
last Adam, Jesus Christ - Ac.17:30. "So shall my word be that goes out from
my mouth
It will
accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for
which I sent it." Isa.55:11. "He is in one mind, and who can turn Him? and
what His soul desireth, even that He doeth." Jb.23:13.
Did man create the surroundings and conditions which he found himself in
subjection to after his disobedience, or even before for that matter? The
scriptures do not support this. The Lord saith, "Behold now Behemoth (a
large beast) which I made with thee." Jb.40:15. Not only was this beast
made with him it was made in Him. The reality of the beast nature was made
manifest within him. Because of this, the original innocent, untried and
fragile vessel, whom the Creator "made of clay, was marred in the hand of
the Potter." Jer.18:4. He really wasn't marred in or by the hand of Satan or
the serpentine beast, he was marred by the work of God's own hand.
Yea, all this was a part of the foreordained plan of God and the works of God
and of His own predestined counsel and will - Eph.1:11; Heb.4:3; Ac.15:18;
Isa.46:9,10; 43:13. If God be truly omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent;
and if His creative and providential sovereignty be absolute in all things, then
the perfect will of God has not ceased to be a part of all these things. At no
time have men, nor angels, nor authorities nor powers not been fully subject
potentate." 1Tim.6:15.
The basic principles and truths found in scripture such as all the foregoing,
reveal that the divine harmony found in the interplay of evil with good, has
never been working toward an ultimate demise of the whole creation but
rather toward its ultimate perfection. And now we are assured and "we
know all things (good and evil) work (according to God's own working
pleasure) together for Good to them that love God, and to them who are the
called according to His purpose." Ro.8:22. We who have in grace first been
given the love of God, "know that the whole creation goaneth and travaileth
in pain together until now" (Ro.8:22) "in expectation that the creation itself,
also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom
of the children of God." Ro.8:31. Our Creator shall not fail them nor
disappoint them!
What clear and wonderful objectives we have revealed to us in God's
purpose! What a sovereign work of love that is yet to be revealed in His
creation! "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness: and let them have dominion
over all the earth.." Gen.1:26. But
by divine design, this could never be, nor was it ever intended to be, without
the suffering of evil---without knowing both good and evil as God Himself
knew. Subjection to evil with the inevitable suffering it brings was ordained
to be a necessary part of the Creator's process for His creation.
So it was in the beginning when God began the creative and then regenerative
processes of making man into His own image. In like manner it continues
unabated in the advanced process of His new creation (Eph.2:10), that "All
things are of God." 2Cor.5:17,18. The old has served its purpose.
Now he is saying "Return ye children of men" and "behold, I make all
things new." Rev.21:5. As a necessary part of His great work, and to reveal
His great power and glory, He not only has an obligation say it but also to do
it. His absolute sovereign power and His divine determination guarantee it!
To insure and complete the fulfillment of His purpose, God in His due time
has sent His own Son to dwell in man to finish the work. "It is finished."
Jn.19:30. Relative to this, we find the scripture asking
What is this
creation of man, and what did God have in mind when He sent him Jesus?
Heb.2:6. "You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him
with glory and honour and put everything under His feet. In putting
everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to Him
(which
includes the will of Satan and the will of man). Yet at present we do not
see everything subject to Him (nor man). But we see Jesus, who was
made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour
because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death
for everyone.
In bringing (the) many (Ro.5:18,19 Grk.) sons to glory, it was fitting that
God; for whom and through who everything exists, should make the
author of their salvation perfect through suffering." Heb.2:7-10 [NIV]. Now,
"if we suffer, we shall also reign with Him." 2Tim.2:12; 1Ptr.2:20,21.
"Holy,holy,holy, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY"
Rev.4:8
K. Ross McKay
|
|