Christ Supreme Over the Problem of Evil

The Bibles greatest problem is surely that of the problem of evil. As one of my boys asked me recently:

"Dad did God know what was going to happen when He made the garden of Eden and made the tree of knowledge of good and evil and allowed the serpent into the garden?"

"Dad why did God allow the serpent into the garden?"

"Dad why did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil into the garden?"

There was no good pacifying the boy with the assurance that whilst sin may have entered by Eden God had a solution for sin at Calvary, for that simply begged the question:

"Why did God allow all that sin and suffering and death just to get us back to where we started?"

The scripture is clear:

God is in control - He is Sovereign (Is46:10; Eph1:11)
God is the Creator of you and I and of Eden (Gen 1 to 3)
God is omnipotent (Matt 19:26; 28:18)
God is Omniscient and did know what was going to happen (John 21:17)

The scripture is also clear that God does not simply react or respond as a reflex to the problem of sin or the fall but rather the reason for all that has been permitted from Gen 1 to Rev 22 lies in the Counsel of God itself. Gods purpose of Glorifying His Son (Eph1:10; 1:12) is supreme over sin and suffering and the fall in Eden. The solution to mans problem preceded the problem itself:


"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." (Rom5:6)

"while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom5:8)

"when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son," (Rom 5:10)

The Son who is Saviour preceded Adam who was the Sinner:

" Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come" (Rom 5:14)

Adam may be the shadow but Christ is the substance!
Adam is the lesser but Christ the greater!
Gods solution preceded mans problem!


Gods work in Christ was not simply a reaction to Adams failure!
Adams sin set the scene for Gods salvation in Christ! For the entrance into time of one far greater and infinitely more glorious than Adam, with a salvation that preceded the foundation of the world itself! (1 Peter 1:20)

This is a different way of looking at man's problems than the reasoning that might be applied by the natural mind. In every day life the problem precedes the solution and the solution is merely a reaction to the problem. For example: the other week the car hand brake broke, so I took it to the garage to get it fixed. Human logic and the order of events would suggest that I fixed the car because it was broken. The order and logic of Romans 5 goes somewhat differently, the hand brake was broken that it might be fixed and so that I might be drawn to and discover the character of the mechanic as the one who fixes hand brakes!
The other day I spent some time tidying up the loft which had become cluttered with all the things that you dare not through out, just in case they become useful! It was a mess so I tidied it. Human logic explains the events in a cause and effect relationship such that I tidied the loft because it was a mess, Romans 5 explains the situation in reverse: the loft was a mess so that I might tidy it!
The purpose lies not in the problem but in the process of solving the problem!
The solution precedes the problem!
The Glory of Christ was the reason for Adams failure!
The Glory of Christ and His work were not simply a reaction to Adams failure! But rather Adams failure and mans problems were permitted and the solution purposed that in all things Christ might be glorified (Col1:18; Eph 1:12, 14) and I might know God in a way that Adam never knew Him!

What about Sam's objection:

"What is the point of all that sin and suffering and death if God just brings us back to where we were in Eden?"

What indeed is the point of breaking the car simply to fix it again?
The answer lies in this, that God does not take me back to where we started, the story of redemption is not circular it is linear. As Gods purposes in redemption close in Revelation chp 21 and 22 we have a scene like Eden but distinct form Eden:

There is no tree of knowledge of good and evil
There is no serpent
There is "nought that defileth that shall enter therein"
We have moved on from a garden with 4 branches of a river running through it (Gen 2:10), to the very source of the river itself (Rev22:1).

We have in all that God has done in redemption from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, yielded up to Him eternally the desire for and relinquished the potential for evil and we in its place have chosen Him for our portion eternally. 'I am His and He is mine forever.'

Listen to: 'The Bibles Biggest Problem'



Yours in Christ
Stewart

MP3 downloads of messages preached on many Bible subjects are freely available at:

www.newcumnock.org