THE ECONOMY OF THE DIVINE PLAN
Often when a child I wondered why God did not give all mankind the same opportunity that He gave Adam, why all were not permitted to come into Eden and have a fair chance as Adam had. But in later years when I came to see the beauty of the doctrine of the Ransom, the reason seemed very simple. If you and I had been brought into the world under conditions similar to those under which Adam was, we would have done just as he did, for the same reason that he did--lack of experience. We are therefore not faulting Father Adam and Mother Eve; but we are extolling our great and wise God. He was not taking any chances to see whether one out of a hundred thousand might do differently, and planning to provide a redeemer for everyone who did wrong. What confusion such a plan would have wrought!
For instance, suppose that God had placed fifty perfect human beings on trial in Eden at the beginning, and that one half of them had sinned--twenty-five sinners and an equal number of saints; and suppose that there had been provided a Paradise for the saints and the cursed condition for the sinners. Condemnation on one side of the fence, and blessing on the other--what confusion there would be! Then when it came to the redemption of the sinners, it would require that the twenty-five saints die for the twenty-five sinners.
Where would the matter have ended then?
"Thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot," is the Law of Justice. (Deut. 19:21; Exod 21:23-25.) And God operates His Government along the line of Justice, as the Psalmist intimates. Should some one wonder why God operates along the line of Justice rather than Love, we reply: In His great mercy God sees best to exercise absolute Justice in order that Love may operate impartially toward all.
But because mankind is fallen from their original perfection God instructs us to work along the line of love; for we need to exercise mercy and to learn the great lesson of loving-kindness toward all. Let us not forget that God did not create the imperfect conditions which we see all-around us. Imperfection is the result of disobedience. When during the Millennium God shall have brought the human race back into harmony with Himself, and when every creature in Heaven and on earth shall be in full harmony with Him, all their lessons on right and wrong learned perfectly, and all able and willing to do righteously, then no one will need mercy. All will be able to meet the just requirements of God's Government, and they will not be harmed by His Divine arrangements; for God’s Justice is for fair dealings toward every one of His creatures. But now we must make an allowance because we are sinners ourselves and all around us are likewise sinners.--Psa. 89:14
God does not now deal with the fallen race of Adam. If we desire to draw near to Him we must lay hold upon the one who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to the Father through Him--Christ Jesus our Redeemer. All God's mercy is exercised through Christ. God does not exercise mercy directly. He maintains the even tenor of His rule of righteousness, but makes special provision for the sinner race through Christ Jesus. Forgiveness of sin, and everything relating to repentance and reformation of life, comes through our Lord Jesus Christ--through the Ransom-price which He has provided.
Continued with next post.
Often when a child I wondered why God did not give all mankind the same opportunity that He gave Adam, why all were not permitted to come into Eden and have a fair chance as Adam had. But in later years when I came to see the beauty of the doctrine of the Ransom, the reason seemed very simple. If you and I had been brought into the world under conditions similar to those under which Adam was, we would have done just as he did, for the same reason that he did--lack of experience. We are therefore not faulting Father Adam and Mother Eve; but we are extolling our great and wise God. He was not taking any chances to see whether one out of a hundred thousand might do differently, and planning to provide a redeemer for everyone who did wrong. What confusion such a plan would have wrought!
For instance, suppose that God had placed fifty perfect human beings on trial in Eden at the beginning, and that one half of them had sinned--twenty-five sinners and an equal number of saints; and suppose that there had been provided a Paradise for the saints and the cursed condition for the sinners. Condemnation on one side of the fence, and blessing on the other--what confusion there would be! Then when it came to the redemption of the sinners, it would require that the twenty-five saints die for the twenty-five sinners.
Where would the matter have ended then?
"Thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot," is the Law of Justice. (Deut. 19:21; Exod 21:23-25.) And God operates His Government along the line of Justice, as the Psalmist intimates. Should some one wonder why God operates along the line of Justice rather than Love, we reply: In His great mercy God sees best to exercise absolute Justice in order that Love may operate impartially toward all.
But because mankind is fallen from their original perfection God instructs us to work along the line of love; for we need to exercise mercy and to learn the great lesson of loving-kindness toward all. Let us not forget that God did not create the imperfect conditions which we see all-around us. Imperfection is the result of disobedience. When during the Millennium God shall have brought the human race back into harmony with Himself, and when every creature in Heaven and on earth shall be in full harmony with Him, all their lessons on right and wrong learned perfectly, and all able and willing to do righteously, then no one will need mercy. All will be able to meet the just requirements of God's Government, and they will not be harmed by His Divine arrangements; for God’s Justice is for fair dealings toward every one of His creatures. But now we must make an allowance because we are sinners ourselves and all around us are likewise sinners.--Psa. 89:14
God does not now deal with the fallen race of Adam. If we desire to draw near to Him we must lay hold upon the one who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to the Father through Him--Christ Jesus our Redeemer. All God's mercy is exercised through Christ. God does not exercise mercy directly. He maintains the even tenor of His rule of righteousness, but makes special provision for the sinner race through Christ Jesus. Forgiveness of sin, and everything relating to repentance and reformation of life, comes through our Lord Jesus Christ--through the Ransom-price which He has provided.
Continued with next post.
