ALL THAT GOD CREATED

What God Creates is Always Good

Sin brought about death. God's grace allowed mankind to multiply and live on vegatables and not meat for 1,656 years until the flood. Genesis 1:29-3

All That God Created Was Very Good

"God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day." (Genesis 1:31) 

When we look at the history of the world's violence and the evil behavior of mankind in light of God's Word and His standards, it can be difficult even to imagine that it was created very good. However, Jesus said to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

The knowledge of God's righteous ways, His predetermined Plan for those whose identity is in Jesus Christ, and who are called to eternal life (Ephesians 1), and the means by which God is exalting His glory to those made incorruptible can only be observed and appreciated by those who are born again.

All That God Created, Satan Corrupted

"Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. Then God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth." (Genesis 6:11-13)

All the material universe was made good in the sight of God. Not until Day 6 does God look at what He created and say, "It is very good." Man was the crowning glory of God's six-day creation. In the same way, God looked at what had become of man because of their fall into sin, and God said, "...the earth is filled with violence because of them..." Men are so fast and desirous to believe that they have been given "free will," not understanding that sin has brought all men into bondage and slavery to evil.

In the beginning, Adam was created very good, and accordingly, he possessed the freedom to choose to obey God, which was right, or to disobey and plunge his offspring into sinful bondage. I will speak more about this in my upcoming video series, "Why Creation Fell Into Chaos."

All that God Created Who Do His Will Are Good

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Matthew 7:21-23)

Satan is always corrupting everything he can. A huge target on his agenda is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It alone has the power to save men from eternal punishment. Satan's illusion of saying a prayer, walking an aisle, being a part of a "Christian" religion, or any such thing alone without a transformation of heart, mind, and emotions has convinced multitudes that they are in the kingdom when they are not.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians three times; we have two letters, and revisited them twice that we know of, a very gifted and active church, and he said to them in our second letter, "Test yourselves [to see] if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-- unless indeed you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5)

"To test (objectively), i.e., Endeavor, scrutinize, discipline -- assay, examine, go about to prove, "originally" to test, to try, which was its usual meaning in ancient Greek. Paul did not use this term negatively, but positively in the sense that Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus proved Himself to us through His word: not only as God but also as man. He defeated the devil, and as our Great High Priest, He understands our trials and is the perfect mediator.

To be a Christian believer does not mean we cannot fall into the ways of the devil. There is, however, a way of escape. The way is through a broken and contrite heart, bearing the full weight of our wrongdoing, staring our pride down, acknowledging it, repenting afresh of our sin, and by faith allowing God to intercede and renew our resolve to be obedient to Him.

Only then does the reality that all God creates is very good. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28). What the Christian must do is avoid assumptions about their salvation and standing before the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider carefully what I say here.

Paul, when writing to the Ephesians in chapter one, and after declaring the great work of God in salvation in so many ways, concludes in verses thirteen and fourteen. "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory."

Let me summarise. The work of God that is accomplished in so many phrases in Ephesians 1 always includes the pronoun "in" and some form of "Christ." In this way, the born-again believer has their identity in Christ in contrast to sinful, prideful, and worldly identities. "Love not the world," "the cosmos" from which we get cosmetics or a change of appearance. Jesus hates hypocrisy, a person who says one thing with every intention of doing the opposite.

"Love not the world, nor the things of the world." Corinth was appearance-driven; today, in our materialistic society, it's clothes, hair, cars, houses, careers, money, possessions, and power, with hardly a thought of God.  

The believer, by contrast, should experience the sealing of the Spirit, which is assurance of salvation. Such assurance is not based on assumption but the reality that God lives in one's heart. There is an ongoing relationship. Prayer becomes more than words; the Holy Spirit speaks to a person's heart. When you ask God, "Please show me," and you are blown away by what is revealed in prayer time, that continues to fortify assurance.

The only other option leads to hearing the words, "I never knew you, depart from me." Don't do it! Don't assume! Be assured that you are living obediently.