Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is no doubt that God is preparing His people to stand during the final days of earth’s history, and this preparation would involve having an intelligent knowledge of The God whom we serve. Truths that have been swept under the rug for centuries must be revisited and clearly understood, lest fall into the errors that have spread across the land as a plague.
Coming to grips with the sin problem, and having a clear understanding of the issue of choice, will go a long way in resolving some of those haunting issues and questions that do bubble up to the surface from time, from deep within our thoughts.
One of the pitfalls we must avoid at all costs is that of buying into satan’s version of events, because for the most part the philosophies, teachings, the views and perspectives that are generally held by popular majorities are largely in sync with doctrines of devils and as such we will often find that such views would be diabolically opposed to God and truth.
For starters, the sin problem carries with it natural consequences, as stated in our first passage. Death, with all of its derivatives, such as sickness, sorrow, pain, crime, war and diseases, are by-products of sin and the collateral damage that results is a normal part of man’s existence.
It is true that God sent His Son Jesus into the world to save us from our sins, and to grant us abundant life, but this does not always translate into living a life that is free from the adverse results of sin. To a great extent, the consequences of transgression are mitigated in those who accept Christ, but the fallout from sin can persist for years.
The sin we are referring to is not only that which a person may have committed, but also the original sin which occurred in our first parents. Even though we were not there when they chose to sin, the fact remains that we are their offspring, and collateral damage in us is the natural result of what occurred back then. Let’s read:
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
14 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.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.
Therefore, with the understanding that sin causes collateral damage in persons, we must now address some of the unresolved questions and issues which haunt our minds from time to time. When persons suffer, for seemingly no reason, folks are disturbed, and may voice their concern, but when God blesses those who are rebelling against Him, not a word of remonstrance is heard.
For years, God’s blessings fell upon Sodom, and the people enjoyed the bounties of heaven, yet, in the account of their history, most people usually tend to focus on their demise, and almost nothing is ever mentioned of the many years God had poured out His rich gifts upon the cities. Let’s read:
Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you come unto Zoar.
The phrase: “Even as the garden of The Lord” means that it was compared to Eden; that is how much the place was blessed by the bounties of heaven. Yet, it is almost never mentioned in the narrative of their history. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 156] Fairest among the cities of the Jordan Valley was Sodom, set in a plain which was “as the garden of the Lord” in its fertility and beauty. Here the luxuriant vegetation of the tropics flourished. Here was the home of the palm tree, the olive, and the vine.
And flowers shed their fragrance throughout the year. Rich harvests clothed the fields, and flocks and herds covered the encircling hills. Art and commerce contributed to enrich the proud city of the plain. The treasures of the East adorned her palaces, and the caravans of the desert brought their stores of precious things to supply her marts of trade.
With little thought or labor, every want of life could be supplied, and the whole year seemed one round of festivity. The profusion reigning everywhere gave birth to luxury and pride.
Again, when the king of Sodom was invaded by the surrounding nations which were bent on destroying the towns it was God who sent Abraham to rescue the men of Sodom. God’s mercy was poured out for very many years upon the cities, and yet these facts are almost entirely left out of the history of the twin cities. Let’s read:
Genesis 14:10 And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain.
11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
15 And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.
16 And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people.
17 And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the Most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoe latchet and I will not take anything that is yours ,lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.
We must be very careful not to harbor the spin that devils concoct to portray God as one who only seeks vengeance and judgements while the millions of His blessings which He bestows every day upon persons often go entirely unnoticed, or unmentioned by the majority of people.
Therefore, we must now turn our attention to some of the reasons why God does not intervene in this, or that situation, for many are at a loss for words, if and when adverse circumstances may occur.
[1] Choices made carry natural consequences, and God is not duty-bound to deliver, intervene, prevent or mitigate adverse consequences from happening. In other words, Jesus is never obligated under any circumstances to prevent the natural results of sin from accruing.
This particular truth must now be revealed in clear distinct lines, for some persons believe that God is the great preventer-in-chief. This is absolutely not the case, for it is His sole prerogative to decide if or when He will deliver in this or that circumstance.
Jesus volunteered to take upon Himself the sins of the world, but if He had not chosen to do so, God would still be a loving God. In addition to this, all of His promises are to be understood in the context of Him exercising discretion in different situations, and not the blanket guarantees as some might view His promises to be.
Especially is this sacred truth pertinent to persons who have deliberately chosen to walk contrary to what God has said. In such cases, the prospect of deliverance is even more farfetched than those who are trying their best to live up to the light they have received.
Our choices carry consequences, and God has given instructions, laws and principles in His word that will go a long way in mitigating the natural results of sin. But since we are free moral agents, we can choose to do either good or evil with the pertinent results.
When we are finished doing Bible study today, you can join us at Red Lobster to eat our fill of all those finger-licking, forbidden crustaceans, and we would guarantee that there will be no angel standing with a flaming sword at the entrance to the restaurant.
What ever may be the result, God is not obligated to deliver us if things take a turn for the worse. We can pray and repent, if the result of our actions turn out to be debilitating, and God, in His mercy to us might choose to deliver, but under no circumstances is He obligated to do so.
Again, when God has blessed us with finances, and resources, we may manage them prudently, or, like the prodigal son, we may go splurging on blings and things. But if we were to run into trouble, God is not obligated to deliver, nor is He compelled to reverse the natural results of our course of action.
In His great mercy and love, He may choose to do so and we would always encourage persons to repent and pray for pardon and deliverance, but as far as God being obligated to show mercy, it’s an absolute non-starter.
A father has warned his son of the dangers of using drugs. He has pleaded with him to leave the Ganja alone, but try as the parents may, the son continues to do weed. Year after year passes and many prayers are said, and many tears are shed on his behalf, but for some unknown reason, that son continues, day by day, to smoke the herb.
Finally, the son is arrested for possession of drugs, and he is put in jail, where he wishes he had heeded the warnings of his loving parents. But now it is too late, and he is incarcerated with drug dealers, gang bangers, crypto bandits and robbers, and as he sits in jail twiddling his thumbs, he wishes his parents would intervene. Hear the word of The Lord!
His parents are under no obligation whatsoever to get him out of jail. In their love for the wayward son, they may post bail, but as far as being obligated to do so, this is absolutely not the case.
Furthermore, if the parents decided to leave him in prison, to suffer the natural consequences of all his actions, the decision on the part of the parents does nothing whatsoever to change their status as being the loving parents they have always been. If they decide to deliver, it would be of their own free will, but they are never to feel coerced into doing so.
Similarly, God is under no obligation to deliver the sinner, or the righteous. Jesus reserves the right to show mercy on whom He will have mercy, and to let others bear the brunt of collateral damage of sin in general. However, that does not change His status whatsoever as being The loving God He has always been. Let’s read:
Romans 9: 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shews mercy.
Just because we may be doing right does not entitle us to deliverance, for God is merciful by decision not by obligation. This truth needs to be understood by all Christians in our day, just as it was understood by Daniel and the three Hebrew boys.
Even though they were eating their vegetables with singleness of heart, and even though they’d braved the consequences of standing up in defense of truth by refusing those diabolical requests of the greatest earthly king at that time, they did not think for once that God was obligated to deliver them.
Some contemporary televangelists who preach the health/ wealth gospel, will sometimes portray God as being under obligation to bless and have mercy. But just because one may be walking in the ways of God’s choosing does not make him or her entitled to one of God’s blessings, as if God were obligated to bless.
Let us be very, very careful of subscribing to satan’s version of events, because in doing so, some could risk sinking deep down into spiritual darkness, from which it can become difficult for persons to recover. Instead, let’s all read from the same script as did the three Hebrew worthies. Let’s read:
Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
This leads us to the second reason why God may not always choose to intervene:
[2] God reserves the right at all times to exercise His discretion, meaning, that there are times when He may choose to deliver or prevent certain things, and there are other instances when He might say not so much.
The promises made to the righteous are not blanket guarantees which are automatically scheduled to be fulfilled to the letter, in every which circumstance. The promises are subjected to God’s discretion, and since every case is different, He may choose to fulfill in one instance, whereas in another, He may see fit not to intervene.
When the Hebrew boys faced the prospect of being thrown into the fiery furnace, they had promises to rely on, and they could have quoted passages in the Bible, and they could have pointed to precedent, as reasons why they should have confidence that they would be delivered, for sure.
However, notwithstanding the promises, they left some wiggle room for God to exercise His discretion so that God’s will and not theirs would be done. Not all who follow Christ will be delivered from the fires of the furnace. Some would and some won’t, but all would be declared victorious when Jesus comes to claim His own.
If God were to guarantee deliverance in every case, there would be no need to exercise faith, because it would be a no-brainer to follow God without risk. In some instances, the best thing to do will be for God to deliver, but in other instances, in the best interest of the kingdom, it would be best for Him to leave things alone.
This is what the disciples did not understand as they saw Jesus being handcuffed and hauled off to prison where He was to stand trial for things He did not do. In that episode, God’s discretion saw fit to let things slide, because, in the bigger picture, God saw that millions of persons would be saved as a result.
Hence the reason why Jesus said: “Not My will, but Thy will be done” meaning, that Jesus was willing to leave the ball in God’s court, so that God’s discretion would have the final word. Let’s read:
Matthew 26: 52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
53 Don’t you think that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
54 But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
[3] The third reason why God might not intervene is because in some cases God is prevented from doing so, on account unbelief.
There are countless cases where God was, and is ready to help, but the state of mind harbored, and thoughts cherished preclude any deliverance from taking place. In very many instances where folks hit a roadblock in the Bible, and resolution to problems seemed impossible, the real reason was because of unbelief.
In our day, trouble keeps piling on and some wonder why God isn’t intervening. A couple years ago earth was shaken to its core by Covid, which came about as a natural result of eating forbidden foods. Very many people lost their lives, and collateral damage was felt in every corner of the globe.
Yet, for all the carnage and trouble we went through persons still insist on eating that which is forbidden, and, instead of putting our thumbs directly on the issue, investigators are looking for any other cause, other than that which God says is the problem. Let’s read:
Leviticus 11: 7 And the swine, though he divides the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet, he chews not the cud; he is unclean to you.
8 Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcasse shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.
10 And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you.
11 They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcasses in abomination.
Yet, for all the information God has given to us so as to mitigate the fallout of sin, we dig in our heels and continue to ingest that which will produce adverse results. Then, when Covid comes around and shakes down everybody, we ask questions such as: “Where is God?” and Why doesn’t He intervene?
Unbelief is what got us into the mess that we are in today, for Adam and Eve chose not to believe God, and we are not to expect or believe that The Lord is obligated in any way, shape or form to deliver us, if we deliberately disregard His laws and instructions.
In fact, unbelief stands out as the root cause for most of Israel’s failures, and if we look for a different out-come, we will have to track a different course. Very many passages in both the Old Testament and the New echo the very same sentiment. Let’s read:
Psalms 78: 22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:
23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,
32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.
Mark 6:2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
An example of what is being spoken of took place as the twelve spies were sent to search out the land of Canaan. Two brought back a good report, but as is always the case, the majority, brought back the bad tidings which aroused the unbelief that was already residing in the hearts of most of the people.
Thus, before we move forward, there is a statement of interest that we should carefully consider. Here it is, for it is a statement of fact that must of necessity be brought into the equation, whenever persons are desirous of God’s intervention, especially in adverse situations:
[The Desire of Ages pp 535] When the Lord is about to do a work, Satan moves upon someone to object.
Numbers 13:31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eats up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
[Patriarchs and Prophets pp 389] Revolt and open mutiny quickly followed; for Satan had full sway, and the people seemed bereft of reason. They cursed Moses and Aaron, forgetting that God hearkened to their wicked speeches, and that, enshrouded in the cloudy pillar, the Angel of His presence was witnessing their terrible outburst of wrath.
Then their feelings rose against God: “Wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
Thus, they accused not only Moses but God Himself of deception, in promising them a land which they were not able to possess. And they went so far as to appoint a captain to lead them back to the land of their suffering and bondage, from which they had been delivered by the strong arm of Omnipotence.
In our day there are many calamities taking place on every hand. There is the war between Ukraine and Russia, there is war between Israel and Palestinians, there are ongoing riots in France, tensions are rising between the United States and China, and over the July 4th holiday, several mass shootings took place in various parts of America.
The sad thing about all of these situations is that a lot of people, including little children are losing their lives, and some persons are driven almost to despair as they try to understand the reasons why God isn’t intervening to prevent this or that adverse situation from happening.
Though we may never have all the correct answers, this one thing we do know, that God is not obligated to intervene or prevent anything, and His discretion will guide His actions and purposes as He works for the best interest of the human family.
Questions we may have, and answers we might not get, but at the end of the day, God’s good purposes to all will one day be revealed, and it will be known and seen clearly, that everything God ever did, and permitted, was always in the best interest of earth’s inhabitants.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encapsulates the closing thought and it is our prayer that wherever answers are lacking, faith in The Living God will take up the slack. Let’s read:
Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
God Bless!