The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever – Westminster Confession of Faith, Shorter Catechism, Question 1 .
Would the confession be more precise if it said “The chief end of man is to fear God and keep his commandments?”
Ecc 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
Fruit for thought.
This post is an expanded version of my previous post dated April 24th, 2014, where I explain how the nature of God as Love necessitates the entrance of sin in the world. This post repeats much of what was stated before, and discusses God’s nature of wrath. Here, we see that both God’s nature of love and wrath necessitates the entrance of sin in the world.
Question: The Bible tells us that God knows everything. So God would have known that when faced with the temptation of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam would have fallen into sin. God could have made the world such that Adam would not have chosen to sin, or perhaps God could have given Adam another temptation which he knows Adam have obeyed God. Since God would have known which temptation would succeed in causing the fall of Adam and which would not have succeeded, why then did God choose to make a world where sin would enter the world? Is the entrance of sin into the world really necessary to bring about a greater good? How do you know this? Is there any biblical passage that teaches this?
Reply:
Dear (undisclosed name),
Your question is in many ways similar to what Gordon Clark wrote about why free will does not solve the problem of evil. Please refer to my post on Clark’s lifeguard analogy. It is insufficient to say that God merely allowed the fall to happen. If God knows how everything would turn out, and yet chose to make the world the way it is, then God did not just permit the creation of the world and its fall into sin. The entrance of Sin is his will. But why? Because the entrance of sin in the world allows for a greater glorification of God through the display of his attributes.
The Latin phrase, Felix Culpa, meaning, the “Fortunate fall”, is often used to describe Augustine’s understanding of why Adam chose to sin. In his book, Enchiridon: On Faith, Hope and Love, Augustine wrote that all things happen only because God wills it to happen. Augustine taught that God is not evil for willing the existence of evil because “God judged it better to bring good out of evil than not to permit any evil to exist.”[1]
Thus, by appealing to a greater good as the ultimate purpose for the existence of sin, Augustine seek to acquit God from the charge of evil. Augustine explained that Adam’s fall into sin was indeed God’s will, but God purposed that the fall would bring about greater glory for God than if Adam had not sin. During the reformation period, almost all of the reformers adopted Augustine’s view of Felix Culpa, in some form or another. It was always an appeal to a greater good in the purposes of God, for allowing sin in the world. Unfortunately, Augustine was not very effective in solving the problem of evil, nor did he develop this concept of Felix Culpa in much depth. Nevertheless, the understanding that the fall would bring about the greater glorification of God is indeed biblical. Here, I will develop Augustine’s theme further to show that the display of both God’s nature of love and wrath requires the initial entrance of sin in the world.
Psalm 135:6: “Whatever the LORD pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” (ESV).
As you have correctly pointed out, if God is all powerful, and all knowing, then the only way Adam could have fallen into sin is if God had knowingly willed for Adam to fall into sin. Mere permission doesn’t make sense in light of divine omniscience. Augustine’s Felix Culpa is a concept rooted in the understanding that God in his sovereignty, always does all that he desires. The fall of Adam happens not just because God gave permission for it to happen. It happened because God willed it. The fall of Adam is not a problem since it was purposed by God to bring about an even greater good, than if Adam had not fallen.
Let us consider the nature of God. The bible presents God as love (1 John 4:8)—the standard or epitome of love. But if God is the ultimate being of love, then consistent with this nature, it would be consistent for God to demonstrate the greatest act of love before his creation. What is the greatest act of love? John 15:13 tells us that the greatest act of love is for someone to lay down his life for his friends. So if God is the very epitome of love, it makes sense to say that God would display this attribute of love by laying down his life for a friend in redemption. Yet for someone to be in need of redemption, someone has to first fall into sin before he can be redeemed. In other words, in the grand scheme of things, for God to express His nature of love and redemption, there must first be the entrance of sin in the world. It thus follows that Adam (or at least someone), has to first fall into sin if God is to be glorified through the acts of redemption—remember: redemption is defined in the Bible as the greatest act of love. Thus, consistent with Felix Culpa, God in his eternal omniscience and love, purposed that through the fall of Adam, God would bring about a greater good through the act of redemption. Because God is love, sin exists.
The fall of Adam would not have taken an omniscient God by surprise. God in his omniscience would have known the ends from the beginning, and all of history would pan out as God has purposed. In fact, in Revelation 17:8, we are told that the names of those who would be saved were already written in the book of life before the foundation of the world was laid. But just because God has predestined and willed all of history, does not mean that Adam’s actions were not evil. God gave a strict commandment to Adam, and Adam deliberately chose to sin; and thus, Adam was guilty. Just because God in his omniscience purposed to bring about an even greater good through the means of the fall, does not in any way absolve Adam from the culpability of sin.
Also consider Romans 9:22-23, “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory…”
Here, we are told why God endures vessels of wrath who are prepared for destruction. These vessels of wrath prepared for destruction allow God to display certain attributes of His glory—that is, the display of His attributes towards vessels of mercy is understood in the context of Romans 9:22-23 as a greater good.
Just as God displayed his attributes of love through redemption (which would first require the entrance of sin in the world), here in the context of Romans 9:22-23, we have the display of God’s attribute of wrath before vessels of mercy. Apart from vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, God’s attributes of wrath can never be displayed to vessels of mercy—an attribute which in Romans 9:22-23, fall under the category of “the riches of his glory”. But this display of God’s wrath also first requires the entrance of sin in the world, or there would have not been anything to be wrathful about.
Thus, in this way, we see that a display of both God’s attributes of love and wrath, require the entrance of sin in the world. While Sin is contrary to the nature of God, God in his omniscience willed Adam’s fall into sin because it would eventually bring about a greater good.
Summary: Both the attributes of Love and Wrath of God require the entrance of sin in the world.
I hope that helps,
David Tay
[1]Augustine, “Enchiridion: On Faith, Hope, and Love (English Translation),” Perkins School of Theology, http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/augustine_enchiridion_02_trans.htm.
Does God send out evil spirits to tempt and cause the downfall of people? The answer from the bible is a clear yes. In 1 Kings 22, not only does God send forth an evil spirit, but we read about God’s active reprobation of King Ahab. God sends forth a lying spirit to tempt King Ahab precisely because it was guaranteed that King Ahab would not be able to resist such a temptation. Thus, by choosing to send out a lying spirit for the purpose of causing the downfall of King Ahab, God is seen to actively reprobate King Ahab. God does not merely pass over King Ahab and leave him to his sins, but God deliberately chooses and even send out the very agent of temptation that was guaranteed to succeed in causing the fall of King Ahab. God orchestrated and masterminded the downfall of King Ahab. In all this, God demonstrates his absolute sovereignty.
1 Kings 22:22-23 (ESV)
And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.”
This passage in 1 Kings 22 is not the only passage where God is said to send forth evil spirits to accomplish his will. The following are a small sample of other such verses in the bible where God is the one who send out evil spirits, or where God sends people strong delusions:
Judge 9:23 And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,
1 Sam 16:14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him.
1 Sam 18:10 The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while…
1 Sam 19:9 Then a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his…
2 Thess 2:11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false,
Eze 14:9 And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Rev 17:17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
In all these passages, we see God’s absolute sovereignty over the evil spirits. God is so sovereign that the very wicked deeds of evil spirits are like pawns in the hands of a skillful chessmaster. They move and work their evil only because God first sends them forth to accomplish his will and purpose — even in active reprobation.
God is sovereign, man is naught.
11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
Rom 9:11-16 (ESV)
Rom 9:11-16 teaches us that God predestines some people for salvation and reprobate others to hell. This decision is chosen by God apart from the actions of man (not because of works; and not on human… exertion), and apart from man’s free will (depends not on human will).
This teaching is simple and straightforward. There is nothing mysterious, nor paradoxical about what the Apostle Paul is teaching here. However, those who refuse to submit to the absolute sovereignty of God, attempt to turn this passage into a complex and confusing subject. They insist, contrary to the plain teaching of Romans 9, that man’s free will has a part to play in the election and reprobation of individuals.
To make things worse, many Arminians claim that Romans 9 is not teaching about God’s election and reprobation of individuals, but about entire nations. Far from solving the problem, an appeal to the election and reprobation of nations in Romans 9 makes it far worse for the Arminian.
Roman 9:16 tells us:
“So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”
By appealing to both God’s election and reprobation of nations, the Arminian is faced with the problem of explaining how God can elect and reprobate not just individuals, but entire nations apart from their actions and choice. Since it is impossible to speak about nations, without speaking about the individuals that make up those nations, to elect entire nations apart from their works or “free” will means that now God is unconditionally electing and reprobating all the individuals in entire nations. Rather that solving the problem for them, these Arminians are now faced with the problem of God’s unconditional reprobation/election of all the individuals in entire nations. Since the bible is clear in Rev 5:9 that God has “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,” we know that God has not chosen entire nations for reprobation. Thus, the Arminian interpretation cannot be reconciled with scripture, nor does it help explain away God’s election and reprobation of individuals apart from “free will”.
The bible never teaches us that man has free will. Man’s salvation and his choice to believe or reject God has nothing to do with his free will, but solely on God who has mercy. Just as God hardens Pharaoh’s heart apart from Pharaoh’s free will, God softens the heart of Moses apart from Moses’ free will. Man only “chooses” because God has first caused him to choose those things.
Eph 2:8-10 (ESV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
To God alone be the glory.
Isaiah 6:8 is a verse often misused by many churches. It is used from everything from encouraging people to sign up to become missionaries, to asking people to dedicate their lives to God.
Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
What is the context of this passage?
Answer: God is sending Isaiah to preach the word of God to a Nation that will not listen. He is being sent to preach God’s word to a people in order that God might harden their hearts and in so doing, bring judgment to the nation–Until everyone is killed: leaving behind only the “stump”.
“The holy seed is its stump.”
The ministry of Isaiah was primarily one where as a preacher of God’s word, he was commissioned to preach the word of God in order that God might bring about the hardening of hearts. Through that, God would judge the nation and bring about destruction. Isaiah 6:8 is indeed a missionary passage. It is a verse about God commissioning Isaiah as a preacher/prophet; but it is not to be understood in the way most churches use it.
Let us not forget that the preaching of the word serves a dual purpose. Both conviction of Sin as well as the hardening of hearts are part of God’s purposes in the proclamation of the Word. God’s word that goes forth, never returns to him void. It always does what it is meant to do.
Yet if the proclamation of the word serves both the purpose of hardening of hearts as well as the conviction of sinners from sin (since Isaiah’s call was primarily one of hardening hearts through preaching), we must conclude that Isaiah was bearing fruit in his ministry even through the process of hardening hearts.
This tells us that a preacher/missionary/pastor should not be judged by the size of his congregation, nor by the number of decisions he gets people to make, but by his faithfulness in proclaiming the full counsel of God. A missionary to an unreach people group who faithfully proclaims the full counsel of the word of God his entire life, yet see nobody coming to faith, is a still successful preacher. Like Isaiah, we must conclude that he has bore much fruit in his ministry if he is faithful in proclaiming the full counsel of God. When Christ returns, he will receive the full wages for his faithful labor. (c.f. 1 Cor 3:8 ESV)
So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. . . Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. (1 Cor 3:7, 12-13 ESV)
Indeed, Isaiah’s labor in proclaiming a message to harden hearts, bore much spiritual fruit.
In light of this, what do we make of the church growth movement? It demonstrates that the entire church growth movement is based upon an unbiblical motivation, as well as on an inadequate understanding of what it means to be successful and bear fruit.
The implications of understanding God’s purposes in both election and reprobation are many. One of the main reasons why churches nowadays are swarmed with KPIs, Church growth techniques, entertainment to attract unbelievers, and the reason why they are always setting numerical targets for the church, is because they do not have a biblical understanding of what constitutes success and “fruit” in Christian ministry. They have no place for an Isaiah, nor do they understand that God’s purposes go beyond the salvation of individuals, to God’s own self-glorification. But that is another discussion for another day.
For a start, let us begin by first correcting our misuse of Isaiah 6:8.
Rom 11:
1) The partial hardening (Rom 11:25) of Israel (Rom 11:7), that results in Israel disobedience (Rom 11:30-32) and unbelief (11:20),
2) is initiated by God (Rom 11:7-10),
3) and this is part of God’s plan (Rom 11:28).
4) Paul explains that on account of Israel’s stumbling, salvation has been extended to the nations (Rom 11:1), so that all Israel will be saved (Rom 11:25b-26a).
5) The reason given for the hardening of Israel is “mercy” (Rom 11:32).
6) For this reason, Paul glorifies God for his wisdom and unsearchable ways (Rom 11:33-36). To him (i.e. God) be glory forever (Rom 11:36)
Compare this with Paul’s writing in Chapter 9 of Romans.
Rom 9:
1) Pharaoh’s hardening (Rom 9:17),
2) was initiated by God (Rom 9:16-17),
3) and is part of God’s plan (Rom 9:11; 23).
4) Paul explains that on account of Pharaoh’s stumbling, salvation has been, by extension, become available to vessels of mercy – not only the Jews, but also Gentiles. (Rom 9:23-24).
5) The reason given for the hardening of Pharaoh and vessels of wrath is “mercy” (Rom 9:18; 23) in order that
6) he could make known the riches of His glory (Rom 9:23a)
“That God saved His own by the gracious redemption of His own Son Christ, is to His own exceedingly great glory, which otherwise [if men had not sinned] would not have shone forth. But man would not have required redemption from sin and death, unless sin and death existed. Therefore, in respect to the ordinance of God, it was good that sin and death enter into the world; and yet this sin is and remains sin so much by its own nature, that it could not be expiated for except by a very terrible penalty. Again, we receive far more in Christ than we lost in Adam. Therefore, it was best and most useful for us that Adam fell, in respect to God, who prepares a kingdom of eternal glory for us by this wonderful means. And nevertheless, this Fall is so evil by its own nature, that even those who are justified and believe, experience many miseries and calamities from it, even to death. Also, this is the great glory of God, that He shows Himself to be a most severe punisher of sin. But if sin had not existed, no opening would be made for this judgement. Therefore, it was good, in respect to the ordinance of God, that sin exist, and afterwards be spread abroad, which is damned in the demons and all those who are outside of Christ, with eternal punishment. Likewise, this also is the will of God (Peter said), that is, His decree, that all who do right, are affected by evils. But he who does well, is not able to be hurt apart from sin. It is good therefore, in respect to God’s will (that is, His ordinance) that there be persecutors of the church, whom, notwithstanding, He most severely punishes, justly, as sinners against His will, that is, against that which He approves of them doing. Therefore, by the express words of the apostles, that which is against God’s will or decree (that is, against that which He approves and commands), does not come to pass; on the other hand, it cannot be said that God is contrary to Himself, or that he wills iniquity, as Augustine rightly concluded from the Word of God against Julian.”
Theodore Beza, Quæstionum Et Responsionum Christianarum Libellus (1570). Question 190.
The following is lifted from Oshea Davis‘ book, Did Jesus Die TO Save Me and The Parable of Monergism”. Page 35-37.
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“See, for wicked people they want God’s highest virtue to be mercy, for then God “must” show them mercy no matter what they do; they now have a free pass to be wicked. Wicked men are always on the prowl to find ways to back God into a corner in order to give them the freedom to be wicked. Such attempts are futile.
God does have a highest virtue and that is love to Himself, or His Son that is. In fact righteousness for God means having a highest regard and love to Himself above all things. In a public world this virtue is seen when God, above all things, seeks to display and put His beauty and glory in a grand exhibit.
Take for example Ezekiel 36:22-25,
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. [For] I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.”
Here, God says I do not save you because I have love or compassion for you above all things, but because of love for my Holy Name to be gloried in this public world. In a time of such severe sin God goes to the deepest virtue He has and it was not compassion for sinners, but love for Himself. Likewise, it is on this virtue that sinners will either stand for fall. It is this virtue that is the greatest nightmare of wicked men and also the greatest hope for the repentant! For the repentant God is “just” (1 John 1:9) and will forgive them. For those who repent in Jesus God shows supreme regard and love to Himself by justly forgiving all for His Son’s sake.
Jesus showed an infinite love for His Father on the cross, thus, for God to forgive all repentant sinners is a displaying of this infinite public love Christ displayed. For the wicked God shows supreme regard for Himself and love to His Son by casting all such into eternal darkness and fire.
God is saying in our passage: I love my Name, the very Name you disgraced with your wickedness. I will now step in and take care of this Myself. I will have My Name on a great showcase in all the earth. And you need to be thankful that the manner in which I am going to exalt My Name is by showing many of you mercy!
See, compassion and mercy are infinitely high moral beauties of God, and it is for this very reason, therefore, that God’s greatest moral beauty is love regard to Himself.”
–Oshea Davis
Hope in the sovereignty of God and how this allows us to glorify Him in the midst of trials
And people were burned up by the great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has the authority over these plagues, and they did not repent to give him glory. (Re 16:9)
In contrast:
Then Job arose and tore his outer garment and shaved his head; ⌊then⌋ he fell upon the ground and he worshiped. (Job 1:20).
… Then his wife said to him, “Are you still persisting in your blamelessness? ⌊Curse God and die.” So he said to her, “You speak like one of the foolish women speaks. Indeed, should we receive the good from God, but not receive the evil?” In all this, Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2:9–10).
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Here, by contrasting the response between the unbelievers in Rev 16:9 and Job’s response in Job 1:20,2:9-10, we see an example set for us. When faced with great trials and testing, as children of God, we ought to fall to our face and worship.
If God is to be worshipped for predestining the wicked actions of the worst sin in the history of the universe – the crucifixion of Christ, as mentioned in Acts 4:27-28, certainly he should be worshipped and glorified when trials, evil and testing come our way. In the case of Job, we read that it was God Himself who approached Satan to test Job. God gave Satan the authority to test him by killing Job’s sons and daughters. This is certainly an evil act of Satan authorized by God. Yet in all this, God did no wrong. Neither did Job sin with his lips. He did not blaspheme God, nor did he throw a tantrum nor blame God. Even later in the book of Job, we read that Job cursed the day he was born, and even begin to questioned God (and was rebuked by God for doing so), but he never charged God with evil or sin for decreeing the things he did.
Both the wicked unbelievers in Rev 16 and Job recognized the source and cause of their afflictions as coming from God. Yet their responses are different. One blaspheme God, while the other, in his grief, fell to the ground, acknowledged God’s righteousness in all that he does, and worshipped God.
May we, in acknowledging the absolute sovereignty of God, be driven to do likewise. May we fall on our face and worship God when we are brought through similar trials: so that even in our suffering, God is glorified. In fact, it is only in acknowledging his sovereignty over these things (good or evil), that we can take comfort that “that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, (Ro 8:28) — even if this leads to the death of the believer. Because God is sovereign we have hope. And because we have hope, we can glorify God in the midst of trials.
May God be praise in all things, and may the Lord strengthen his beloved children in times of testing and trial. May we glorify God in all that we do.
May we be like Job who remained steadfast in glorifying God through all things, and may we be like Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who knowing the manner in which it has been predestined for Him to die by the Father, glorified Him saying,
I have glorified you on earth by completing the work that you have given me that I may do it. (John 17:4)
“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and keep awake.” (14:34)… And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36)
A man after God's own heart 