Throughout this series we have pointed toward the exceeding beauty of the Glory as displayed in the Face of Christ; so that it is desired, sought after and pursued with such diligence that exceeds all other desires for that which is counterfeit with vain promises of love, joy, and glory. It was by grace and grace alone that God had poured out all His Righteous judgement upon Christ so that Justice might be satisfied; thus, magnifying the Glory of Christ to beyond our comprehension. We by seeking after and gazing upon that Glory as can only be demonstrated in the face of Christ are being transformed into His image, day by day; step by step; sometimes through great trials we journey on our road to comprehension of that magnificent Glory with all the Love and Joy that God desires to pour upon us. So, if God truly created mankind to pour out upon him love, joy, and glory; then, why being omnipotent did God ever even allow evil to exist? Such a question has been pondered and written about by much greater minds than I; yet, I feel any discussion of God’s Glory must include this chapter. Yet, if we go back to the Garden of Eden before Adam chose to disobey God and we are told that God walked with Adam in the Garden with God every evening; then, if Adam truly understood that the Privilege, the Joy and the love which he had with God–then Adam would never have taken that bite. He would never have chosen the creation over the creator were he able to comprehend the magnitude of the beauty of the Glory of God. Let me try to explain with an example. We all know that darkness is the absence of light. In actuality, darkness itself does not exist except in the absence of light. If you were always in light and never experienced darkness would you appreciate the beauty and the clarity which light brings. Evil is the absence of Righteousness and since God is perfect Righteousness, evil is the absence of God. Yet, can we see the beauty of righteousness, if we have never known or experienced the absence of it in our lives? Jonathan Edwards once wrote:
"It is a proper and excellent thing for infinite glory to shine forth; and for the same reason, it is proper that the shining forth of God’s glory should be complete; that is, that all parts of his glory should shine forth, that every beauty should be proportionably effulgent [=radiant], that the beholder may have a proper notion of God. It is not proper that one glory should be exceedingly manifested, and another not at all. . .
Thus it is necessary, that God’s awful majesty, his authority and dreadful greatness, justice, and holiness, should be manifested. But this could not be, unless sin and punishment had been decreed; so that the shining forth of God’s glory would be very imperfect, both because these parts of divine glory would not shine forth as the others do, and also the glory of his goodness, love, and holiness would be faint without them; nay, they could scarcely shine forth at all.
If it were not right that God should decree and permit and punish sin, there could be no manifestation of God’s holiness in hatred of sin, or in showing any preference, in his providence, of godliness before it. There would be no manifestation of God’s grace or true goodness, if there was no sin to be pardoned, no misery to be saved from. How much happiness soever he bestowed, his goodness would not be so much prized and admired, and the sense of it not so great . . .
So evil is necessary, in order to the highest happiness of the creature, and the completeness of that communication of God, for which he made the world; because the creature’s happiness consists in the knowledge of God, and the sense of his love. And if the knowledge of him be imperfect, the happiness of the creature must be proportionably imperfect. (Jonathan Edwards, "Concerning the Divine Decrees," in The Works of Jonathan Edwards (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1974), p. 528)
Paul in Romans
Could it be that our understanding and our ability to fully comprehend the Magnificent Glory of God and to be bathed in His Joy and Love to our greatest happiness; it was necessary that evil exist? Would I know what grace was were I to have never known sin? Could I really seek after, hunger for and Savor Christ with such devotion had I not known the magnificent beauty of His Glory displayed by His sacrificial Grace? But as Paul we must ask Romans 3: 5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? Never, because it was still a choice made by each and every man who chose darkness over light and who chose unrighteousness over righteousness. Were someone to go out and murder an innocent child and the justice system found them guilty–the justice system would be commended for their just act of righteousness and we would never say that because they are commended then they would be wrong in their carrying out the sentence. Mankind, from Adam through now have had a choice to choose to worship the creation or the creator. God had not created evil; rather, evil was a choice of rejecting the only source of true righteousness. Look at Paul’s explanation in Romans 1: 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Indeed, it is God’s Love, Grace, and desire to pour out His love upon mankind that He tarries in His final destruction of all that is evil. Deuteronomy 32:"35 To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." So if God tarry in judgement it is His mercy and His pleasure to wait one more second. Perhaps He is waiting that you fall before Him and repent of your sins, that you might receive His gift of salvation.