30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 19-31 Released from self cetredness 26 Relationship with Jesus
📖 Luke 16:19-31
29May2020 - *Relationship with Jesus* - _Luke 16:19-31_ - Bible reading: _Genesis 3:5-6_
_Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented._
We have understood to some extent as to why some people receive good things in life and others, evil things? Why is it that evil people seem to prosper, while innocent people suffer? Where is the justice of God? Why does not God invade into the situation and make corrections?
We began to comprehend death. We understood that the alienation, disintegration, falling away in all of the four dimensions of life, is death, in its comprehensive sense. We are beginning to get a glimpse of the reason for the tragedy, evil and disparity in our world. We are realising that man’s death is the cause, for man was made to be the ruler of God’s creation and now man is in the state of death.
How did man die? Being in a relationship with God, man's perspective or understanding was good, and he had no understanding of evil. Goodness flowed from God and through man as the channel and instrument of God, goodness flowed into all the world. The world was created good and now it was being run on the rails of goodness, which came from God. Man was the regal authority of God on earth and he was executing what was good, for he was in a relationship with God by trusting and obeying Him.
It was in this scenario of goodness that the serpent tempted Eve and Adam. Why did God allow the serpent to tempt them? This is a question that has troubled people. The answer is simple. They were persons just as God is a person and to express their love for God, they had to be tested to affirm to themselves and to God that they chose to be in a love relationship with God and be subjects in His kingdom.
If there was no test or temptation then there would be no way to establish and affirm their love for God. It is the same today. When we face temptations, which God permits, which is never beyond our ability to bear, God will provide a way out of the temptation _(I Corinthians 10:13)_ and in the process, we establish our love for God and our subjection to His kingdom. _(There is a need for a test, a viva voce, a project report, an examination, a paper presentation or any other measure to transition from one level of learning to the next)_
This was the serpent’s lure to Eve and Adam. _Genesis 3:5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."_
As we read of the fall of man, we see that the process seems very innocent and devoid of any evil as such. _Genesis 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate._ This was, superficially, a positive-sounding, decision-making process but hidden within was the desire to become like God, _(when they were already regal representatives of God but in subjection to His will) and to know good and evil _(for they had no knowledge of evil)_
They ate the fruit. They died. Death was the immediate consequence for this was what God had warned them would happen if they would eat the forbidden fruit. But when sin entered man not only died but also became the perpetrator of death.
Man's eyes were opened and he became the arbitrator of good and evil. Earlier, man was only bringing forth good for he was in a relationship with God but now without a relationship with God, he was arbitrating good and evil, for man was still the ruler of God’s creation.
We have already said that we have an idea now as to why evil is in our world and that was because of the death of man. To add fuel to the fire, man who is dead, _(without a relationship with God, for God is the source of life)_ is perpetuating death, by being the arbitrator of good and evil with him being in a state of death. Do we see now the compounded horror that man is causing to himself and to all of creation and how this has come about?
What is sin? Sin in its very core is rejecting a relationship with God. Relationship with God is based on two elements - Trust and obedience. What happened in Genesis 3:6? Man stopped trusting in God and demonstrated it by disobeying God.
Today we are being taught to trust God but not to obey God. We have made faith in God and in His promises as a means to acquire whatever we want for ourselves. In a true sense we do not trust God for if we were to trust God, we would obey Him. In reality, we are not in a relationship with Him. He too, one day, will deny us _(II Timothy 2:12)_
*Thought to ponder*
```Will we repent and come back to a relationship with God of trust and obedience to Him?```