Another picture of God's character

I’d like to bring to you another picture of God. One that’s been shown to me through various channels, be it audioverse.com messages or personal study. It’s based on God’s character of love that we talked about last week. This week I bring to you God’s gift of choice.

Our first look is a scene that took place in Heaven a long time ago. Lucifer, God’s covering cherub looked at himself that thought that he was good. We understand that Lucifer was created perfect (Ezekiel 28:15) as was the rest of the angels. God did not create sin but He created beings with the choice to rebel or not. God’s love requires that those who love Him must have done so because of their own free will. If He had made His creations to love Him without a choice, it would not have been love.

So think back to a time just before these angels were created. God understood that Lucifer would choose to disobey as would a third of the angels. God has a choice here, He can either make the angels and let them rebel or He can not make them and avoid sin. But really this is not a choice for God. His character is such that He has to give them the choice. Choosing to not create them so as to avoid this whole thing would have been making the choice for them. And since that is not God’s character there really wasn’t a choice for Him to make. So He had to make them and give them the gift of choice and let things unfold.

We fast forward the picture just a bit to the time where Lucifer has sinned. God appears to have another choice here. He could just destroy Lucifer and be done with sin or He could allow the gift of choice that He gave to His other created beings to take effect. But again, there is no real choice to be made. God’s character dictates this choice again. God’s created beings have the right to hear Lucifer’s accusations and make the choice for themselves if they will remain in obedience and love to God or rebel with Satan.

Also let’s take another look at this situation. What Satan was accusing God of was that God’s ways were flawed. Lucifer claimed that one could be perfect without God’s laws and that God demanded love yet gave none in return. With this accusation out in the open if God had destroyed Lucifer right there on the spot, more than a third of the angels would have believed Lucifer’s accusations. Think about it. If someone accused the president of something and was found dead the next day, would we all not believe that person’s accusations? Yes we would.

Okay let’s get back to God’s character and the gift of choice. Fast forwarding to a time just before the decision to make mankind we see another “choice” God has. God could make mankind knowing they would fall or He could not make them and avoid loosing all the people that would be lost. Well obviously God could not do the latter. His character again dictates that we’re to be given the choice. It’s not one to be made by Him. We have to choose to love Him or rebel against Him. Since love is through choice only, we had to have been given the choice. There was no other way.

Another reason He chose to make us was because of Satan’s accusations. Like I said last week He made us to show His character to the universe. God decided to use humans to show to the universe who He was. We failed yet we’re given the choice still today to develop a character that is to vindicate God’s. So let’s make good on that offer and work with God to perfect that character.

When we understand the power of choice in the scope of those we love that have not chosen God’s way, we understand that they too have a choice for God or against. We’ve been praying daily, earnestly, as a group for a couple of our dearest friends who have not been living the life that God has called them to live. It’s heart wrenching when such obvious opposition is shown in those we love. So we pray with our whole hearts for them. Yet if we truly love God and desire to be like Him, then we must not cling to them in such a way that dishonors God. Let me explain.

We’re called to vindicate God’s character. We know that God’s character is one of self-sacrificing love (selfless love) and when we pray for these people in a way that removes their choice we’re not in alignment with God’s character. God has decided to offer choice to all His creations and this has brought Him such agony we cannot comprehend it. So we should not pray that God works against their gift of choice. However, we should pray that His will be done and claim that we understand that His will is for their salvation. We should pray that the Holy Spirit continues to work in their lives. But if those people decide against God, we should not let that choice cause us to stumble in our faith in God. It is not a lack of God working in their life, it is merely the result of the gift of choice exercised in the wrong direction.

So I appeal to you, dear loved ones and friends, please make the right choices. Get into scripture and find out God's will for you in your life. Pray without ceasing to keep that communication line open with God. Watch and pray, as we're told throughout scripture, so that we will not fall into temptation. (Matthew 26:41)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your gift of choice. I am so deeply sorry for when I use this gift in a way that is not pleasing to you. I pray that you forgive me and continue to work in me. I pray now for those reading this blog and for those in their life that have not chosen your way. Please, dear Lord, be with those people and continue to work earnestly for their salvation. We know time is near that probation will close and the choice will have been made. So please work all the harder in our loved ones’ lives. We thank you, Father, for your Holy Spirit, we thank you for Jesus and His sacrifice and we thank you for your amazing love. Draw us ever closer to you and lead us not into temptation we pray, in Jesus’ name, amen.