Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
The fourth proof that God is not responsible for our sin is the nature of God. We have already looked at the nature of evil which says God cannot be tempted nor does He tempt anyone, the nature of man which says that God cannot be the source of temptation because man is drawn away and enticed by his own lusts and the nature of lust which comes from our fallen nature and causes us to desire what sin will satisfy.
The nature of God is such that only good comes from Him. ONLY GOOD COMES FROM HIM. His gifts are all good and perfect and come from the Father who never changes and is always light. How beautiful is that! No one can blame God for sin because every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above. Anything that is good about me...any talent...any good thing...all comes from Him. I can't boast about them or brag. I can't take credit for them...I did nothing to earn or deserve them. They are all just God's undeserved and unmerited kindness and favor toward me...His grace.
Our nature gives rise to sin. His gives rise to only good. The word good, John MacArthur says, means just that good. There is no comparative for it. (no gooder and goodest) It is just good. It is complete and lacks nothing. Sufficient. Comprehensive. Beneficial. Are you getting the picture? Why would any one of us take the bait and go after the things of the world. Why would we step away from the fountain of blessing where only good comes and go after a lie? And yet, we do. We think we know better. Do not miss out on an eternity with Him for the lies of the world. Decide now to follow Him who only gives good things continually and who does all He does for a believer's good and His glory. He wants to give you His Spirit. Ask for it now...turn from the world and the lie to Him!
Jesus says in Matthew "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. I love this about God...If we really want something good and right and we ask Him for it, He is ready and willing to give. God only gives me good. A little bit further down in Matthew 7 it says "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" Do not be deceived. Satan told Eve that God was holding out on her. Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 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." Eve fell for the lie and in the words "she took of its fruit and ate" lie the reason for all the sickness, sorrow, suffering and death in our world.
The Father of lights? What does that mean. God is the creator of the sun, the moon and the stars. Let's just take the sun...it is there in the morning and gone at night. It is dimmed by clouds. How about the stars...we can only see them during the day. The moon....it waxes and wanes. But NOT GOD. In Him there is no variation or shadow of turning. Isn't that a beautiful statement. I will never look at the lights in the sky now without remembering that He never changes...His good and perfect gifts keep coming. In Him there is no darkness at all. Only good comes from God...He cannot be responsible for our sin.
As I wrote this the song that was on my heart was a hymn that we used to sing at South Branch Fellowship and now again at Crossroads. I will end with the words to the song.
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.
Love
Mom
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