...Why Does God Need Me? - Part IV

Noted in the last post was that Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias develops the ramifications of Divine love in the following manner.

The greatest love leads to freedom of choice.

Freedom of choice leads to the possibility of sin and evil.

Sin and evil leads to the possibility of a savior

A savior leads to the possibility of redemption.

(see previous post for citation)

The following is an adaptation of those four thoughts. Think for a moment what those four statements mean in the context of epic conflict between good and evil.   For there to be genuine love there must be the freedom of choice which allows a man to accept or to reject that love.  God is love and as previously noted "God's love Expressed" is a portion of but not the totality of "God is Love."

Note:  See next Blog for larger image of graphic

God was under no obligation to express that love but He did and did so in two ways.  "Man was vested with the choice/capacity to receive God's Love" is the first action to be considered.  Therefore, because of God's grace and mercy, man has the opportunity to choose.  He can choose to accept or rejected that God's Love Expressed.  The second will be considered in a moment.

The point is that where there is choice, there is conflict. What conflict? There is the conflict between good and bad, the right and the wrong, the God way and the man way etc. 

The Scripture tells us that there is one who opposes God.  He is Satan or Lucifer as he is sometimes called. He is the antithesis of God in concept and purpose but not in power.  This conflict with God is of proportions beyond what we sense, know, and for that matter, understand.  That being the case the second part of the initial question, "...why does God need me?" has to do with this conflict. 

It does not end there but finite man, once he accepts "God's Love Expressed" comes to a most difficult place.  It is here that "Man understands that he is sinful and evil."  Left to his own ends, as previously noted, man will wreak havoc upon man, culture, and nature.  However the one who genuinely understands that he is sinful is faced with a choice.  Deny and excuse away the sinfulness or take action.

What action?  Another choice.  It is at this point that, "Man acknowledges the need for a Savior."  No matter how well intentioned or strong of will a man might be there comes a point where his needs outdistance his capacities.  The outcome is that he then is presented with the opportunity to look beyond himself.

Digress for a moment to consider a second outcome of "God's Love Expressed." It is in "God provides a Savior."  God made the choice to do what man could not do.  God provided a way for man to reconnect with God and find a solution for his sin and selfishness.

God by choosing to provide a Savior arranged it so, "Man is redeemed from sin and has fellowship with God."  Again, what man could not do God did.

Yes, in all of this there are choices tantamount to stepping off into the unknown for there is a degree of mystery.  To remove the mystical/spiritual and unknowns from faith is to remove the revelatory nature of faith and thus reduce it down to some kind of Judeo-Christian rationalism.

God vested man with the power to make choices.  However, that is where it ends for man try as he will cannot control the outcome of those choices.  On one hand there are the choices that lead to forgiveness for sin and a connection with God.  On the other hand, "Man remains selfish, sinful, and separated from God."  Indeed it is all a matter of one's choices.