Man Chooses Sin

“Jehovah reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of islands be glad.” (Psalms 97:1)

Asaph is known as the author of Psalms 97. He was one of the chief musicians when David was king and wrote twelve of the psalms, mostly for worship and lament. In this verse, he declare that Jehovah reigns.

The Lord reigns over all, each one living or dead, authorities, nations, the entire world and the universe. He is over everything, knows about everything before it happens and governs it because He is greater than everything. He is the Creator and ruler of everything and everyone. This also means that ultimately, He is in control of everything.

These statements bring lots of questions to our minds, some which the unbeliever disputes to confirm his unbelief. If God is in control why is there such evil in the world? Usually we don’t want to get into it with the unbeliever with such a question because it’s the whole Gospel from the beginning of creation that we have to explain. We usually just quickly dismiss it with one sentence. “...because of sin.” This is the Truth. But it involves so much more. So how can we explain it to the unbeliever that God is ultimately in control even if there is evil in this world?

We have to first explain that God is Good and Perfect, Who created a perfect world for us, but the destruction of sin brought death to the world. Everything in this world dies. Nothing is eternal. Sin brings destruction and the eventual death of everything here on earth. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) In the garden Adam and Even of flesh and blood walked with God. They were not consumed by God’s holiness because they were sinless. But after they sinned and sin entered the world, they were banished from the presence of God.

We can also explain that we’re descendants of Adam and Eve and have inherited that sin nature. In Catholicism, they call it original sin. We may try to be good, but we can’t sustain any goodness for any length of time because it’s not in our nature. We may try to draw near to God, but we can’t. Our sinfulness cannot come near a holy God. We may think that by doing good works, giving to the poor, helping others, donating to the church and various other things may help us get near to God, but it can’t. There is only one way. God provided that way. It’s believing Who Jesus said He was and believing in the work of His sacrifice on the cross. It’s believing that Jesus came to take away the sin of the world. “Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.” (John14:6) Jesus is the only way to escape the sinful nature. Believing and surrendering our lives to Jesus is the only way to draw near to God. In our sinful condition, we cannot help ourselves. God will not accept anything that is tainted with sin.

Why is there still evil in the world now that Jesus has taken away the sin of the world? Here is an example in the natural. If we fall into a mud pit, we will be covered with mud. There is soap available to wash the mud away and cleanse us. But if we refuse to use that soap to wash ourselves, we will continue to be covered with mud. If we love to be covered in med, we will not be cleanse from it. It’s the same with sin. God has provided a way, a free gift, a supernatural gift of forgiveness and cleansing from sin. That cleansing from sin is for everyone. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) John in his Gospel wrote correctly, “And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19) Man loves darkness more than light. They love their sin, their depravity and immorality. God gives man the free will to choose how he will live and has chosen sin and darkness. We live in this destructive world of evil because man loves it that way.

And there they have their answer. There is a solution to the evil in this world, but man loves sin and darkness more than light. Sinners who do not surrender to Jesus think they will have to give up all the things they love, drinking, carousing and rebellion. But the new nature we receive when we surrender to Jesus is a born again experience, born of God with God’s nature which hates sin. And that is another lesson altogether. Suffice it to mention that in surrendering to Jesus one becomes a new creation that won’t miss sin. “So that if anyone is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2Corinthians 5:17)

Concluding, there is evil in this world even if God is in control, because man has a free will to choose God or not. Sinful man loves sin and their choice is darkness, destruction and evil in this world. Yes, God is in control. For now He’s allowing man to choose. Then the time will come when He will put an end to choice and hand out the verdict of our choice.