Nature in its current state presents a confusing picture. In it we see both good and evil. The Rosebush for instance, produces beautiful, sweet-smelling roses. On that same bush are harmful, painful thorns. If God made everything on this planet beautiful and perfect, why in nature do we see good and evil? 

Welcome to our new series. In it, we will address an age-old concern that we all have: the concern for sin, evil, death and what happens after we die. Is there hope after death? When God created us humans, he intended for us to live forever in a loving relationship with him. But this relationship has been broken by sin.

Here, we address the origin of sin, and we look more closely at death and dying. But, instead of looking at death in a negative way, we look at it in the context of hope, the promised hope based on what Jesus did for us when he died and came back to life again. 

From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 4: Sabbath.School

See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School

Inviting the Holy Spirit’s Presence

God Most High, give us wisdom that we may understand your love and learn to love you back. In Jesus Name Amen. 

A toucan is a popular bird that has a beautiful array of colors on its large beak. It lives on an omnivore diet. It feeds on both plants and animals thus, one could be appalled at it destroying the nest of other birds and eating their baby chicks.

Take it a step further, we humans are capable of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome in which one moment, we show love and kindness and in the next moment we can become vicious, vindictive, hateful, mean and even violent.

Jesus helps us understand why this in so in his parable of the wheat and tares found in Mathews 13:27 in which…

27 …the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’  (Mathews 13:27)

In Mathews 13:28 the owners replied:

28…  ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ (Mathews 13:28)

Evil is not orchestrated not by God but by His enemy, Lucifer better know as Satan and the Devil.

God created the universe perfect, but an enemy has contaminated it with the mysterious or unexplained seeds of evil and sin.

Satan stepped into our planet, earth and contaminate God’s beautiful, created work with the ugliness of sin.

In contrast to evil, 1 John 4:8 and 16 lets us know that “God

is love.”

I John 4:8

8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (I John 4:8)

I John 4:16

16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (I John 4:16) (Split)

The fact that God is Love helps us understand three important ideas.

First, love must be shared. We see this important idea in the Godhead. The

Godhead is made of One God who is Three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Three Persons in the Godhead share Their love and power with each other and share Their love with us humans. (Split)

Second, everything that God does is an expression of His unconditional and unchangeable love. We see God’s

love manifested in everything that He has made. We see it in His acts of saving us, and even in his administering of punishments. It makes sense that the inspired author Ellen White would write, “God’s love has been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy. Justice is the foundation of His throne, and the fruit of His love.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 762.

Third, since God is Love and all that he does expresses His love he cannot be the originator of sin. He can’t be blamed for sin. He did not create sin. Sin is opposite to His character.

You might ask, what was God’s intention in creating the universe. Was it necessary, did he have to? No, It was a decision of his free will.  In his loving nature, God chose to create life because he wanted a universe in which he could express his love. Thus, He made us humans because He wanted a family in which he could share his love.

Not only is God a God of love. He also gave us the ability to love. He gave us the free will to respond to His love and to love each other. This is evident in Mark 12: 30 and 31 in which Jesus admonishes us to Love our God and love our neighbors just like we love ourselves.

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

God’s created works testify to His love and power. He has called the world into being, with all that it contains. God is a lover of the beautiful; and in the world which He has fitted for us He has not only given us everything necessary for our comfort, but He has filled the heavens and the earth with beauty. We see His love and care in the rich fields of autumn, and His smile in the glad sunshine. His hand has made the castle-like rocks and the towering mountains. The lofty tall trees grow at His command; He has spread earth with green velvet carpet and dotted it with shrubs and flowers.

Why has He clothed the earth and trees with living green, instead of with dark, somber brown? Is it not that they may be more pleasing to the eye? And shall not our hearts be filled with gratitude as we read the evidence of His wisdom and love in the wonders of His creation? — Lift Him Up, p. 67.

Spend some time in nature. Look at the plants and animals around you. Yes, it is true sin destroyed much of the beautiful things in nature that God made. At the same

time, how does nature continue to show you God’s love? What do the beautiful things we see in nature teach us about hope?

Yes, there are wonderful things in nature but still it is corroded by evil. Why not just wipe out the evil and keep the good. Why did he allow sin to exist?

Find out more in Day 3: Free Will, the Basis of Love