WHY IS IT PERMITTED?

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 30, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 31.

WHY IS IT PERMITTED?

The recent fearful occurrences in Mexico and Martinique are bringing up the old questions about God and His character. Men ask, Is He not all-powerful? Could He not have prevented the destruction of St. Pierre and Quezaltenango? If so, why did He not?

In answer to these questions some persons tell us that all these are the outworking of the regular laws of nature; others, that it is God working directly.

Is it the former?—We do not believe it. We can not believe that the laws in nature formed and given of God would regularly, normally, work out destruction to God’s creatures. Neither do we believe that God working directly brought these calamities. He is the living God, the Life-bringer, not the worker of death.

Far deeper and broader questions are involved in this awful problem now being solved in this little world,—the great problem of principles, the solution of which will effect the universe for all eternity. A noted chemist has a large laboratory, composed of many rooms. If he wishes to demonstrate the effect of certain combinations, it is not necessary that every room and every vessel in his laboratory be used. A single room and small vessel is as sufficient to test the matter as all.

The master chemist, before it is tried, may know the result of an experiment which his class wishes to make. He may know that it will effect disastrously the vessel, the room, and to some extent the whole laboratory, and endanger human life. But his class may not be satisfied with his knowledge and conclusions. They demand that the experiment be made; and so, that it may be a lesson for all time, the chemist permits the experiment. The combination of the elements is made, powerful gases are generated, and a fearful explosion is the result. The room is shattered. Costly vessels are smashed, other powerful chemicals set free, new combinations result, the air is poisoned, and loss of life results. The whole laboratory is affected, and delicate machinery is warped and twisted.

The good chemist does all that he can to restore equilibrium, heal the wounded, and set things right generally; but the evil has been wrought, perfect laws have been perverted by the poisonous gases and explosions, the class have become dissatisfied as to the result, and evils are perpetuated.

This is a crude illustration of what has occurred in this universe. God created man a free moral agent. He asked of man willing, loving obedience. He gave to him the power to refuse to obey. This must be in order to form character. Wisely, faithfully, kindly, God warned His responsible creatures of the results of transgression of moral law. He told them the sure consequences, misery, sorrow, decrepitude, age, death. Man, under God the king of the earth, held the keys of its destiny. Its life vibrated from his. With him normal, it was normal, If he failed, it failed. “For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it.” Rom. 8: 20. The one who subjected it on this earth was man, its king.

Not to extend these thoughts, it may be said in brief, that herein is earth’s sad history comprehended. “God’s universe is one, and when one member suffers all suffer with it. “The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now;” and the storms and cyclones and pestilences and typhoons and famines and earthquakes and tidal waves and volcanic eruptions are but the pains and groans of a failing earth, the manifest strains and rents and tears in the garment waxed old.

God’s law has been set at naught. Selfishness has thrown across its life-flow its barrier, and perverted it to death and destruction. Sin has short-circuited its power, and calamity is the result. God permits it; not all, however, for much He restrains. Did He allow sin to work its way, life would soon be extinct. Sin full grown brings death. James 1: 15. In mercy God restrains, that souls may not perish unwarned, that souls may be won to God, that souls may come into right relation to His righteousness and life, and so in Him conquer forever. God permits the evil that men may see, that the universe may forever see, how sin is evil. Oftentimes it is beautiful in its counterfeited protean forms, and men will not believe God. As a lesson for eternity God must allow every typical form of sin, every typical perversion to develop according to an intelligent creature’s choice its own fruit—pain, disintegration, misery, death.

When the lesson is complete, sin and all identified with it will be forever destroyed. God’s power shall regenerate and restore a marred and suffering universe, and righteousness and life will reign forever in souls sweetly submitted to God’s perfect will. Then: “There shall be no more curse;” “affliction shall not rise up the second time.”