One must understand, Satan is at work in the
world. His purpose is to destroy the lives of people. 1 Peter 5:8
says: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:".
He is the one who inflicts the "scars" upon an individual,
intending that they are deceived into the rejection of God.
The duty and purpose of humanity are to
reverence, serve, worship, love, and seek God. Examine the following
verses to discover this truth.
Deuteronomy 10:12-20 And now, Israel, what doth
the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to
walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God
with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of
the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy
good? In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to
walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and
his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy
God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt
be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce
unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not
prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to
go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against
you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing:
therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That
thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his
voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and
the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the
LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to
give them."
Notice that the heaven and earth bear witness of
the duty and purpose of humanity. To refuse the duty and purpose of
humanity is to choose destruction. Choosing to follow other gods,
even the god of self and unknowingly, brings destruction.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man."
The conclusion of an investigation into man's
relationship with God is man must reverence and obey God.
Matthew 22:37 "Jesus said unto him, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind."
This is the greatest commandment, going to all
men, not just Christians.
Revelation 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to
receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things,
and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Humanity was
not created as an end of itself, it was created by and for God.
Understanding that Humanity was created for God, means our
responsibility to seek Him and not self-gratification or purpose.
It is humanity's responsibility to discover God.
Knowing they cannot find Him without help, God has provided four
means to aid them.
Humanity understands the laws of God
instinctively. Romans 2:14 15 "For when the Gentiles, which have
not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these,
having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of
the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing
witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing
one another;)" Humanity knows what they should be doing in
respect to God, but fail to seek Him.
God has revealed Himself in creation, yet man
rejects the evidence. Romans 1:18-20 "For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be
known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his
eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"
Creation reveals God and He is justified because He has revealed
Himself. If humanity chooses to believe in evolution or reject the
evidence, they are without excuse.
Humanity is created in the image of God. Genesis
1:26-27 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the
earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So
God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them." This image can only be
spiritual, as God is spirit, John 4:24: "God is a Spirit: and
they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth".
Humanity, being spiritual, has a desire toward the spiritual. This is
the cause for all false religions of the world. Humanity has created
false gods instead of choosing the true and invisible God. Even the
so-called atheist has a god in self. This teaching is supported in
Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man
became a living soul."
God provided His word (the Bible) and the
preaching of His word. Titus 1:2-3 "In hope of eternal life,
which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath
in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is
committed unto me according to the commandment of God our
Saviour;"
God's purpose is to redeem humanity.
Matthew 20:28 "Even as the Son of man came
not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a
ransom for many."
Galatians 1:4 "Who gave himself for our
sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world,
according to the will of God and our Father:"
Colossians 1:20 "And, having made peace
through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto
himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in
heaven." God has provided and humanity is responsible to accept
the provision.
If humanity seeks God, they will find Him.
1 Chronicles 28:9 "And thou, Solomon my son,
know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart
and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and
understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him,
he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee
off for ever."
Isaiah 55:6 "Seek ye the LORD while he may
be found, call ye upon him while he is near:"
Luke 11:9 "And I say unto you, Ask, and it
shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you."
Conclusion
No individual is totally ignorant of God. If they
use what little they have and seek God, He will reveal Himself to
them. If they reject Him and His self-revelation, God is under no
obligation to provide for them. When humanity turns from God, because
of events in this life, they turn from the only source of help. Had
they followed the knowledge God had given them, they would have found
help and salvation. Instead they find damnation. Satan has laid his
trap well, devouring any who fail to perform the duty and purpose of man.
Humanity must stop blaming God for its failure.
God has not rejected humanity, humanity has rejected Him. He turns no
one away. He has provided for their need and revealed Himself to them.
This makes Him just, for He has done all that is necessary. To claim
ignorance is insufficient, as all men have been given some light,
even if they fail to use it.