Romans 8:20 "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope. (NKJV)

A Futile Existence

Consider what this means the creation subjected to futility and not willingly. There must be a reason why God has set it in futility. Could it be to learn the consequences of sin? The world today and from the beginning of time without the Lord Jesus is futile. Take Jesus out of the equation and we have a futile existence with no future for mankind. The world today is without, a hope beyond the grave. Life becomes futile as the years pass by; we are born to die; from the moment we are born we are dying. We experience childhood, teen years, maturity, middle age leading into old age. We may not be fortunate enough to see old age. Life holds many trials no matter what stage of life one is at, but as the years advance, the ageing process a downward spiral, gives no hope for better days to come with no hope beyond the grave. Some are happy to die because the future is so bleak. This is a reality of life.

The Deterioration into Sin

Without the Lord Jesus and God's love the downward spiral of mankind continues. God introduces us to deterioration into sinin Romans chapter one…

Rom.1:22-31 "Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonour their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator... For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful"; Verse 32 "who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them". (NKJV)

"Those who practice such things are deserving of death" other translations say "worthy of death". We are all deserving of death for our own sins. But to be deserving of death is not sentenced to death. That has already taken place by the sin of Adam. This is a succinct difference for consideration. To God sin is sin! (The first innocent sin led to death.) The confirmation comes in Romans 3:10, "As it is written: 'There is none righteous, no, not one'." Also Rom.3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." And 1 John 1:10 "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." (NKJV)

Hope in Christ Jesus

We would go out of existence without Jesus, "for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive".v(1 Cor.15.22 NKJV) It can be seen from the first half of that scripture all die. God has set it this way "not willingly" but of necessity to learn the consequences of sin. (Rom.8.20) The enormity of the billions of sins placed on Jesus' shoulders; no wonder he sweated blood. The whole creation depended on that defining moment in time 2,000 years ago which drew a line in the sand. We moved from death to life and from futility to hope. God also "subjected it in hope". (That is the second part of Romans 8:20.) John the Baptist said "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". (John 1.29 NKJV) So it is not just the sin of Adam but the whole world.

There is a Hope that goes beyond the grave. The believer in Christ Jesus looks beyond the grave and so as the twilight years come upon us, as the ageing process takes hold, as the years become shorter, as the infirmities of this life weaken our bodies the hope set before us grows stronger. A time is coming for a world without pain, without ageing and without death. Our hope appears magnified by the futility of this life. Therefore, we are "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb.12.2 NKJV)

Calling out

Today the nations still walk in their own ways (Acts 14.16). But God made a dramatic change. Simon (Peter) declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name (Act 15.14). The 'people for His name' are to bring this hope to life. These are the first fruits. Therefore we have been snatched from futility to a hope beyond the grave. This is by grace. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8 NKJV). This is something worthy of deep appreciation.

We are blessed to enter the present stage that God has purposed. John 6:44(NIV) tells us now that "no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them" and then that he "will raise them up at the last day". This is a privilege and responsibility. Matt.22:14(NKJV) "many are called, but few are chosen." Matt.7:13(NKJV) "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction". When we accept we have been taken from death to life in Jesus then in a sense we have been separated from the world, who at this present time reside in death. Those that are called, chosen and faithful will be instrumental in reconciling the world to God. (2 Cor.5:19)

Paul asks us if we appreciate God's goodness "or do we despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads to repentance?" (Romans 2.4) That 'goodness of God' goes far beyond this present age. It is that goodness that will bring billions back to Him.

Sin Not Imputed

Romans 5:13(NKJV) "For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law". Other versions use the words of that where there is no law we are not "held to account" or "not charged against anyone". The law was only given to Moses at Sinai and for 1,500 hundred years Israel was under law. There was no law before this all the way back to Adam and all those nations outside Israel were not under law, including all those people today who have never been under law. Less than 1% of the whole human race have ever been under law. Therefore, 99.1% of the human race God has not imputed or charged to their account any punishment.

You may disagree with the interpretation of Romans 5:13 to mean they are not held to account or sin is not imputed therefore meaning "no punishment". Where is a punishing God? We have to be careful not to see with the natural eye which sees punishment but with the spiritual eye and see love and chastisement. (Fortunately God has passed over all our sins.) For if there was a punishment for sin we would be in fear of God like Israel was when the law was given. The Israelites said to Moses you speak with God, as they feared God. Does God beat people into submission? Has he beaten us into submission? Or is it His kindness and love that wins the Church over having taken you from futility to hope and from death to life?

Another question to consider is, did Jesus die for all sin or some and not others? Jesus died for all the sins committed by Adam's race, including our own sins. God does not hold sin to anyone's account as Jesus died for all sins‑past, present and future, even for the most evil and wicked whether or not they are called at this time. What about Sodom and Gomorrah? Jesus said in Matt.11:24 (NIV) "But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." And in Matt.10:15 (NKJV) "Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!" Sodom was not under law. Their sin will not be held to account. It's the same for Hitler and the like. If we differentiate, we may be despising "the riches of His goodness" (Romans 2.4). Therefore we ought to be very careful before making rash judgments against our fellow men.

Forgiveness

Consider the Parable in Luke 7:40‑43 "And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Simon, I have something to say to you.' So he said, 'Teacher, say it.' 'There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?' Simon answered and said, 'I suppose the one whom he forgave more.' And He said to him, 'You have rightly judged'." Is Jesus talking about God's forgiveness to the bigger sinner?

2 Corinthians 5:19 (NIV) "that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." This clearly states God was not counting their sins against them and that He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, "what manner of persons ought we to be" (2 Peter 3:11). Work on oneself first to see clearly what God is teaching. God is holding no one to account for sin! Matt.7:5 (NIV) "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Jesus said "forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). Can we find it in our heart to forgive the sinner? There is a good reason why we should. 1 Corinthians 6:2-3(NIV) "Or do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!" Do we see through God's eyes? God shows His love and mercy and understands our natures providing in His Son Jesus everything necessary to bring one to repentance.

Chastisement Not Punishment

The world does not understand God's chastisement yet. Chastisement is not punishment. When we read some scriptures, especially in Revelation it might appear to the natural man as punishment. To those that have been called it should be seen as chastisement to bring the world to reconciliation? A hurtful, spiteful God does not exist. We have been blessed, now, to understand the mystery hidden from the creation of the world. In Ephesians 1:9‑10(NIV) "he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment ‑ to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ". It is God's work and by God's grace we understand the mystery and know we have been moved from FUTILITY to HOPE, from DEATH to LIFE. When Jesus appears the knowledge of God will cover the earth as the water covers the sea. Isa 11:9 (KJV) "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea".

God's goodness, mercy and love will overturn wickedness and evil. Having allowed sin to run its course for 6,000 years to the extremity of evil conjured up in the most debauched mind, God will establish a precedent that not the slightest transgression will ever be allowed again, to safeguard the future everlasting life. When a sinner comes to consider the futile existence that leads to death, they will repent, not because of punishment, because they see the goodness and love of God. Mankind will see the blessings extended to us in this "evil" age, the goodness of God that led to our faith and faithfulness. 1 John 5:4 (NKJV) "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith". It is "our faith" that overcomes the world.

One of the major tests of our faith and trust in God is to see God's love in the sinner and to be able to look at the most evil person and see God's love. But for the grace of God there go any of us. The world is like an abused child, not knowing why or what for. No one would punish an abused child to win its love but by showing the child love. The more love the child gets, the more it wants to do good. God will not hurt anyone to bring them to repentance, which is why God chastises and not punishes.

WJT