The analogy between things spiritual and things material helped me. I was encouraged to follow up this line of thought when I remembered the words of inspiration, " Doth not even nature itself teach you?" (1 Cor. 11:1414Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? (1 Corinthians 11:14)); also our Lord's own words, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these " (Matt. 6:28,2928And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (Matthew 6:28‑29)).
I asked myself the question as to why God made the world? The only answer I could give was, Because He chose to do so. I could put a thousand questions to scientists, and the only answer they could rightly give is, Because God chose to do so. We could do without primroses, or stars, or strawberries, or horses, or mosquitoes, or bananas, but God chose to give these gifts to man. Why have we night and day? Because God chose it to be so. Why does fire burn? Because God chose it to be so.
When we come to things spiritual, is it any wonder we have many questions to ask, and can only give the answer, Because God chose it to be so? For instance, man's responsibility and God's sovereignty. How can I reconcile them? One thing is sure. God is sovereign. He who existed from all eternity in the blessedness of His own Being—Father, Son and Spirit, ONE God—is the Originator of the universe, and creation must have taken place at the fiat of His will. We cannot understand it.
How can we understand that this planet on which we stand is suspended in space, turning round on its axis every twenty-four hours, causing night and day; traveling on its yearly orbit round the sun, producing the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, winter? We cannot understand it, not even a Sir Isaac Newton nor a Sir James Jeans.
Responsibility on the part of man is clearly taught in the Scriptures. We believe God is sovereign. We believe man is responsible. There we must leave it. With this attitude to God's Word we are greatly helped. Let us be modest.
The reason for the contrary attitude is described by the words of Scripture. We read, “Everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God " (John 3:20,2120For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (John 3:20‑21)). The Apostle Peter tells us of scoffers " walking after their own lusts," that such are "willingly... ignorant" (2 Peter 3:3,53Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (2 Peter 3:3)
5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: (2 Peter 3:5)). This brings out a most important truth that the inability and reluctance to receive the truth of God is very largely because of what is moral. Often a man wants to go on with his sin, or the flesh has a natural dislike to God. May be the searching character of the light, and the restraining influence of the Bible are resented. It is not the head that is so much at fault as the heart. " Walking after their own lusts... willingly ignorant" well describes these latter-day scoffers.
A certain evangelical professor at a university held a Bible class for his undergraduates. A young fellow was in the habit of regularly attending this class. The vacation came along and for some weeks the pupils were away. The holidays ceasing, the class was resumed, but this young fellow was missing. One day the Professor met him. He asked him why he did not come to the class. The young fellow sought to brazen it out, and replied that he did not care for religious things, and did not intend resuming his attendance at the class. The kindly Professor put his two hands on the young fellow's shoulders, and, looking him searchingly in the eyes, said: "Charlie, what have you been doing?" He quailed before the gaze of the Professor, his cheeks mantled with a blush of shame. The Professor acted on the leading of Scripture, and touched the difficulty as moral, as some-thing wrong in the young fellow's life. He confessed what was wrong, and was recovered for the class.