Because God is love, everything He does is redemptive.
JOHN 10:10b I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Understanding that everything God does is redemptive is vital to a right perspective on what we perceive concerning what God allows or does not allow happening.
Our perception of God is often tainted and somewhat warped by our background, upbringing, and especially our religious background.
The concept that everything God does is redemptive is foreign to many Christians. We often see God as a judge – as one who reprimands and punishes us if we go astray.
To understand that everything that God does and allows is motivated by His great unfailing love for all of mankind is difficult for many to comprehend.
How does God’s love relate to judgment? Is God being kind when He brings judgment upon a person or a situation? The answer to that question is – YES.
Everything God does is redemptive – it has a beneficial purpose. The word redemption means to redeem from a worsening negative situation or to redeem from a hopeless situation.
ISAIAH 26:9 for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
This verse gives a clear picture of the redemptive work of God’s judgments. When God commanded Joshua to kill an entire people, sparing no one, He was acting out of love.
These people were so evil that they and their children would have severely affected many future generations with their evil, corrupting many thousands of men, women, and children.
God halted this evil in its tracks by wiping out an entire people group. You say – what about the innocent children? Well, from God’s point of view, it was better for them to die young and innocent than live and become evil like their parents.
Dying before the age of accountability gave them passage to the place of the righteous.
Be careful how you judge God – He is only capable of acting out of love because He is love; that’s who He is.
Why does God allow children to die? There are many reasons for this, but in relationship to His redemptive purposes, it is to save them.
A few years ago, a huge tsunami swept into the region surrounding Indonesia and continued to the eastern coasts of India. The greatest casualties were the children – thousands of children died. Let me ask you a question. What would be the kindest thing to do if you were God? But first, let me familiarize you with the country of Indonesia. Over 200 million people live in Indonesia; it has the largest Muslim population of any nation in the world. What most of the world does not know is that Christian martyrdom was and still is common in Indonesia. It is not uncommon for Christians to be hacked to death in this nation. Now, God has set in place the law of sowing and reaping. One of the effects of this law is that of retarding evil and allowing good to prevail. Indonesia was heading for judgment and still is. Remember the God’s judgments are, in the long run, redemptive. So evil is somewhat retarded for a season, but what about the children? Was it an act of kindness for God to allow all those Muslim children to die? Well, most of those children would have been brought up as Muslims and eventually would have died, ending up in a lost eternity. Allowing them to die before the age of accountability was an act of love and redemption for which they will be eternally grateful.
We will see this scenario repeated many times in many nations in the days that lie ahead, as the rider of the red horse of Revelation 6:4 goes forth.
There is a harvest of death, and no matter what Satan tries, he will be defeated and God will redeem the children amid death and destruction.
According to Romans 7:9, there is an age of accountability. When a child reaches a certain age, they become accountable. Until that age is reached, if they should die, they go to be with the Lord. The age of accountability varies and can only be ascertained by the Lord.
Children in heathen nations where the gospel is not preached and where the name of Jesus is not heard have a much higher age of accountability than those in nations such as Australia or the USA.
There is a special place in paradise where these children who die before the age of accountability go. This is a place where they are taught the ways of God by angels and redeemed saints. It is a place of great joy and security for them. God will allow many things in His mercy that He could prevent by His power.
This is so true in all of our lives and we need to discern when God is allowing things into our lives which to us may seem negative and perplexing, but which, in reality, are redemptive for us. Job had to learn this lesson:
JOB 33:13 Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters. 14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. 15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; 16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, 17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. 18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. 19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain.
Walking into brick walls is sometimes a prerequisite for a new direction in our lives. God is about to put awesome weapons into the hands of His people. However, the qualifying factor in this is that we must come to the place where everything we do and say must be redemptive, flowing out of a genuine heart of love. We must become love – that’s who we must be.
Our motives will be tested in the days ahead as God looks deep into our hearts to see why we do what we do and why we say what we say. As this is the first day of the rest of your life, let’s live it with hope and trust in the faithfulness and love of God.
MARK 8:35 35. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.