Glorious and Depraved (19): The Need for Deterrence and Grace

Because humans are inveterate sinners and, if left to themselves will only do evil continually (Genesis 6:5), God has purposed to put roadblocks in our way to delay us in the pursuit of evil.

Futility

Right at the very beginning He made the world quit working in the perfect way it was designed to work:

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but by the One who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of the children of God. (Romans 8:20,21)

Though humans would be tempted to find life and purpose in the world itself, rather than in being God’s children, they would never find the world a perfectly satisfying place to live. Their bodies would no longer be sustained forever by the tree of life but would be in a process of aging and then dying. Childbirth would be painful. Growing food would be hindered by weeds. Relationships would never be totally fulfilling. Work would no longer be totally fulfilling. Life in this world would never be the utopia we had in Eden.

Flood

Sending the flood to destroy all but Noah and his family was a warning about the judgment of God on sinners. And even though God promised never to send a flood to destroy the world again (Genesis 9:12-15), it served as a historic reminder that sin will not be overlooked.

Fear in Animals

After the flood God gave us animals to eat, but He also put in animals a natural fear of humans so that it would be difficult for us to hunt them to extinction (Genesis 9:2). Though Scripture does not mention it, there has also been consequences to other ways in which we have not subdued the earth but rather despoiled it.

Human Government

Perhaps the most immediately critical deterrence was the requirement by God that humans prosecute murderers and punish them (Genesis 9:5,6). This effectively established human government as, in Paul’s words, a terror to bad conduct:

^13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, ⁴ for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. (Romans 13:1-4)

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit “strives” or “contends” with mankind (Genesis 6:2), challenging our sinfulness, appealing to us to seek the path of wisdom (Proverbs 1:20-23). He is the one who will be taken out of the way at the rapture and cease once again contending with sinners (2 Thessalonians 2:7).

Confusion of Languages

When mankind in all his glory united to resist God’s admonition/mandate to fill the earth and sought to establish their own security (Genesis 10), God imposed a fascinating solution, causing all peoples to speak in different languages, thus forcing them to disband and form multiple groups (nations) based on what language they spoke. This has made it harder for us to unite in rebellion against the Lord. It has also made it harder for kingdoms to absorb other kingdoms.

Common Grace

God has imparted grace to humans in the form of providing for their sustenance (He sends his rain on the just and the unjust, Matthew 5:45; Acts 17:25), enabling them to sustain boundaries for their countries (Acts 17:26), and encouraging parental and societal instruction of children in right living (Hebrews 12:9,10), consciences that “accuse or excuse” our behavior (Romans 2:14,15), and all this that we might “seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him” (Acts 17:27). The kindness of God can lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4).