IMAGINE A PERFECT WORLD

By Barry Shaw

God created the heavens and the earth in six days and He “saw that it was good.” Genesis 1. If it was good to God, it was perfection. Just imagine what a perfect place the world was when God created it!

The Book of Genesis paints a picture of a beautiful plush garden, a rain forest where God placed His creations, man and woman. The days are warm and the nights are cool with gentle breezes. Food is abundant. Pure cool water is plentiful. Disease is unheard of. Peace and tranquility prevail and all of creation lives in harmony. There is an eternal bond of truth and integrity between the people, for the Lord is with them and His Spirit is upon them. He is their God and they are His people. Truth, righteousness and justice are the standards by which they live. There is no war, just peace; no crime, just honesty; no sin and no death, just love. As the Prophet Isaiah describes it, the wolf lives with the lamb, the leopard with the goat, the calf and the lion with the yearling and the cow with the bear. (See Isaiah 11:6,7) Paradise!

But then Genesis 3 describes the fall of man where man abused the free will given to him by God. In his pride, man committed what is called “original sin”. In defiance of the Father, man declared himself free from God. Now, instead of paradise, all that was in the world was “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” 1 John 2:16

Today’s world is a consequence of man’s rebellion against God. Truth is no longer determined by what corresponds to reality, i.e. the revelation of God or the resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, but by man’s power of reason and by empiricism, i.e. the senses of man. In man’s view, what he cannot see, hear, touch, count or test scientifically does not exist and is untrue. That rules out God! Now, war, not peace is the norm; famine and pestilence the rule; and greed, crime, and dishonesty a way of life. Righteousness and truth is what is so in one’s own mind. Commitment and accountability are passe’. The attitude is, “What is good for me is good for the world.” To the unbeliever in God, the world is a dark and depressing place without hope.

When viewing these two world-views, i.e. the “garden view” and the “unbelieving view”, it is apparent that the main difference between them is the presence or absence of God. As the Prophet Jeremiah said, man lost his way “because you have forgotten Me and trusted in false gods.” Jeremiah 13:25 Today, the unbelieving person is as defiant of God as he was at the fall of man of Genesis 3. As time passes, more and more man seeks to eliminate God from his world. The postmodern secularists have even declared God dead!

In our contemporary world where disbelief in God is in vogue, it is easy to become discouraged. It seems as if wickedness is winning. But do not lose sight of the Lord’s plan. The promise of the perfect world of God’s kingdom on earth is assured: “The Lord...will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” Isaiah 33:5,6 “...He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11

Jesus Christ comforted His disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; Trust also in Me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you may also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3

So as Christian believers we can be encouraged, but also be watchful. It’s just a matter of time before the garden of Genesis 2 is restored by the Lord. He is coming back and the world will once again be a perfect place. Justice will prevail over wickedness. He will be with us. He will be our God and we will be His people. (See 2 Corinthians 6:16) For “...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Let’s trust in the Lord!

Barry N. Shaw writes from Applegate Valley, Oregon.