Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely. I mentioned this idea in another blog but wanted to reiterate. God gave mankind tasks that He knew they could tend and control. However, even the affect of such things like gardening were solely the work of God (growth of plants, growth of animals, growth of babies). Man hears the whisper of Lucifer's promise to Adam and Eve in modern times. We've believed since then that we could somehow touch or choose to understand the power of God by our own decision.
Adam and Eve discovered that the converse was true. They discovered that they could never comprehend the full nature of good and evil, that they could never comprehend an ever expanding universe (when did the world move from flat to round?), and that they could never effectually grant themselves a position in heaven. Remember that God's removing them from Eden was a gift not a curse. He protected them from eating of the tree of life so that they might not live forever in their sin. God knew that on top of disobeying him, that trying to rise equal to, or above Him was impossible. One cannot rise above their master unless an outside force gives you an opportunity, to defeat, or has the ability to give you the authority over your master. For example, Abraham Lincoln worked to give slaves the power of freedom from their slavery. But there is no "other" above or equal to God that could give them their power. It is impossible. Even if it were possible for Adam and Eve to glimpse at the glory and power of God in goodness and righteousness, they would find such a thing too magnificent to see. In fact, they would find it such a power that they would cease to exist. The glory of God cannot be touched by man for any reason. TO even touch the tabernacle of God meant instantaneous death to the "toucher." Even Lucifer, the mighty and beautiful Angel could not comprehend the power of God in His attempt to overcome it. This mighty being was thrown to earth like a rag doll.
To think too highly of yourself is fruitless. Nimrod and those who would seek to build a building to Heaven could not comprehend a universe that was billions of light-years of creation. So, God protected them from their attempt by confusing their languages, knowing full well that the realization of a vast universe beyond their wildest dreams would be too much for them. He wanted this sin to stop.
Therefore, my thought. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. But so does absolute freedom. Ultimate Freedom means ultimate chaos. If we had ultimate freedom in America then everyone here would be able to determine what is right for themselves. What do you have? The problem of determining who's right has the most freedom? Where your freedoms deeply offend me, does that still mean your freedoms should not be censored in some way? If everyone had their own rights there would be a "conflict" of rights which would end in ultimate chaos. We in the U.S. are not completely without governing. We intend to limit how we are governed, but we are not absolutely free. It would be chaotic and ultimately destructive. We see small examples of it when Senators from the Senate floor (The Floor of the "People") carelessly blast those who would disagree with them. It is their way of attempting to wrest more freedom from the system than they are actually given (or should be given). In a religious setting, Complete free will offers us the ability to see God in any way we choose. But, much like our political system, the true "freedom" of the will of man leads to chaos and destruction...read Judges. Adding to this, Romans indicates this is not "Absolutely" free, and John 10 indicates that we are under the will and care of the master.
Some of us from Church will be studying Romans in the next several weeks and so I precede with these presuppositions that relate to the above explanations:
1. That, we do not have the ultimate freedom to see God in His glory or in His righteousness until he reveals it to us.
2. We do not have the ability to see Good and Evil for what it is until we are shown that information.
3. We will not see God until He reveals Himself to us (Presup. #1) Furthermore, we will not find God...He will find us and draw us to Him.
4. We cannot equal or or place ourselves above the master.
God has always protected us from the attempt at Ultimate Freedom...knowing of it's terribleness, it's awesomeness, it's glory and it's incomprehensibility. That is why He brings us to it in the way that will lovingly and safely reveal Himself to us, and in the way that will keep us, not kill us.
We love the "idea" of the Gift of Free Will or the Gift of Choice as many of us have purported. But, I do not find that gift spelled out in such terms from God's Word. Some of my presuppositions may be altered as I study...but I'm ready for God to show me in what ways they shall.
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