God's Purpose in Man, and the Stability of Divine Government
By William Covert
ANTEDATING the genesis of our race, God said to One associated with himself: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Gen. 1:26. And so man was given a place on the earth to stand for that which was good and holy in the sight of God. The earth was presented to man (Ps. 115:16), and he was “to dress it and to keep it.” Gen. 2:15. In speaking of man the Lord said, “I have created him for my glory” (Isa. 43:7); and when talking to man, he said, “Thou wast precious in my sight.” It is also said, “God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Gen. 1:31. It is evident, therefore, that when he was placed on the earth to represent his Maker and to rule over his works, man was good, was very good. He was holy and without blame. And it was God’s desire that he should remain so. It is also God’s present desire that man should be holy, pure, and good, for he says, “I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” 1 Tim. 2:8. God never designedly made a place for wickedness to dwell, nor did he purposely make anything to be wicked. God himself is good, and wholly good; nor will anything contrary to his goodness be allowed to permanently remain anywhere in all the wide domain of his kingdom. So it is said, “For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.” This statement shows that the whole universe will sometime be clean, and that every being and everything in it will then conform to God’s eternal purpose in righteousness. His purposes and plans, like himself, are unalterable. A prophet once said: “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Num. 23:19. And another prophet spoke, saying, “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” Eccl. 3:14. If God were constantly changing, men could not depend upon him, nor understand what his purposes are. Nothing could be stable if the Creator himself had no settled purpose. But with God there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. He says, “I am the Lord, I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Mal. 3:6. Were God changeable, his works could not stand, the world would be wrecked, and his people would be consumed. Since God is good (Ps. 34:8), and his commandments are holy, just, and good (Rom. 7:12), it will always be required of all men to be good, for “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” Ps. 37:23. Because he does good and walks in God’s ways, he shall be “preserved forever.” Ps. 37:28. It is also said that “the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance” (Ps. 112:6); and again, that “the righteous is an everlasting foundation.” Prov. 10:25. The solid rock upon which all things must stand is Jesus Christ, the righteous One. This foundation rock is so firmly laid, and so well settled and grounded, that no weight can sink it, nor anything move it. In speaking of this solid foundation, the prophet said, “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation.” Isa. 28:16. The prophet is here prophetically speaking of the model life of Christ, which he lived in human flesh upon the earth, and of the precious testimony that he bore in righteousness by which he laid deep and solid the chief corner-stone of Zion, his church. Upon this foundation we are to be built, and God will allow nothing to remain in our character that can be crushed by pressure, shaken by winds, or burned by fire. Says the apostle: “Ye are God’s building. . . . Other foundation [for this building] can no11man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” 1 Cor. 3:9, 11-13. Besides the trial by fire, there are deceptive teachings and ocular representations which the cunning craftiness of the lying adversary uses so adroitly that none but those who are firmly founded upon the eternal rock can discern the wrong or escape the snare. It is the effect of these things that will bring on the period called “the time of shaking.” By this the Lord says, “I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.” Haggai 2:6. This will be a time of testing character, when every fiber of every man will be tried. The devil will then be making his final desperate effort against the people of God. In his desperation he will teach every subtle theory to deceive, and hurl every fiery dart to hurt. Paul says he will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.” 2 Thess. 2:9, 10. But the Christian is to put on the whole armor of God, that he may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. And having done all that God requires, these tried ones will stand. These can not be shaken, because they will be standing firm on the Rock of Ages. They will “be made white and tried,” so as to stand faultless before their Maker. They can not be shaken by the tempest and the mighty storm of evil that will overrun the world. How beautiful before heaven must such characters be! Admired are they by the angels who guard over them, and loved by the Father and the Son who made and redeemed them.