THE WHOLE CREATION WAITS
By L. A. R.
Inner Adorning of the Life the Important Thing Now—At the Proper Time, All Physical Suffering to End
A DAY or two ago I saw one who I believe is a child of God, sitting in a wheel-chair, her hands twisted out of shape, and her figure more or less distorted by the ravages of rheumatism. Yet I do not doubt that she is one of God's children. There is a seeming incongruity that one who is God's should thus suffer and bear the marring curse. Another also whom I believe to be a child of God, is a helpless cripple. He depends very largely upon his friends to carry him. He is in body, in some respects, a mere babe, though his mind is matured and clear, and he has developed a character in service to the Lord. And again there is a seeming incongruity that one who is God's should carry such a marred and distorted image. There is still another whom I believe to be one of God's true servants, who is blind. Yet her hope is strong in God. She does not murmur nor complain, though the light is shut away, and she must be led by her loved ones. And again it seems almost incongruous that one of God's children should thus wander in the darkness. ALL THIS SUFFERING EXPLAINED
But it is all explained by that scripture which says that the creation is subjected to vanity (Rom. 8: 20, A.R.V.), and waits in earnest expectation for a future day to dawn. These terrible things we have mentioned are all the result of the curse, in consequence of sin. They are all permitted by the Lord Himself, or they could not exist; and what He permits, He sees the highest wisdom in allowing. Why does He permit these things? — It is to show us what sin will do with those whom God has created and to whom He has given a place in His universe. Sin took the highest angel in heaven and fashioned him into a devil, arch-enemy of God, yes, of all creation, and his own worst enemy. It made a hell in heaven, until that hell was cast out. And by man's yielding to the deceiver, that kingdom of darkness has been set up in the earth; and138these things we see are tokens that it is here, that sin has entered the world, that its blighting, marring curse is on us. NOT GOOD TO REMOVE FROM CONSEQUENCES
If God should remove a man from the consequences of sin, it would not be for the man's good. The emphasis must be put upon character, and not upon the body. The thought must be centered on an inner likeness to God, and not upon the outward likeness. It must be of the spirit, and not in the form. And if we have once acquired that inner likeness to God, He has pledged Himself to put us, at the right time, into full conformity outwardly to all the beauty of His image and likeness. That time is the resurrection day, when all shall be changed, "when this corruption shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality" (1 Cor. 15: 53-55), and death shall be entirely devoured, swallowed up of life — the tide of life from God that so fills the creation as to abolish completely death and suffering and decay. But until then, the creation is subject to vanity, but in hope, "waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God," waiting for that day when the body shall be redeemed, resurrected, made in the likeness of Christ's glorious body, and all shall "discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not." Mal. 3: 18. When God subjected the creation to vanity, it was in hope of this very thing, — "that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption [decay] into the liberty of the glory of the children of God"; and to-day the whole creation groans and travails with us, waiting for the adoption, namely, the redemption of our bodies. Rom. 8: 20-23. BOTH IN CHARACTER AND IN OUTWARD FORM
Then those who bear the name of God and are His children shall represent Him, not only in character, but in outward form as well. The image of God shall be fully restored. Those who bear the name of Him who is the Prince of life shall witness to His life-giving power by unending immortal existence; and the creation, the earth about them, shall rejoice and blossom as the rose, the desert and the waste places shall spring forth under the creative energy of God, and nature, as well as man, shall once more know and rejoice in the glorious liberty of God's children. There will be no fear in the heart of man, and this confidence will be mirrored by freedom from fear in the creatures under his care; for "the wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, saith Jehovah." Isa. 65: 25. They will not fear man; neither will they fear one another, for they will not have any desire to hurt or destroy, for rebellion, with consequent hate and murder, will have been banished from the earth. "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Isa. 11: 6-9. There will be no waste in those days, for God's children "shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them." Isa. 65: 23. They shall not build and another inhabit, they shall not plant and another eat. Nothing shall be in vain. To-day creation is subjected to vanity, but in that day vanity and vexation of spirit shall have vanished away. L. A. R.