The Fall - Plantinga, Chapter 3

One thing that is nice with reading Plantinga’s book “Engaging God’s World” is that, though I have been taught all my life about Creation, the Fall, and Redemption, it never hurts to hear what others think and even gain more insight to help sharpen my sword for battle. 

When Adam and Eve were in the garden, they walked with God but when they sinned, God had to punish them and send them away. To be honest, I never gave much thought as to why God can not stand sin except that it is evil so it is from Satan. Plantinga says that “God hates sin not just because it violates law, but also because it violates trust. Sin grieves God, offends God, betrays God...God hates sin against himself, against neighbors, against a good creation, because sin breaks the peace - in the first place between the sinner and God.” We are all sinners, fallen short of the glory of God. When looking at our world today, it is easy to see all the mistrust and lack of peace. All one has to do is turn on the news, sit on a bench at a playground, or listen to what is said in your dorm hallway. Evil is strong but thankfully the grace of God is stronger!

He also raises the point about how evil needs good in order to be evil. He quotes from C. S. Lewis saying “a cow cannot be very good or very bad; a dog can both be better or worse; a child better and worse still; an ordinary [person], still more so; a [person] of genius still more so; a superhuman spirit best - or worst - of all. The better stuff a creature is made of - the cleverer and stronger and freer it is - then the better it will be if it goes right, but also the worse it will be if it goes wrong.” I can not but help think about Heaven before even the earth was created. It must have been a party up there. But then, the prettiest angel of all decides that he wants to be just as cool as God himself. His pride takes the best of him and soon he is kicked out of being in the presence of God. How worse it will be for Satan. He knows what good looks like but has rejected even the company of God. After thinking about this, I reflect back on what we read in “Screwtape Letters.” Is there this level of me that takes God for granted? Do I simply go through the motions, not taking time to reflect on the beauty and wonder of God? 

Planting says that there are three ways that we show the corruption of sin. The one that I want to focus on is how we can pollute something that was good. He raises a good point when he says that we pollute relationships with others that were meant to reflect God’s relationship with us and yet also we pollute the very gifts and dreams that God has given us. Maybe I love God and want to be famous, I cannot serve two masters. God wants all of me. And plus, didn’t God give me my desires and dreams in the first place? In “The Pursuit of God,” A. W. Tozer says “We are often hindered from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of fear for their safety [but] Everything is safe which we commit to Him, and nothing is really safe which is not committed.”