From the outset, I declared to be a believer in God. I like to think my belief comes from years of reading Scripture and from real observations in daily life that align with what I understand God’s revelation of himself to be.

Added to my belief in Scripture, and my observations of created order, God has shown himself faithful to me with such consistency, it cannot be circumstance.

I wish I could believe God’s love to be so unlimited that his justice does not matter. That would result in an eternal pardoning of evil no matter how we act. That is a conclusion I cannot find in Scripture and a conclusion that cannot meet the definition of a just God.

Those who refused to trust him moved beyond his reach.  God describes such people with the two dreadful words of wicked and evil. Scriptures often tells us they forgot God and lived as if he did not exist or matter.  They sided with Satan and not with God.

Starting with Adam and Eve’s son Abel, God begins a story to restore the creation and to show man and women how to reconnect with his love by faith. Throughout the stories related in Old Testament Scripture, I read of flawed people who place their trust in God and received his approval.

The New Testament cites characters from Old Testament stories. The list includes Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, a prostitute named Rahab, Gideon, Samson, Samuel, and David. God accepted all of these people because of their trust in him. Though they each made horrible mistakes, God loved and accepted them since their allegiance was with him and not with Satan.

God’s restoration of these people, and others like them throughout Old Testament history was just the beginning of the movement of time toward the ultimate restoration of the original garden dream.

Might it be possible that thousands of years later, as his restoration nears completion, God could look at sinful me—seeing only perfection—without his nature of Justice compromised?

What are your reflections? Stay tuned.