Why Does He Suffer to Keep Us?

I used to ask myself why God created us, knowing what would happen. We know our purpose, of course. We are here to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31), tend His creation (Genesis 1:26) and do His will. Yet to truly be glorified, He knew that He couldn’t just create pre-programmed automatons. He had to give us free will. And for a short time it looked promising.

However, we can only derive from the fall of satan that angels were created with the same free will (Isaiah 14:12). And they, like we, are potentially fallible. Some rebelled and drove us to do so as well. God failed in His goals of creation. But did He?

God knew all the possible outcomes of any potential creation and He chose this one. He knows all (Hebrews 4:13). He knew before He created us what the outcome would be. Yet He chose us anyway! His knowledge is perfectly infallible and He makes no mistakes. In allowing this creation to proceed He knew what the logical conclusion would be. And He tells us in Revelation what that conclusion is. 

He decided that this is the version of creation that would best glorify Him. This is the version that He chose to allow, knowing the natural conclusion it would terminate in. We can see in Revelation that all things will be made new, the fallen earth will be replaced, and all sin will be abolished. As He forecast to Daniel in Daniel 9:24, He decreed the time needed “to finish the wrongdoing, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for guilt, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.” 

God’s will is going to be done and nothing can stop it. We have fallen but we are not lost. Our Redeemer lives and His name is Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords. God saw that this creation, in which He takes an active and saving part, causes us to worship and glorify His perfect, holy Name!