Mediation of Christ and the Preservation of Life
How does the mediation of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary impact the natural world? John 3:35; Col. 1:16, 17; Heb. 1:3.
Earth probably would be as desolate as Mars if not for the cross of Christ and for Christ’s mediation before the Father. As indicated already, sin had a negative effect on the natural world; it became an expression of the rebellious nature of sin. And yet, God did not abandon the natural world. The psalmist says: “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made” (Ps. 145:9, NIV). The way the Lord provides for the sustenance of the earth is interpreted to be a revelation of God’s love.
If there is a particular element of God’s creation that sin threatens in a direct way, it is the mysterious phenomenon of life on our planet. Out of His love, God decided to preserve the life He created in spite of its contamination with sin. Paul says, “ ‘ “For in him we live and move and have our being” ’ ” (Acts 17:28, NIV). The preservation of our lives is not the result of mechanical laws working independently of God: “The physical organism of man is under the supervision of God, but it is not like a clock, which is set in operation, and must go of itself. The heart beats, pulse succeeds pulse, breath succeeds breath, but the entire being is under the supervision of God. . . . Each heartbeat, each breath, is the inspiration of Him who breathed into the nostrils of Adam the breath of life—the inspiration of the ever-present God, the great I AM.”—Ellen G. White, Medical Ministry, p. 9. Although sinners deserve death, their natural life is preserved through God’s grace, all made possible only through the Cross. Paul and Barnabas said to some pagans: “He [God] has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy” (Acts 14:17, NIV). He “makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth” (Ps. 104:14, NIV). All of this is totally undeserved by His creatures and is an expression of God’s loving grace through Christ (Matt. 5:45, Luke 6:35). God’s kindness is not limited to those who serve Him; it reaches out to every human being.
| Think about the implications of today’s lesson: Everyone owes his or her existence to Christ’s grace. How should this fact influence how you deal with other people? How does this fact help us understand the value of all human life? |
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