The commandments of God are not a diktat but great and precious promises, words of life which enable us to become partakers of the divine nature (cf. 2. Peter 1:4). If God had not wanted man to be free to choose, we would not be more responsible for our actions than animals. If all the events of our life were predetermined, we would only be puppets; joys and sufferings, which result from our actions, would be arbitrary, and life would be meaningless. Now we have the right to choose what we want to do, either just or evil. We can choose to imitate either Jeroboam, who sacrificed the calf of gold and divided Israel, or Jesus Christ who chose to do the will of his Father. We can choose to live like a mosquito driven by instinct, or do the will of God as “first fruits of his creatures” (cf. Jacques 1:18).
“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). There was a time for Adam to live in the Garden of Eden and a moment for him to leave it. Even if he had not eaten of the Tree of Knowledge, the Scriptures clearly show that the man had to leave it. (Genesis 1:28) Was his leaving predetermined?
It was the same for Noah. There was the time when he entered the ark with his family and the moment when he went out of it. Was this family saved for choosing to please God or was it their destiny to enter the Ark notwithstanding their actions? As the deluge: was it predetermined by God or caused by evil men who chose to kill one another instead of living in peace?
Many events of our life seem predetermined. Thus death. By announcing that death appears through the mission of the serpent, the Lord God shows that death had its reason to be, notwithstanding the choice of Adam and Eve to eat of the Tree of Knowledge. Indeed, the Lord God says to the man, “from any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17). God does not say “If ever” you eat, but specifically: “the day” when you eat. This clearly means that God knew, despite his counsel not to do so, that man shall eat and die.
Although all the humanity is serving God, his divine presence can manifest itself only through people who live his commandments. Each human expresses through his character an aspect of what is good or bad. The good one serve the intentions of God directly as the light of the world , the wicked one contribute to it indirectly. Although God does not himself identify with the wicked, their role is essential. They provide for those who love God the opportunity to live by faith, hope and, if necessary, to resist “unto blood in the striving against sin” (Hebrew 12:4).
“The evil ones are like the driven sea that cannot rest, and its waters throw up mire and mud. There is no peace, says God to the wicked” (Isaiah 57:20-21). Without realizing it, the evil are “leaven that makes the dough rise” which favors spiritual growth at the children of God. The successes the evil ones win over the saints and faithful are just lures announcing their disappearance. The wicked ones suffer from existential insecurity and their inner life is a hell.
To serve the Lord is the greatest honor and happiness that exists! In the service of God, his Spirit penetrates our being, and makes us understand that even though we are only a “spark of God”, we contribute to improving this world. Of course, defeats are possible, but life will always overcome so that we will be “transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2. Corinthians 3:18).
All men are interfaced with each other but each has his unique way to serve God. Our life is about choices, attitudes to be adopted and of sense to be given to the various situations. We can escape our mission or complete it by expressing fear of God in every moment of life, as well in sorrow and joy as in sadness and happiness.