Why God, Why?

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”  II Thessalonians 2: 7 – 10

Public reference to God is taboo. Taboo, that is, until something bad happens and then God is demanded to answer two questions:

Why did you let this happen?

Where were you when this happened?

Case in point Uvaldi, Texas May 24, 2022 Robb Elementary School when Salvador Rolando Ramos fatally shot nineteen students and two teachers.

Critics blame God and guns, both of which seem to be wanted out of our society. First, the question of why He let it happen. For Him not to He would have had to deprive people of one of their most cherished traits: free will and related freedom of choice. What happened there was not the fault of God. It was the failure of a man. God takes no pleasure in a travesty, a slaughter, like that. He does not will such conduct. Ramos acted outside the will of God, freely. He misused that wonderful gift.

Second, where were you, God, when that happened? That makes it sound like it was His responsibility to be the security officer on duty. Actually, our courts and broad based public opinion has said He is not wanted in classrooms. 

The situation and Scripture actually are part of the great biblical principle.

Break down II Thessalonians 2: 7 – 10 and the following principles emerge.

First, “The mystery of lawlessness is already at work.” If there is lawlessness there must be law. This is a reference to the law of God encoded in His will. It changes not. Murder was forbidden even before there was one of the Ten Commandments which forbid it. It was, is, and always will be lawlessness.

Second, there is reference to “He who now restrains.” The one restraining is the Holy Spirit. He restrains, but does not restrict disobedience to God’s will. 

There will come a day when “He will be taken away.” With the approach of the consummation of time His restraining influence will be removed. Lawlessness without His restraint will be rampant during the Tribulation. Then notice what happens. “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish….” Why, “because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”  

The Uvaldi shooter, Salvador Rolando Ramos, did not receive the love of the truth, but acted according to his free will, not that of God.

For peace and harmony to prevail the love of God must exist. That is true in society and in personal lives. Pause and pray: “Not my will, but thy will be done.”