Living In The Light

January 9, God’s Love In Nature

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal
power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.
—Romans 1:20 LL 15.1

Before the fall of Adam, not a cloud rested on the minds of our first parents to obscure their clear perception of the divine character of God. They were perfectly conformed to the will of God. A beautiful light, the light of God, surrounded them. Nature was their lesson book. The Lord instructed them in regard to the natural world, and then left with them this open book, that they might behold beauty in every object upon which their eyes should rest. The Lord visited the holy pair and instructed them through the works of His hands. LL 15.2

The beauties of nature are an expression of the love of God for human intelligences, and in the garden of Eden the existence of God was demonstrated in the objects of nature that surrounded our first parents. Every tree planted in the garden spoke to them, saying that the invisible things of God were clearly seen, being understood by the things which were made, even His eternal power and Godhead. LL 15.3

But while thus God could be discerned in nature, this affords no solid argument in favor of a perfect knowledge of God being revealed in nature to Adam and his posterity after the fall. Nature could convey her lessons to human beings in their innocence; but sin and transgression brought a blight upon nature, and intervened between nature and nature’s God. Had humanity never disobeyed their Creator, had they remained in a state of perfect rectitude, they could have understood and known God. But when human beings disobeyed God, they gave evidence that they believed the words of an apostate rather than the words of God. Eve was told by the enemy to eat of the tree of knowledge. God had said, “Ye shall not eat of it, . . . lest ye die.” But Satan declared that by eating of it humans would be exalted to an equality with God. . . . LL 15.4

The most difficult and humiliating lesson which man has to learn, if he is kept by the power of God, is his own inefficiency in depending upon human wisdom, and the sure failure of his own efforts to read nature correctly. Sin has obscured his vision, and he cannot interpret nature without placing it above God. — Healthful Living, pp. 288, 289. LL 15.5

Further Reflection: How does Satan use the effects of sin on nature to attack God? LL 15.6