Cause and Effect

The concept of cause and effect is easy to grasp, but in practice it can become hard to figure out. As an example, science tells us that in the brains of a large number of self-identified "homosexuals" there is a small abnormality. "In 1991, brain scientist Simon LeVay reported that the hypothalamus, which is involved in sexual behavior, tended to be smaller in gay men." "See?" one side cries, "They're born that way!" But we have to ask, is that a cause ... or is it an effect? Determining if something is a cause or an effect can be difficult on its own. Throw in the fact of life that there are typically groups of causes and groups of effects and further interlinking in the mix, and it can get nearly impossible to determine cause and effect.

One thing, though, of which we're quite sure -- it is the belief of millions, the certainty of just about everyone but the atheist ... even Christians believe this -- if we're good, God will love us. Cause and effect. God is pleased with good people and displeased with bad people. In Jewish terms, God turns His face toward those who obey Him and turns away from those who don't. We know this to be true. In a complex and mixed up world of cause and effect, this is something on which we can all agree.

That is, until I read this the other day at the end of Deuteronomy:

"[The LORD] loved His people, all His holy ones were in His hand; so they followed in Your steps, receiving direction from You" (Deut 33:3).

Note that this is exactly opposite of what we might expect to see. Here's what our standard view would give us: "They followed in Your steps and received direction from You, so the LORD loved His people and kept His holy ones in His hand." See? That's much better. Maybe we should check with Moses. Probably just a typo on his part, right?

No, here we see an explicit cause and effect in Scripture. According to this verse, the cause of having God's people follow God's directions is that He loves them and holds them in His hand. That is, His love and holding precedes their obedience. And, as cause and effect work themselves out, the obvious conclusion is that the love and holding of God necessarily produces the obedience of His people.

Okay, so that's a pretty bold statement, I think you'd agree, and it is just one verse. So ... is there any reason to think it might be so? Why, yes! Thanks for asking.

"You do not believe because you are not part of My flock". (John 10:26)

Therefore, my beloved, ... work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Phil 2:12-13).

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed (Acts 13:48).

No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God (1 John 3:9).

In truth, that's just a smattering. There is more -- much more. It would appear that the biblical position is that God's "set-apart" (holy) people are obedient because God sets them apart and has His hand on them and not vice versa. Or, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians,

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Eph 2:8-10).

Thus, the cause of salvation is "the gift of God" and the effect of salvation is "good works", the product of the workmanship of God.