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Who is God? Part III
One of the oldest questions ever asked since the creation of the universe must have been, “Who is God?” From the dawn of civilization, people have posited the fact that this creation must have a Creator. They understood that all this did not come from nothing. According to the Bible, this Creator made Himself known to His creation in the Garden of Eden. But because of man rebellion in the Garden, he has been separated, cut off even, from his Creator. Yet, God did not leave Himself without a testimony. Through over 40 writers on three continents over thirty-five hundred years, God gave His people a personal testimony of Who He is. Over the last two posts, we have discovered some of God’s self-witness: some of who God says He is. In this post, we will look at four more attributes of God—Creator, Judge, Love, and Triune.
Creator. He is the Maker, the Creator of all things, both the heavens and the earth, things seen and unseen. Genesis 1:1 tell us that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Its companion passage, John 1:1-3 says of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” Colossians 1:16-17 adds, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Psalm 24:1-2 reminds us that “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 2 for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” When Job questioned God as why he was suffering, God asked him:
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7 when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4-7)
Romans 1 accuses mankind in that we know God is the Creator but we (evil mankind) suppress that truth and come up with lies to explain creation so that they do not have to acknowledge Someone to whom they will one day give an account. Men would rather believe a lie and exchange the glory of God for foolishness. Believing and professing themselves to be wise they become foolish and futile in their thinking. They attempt to explain away God and creation with nonsense and even compel others to believe it.
Judge. As the creation, we must give an account to the Creator for what we have done with the resources (life, talent, treasure) He has given us. God will judge us based on those works. The Bible teaches that only that which is done for Christ will last. All the righteousness and works of the wicked are as filthy rags before a holy God (Isaiah 64:6). God must punish sin or His justice is perverted. A Stalin or a Hitler or a Bin Laden should not inherit the same heaven as a Paul or a Timothy or a Billy Graham. If ‘good’ people went to heaven, the heaven would become polluted like earth. God will judge the wicked. They will suffer eternally because eternally is how long they’ll live.
The question has been asked, why would a loving God send people to Hell? The reason there is a hell in the first place is to punish the devil and his angels because of their rebellion against God (Isaiah 14:12-15). The reason people will go to hell is because, since they share in the devil’s rebellion—rejection of God’s authority, they will share in his punishment.
God will judge us, His Saints, as righteous, not based on any work that we have done, but based on the work Christ did on the cross. Isaiah 1 says, “Though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” 1 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we may become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Love. Many know the phrase, God is love. Love is just one attribute of God. Yes, He loves us. It does not mean that He has some warm, fuzzy feeling for us but that He chose to act in our best interest whether we deserved it or not. His loves us unconditionally and He demonstrated it for us sacrificially. Unconditional love does not mean that God loves us just the way we are and we do not have to change. On the contrary, God loves us the way we are and because of His love for us, we will change for we are called to be confirmed into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Conformation means change. He loves us just the way we are but loves us too much to leave us the way we are. He knows the plans He has for us. He knows what He made us to be. We are a love gift to His Son and God does not give junk gifts. Yes, He loves us. He saved us from ourselves and from a fate we rightly deserve. But love does not mean that God overlooks sin. It is not his will that any should perish but that all would come to the knowledge of the truth. He made it possible for people to do that through His greatest demonstration of love—His Son, whom He sent to be punished for our sins so we can be rewarded with His righteousness.
Trinity. Of all of God’s attributes or characteristics, that of being three Persons in one is the most difficult to understand or explain. Three persons in one? Do Christians worship three Gods? No. Christianity is a monotheistic faith. We worship one God. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” God is one in essence but manifests Himself in three different persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each of them were present at creation (Genesis1:1-2, John 1:1-2). Each were present at Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:13-17). We are to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (not names). One God—three individual manifestations.
How can God be one in three? I believe the grandest illustration is man. In Psalm 8:5, the Psalmist writes, “You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” The term angels, is Elohim, God. So the verse could also be interpreted, “You have made them a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.” In Genesis 1:26, God said, Let Us make man in Our image and after Our likeness…” There are many ways we are made like God. We have the power of choice. We have emotions. We can think. We are self-aware. We know the difference between good and evil. But another way we are made like God, I believe, is our makeup. We are made triune beings—not to the extent of God, but we are soul and spirit that live in flesh. Paul alluded to this in Romans 7:
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being (spirit), 23 but I see in my members (flesh) another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
We believe in the Trinity even if we do not understand it. We pray to the Father through the Spirit (or in the Spirit) in the name of Jesus. We recognize that salvation is being reconciled to the Father through the Son and later indwelt by the Spirit. Jesus said in John 15, my Father and I will make our home in you. How will they do this? They will do it through the Holy Spirit.
This is just a short study on who God is. As someone pointed out, even throughout eternity, we will never fully understand God—mainly because we are the creation and He is the Creator—our minds will only understand so much and yet our God is so great!
Apologetics 101
The word, apologetics, sounds a lot like apologize. Though they both have the root word “defense” in common, they mean two entirely different things. Apologetics is the act of defending ones doctrine or beliefs. It comes from 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…” The word, defense, is translated from the Greek words, pros apologia, which means an answer for or a defense of.
Let’s look in depth.
Answer for. There are times when someone may inquire as to what you believe and why you believe it. Why are you a Christian? Why do you believe that Jesus is God? How do you know Jesus was raised from the dead? What do you think your religion is the right one when there are so many? If God is so loving, why did He create Hell? People who want to know more about our faith may ask these questions or questions like them. We need to be prepared always to have answers for their questions. Jesus was asked many times about religion and His doctrine (John 4:1-26, John 14:5, Matthew 19:1-10, 16-26), yet He never shied away from honest questions and neither should His disciples.
Defense of. Jesus had said earlier that the devil was the ruler of this world (system). C. S. Lewis once said that Christians live in enemy-occupied territory. Because the world system is ruled by the devil and occupied by sinful humans, Christians will face persecution (John 16:33). Part of this persecution is the need to defend our faith against skeptics and mockers. Instead of dealing with inquirers, we are dealing with inquisitors. How do you know Jesus is the only way? What makes your religion the correct religion and makes everyone else’s religion false? How do you know there is a God? Why should I believe the Bible when it was written by a bunch of shepherds thousands of years ago? What difference can Jesus who lived two thousand years ago make in my life today? These are all questions that unbelievers and deniers of the faith will ask, not for information but in an attempt to expose us as frauds. Whether standing before mockers or kings, Christians should be able to give a coherent defense of what they believe and why they believe it. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 119:41-42, “Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord— Your salvation according to Your word. So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.” Later he writes, in verse 46, “I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed.”
Argue with. Some in the faith believe that the word, apologia, not only means to defend or give answer to, but also to argue with. It does not. At least, not in the colloquial sense of “to argue” meaning to contend, combat, or strive against, as in a verbal tug-of-war. Christians are not called to argue with anyone to prove a point. You can present an argument, a logical statement of position, without arguing. The idea of defending the faith is so people can enter into the Kingdom because they can see that our faith is not an illogical, blind faith, but one of reason and evidence. You will never argue anyone into the Kingdom. At best, you will turn them off. At worst, you will fortify an enemy of the Cross.
The importance of studying.
God has called and commissioned us to be His witnesses. Part of being a witness is to be able to give an answer to questions that people have about a faith we claim to be so dear to us. In some regards, giving an answer or a defense is giving a testimony. People may be able to argue with facts but they cannot argue with a testimony (unless it is a false one). If you know Christ personally, if you have been transformed by the Holy Spirit, no one can argue with that—unless your life does not reflect it—then it is a false testimony. But if the testimony is real, what argument can a person give against it?
How do we present a cohesive answer or defense of our faith? Any lawyer will tell you that the key to a good defense (or prosecution) is preparation—knowing the ins and outs of the case and the law pertaining to the case. Similarly, a Christian is able to adequately defend him- or herself or to give an answer only by knowing the Word of God and knowing the God of the Word. We should prepare ourselves to give an answer or to defend what we believe, lest we either put Christ to shame or prove ourselves to be false witnesses of Christ.
This type of studying is often called, self-feeding, as compared to being fed. Being fed by others is easier, but studying God’s Word for yourself not only allows you to study what you want at your own pace, but it also allows you to get from the Word the interpretation and application the Spirit gives and not someone else’s. Then you truly own what you’ve learned because you got it directly from the Source (John 16:13-14, 1 Corinthians 2:11-16).
In conclusion, I believe the Apostle Paul said it best: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15, ESV).”
GOD’S GRACE
It is through the writings of the Apostle Paul that we best come to understand the doctrine of Grace. Through Paul’s teachings, we understand that Grace comes by faith, and that the faith that brings Grace comes from God and not from ourselves. We do not work for Grace. If we did then it is not Grace but it is something we earned and therefore not a gift. Paul would open each of his letters to the various churches and to his friends, Timothy, Titus, and Philemon with a blessing of grace and peace. How did Paul come to understand the doctrine of grace? He experienced it.
Saul, Paul’s Jewish name, was a man of two worlds. He was a Jew whose father was likely a Roman because Paul claimed Roman citizenship many times in his writings. He was not only a Jew but a member of the ruling body known as the Pharisees. The Pharisees were the keepers and teachers of the Jewish Law. As a Pharisee, Paul was zealous for the Jewish faith. He was zealous to the point that he was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1). He was a persecutor of the church leading men and women to prison and death (Acts 8:3, 22:4). He not only persecuted the church but likely blasphemed Jesus as a heretic and as well as those who followed him (1Timothy 1:13). Though he was such a man, God spared him and used him in a great and powerful way.
God, through His infinite love and great mercy, decided to extend his generosity to Saul by visiting him one day on his was to Damascus. When going to Damascus to arrest the Christians there to bring them back to Jerusalem to be tried and imprisoned (or worse), he was intercepted by Jesus who appeared in a light brighter than the sun. He spoke with a loud voice that knocked Paul off his beast (Acts 9). Through this powerful voice, He asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul responded, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice came back, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” From that day on, Paul was on fire for Jesus and for spreading the Gospel. Why? Because he realized that he had been spared the wrath of God. He realized that he was fighting against the very God he was trying to defend. He realized that his actions warranted death but God had mercy on him. As a result, he could write, “ that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge…(Ephesians 3:17b-19)”
God’s Grace to us is powered by His love for us. He loved us enough to create us and to desire fellowship with us (Genesis 1:27-28). He loved us enough to tabernacle with us when we were lost in the wilderness of sin (Exodus 40:34, 1 Kings 8:10-13). He loved us enough to tabernacle in us through His Spirit because of the blood of His Son (John 14:15-18, Acts 2:1-4). He loves us enough to allow us to one day tabernacle with Him in the Eternal City (Revelation 21:3). It was God’s Grace that elevated a murderous persecutor and blasphemer like Paul to the role of Apostle, planter of numerous churches, and writer of nearly one half of the New Testament. It was also God’s Grace that elevated a lowly rebel like me to the heights of a saint, a priest, and a king (Revelation 5:10).
Have you experienced God’s grace in your life? Paul, Moses, Abraham, all can tell you that it doesn’t matter what type of background you have. It doesn’t matter what sins or wrongs you have committed. It doesn’t matter how bad you have been or you think you have been. He offers you mercy instead of wrath. He offers you adoption instead of separation. He offers you love. He offers you faith. By trusting in the work of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary, you, too, can experience the same grace Paul experienced—the same grace every believer has experienced (and continue to experience). God offers grace that leads to eternal life rather than justice that leads to death. Which will you choose?
Being a Disciple
It is said that a wise person is a lifelong learner. If there is an area that this is true, it is in the Christian life. We are to be lifelong learners of the Word. We should always be prepared to hear what our Heavenly Father has to say to us. How does He speak to us? Primarily, He speaks to us through His Word—the Holy Bible.
For many the Holy Bible is a book gathering dust on a shelf. What a treasure God has given us that we often neglect! God is living and His Word is living that is one reason why every time we read it, we get something new from it. When we approach God’s Word, we should come with the attitude that we are about to have an encounter with our Father, the living God.
When we open us the pages of that Book, God speaks to us. As we read and meditate on what we read, the Holy Spirit gives us understanding. As Jesus said, “[The Spirit] will guide you into all truth (John 16:13).” Once we have an understanding of the Word, we are to put it into practice. This is living righteously.
As we learn and apply the Word of God, our minds begin to change. This is because our minds are being renewed according to knowledge (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23, Colossians 3:10).A change of heart leads to a change of mind. A change of mind leads to a change of behavior.
The problem with self-help and motivational media is that they seek to change only the mind, thus changing the behavior. However, unless there is a heart change, any behavioral change is temporary at best. Now, this is not say that some self-help media do intend to change the heart leading to behavioral change, but only God can change the heart. Once the heart is changed, the behavior changes.
When we study the word and allows the Holy Spirit to put the Word in our hearts, it then become a part of us, inseparable. When this happens, we cannot help but to do it.
Reception is hearing the Word, reading the Word—what does it say.
Comprehension is understanding the Word—what does it mean.
Application is doing the Word—how do I live it.
EVERY KNEE WILL BOW
One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. Those who denied that Jesus was real will bow. Everyone who denied that Jesus was the Son of God will bow. Everyone who has denied that Jesus was God will bow. Everyone who has denied that Jesus was the Messiah will bow. Everyone who has denied that Jesus was the only way will bow. That means that Mormons will bow, Muslims will bow, Jehovah’s Witnesses will bow, Satanists will bow, and atheists will bow. Even Hitler will bow. Pharaoh will bow. Hussein will bow. Satan will bow. Everyone will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Will you bow now by choice?
Praise God from whom all blessing flow, praise Him all creatures here below; praise Him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen
The Old and the New, Part 2
A new nature? A new mindset? What’s that all about? Perhaps you may have said to yourself, “Why do I need this new nature? Aren’t I good enough for Heaven the way I am? After all, I’m not a thief or a murderer or a pedophile.” Getting into Heaven is not about being ‘good enough’. That is a lie from the devil. No one is good enough for Heaven (save Jesus Christ).
No it is not about being good enough. It is about being perfect. Only Jesus was perfect. In order for us to qualify for Heaven we must not only trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior but we must be changed. We must be transformed. The Greek word metamorphosed is the word translated changed. It is the same root of the word used by the narrator of the old Incredible Hulk series when he would describe the transformation of David Banner into the Hulk—“a startling metamorphosis”. When Banner was the Hulk he didn’t look like Banner and when Banner was himself he did not look like the Hulk. When a person is transformed by God, they should not look like their old self because they are, in essence, a different person.
Why does a person have to be changed before they can enter Heaven? If God let people who were not transformed into Heaven, Heaven would become like earth full of liars, thieves, blasphemers, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Jesus said that unless a person is transformed or regenerated, they cannot even comprehend God and His Kingdom. A person who has not committed themselves to Christ has no real desire to go to Heaven, especially when they find out what Heaven really will be like—worshipping God throughout all eternity. They don’t even know if there is a Heaven. They just desire not to go to Hell.
Perfection is required to get into Heaven. Though we are not perfect now, we are being perfected through a process called sanctification. Sanctification can best be described using the words of John the Baptist—“I must decrease and He must increase.” It is being conformed more and more into the spiritual image of Christ.
How does this transformation process work? As we immerse ourselves in the Word, our minds are transformed and our thought process is changed through the work of the Holy Spirit. He opens our spiritual eyes and gives us a new understanding. He reveals God’s truths to us (Matthew 13:11). As we apply those truths to our lives, our lives begin to take on a new definition, a new purpose, and a new look.
If you have trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior, does your life look different than it did when you first believed? Have you abandoned some bad habits? Some unsupportive friends? Some old haunts? Some sins? Have you found yourself doing something for the Kingdom that you thought you’d never be doing. If so, then that is the new nature at work in your life.
Cyber-Discipleship 