Part 5
7. Henotheism: The worshiper chooses one of the gods of a polytheistic listing and worships it exclusively as his god. Within the Greek system of gods, the person might choose cupid and worship the god of love to the exclusion of all other gods in the system.
8. Dualism: This thought comes from the Latin two. Dualism is a belief in two equal gods of opposite character. One is good and one is evil. (Zorasterism) If you study the different ideas of the creation of the universe, you will run into the dualism of the ancient peoples. Many of the concepts of creation are based on two gods, one representing good and the other representing evil. They quite often are the products of one set of parents, or one producing force.
9. Tritheism: "This is the doctrine of three Gods." (Cambron, Mark G. D.D.; "Bible Doctrines"; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1954, p 21) I have read that this thought originated with a man that came out of the Brethren movement in years past.
10. Pantheism: All there is, is god and there ain't no moe. God is all, and all is god, and all you see is a manifestation of that god. There is no matter — only god. You are sitting on God, and you will eat God at lunch. It would be very difficult to honor your god within this system, since you have to use material things, while knowing they are your god. In this system you would definitely respect the things which you used.
11. Panentheism: This system of thought is very similar to Pantheism. Pantheism holds that all is god, and god is all that exists, while Panentheism holds that all is god but god is more than exists. In other words, god is in all things, but all things are not the extent of god. The universe is god, but god extends further than the universe and is more than the universe.
12. Deism: Deism comes from the Latin for god. There is one personal supreme god that is personal. He is far off from mankind and as a result is very seldom worshiped or heard from. He's Way Out I Guess You Could Say. God is known from nature and reason, but not from the Scripture. (Many of our countries founding fathers were Deists. Benjamin Franklin for one.)
He created but doesn't sustain the creation. "God is the Maker, but not the Keeper." (Cambron, p 20)
Theissen states, "God is present in creation only by His power, not in his very being and nature. He had endowed creation with invariable laws over which he exercises a mere general oversight; he has imparted to his creatures certain properties, placed them under his invariable laws, and left them to work out their destiny by their own powers. Deism denies a special revelation, miracles, and providence." (Thiessen, Henry C.; "Lectures In Systematic Theology"; Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1949, p 74)
13. Monotheism: From Greek for one. Monotheism presents a personal ethical god that is in the world yet distinct from the world. One god only.
We as Christians are monotheists. Among monotheists we find not only Christianity, but Islam and Judaism.
14. Theism: Theism is the same as Monotheism, with the added idea of self-revelation. God has revealed Himself via our nature, the creation and the Word. "Theism is the belief in the existence of a personal God, Creator, Preserver, and Ruler of all things." (Pardington, Revelation George P. Ph.D.; "Outline Studies In Christian Doctrine"; Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1926, p 57)
15. Idealism/Realism: This is not usually a form of worship yet could be. It is often listed with Realism for they are opposites.
Idealism would be the worship of ideas. Idealism states that what is, ain't, and realism states that what ain't, is.
The idealist would view a chair as only an idea and not real. The realist would view a chair as real because he can perceive and be conscious of it.
Realism relates to things of which we are conscious. If we are conscious of something then it is real. Logically speaking from their definition, if you sit in a chair and feel it on your backside it is real. If your rear area goes to sleep then you don't feel it and it really isn't there so you will fall on the floor.
16. Positivism: Positivism limits itself only to the knowledge which can be gained by and through phenomena. In other words if a lightning bolt hits one of them they can observe the result and know of that item. In relation to god, there can only be knowledge of god if there are some observable phenomena to study and draw conclusions.
17. Pluralism: This system sees the mind as the determinate factor as to what the world is. Thus each person has their own world because each person has their own mind. To a point this is what Humanism is. Humanism teaches that everyone is free to choose their own thing and own way.
18. Atheism: "Atheism is a denial of God's existence." (Pardington, p 57) Indeed, the atheist tries to prove that god does not exist.
19. Skepticism: "...a doubt of or disbelief in the existence of God." (Pardington, p 57) I suspect that most modern day atheists are more correctly defined as skeptics. They attempt to prove that He doesn't exist indicating that there is a strong possibility that He does.
20. Agnosticism: Agnosticism "...is a denial that God or his creation can be known." (Pardington, p 58) Pardington relates the term to another interesting term. "Etymologically, agnostic and ignoramus mean the same thing. The former is from the Greek, the latter from the Latin." (Pardington, p 58)
Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary mentions of an ignoramus, ".....ignorant lawyer in Ignoramus (1615), play by George Ruggle.....an utterly ignorant person: DUNCE....." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by Merriam-Webster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.)
HOWEVER... DO NOT CALL AN AGNOSTIC AN IGNORAMUS.
21. Materialism: This view holds that there is no spirit realm but only matter. Matter exists, and matter is all that exists. There is no god that created matter, nor is there a god that formed matter into creation.
The use of the term materialism in our own day is actually a slight redefinition of the term. When we use the term, we usually mean that a person is taken up with material things, such as cars, homes, stereos, etc. The underlying principle is still there however. The person may not really believe that there is no god and that only material exists, yet they are living so as to indicate this belief.
22. Monism: This system attempts to reduce all things into one principle or substance. There are different types of monism.
Materialistic monism = matter only exists.
Idealistic monism = Ideas are the only reality.
Pantheistic monism = "If monism denies the reality of both finite personal life and finite physical existences, through affirming both as phenomenal manifestations of an impersonal ground, the doctrine becomes pantheistic monism." (Reprinted by permission: Walvoord, John F. editor; "Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology"; Wheaton: Victor Books, Vol. I & II, 1988, p 130)
I once illustrated the pantheistic monist to a class as follows. If I believe I don't live and don't exist, but I manifest life and manifest existence then I
am a pantheistic monist. Everything is a manifestation, but not real. Since I'm a manifestation, I can't dismiss class, but I'm leaving. I guess you'll have to sit here for eternity.
In all of these systems you can see man's attempt to explain his environment, and his inward knowledge of God. The problem is that they have rejected the God of the universe for a god of their own making. The only real God that we have discussed is the monotheist's God — the God that we know to exist, that we know to support His creation, and that we know to be our Salvation.
BIBLICAL THEISM
Biblical Theism Defined: That which may be known about God from Nature and the Word of God. The term Biblical indicates that this theism is primarily from the Bible. Theism is the belief in the existence of a personal, knowable God.
Theissen defines theism as follows: "The belief in one personal God, both immanent and transcendent, Who exists in three personal distinctions, known respectively as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." (Thiessen, Henry C.; "Lectures In Systematic Theology"; Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1949, p 51)
Theissen introduces us to two terms that we should discuss.
Immanent = ".....to remain in place.....remaining or operating within a domain of reality or realm of discourse....." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by MerriamWebster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.)
Transcendent = 1 a: exceeding usual limits.....3 : transcending the universe or material existence....." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by Merriam-Webster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.)
So, what does Immanent mean? He is here, He is not on vacation, He is not dead. HE is a real God that is here and present, watching over His creation.
So, what does "transcendent mean? He is bigger than all of His creation.
So, if we speak of an immanent and transcendent God we are speaking of a God that is bigger than all of creation, a God that is in control of the creation that he has created.
The Bible is the Revelation of God to man. The Revelation from the Word supports all information which we can gain from our reason, or from all of Naturalistic theism.
If at any time reason fails to complement the revealed Word then reason must bow to the truth of the Word. The Word is complete, final and trustworthy.
Theism Is Seen In Our Similarity To Our Creator In Personality: Not only has God revealed Himself to man, but God has created us in His own image. We have many of the same traits such as love, truth, faithfulness, holiness, and justice. We must admit that we have these traits in far lesser amounts than God. We handle these traits in a lesser manner than God, and we have distorted these traits through our sin.
Theism Is Seen In Our Similarity To Our Creator In Spirit: God is spirit, John 4:24,
"God is a Spirit; and they that worship him
must worship him in spirit and in truth."
What does it mean that we are to worship Him in spirit? Might we find in this verse, there is lesser value to outward manifestations of worship than inward worship? The clapping, the hand waving, the swaying may be worship to some, however the spirit is the center of worship, not the body. We need to bring our souls to the Lord rather than attempting to get His attention with our bodies.
I was in a worship service where the special music was given by a hip swinging, finger snapping blonde that did a nice job with her music. She was visibly disgusted with the congregations reaction to her "performance" and as she left the platform and walked briskly down the aisle to the back door, she very clearly commented on the deadness of the congregation, and their lack of worship. The young lady was not only very arrogant in her actions and thought, but she was very judgmental. People worship in different ways and she did not allow for methods of worship other than her own, if indeed, her method was correct.
God created us in His image, Genesis 1:26, ". . .Let us make man in our image. . . ." Be careful how you talk about other human beings. We are, every one, created in God's image. If we reflect too harshly on any man, we may reflect on his creator.
Theism Is Seen In Our Similarity To Our Creator In The Thoughts Of Biblical Writers: Some of the writers of Scripture used what is called anthropomorphisms. The writers of the Bible at times picture God as having human characteristics. I will just list some of these for your future study. (Deuteronomy 33:27, God has arms; John 10:29, God has hands; Isaiah 66:1, God uses a footstool; 2 Chronicles 16:9, God has eyes; Psalm 11:4, God has eyelids; Isaiah 59:1, God has arms and ears; Isaiah 58:14, God has a mouth; Exodus 33:11,20, God has a face; 2 Samuel 22:9,16, God has nostrils.)
Though God does not have these physical features it is indicated that He can surely perform the functions of these features. (See, hear, speak, etc.)
These should give to us a special affinity to our God. We aren't worshiping a tree, nor a limb of a tree, nor a statue, but almighty God. We are like Him.
Theism Is Seen In Our Similarity To Our Creator In Our Power To Reason: If we reason then it is logical that the Lord also reasons. It can be safely assumed that His reasoning is always correct while ours may or may not be correct.
Theism Is Seen In Our Similarity To Our Creator In Being: There are a number of areas where we are similar in being.
We have intellect, sensibility and will. God also has intellect, sensibility and will. Again our traits and God's traits are not equal in quantity, clarity or proper use, however we are in His image in these areas.
Referring back to the arguments from reason for God's existence, we found that in the Cosmological thought God possessed a self-determining will. In the Teleological thinking we saw that God had a mind to produce design and power to enact that design. In the Anthropological thinking we saw that God has sensibility. All of these are qualities of God's creation as well.
Let me list a few miscellaneous items that show that we are similar to our creator in being. God is intelligent: Psalm 147:5, Acts 15:18, Hebrews 4:13. God possesses sensibility — He is love: 1 John 4:16. Because God has personality, we then can fellowship with Him. Matthew 11:27
mentions that Christ reveals the Father to the believer. John 14:16-17, 26, mention that the Holy Spirit is within us for comfort and instruction. It also mentions that we may know Him. John 15:26 mentions also that the Comforter will come. 1 John 1:3,
"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ."
Theism Is Seen In The General Revelation Of Nature: This is information that we can gain from nature concerning God.
1. We can see His glory Psalm 19:1.
2. We can see His handiwork in creation, and His power would also be indicated Psalm 19:1.
3. We can see His eternal power Romans 1:20.
4. We can see His nature Romans 1:20.
5. We can see His providential control of nature Acts 14:17.
6. We can see His goodness Matthew 5:45.
Biblical theism in most listings covers the personality and attributes of God. I would like to take just a brief overview of the entire field of Theology Proper before we get into a detailed look at some of God's attributes.
The basis of this outline comes from Dr. Augsburger, president of Denver Baptist Bible College. (He is with the Lord now.) I have adapted it extensively. I might interject something entirely off the subject, but important to us as Believers. Dr. Augsburger was very special to me when I was his student. I learned much from him, but never got around to thanking him for his efforts on my behalf. One day as I was working on this section for the first time, I decided that I should call him and thank him for being my teacher and for the things that he had taught me.
I picked up the phone and found a number for him. I called, but there was no answer. I became quite busy and forgot to call back. A few days later I heard that he had gone to be with the Lord. I was too late. Say your thank-
you to people while you have opportunity. Tell the people God has used in your life how important they were to your spiritual life — before you find it is too late.
THEOLOGY OVERVIEW
I. EXISTENCE OF GOD
There are seven channels through which God has revealed Himself.
A. The material and animal creation: Psalm 19:1-4, Romans 1:19-20.
B. The nature and makeup of man: Genesis 1:26-27, Acts 17:28-29.
C. The direct revelation to man: Genesis 6:13.
D. The miracles: Deuteronomy 4:33-35, John 10:38.
E. The life of God's people: 1 Peter 2:9.
F. The Bible: Hebrews 1:1, 2 Timothy 3:16.
G. The Lord Jesus Himself: John 1:18, John 14:8-9.
II. ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
A. Personality
1. He is living: Deuteronomy 5:26, Hebrews 10:31.
2. He is intelligent: 1 Samuel 2:3, Proverbs 3:19-20.
3. He is purposive: Isaiah 14:26-27, Ephesians 3:11.
4. He is active: Daniel 6:27, John 5:17.
5. He is free: Daniel 4:35, Ephesians 1:11.
6. He is conscious of Himself: Exodus 3:14.
7. He is an emotional being: Psalm 5:5, Isaiah 63:9.
8. He is Spirit: John 4:24.
B. Unity: Isaiah 44:6, Mark 12:29
C. Greatness
1. He is self-existent: John 5:26.
2. He is eternal: Deuteronomy 33:27, Isaiah 57:15.
3. He is unchangeable: Malachi 3:6, James 1:17.
4. He is omnipresent: Psalm 139:7-10, Jeremiah 23:24.
5. He is Omniscient: Job. 37:16, 1 John 3:20.
6. He is omnipotent: Matthew 19:25-26, Revelation 19:6.
7. He is perfect: Psalm 18:30, Matthew 5:48.
8. He is infinite: Psalm 147:5, Psalm 40:5.
9. He is independent: There is no other.
10. He is Incomprehensible: Psalm 145:3, Romans 11:33.
D. Goodness
1. He is Holy: Isaiah 6:1-5, 1 Peter 1:15-18.
2. He is true: John 17:3.
3. He is love: 1 John 4:7-10.
4. He is just: Romans 3:26.
5. He is faithful: Deuteronomy 7:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:24.
6. He is merciful: Deuteronomy 4:31, 2 Corinthians 1:3.
E. Tri-unity
1. He is the Father: John 6:27.
2. He is the Son: John 10:30.
3. He is the Spirit: John 15:26.
III. THE DECREES OF GOD
We will be looking in great detail at the decrees of God in coming studies. We need to understand through all of this that the God that we have discussed should be easier to serve, follow, and worship than the chair that we are sitting on.
He is the creator of all we are and have, and all that we are and have is due to His action and love. How can we do less than love Him and act for Him?
ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
To set the stage for this section, please read the following texts: Hebrews 10:30, 31, 1 Timothy 6:17, 1 Timothy 4:10, Romans 9:26, Acts 14:15, Matthew 16:16, Daniel 6:26, Psalm 42:1-3, Psalm 84:2, Joshua 3:10.
An attribute is some characteristic that is permanent and distinguishes a thing or person from other things or persons. A rose has the attribute of a certain fragrance. I have some very distinct and permanent attributes which make me Mark Derickson. I may also have a certain fragrance, but that does not make me a rose.
In the case of God we find a large number of attributes which distinguish Him from all other things, persons and gods.
Personality: What is personality? It is the most important fact of the world in which we live and yet hard to identify. It is the name given to a group of functions or characteristics belonging to one person. Some characteristics of personality: life, intelligence, purpose, activity, freedom, self-consciousness, emotion, spirit.
Another aspect of the personality of God might well be lost in the discussion in a theology book. God is personable — He is a personal God. He is a God that we can get to know on a one to one basis. We both, God and ourselves, have personality, thus we should have a number of things in common.
It boggles my mind to think of God as a personal God, when I relate the creation to Him. How can a God that created all these things be Someone that I can have free access to, Someone that I can communicate with, and Someone that cares for me? I can't have free access to the president of the USA, yet I can go talk to God any time that I want.
Consider the following information and relate it to the fact that you are on a first name basis with this same God.
Consider the fact there are clusters of galaxies some of which contain 11,000 galaxies, then the fact that the galaxy is made up of many suns.
There are possibly as many as 200 billion suns and their associated systems of planets and moons in our own Milky Way.
Then on the other hand we have the minute world. 1/(25 zeros) is "...the fraction of a square centimeter that a nucleon occupies in space.' That is one tenseptillionth of a square centimeter. "'That isn't the very smallest thing that we look in on by any means,'" (Phillips, McCandlish, "What Every Christian Should Know About The Supernatural"; Wheaton: Victor Books, 1980, pp 43-45)
Nucleons are protons or neutrons. Phillips goes on to state that nucleons are not the smallest part of matter, but that they are made up of quarks. Quarks to Quasars and my God created them all. That God I talked to this morning, the same God to whom we have free access.
Think on these things. He isn't a being out there somewhere that has the following fifteen and one half characteristics. He is the God that we can know and the God with whom we can fellowship. He is the God that can hurt with us. He is the God that has all the answers, and what's more He loves to give those answers to his sons and daughters. He is the God that loves you and me. He is the God that acts on our behalf. He is the God that has a purpose for our lives.
GOD IS LIVING
Bancroft's statement on this subject is good. "By the sharp distinctions drawn in the Scriptures between the gods of the heathen and the true God, the fact of life as a divine attribute is clearly shown. Israel's God, unlike the gods of the nations, hears, sees, feels, acts, and therefore is a living Being." (Taken from the book, Elemental Theology by Emery H. Bancroft. Copyright 1977 by Baptist Bible College. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. p 48. I might mention that Bancroft's Elemental Theology has a good section on God's personality.)
God is living so we know that He automatically has certain characteristics. God has intellect, sensibility and volition. Let us look at these characteristics.
God has Intellect: He is intelligent and capable of rational thought. He is not the insensitive nothing that some say we are absorbed into in the end of it all.
He is Someone that we can relate to no matter how intelligent we are, or how little education we have. No matter what level we are on, He can relate to us.
God has Sensibility: We have a Father/son relationship with God and he feels all that we feel. We need to thank Him at times for understanding how we feel when we are in a spiritual or emotional slump. He Does Understand How We Feel. He is also sensible to our disobedience. He hurts when we are seemingly enjoying our sin.
God has Volition: He is not locked into a set of man's rules and ideas of how He should be. He Made The Rules And Laws.
Indeed, Strong mentions that life is mental energy that shows up as these three items. (Strong, Augustus H.. "Systematic Theology"; Valley Forge, PA: The Judson Press, 1907, p 252)
Scripture is clear on the fact that God is a living God. Deuteronomy 5:26, Jeremiah 10:10, 1 Timothy 4:10.
What do we mean by living? Yes, when we think of living we mean the quality of having life. Yes, that's what we are. Yes, many other things that might relate, but how do you really define "living?"
Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary mentions, ".....having life.....the condition of being alive." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by Merriam-Webster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.)
Consider this definition. That energy or force which causes activity. It is that which enables God to do things. More importantly living is that which allows Him to do things for us. Salvation, Preservation, Provision, and Fellowship.
APPLICATION OF THE DOCTRINE
This doctrine should be the antidote for all forms of idolatry. Why in the world would people worship a piece of wood when they can worship a Living God that can assuredly do, and be for them?
The human heart has a very real need and only a living God can satisfy that need (Psalm 84:2). Yet today even in our own country we have people serving other gods. They serve idols. Not in the literal sense of cutting a tree limb and carving something a god. They are carving something out of life and making it the object of most importance. They make career, wealth, material possession, fame or other items which they seem to view as very important into their god.
Most of us know that idolatry is putting anything before God while making it our priority. We would agree that career, money, home, etc. can be idols, but let us consider some other things we might put before God. Studies — I have to much to do to have a quiet time. Socializing — I'm going on a date — let the studies go. Rebelling — spending time being a grump about the dumb rules of life. Being a grump takes time and great concentration. Looks — How I look is important. Self Importance — I'm going to let them know I'm upset. I'm going to let them know how much I know.
He is a living God and this fact is manifest to us in many ways:
The Living God is a God that speaks to His people (Deuteronomy 5:6). He listens to us in our prayers and speaks with us in our private lives with Him.
The Living God is a God that will help His people (Jos. 3:10). Multitudes of testimonies have been given relating to how God has helped believers.
The Living God is a God that produces a strong love and desire in His people (Psalm 42:1-3, Psalm 84:2). Why else, would the martyrs of yesteryear have given their lives for Him. Why else, would many people give their lives to the ministry of His Word.
The Living God is a God that is true and everlasting (Jeremiah 10:10). He will always be as He is and will always do as He has said.
The Living God is a God described as a God to be feared, even by nonbelieving Gentiles (Daniel 6:26). He is a God of judgment as well as a God of love. The intelligent person that knows of Him should fear Him.
The Living God is a God that sent His Son to earth to die (Matthew 16:16). Even though He is a God to be feared, He is a God that is to be loved. He is a God that loved us so much that He gave His Son for us.
The Living God is a God that created the heavens and the earth (Acts 14:15). We don't worship a primordial muck that evolved into life, but we worship a God that is living and a God that created all there is.
The Living God is a God that has many children (Romans 9:26). By our belief in His Son, He accepts us into His family as sons and daughters. He becomes our heavenly Father.
The Living God is a God that is our Savior (1 Timothy 4:10). Not only did He give His Son, but His Son is God as well. We have a God that died for our wrong that we might have eternal life.
The Living God is a God that we should trust in, instead of riches (1 Timothy 6:17). He gives all we are and have, and He can take it away as well. Those that trust in riches should not trust in what they have accumulated, but trust in what God has allowed them to have. The God is the better to place one's trust in.
The Living God is a God that will judge (Hebrews 10:30, 31). Not only will God judge the lost, but He will hold the saved accountable for their works and their actions.
The Living God is a God that indwells His people (2 Corinthians 6:16). He was not satisfied to create us, He was not satisfied to save us, but He also came to live within us. He is ever present within us.
Based on all this, why — ever set money, things or mental ideas up to take our time when we can talk to a God like that? He is interested in our needs, hurts, joys, trials, learning, provision, and everything. He, indeed, because He lives, does all He promises.
In the area of hurt and troubles: Worry doesn't work. Stewing is for food. Leaning is for "against God." When you hurt and have a burden don't worry or stew — Lean.
GOD IS INTELLIGENT
One of the first questions that may come to your mind when we mention Intelligence, is, "What is the difference between Intelligence and knowledge and Omniscience?"
Intelligence is the ability to learn, understand and manipulate information and then use that information. Knowledge is the awareness of information retained within your on board computer. It is information and facts and the ability to use them. Omniscience is that aspect of God that tells us that He knows all there is to be known. He is total, complete, and correct knowledge in and of Himself. (1 Samuel 2:3, Isaiah 11:2, Isaiah 29:16, Proverbs 3:19-20, Romans 11:33.
God's intelligence is of the highest type — Perfect.
Knowledge is perception of facts as they are. Understanding is insight into the facts perceived. Wisdom is the ability to place known facts into proper relationship to all other facts and to use those facts and relationships for a good end.
I know what a chair is. I understand that the chair before me is very weak and it wobbles. I have enough wisdom not to sit in it. (Don't forget James 1:5 in this area.)
Ideal intelligence can be viewed in four manifestations:
Intuitive intelligence: The ability to see things as they really are. "Oh, Lord I have given all to you." God knows about the 99% that you haven't turned over to Him.
Reflective intelligence: The ability to bring facts forth from memory and relate them to other facts. I can remember when I had lot's of hair. I can remember when I had a nice car. I don't have that car anymore so that must be why I don't have any hair. NO. That is not a true assessment. That is not correct reflective intelligence.
Creative intelligence: The ability to take facts and merge them together and derive new and useful information or ideas. I illustrated this concept to a theology class once. Fact: You haven't had a test lately in theology. Fact: You look like you are tired of this lecture. New fact: I think I will give a test.
This is where the young inventive businessmen of our day do well. They take facts everyone has, and runs a new direction with them to the extent that they make a million or two before anyone knows what they have done.
Ethical intelligence: The ability to look at the proper facts and use those that will result in ultimate good.
I followed up my illustration with the following: Fact: I know that you are very overworked at this point. Fact: I feel sorry for you that are heavily loaded with homework. Ethical fact: I do what is right and proper — I do not give the test.
God alone can see things as they really are. God has perfect reflective intelligence. God can create endless variety of forms (He is limitless). God alone can use all to His good ends. Job asks a question that is answered just a bit later in his book.
His question was: Job. 28:12, "But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? The answer: Job. 28:28,
"And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is
wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."
What value is there in our knowing of God's intelligence? For the saved: Job 23:10,11
"But he knoweth the way that I take; when he hath tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined."
For the unsaved: 1 Samuel 2:10
"The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them. The Lord shall judge the ends
of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed."
A term that you may run across in some writings is "Omni-sapience" of God. This is related to our study on intelligence because it has to do with, "...the "All-Wisdom of God"; that is, God has all wisdom. There is a vast difference in wisdom and knowledge." (Cambron, Mark G. D.D.; "Bible Doctrines"; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1954, p 37)
Jehovah knows our transgressions and rebellion, He knows our arrogance and wickedness, He knows the way of the righteous and the days of the upright, He knows the secrets of the heart and the thoughts of man. Best of all He knows all that are His. (Josuha 22:22; 1 Samuel 2:3; Job 11:11; Psalm 1:6; Psalm 37:18; Psalm 44:21; Psalm 94:11; 2 Timothy 2:19.)
Guess what? No matter how hard you try, no matter how sneaky you get, You Can't Throw A Surprise Party For God. So Why Do So Many Believers Try So Often?
Job knew his God as we should, "But he knoweth the way that I take:...." Job 23:10
We say we believe He knows all, we say we believe He is all wise, we say we believe He is interested in our well being, and we say we believe He will do for us, yet we control our own lives. We direct our lives. We do our own thing. We seldom go to Him in prayer. We deny, it would seem by our action, those things that we believe He is. Intelligence, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Etc.
GOD HAS PURPOSE
In looking at the life of William Carey I have been impressed with the intent with which he lived his life. He was serving God to the best of his ability. He worked long hours, he ministered wherever and whenever he could and he placed his own desires and needs in second place to what God had called him to do.
William Carey had great purpose in his life. That purpose was to serve God to the fullest.
Purposive according to Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary is, ".....having or tending to fulfill a conscious purpose or design....." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by Merriam-Webster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.) Purposive is acting upon some goal or design that is yet future in the mind.
In God's purpose we see a completed aspect to it, as well as an active aspect. He has a specific purpose in mind and is now acting toward that end, however He, in His mind has accomplished that purpose. We are justified and glorified yet we are in the process toward that end. We have the standing before God, however our state at present is not quite adequate.
His purpose is seen in a number of ways.
He Will Judge: Isaiah 14:26
God has a number of purposive lines of action, however they are all along the line of His one main purpose. Here we see his purpose is in the area of judgment however this is in line with the general purpose of showing the Devil who's boss — so to speak.
He Will Direct: Romans 8:28
God has called us according to His purpose. He has a goal or plan in mind and is acting upon that goal or plan. If we are open to His direction through the Word and prayer, He will lead us into the things of life that He
desires for us. This includes a spouse, a ministry, an occupation, schooling, investing, etc. He is interested in gaining as much benefit from our lives on this earth as He can, not only for His own glory, but for our benefit, joy and reward.
He Will Work Through Christ: Ephesians 3:11
Christ is included in this purpose and the purpose is eternal in nature. Christ has accomplished some of His purpose in the work of the cross, yet has the ongoing duty of interceding for us, as well as the future work of setting up the kingdom, and ruling over the earth for a thousand years.
He Will Carry Out His Plan: 2 Timothy 1:9
The purpose of God was set before creation and is His Own Purpose — not something man dreamed up, but HIS.
Why would we say that purpose is an attribute or distinctive of personality? The beasts of the field have no purpose for themselves. They react to what is going on now, and have no thoughts to the future. They react to only that which is going on at the moment, and at times they react to their instinct and the seasons.
A snake does not go out looking for someone to attach. They attach only out of fear. An animal on the highway isn't there because he wants to make you late for an appointment. It is there because they walked across, and the sun felt good so they stopped to warm themselves.
Man on the other hand has future purpose in mind. This is not fully developed in the child for if you offer them a $.25 candy bar now or a $1.00 bill tomorrow they will probably take the candy bar. They operate in the NOW.
On the other hand most people, including Christians, are tied up in their plans for the future. They are opening savings accounts, IRA's, investing in homes and all of those neat things.
Purpose is not bad in man. Without some future purpose man becomes akin to a beast of the field. He becomes bored and tends to react to the NOW situation. Can you picture a woman or a man that spends hours in front of a television set for soaps or sports? She or he, as the case may be,
is reacting to the NOW and has little thought to anything further future than the next commercial breaks for a snack. It can and does become their life.
When servicing televisions, quite often when in the homes of these addicts they would talk to me about the characters on the shows as if they were part of their family. Now and then when returning a set, one of them would get all excited because they hadn't seen Joe Blow for two weeks and they were dieing to see how he was doing.
Thus, we must conclude that purpose is a characteristic or attribute of man. So, in God the thought of purpose is that of a trait or attribute that makes God what He is. It is part of His very nature.
APPLICATION OF THE DOCTRINE
1. Prayer changes me and not God's purpose, ways, plans or whatever. He sees all things complete and I need to see it His way and conform to it. Prayer changes Things only. (Daniel 6:27, Philippians 2:13) He is working within us to bring about His purpose. Daniel 4:35 mentions, "And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" As If Anyone In Their Right Mind Would Ever Ask God If He Knows What He Is Doing.
Then again, I'm not sure that many of us don't question what God is doing in our lives when He moves counter to what we had planned and get upset with Him.
2. Are you on the right side of His purpose? This can involve one of two things. WALK: Are you walking with Him as you know you should? He has a goal for our lives and we need to be seeking that goal and be working toward it. IF we are God's children, He has a plan for us. IF we aren't heading for that plan — THEN He will bring problems into our life which will help us change our direction. SALVATION: Are you on His side spiritually?
The old 45 rpm records were famous for having a good side and a bad side. The Lord has a good side and a bad side in the spiritual realm. Side one: Eternal life with Him as a reward for being obedient to His purpose in
Salvation. Side two: Eternal damnation as a penalty for being on God's bad side in His plan of salvation.
I would like to illustrate this doctrine with a story. Friday P.M.: A man developed a toothache. He had very poor sleep that night. Saturday A.M.: He made an appointment for 1:00 PM Tuesday. Saturday noon: Pain was terrible. Called the dentist and the nurse said come in. Saturday 2:00 P.M.: Pain quit. Saturday 4:30 P.M.: The dentist couldn't find the problem — come back Tues. and we'll x-ray and fill it. Saturday 4:50 PM: Pain began. Sun.: Misery upon misery. Monday: Agony upon agony. Tuesday: The dentist pulled the tooth. Wednesday: The same toothache returned only worse. Called Dentist — It was his day off. Thursday A.M.: The dentist pulled the correct tooth. Thursday P.M.: Same tooth ache returned only worse. I went to the dentist and he started a root canal.
Thoughts Of The Man: That stupid idiot dentist. He must have gotten his diploma out of a Cheerio box. There's a guy in California with a law suit for $35,000 over one wrong tooth pulled. That's $70,000 for two teeth. However, the man was a believer and the Lord brought a verse to his mind. Romans 8:28, "...we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,".
Some of his possible conclusions "for good" were as follows: Maybe God saw bigger trouble with the teeth if they remained in the mouth. They weren't prize specimens anyway. Maybe God was going to send him to a far off country where there were no dentists. Maybe God was going to allow him to witness to the dentist. Maybe NOTHING — He waited to see how God would use it.
He was able to use his experience in his Sunday School class that Sunday. His lesson was on God's everyday purpose for our life.
THE DOCTRINE OF PURPOSE
Before the dawn of time God said, "I can — I will" and He did. He had a plan — He began moving toward the completion of that plan.
He created — He formed man — He breathed into man the breath of life — man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7) — thus began God's trek down a bumpy, if not rutted road with mankind. We are thankful that He had a
plan, for if He hadn't, He wouldn't have continued past the first road block with such as we.
Man tried to trip God by eating the forbidden fruit, but (Genesis 3:5) God tripped man right out of the garden (Genesis 3:23).
The coats of skin (Genesis 3:21) showed God alive and heading toward His goal. The skins meant shed blood — the only way to rectify the wrong in any age.
As time wore on, God saw wickedness across the land. None were seeking His goal save one (Genesis 6:5-8). Noah and his family found grace in the eyes of God.
Mankind gathered at Babel with a purpose — to build a tower to heaven. This however, as is normal, was not God's purpose — He scattered them across the face of the earth (Genesis 11).
God purposed to move toward His goal through the line of Abraham. This ultimately will happen but no thanks to man (Genesis 15).
God made a nation from Abraham which found itself in bondage in Egypt (Exodus 1). Pharaoh was there for one purpose — God's — to declare God to the earth (Romans 9:17).
Out of this nation came Jesus Christ — the one that would complete the plan. Christ was to destroy the work of the devil (1 John 3:8) — Christ was to set up the church which would show God's wisdom to the heavenly powers (Ephesians 3:8-11). Christ's blood enabled God to gather unto Himself a people — a people desiring to follow and serve Him (Titus 2:14).
God set the path with the coats of skin — all sin must be dealt with by shed blood — the blood of Jesus Christ — God's purpose was to gather a people for His own — the people were sinful — God provided a remedy — those washing themselves in the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, become a part of His people — a part of His eternal goal — a part of the people in His eternal city (Revelation 21).
GOD IS ACTIVE
Active indicates an ability to do, as well as the act of doing. God is most certainly able to act, and He is very active. Indeed, the reverse is true also, the act of doing shows the ability to act.
1. God is active in redemption: John 3:17
He was not only active in providing salvation, but He is actively drawing souls unto Himself.
It always thrills my heart to hear of a person that sits down to read the Bible as one lost and on the way to hell, and stands up a new creature in Christ due to his acceptance of the gospel that he has just read. The Holy Spirit draws each one to Himself personally.
I recently read an article concerning how the big parachurch groups teach their people to witness. One of the groups clearly made this very point. They encourage their people to begin and end with prayer — asking for the Holy Spirit to work in the life, because it is God that saves and not the witnessing.
2. God is active in guiding nations: Romans 13:1
The recent breakup of the Soviet Union should move people to realize that God is in the business of raising up and putting down nations. Any study of history will reveal that many nations have risen and fallen just as quickly. A nation that honors God often thrives, while a nation that dishonors God seldom prospers or survives.
3. God is active in protecting us: 1 Kings 19:5, Psalm 91:11,12, Daniel 6:22, Matthew 4:11, Matthew 18:4-10, Hebrews 1:14
Many are the accounts of how God has protected His people in modern days as well. One Christmas when we were in Denver for college, we had made plans to go to Nebraska for Christmas. We had all the plans laid and when I piled into the car to go home to pick up the family, the car would start but not continue to run. I discovered the fact that if I pumped the foot feet that it would continue to run so off I went 20 miles across Denver pumping the foot feet to keep the thing moving.
When I arrived home I pulled the top off the carburetor to see if I could find anything that was blocking the fuel passage. I found a piece of a rag about an inch square that had settled over the jets. We had owned the car for a year or so and the thing had never given any problems. It had died unexpectedly now and then a few months earlier but no great problem.
We set off on the interstate for the trip. As we neared the junction of two major freeways, called the mouse trap, where we had to turn north I could see a blaze of flame in the sky. I had the distinct feeling at that moment that the rag in the carburetor had been planned by God to delay us. We turned the radio on as we neared the accident to hear that it had taken place just about the time we would have been going through if we hadn't had car trouble. A tank truck had turned over and several cars were involved in the blaze. I don't know for fact that the Lord protected us that evening, but I have to think that it was so.
4. God is active in guiding us: Psalm 32:8
He will guide you in planning your life's work. He will guide you in planning your life's mate. He will guide you in planning your studies. He will guide you in planning your week's schedule. He will guide you in purchasing a car. He will guide you in anything that you want his guidance in.
He is, as we have seen many times, interested in all that we do. He is desirous of being a part of our life; even our everyday life.
I have to admit that as I was going through this study, I was looking back through the dusty memory banks to see some ways that He has been active in my life, and I had to stop to dry my eyes. He has been so active in my life and in so many ways, and in so many instances. I hope as you walk with Him you will allow Him to be very active in your life.
5. God is active in teaching us: 1 John 2:27
We saw in Bibliology that He is involved in illuminating our foggy minds to the truth of the scriptures. He wants us to know more about Himself, as well as to know Him more. He is not the great mystery of the universe, rather He is the great teacher.
6. God is active in providing our needs: Matthew 6:33
A missionary from Alaska I met in the 70's shared that he and his wife were in need of a car and that it was going to cost about $2000. They sat down one day and told the Lord of the need and when they went to the mail that day there was an envelope with no return address on it. Inside was $2000. They never found out where it came from.
At other times God provides our needs through a good job, or maybe at times a mediocre job, but He always will provide our needs. When we left teaching in Wyoming He provided a janitors job for me. I could not find any other more productive work. The plus side of this job was that it only took about fifteen hours a week and it paid very well. It was during this time that I was able to put together this book.
7. God is active in His time table: Acts 1:7
I enjoyed hearing the testimony of a man when he read the words of Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;" He mentioned that he really knew what it was to wait on the Lord, but that the waiting was GOOD. (He had been waiting upon the Lord for a ministry for several years.)
The rest of the verse is of interest as well. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
My wife received a card once that mentioned that it was hard to soar as an eagle when you have to work with turkeys like you. God is the one that made the promise in Isaiah, and it is He that will fulfill it even if you have to work with turkeys.
8. God is active in the Church through the Holy Spirit and His gifts: Ephesians 4; Romans 12
Might I suggest that if you don't see the Lord working in His church, that it is not God that is at fault. It is His people that are not exercising their gifts. More and more I think that most churches are dead because the people are not using what God has given them.
Our God is powerful. Our God is active. Our God is desirous of people being saved. Our God is able to do anything. If His church is the pits then the cause can be found in His people.
If you see a dead church it is because the people want it that way. I have seen churches with pastors that have no business being in their position, and the church continues to allow it to go on. That is a conscious decision on the part of the church to fail.
9. God is active in controlling the physical world: Acts 14:17, Colossians 1:16,17
In 1990 the out of focus Hubble Telescope took a look into the Orion Nebula and took a picture of a star that was just forming. Actually the occurrence that Hubble photographed occurred about A.D. 500, because Orion is about fifteen hundred light years away from earth.
If He can control the intricacies of the universe and keep all that together, surely He can assist us in keeping our lives together, if we ask Him.
10. God is active in answering prayer: Acts 12:5ff
While interim pastor of a small church in Wyoming, we had been told of a young man that someone had been talking to about the Bible. The man was in the church service and seemed to be very convicted by parts of the message. As the service closed, I ask the Lord to allow me to talk to him before he left. As I left the platform I saw the man leaving the sanctuary. I thought that the answer had been no. Before leaving the church, one of the couples asked us to lunch and mentioned that this young man was going home for a moment but that he was going to join us for lunch.
God is in the business of answering prayer. I kept track of the prayer requests in that same church for about six months and marked each item as the Lord answered. There were twenty-two specific requests answered, and I'm confident, many other general requests were answered just because people took time to pray.
1. This doctrine refutes two major false teachings:
a. God is dead. Nope, Not On My Block He Isn't. As the bumper sticker says, "My God isn't dead — Sorry About Yours."
b. Deism: The teaching that God created and went on vacation or went away and isn't around anymore.
Theissen tells us, "For deism God is present in creation only by His power, not in His very being and nature. He has endowed creation with invariable laws over which He exercises a mere general oversight; He has imparted to His creatures certain properties, placed them under His invariable laws, and left them to work out their destiny by their own powers. Deism denies a special revelation, miracles, and providence. It claims that all truths about God are discoverable by reason, and that the Bible is merely a book on the principles of natural religion, which are ascertainable by the light of nature." (Thiessen, Henry C.; "Lectures In Systematic Theology"; Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1949, pp 74-75)
This was the religion of some of our forefathers. Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson for two.
Another quotation that might help you to know more about Deism is from a book on Western Civilizations. (Burns, Edward McNall; "Western Civilizations"; 7th edition, New York City: W.W. Norton and Co. Inc., 1941, p 575) Any encyclopedia would also give you some information.
In light of what we have read, consider Benjamin Franklin (From Guideposts Nov. 1974. From an article entitled, "They Speak Today.") He said that he believed in one God and that God created the universe. He believed in worshiping that God and that the best you could do was to serve God's children. He also respected all religions that felt as he did about God.
He spoke of these beliefs in relation to a conversation concerning his trying to help Roman Catholics. Benjamin Franklin was said, to have played both ends against the middle.
2. If He is active then it is logical that He would expect his children to be active also. How is your activity doing for the Lord? Are you as active as you should be?
3. His activity on our behalf should be of a help to encourage us when we are in hard times and trials. He is actively moving in our lives for our
betterment. This one is hard to really make practical especially when we are having problems.
4. One final point. I find that oft times God wants to be active through his people. I trust that you will be sensitive to those around you that God can use you to help. Yes, you are terribly busy, yet your five minutes listening to someone's problems may well be the encouragement that will carry them through. Be open to minister to those around you, because they will appreciate it.
GOD IS FREE
You have probably heard the joke about the 500-pound gorilla. What does a 500-pound gorilla do? Anything He Wants To. This is a part of what we talk about when we mention the freedom of God.
To define freedom in relation to God we would want three aspects for our definition.
a. God cannot be hindered. No matter how late you sit up thinking of a way to mess up his plan, there is no way that you ever will. He has an overall plan for all of time and all of mankind. He has planned in all the dumb things that you might come up with to thwart His plan.
b. God cannot be restricted. You can't build a fence around Him. You can't set up a force field around Him. You can't set up a situation where He can't do what is correct.
c. God cannot be controlled. Not even Abraham when he was dealing with the Lord for the sparing of Sodom was controlling Him. Abraham was flat pushing his luck, but was not controlling God. There is nothing that we can do that will control God. We can't get Him into trouble with our prayer life. We can't set up a situation where He must act because of our command or prayer.
God Can Do Literally Anything He Wants To.
He is His only limit. He can do whatever he wants, whenever He wants. His desires, plans and will are the only control that is placed upon Him.
He is free from the creation and His creatures. He is independent of us and all that we do. In relation to this I was reminded of a fact of life that is constantly plaguing our household. We are not independent of our belongings. The more nice things that you get, the more things you have to fix. There are times when my list of things to fix is longer than things I want to have.
Again, I would like to think of the animal world for a moment. The animals of the field are active only on the prompting of their instinct.
They cannot rise above their environment. They are limited to activity within the confines of where they are. They cannot decide to move into town and rent a condo — they are limited to live in those areas where they can walk and run.
Man on the other hand can in his activity rise above his environment if he desires to do so, and has the time, energy, and talents to do so. Man can determine his own activities up to the limits placed upon him by His creator. Man is free for the most part within those limits.
What are some limits that God has placed upon man that would limit his activity?
a. Government, and the laws that usually come with government. These are established and ordained by God. Romans 13:1
b. Natural laws of nature certainly control us to a point. I cannot determine to fly to California for the winter unless I have money for a ticket. I can't just walk outside and fly there on my own.
c. Conscience sets certain limits upon the individual. There are things that my conscience just won't allow me to do. The conscience may be formed partially by our environment when we were growing up.
d. Marriage sets a certain set of limits upon the individual. Someone has suggested marriage isn't a noun or a verb, but that it is a sentence. I won't comment on that.
e. Economic and geographical limits may hamper some activities the man might desire to do. I have many things that I would like to do, but without the finances, I am limited. Man is free to do as he desires within these limits.
God on the other hand has none of these limits.
Believers are free within the same limits. God however gives the believer a little bit of liberty that the lost do not have.
a. We can fellowship with God in prayer and share our burdens with Him as well as seek His help and counsel.
b. We have the Word of God that gives us freedom from guilt. It also gives us a certain set of restrictions that the lost do not have.
c. We also have church leadership placed over us and they may set restrictions upon our activities through the ministry of the Word and discipline, if needed.
d. The Lord, His Word and will should also set some of our limits as well.
God on the other hand has no limitations.
Definition: God has the ability to rise to any level He desires above His environment.
In short you might say, "If He'd rather do it Himself — He can most surely do it Himself. To show this we need to look at a few references (Take time to read these: Job 23:13, Daniel 4:25, Psalm 115:3).
APPLICATION OF THE DOCTRINE
1. It refutes two wrong concepts of God.
a. Fatalism: The idea that fate is the force that determines the outcome of all things. This would be the idea there is a plan that is in effect and there is absolutely nothing that can change that plan, and that it will take place as planned.
If your room mate trips on your dirty clothes laying on the floor — that is fate. Nothing could have been done to avoid it. If your room mate dies due to the fall, that was fate. She would have tripped there even if the dirty clothes hadn't been there.
b. Pantheism: God is locked in nature and can do nothing except within the laws of nature. We know this to be in error for we know that God has done things outside the laws of nature in the past. The miracles of the Old and New Testament are good examples of this.
Besides, how can God make something out of nothing if He is locked inside of nothing. That would say that God does not exist.
2. God has chosen to limit Himself in several ways that we need to consider.
a. He has limited Himself to operate within the laws of nature for the most part. It is only on special occasions whereby He sets the laws of nature aside. (He is free to do so at any time, it should be emphasized.)
b. He has limited Himself to work with mankind. He is locked into completing that which He has started with man. His plan of glorification and His side plan of redemption are on course and must be completed.
He has also limited Himself to work within time, which was a new experience for Him when He created.
c. He has limited Himself also in the area of working through man. He has chosen US to be His ambassadors to the lost world around us. Meditate on that one for awhile. The God Of The Universe Limited Himself To Mess Around With Us. To trust us to do a good job.
The saddest part of this point is that very few generations have actually done the job that they were given to do. The missionary effort in many generations has been miserable at best. Today we are seeing the decline of missions and very little is being done about it. The Third World countries are becoming the prominent hope of missions in the future. These countries are sending out more and more missionaries each year while the major countries of the world are sending fewer and fewer.
3. The freedom which God possesses is our guarantee that all will come to pass as His people have prophesied through the ages. If He were not free to do as He pleases, then He would not be free to do as He has promised.
4. This doctrine has application to the local church. Not only is God free to do as He pleases in His own realm but He is free to do as He pleases in the realm of the church.
Example: If a pastor has a rich family over three weeks in a row some of his members may decide that he isn't being fair. They have never been to the pastors house. Jealousy can crop up. It may be that the rich man is a new Christian and this is how the pastor has decided to disciple the man.
Do not fall into the trap of judging people on surface observation. God may lead the pastor to do many things that you do not understand. Example: God gives gifts as He so chooses. He may give one person several gifts and another person only one. I spent some time in a church that had a pastor that was an excellent preacher but a mediocre teacher. Not that he was bad but he wasn't as good as others. When this pastor would see gifted teacher beginning to have a ministry in the church the pastor would get jealous and run the teacher off.
God Can Do As He Pleases In The Church. God gives gifts as He pleases. God gives looks as He pleases. God gives brains as He pleases. God gives money as He pleases. God gives personality as He pleases. God gives homes as He pleases. God gives cars as He pleases. God gives abilities as He pleases. God gives etc. as He pleases.
5. God decides to take some believers home much sooner in life than others. It is His choice, not ours.
The following quotation comes from the days of the Boxer Rebellion in China. All foreigners were fleeing for their lives and many Christians were being martyred.
"Before giving a brief account of our deliverance on that awful journey in 1900, I wish first humbly to submit the following, for well I know there will be those who will read these pages whose dear ones were NOT delivered but whose lives were given up for Christ in glorious martyrdom for His Name's sake.
"When in Canada, following the experiences now to be recorded, we were faced with the question, put in various ways — 'How can you say as you do, that it was by God's power and grace that you were all brought through? If this were so why did He not deliver the hundreds of missionaries and native Christians who were even then being done to death throughout China?' Truly a vital question, which could not be lightly set aside. Humbly and prayerfully we pondered this 'WHY' in the light of Scripture. In the twelfth chapter of Acts we read of Herod's succeeding in putting James to death by the sword, and directly after comes the story of how Herod was hindered in carrying out his intentions to kill Peter who
was delivered by a miracle. Then who could read that marvelous eleventh chapter of Hebrews with its record of glorious martyrdoms and miraculous deliverances without being thrilled. In face of these and many other passages, while still unable to answer the 'WHY' we saw our Almighty God used His own prerogative to glorify His name whether in the glorious martyrdom of some or in the miraculous deliverance of others." (Goforth, Rosiland, "GOFORTH OF CHINA"; Wheaton: Zondervan Publishing House, 1937)
6. This point of application may encourage you. God can change any of the attributes or talents that you have for the better. (He may change them for the worse also — I used to have dark curly hair, but now am on the gray, fringe area, so to speak.)
Looks for example: We had a girl in our 4th and 5th grade class that was UGLY. Some one really beat her with a big UGLY STICK. In fact we all suspected that she took ugly pills on the side. We called her flea bag and she didn't argue with us usually. BAD. (No, we were not nice to her.)
One evening in my Senior year of High School this beautiful girl in a neat car pulled up beside me and told me she wanted to talk to me. We talked for some time before she said who she was. GUESS WHO????? (She never mentioned how she had been treated as a youngster — she was nice to us.)
Money for example: Mark Anderson, I have been told, of the Hyles Anderson college in the Chicago area, dedicated himself and $2000 to the Lord's use and seven years later he was a millionaire serving God and giving and giving and giving.
Personality for example: Many ministers that I have been privileged to know were at one time quiet, withdrawn and shy individuals. Now they are outgoing servants of God.
7. Ryrie has one application and I would like for you to consider it for a moment. He suggests that God can never become indebted to us. He does as He chooses. In short, no matter how great you are, He is not obligated to bless you or do anything for you.
God Can Do As He Pleases. God Can Do As He Wants. God Can Do As He Desires.
In closing this section we must consider some questions that Isaiah asked.
"Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor, hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?" Isaiah 40:13-14
Of course the answer must be a resounding, NO ONE.
God Is Self-Conscious