The Doctrine of God

I was unsure how to title this section, after all how does one describe God? Infinite, yet personal. powerful, yet gentle. God is God. He summed it up best Himself when he stated, "I am that I am." For this reason I have chosen to simply entitle this "The Doctrine of God."

So who is God? God is nonmaterial, personal and eternal, . (I will discuss the nature of the Son at a different time.) The question then is, “What does nonmaterial mean?“ The term nonmaterial does not mean that God is without substance. Rather, it points to the fact that God is Spirit (John 4:24). He is nonmaterial in the sense that we understand physicality.

God is personal. To say that God is personal is to say that God possesses two basic characteristics. First He possesses consciousness. He is aware of himself and his relationship with his creation, with us. Second, He possesses distinctiveness. He possesses a unique identity and characteristics.

Of these characteristics possessed by God, some are unique to Him alone. There are three basic attributes of God, which are unique to him. These attributes are:

1. Immutability - God in His essence and nature is never changing (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8, James1:17). This is not to say that God is static, for He is capable of change and does so in His relationships (Genesis 6:6, Exodus 32:10, 14), but His very nature is unchanging.
2. Infinity - God is limitless in His existence. He is beyond measure and therefore not capable of being confined. Included in his infinity are unconfinable (I Kings 8:27, Acts 17:24), all-powerful (Job 42:2), always present (Psalms 139:7-12, Jeremiah 23:24), and all-knowing (Psalms 147:4-5).
3. Eternity - God is not confined to the essence of time. He is beyond time. His existence is outside time and is therefore in existence before, during, and after time. He has no beginning or end (Genesis 21:33, Psalm 90:2, I Timothy 1:17).
   

God also possesses certain attributes that are shared with his creation on a limited basis. These qualities include, but are not limited to:

• Knowledge (John 2:25)
• Power (Genesis 1:3, Matthew 19:26, Revelation 19:6)
• Goodness (Mark 10:18)
• Justice (Micah 6:8)
• love (I John 4:7-10)
  

God is the creator of the heavens and the earth. He created them from nothing. (Romans 4:17, Genesis 1:1) Before anything existed, God existed. He was in the beginning. In the beginning, there was only God. (John 1:1) God created everything from nothing and brought life to it all. God is the origin (Colossians 1:16) and sustainer (Hebrews 1:3, Nehemiah 9:6) of all things. All things exist to bring Glory to Him (Isaiah 43:6-7).

God is the essence of being. I refer to God as a being, which is true in that he possess consciousness and distinctiveness. But God is more than "a" being, God is the essence of being. He is the source of all life (Acts 17:25, Colossians 1:16).

God himself exists eternally as a tri-une being. This is most commonly referred to as the Trinity. This is difficult concept for many and has led to some misunderstandings. While I do not claim to be able to explain it in any detail, I must be clear here, there is ONE God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Ephesians 4:6).

This one God exist eternally in three persons (John 10:30, 14:15-26, Acts 1:3-5): God the Father (John 6:40, Ephesians 4:6), God the Son (John 1:1, 6:40), and God the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4). Each of these are clearly identified in these passages as God, not a god and not one of the gods, but as God. They are each equally and fully God. (John 10:30, Romans 8:9-14)

At the same time there is a economic subordination, that is to say there is a functional authority structure between them. Each plays a specific role. The Son prays to the Father, the Father sends the spirit (John 14:16). This has much more to do with the relationship between the three then God's relationship with us. This is not to say it has nothing to do with God relationship to us, for we see demonstrated in God, the unity of purpose. The Son submits to the will of the Father (Luke 22:42). The desire of the Son was to do the will of the Father. They were united in their purpose and the son was subordinate to the Father in his action. We also see that God sends His spirit to those who believe in Him and the Spirit is subordinate in His actions. The Spirit is clearly united in the purpose. Yet, as should be clear from these same passages this economic subordination does have something to do with us. For the united purpose of each of these is God's desire to have a relationship with us. It is through this unique relationship within God, that He reaches out for a relationship with us. Again, it is a difficult concept that I do not claim to be able to explain in full.

The Doctrine of Revelation

For many the term revelation brings up images of profound discoveries of hidden secrets. This is partially a result in Christian circles of an automatic connection to the last book of the Bible known as the "The Book of Revelation". While such a description is indeed a revelation, not all revelation fits that description. The term revelation used in theological circles has a simple meaning. Revelation is the act of God making himself, truths and information otherwise unavailable known. When the fact that the very nature of God can not be contained is combined with His desire to have a relationship with human kind, it must be made known. (John 3:16, II Peter 1:4) Revelation must occur. Now having defined revelation we will see that it can be subdivided into two categories.

1) General Revelation -
The first category is General (or Natural) revelation. General revelation is simply the act of God revealing himself by means of His creation. God reveals himself through nature. (Psalm 19:1-6, Romans 1:19-23) When we see the vastness of the night sky or the majesty of the mountains, when hear the power of the rolling thunder or the roaring rapids, when we feel the gentle breeze or the warmth of the sun we experience God. He and his character are revealed to us.

In addition, God reveals himself through people's own consciousness (Romans 2:14-15). The fact that we are self aware, that we can learn and grow, that we have a concept of right and wrong is a testimony to God.

2) Special Revelation -
The second category is Special revelation. Where general revelation was God revealed through natural means, special revelation is the act of God revealing himself through means that are not "natural" or are “special." These are divine action in history and include, though are not necessarily limited to, Miracles (Exodus 4:3-5, I Kings 18:30-39), Spoken Word (I Samuel 3, Acts 9:4), Visions (Isaiah 6), Angelic Visits (Luke 1:11-20), Dreams (Matthew 1:20), Incarnation of Christ (John 1:1, 14, 18) and Scripture (II Timothy 3:16).

Holy Scriptures -
The Bible is the most available form of special revelation. All 66 books of the Bible are the inspired word of God. What does this mean? Inspired literally means God-breathed (II Timothy 3:16). It refers to the way in which God has communicated his message through those who wrote the scriptures.

So what does it actually mean to be inspired or God Breathed. First, it is not dictation. That is to say that God did not simply say the words and the authors wrote them down word for word. Second, it does not mean that God simply gave the authors a nebulous concept to share as best they could. Rather, inspired means that God spoke the very words (Galatians 3:16) through the writers in their unique personalities and styles of writing (II Peter 1:21). That is to say, the scriptures are the very words of God, and at the same time they are the very words of the authors. As a result of this unique characteristic, the Bible may be understood through study and the illuminating guidance of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2:12 - 13).

Further, as they are the very words of God, the scriptures are inerrant (John 10:34-35) in their original writings. The very fact that they were inspired (breathed) by God makes it impossible for them to contain errors. Having said this, it must be understood that this claim can only be made of the original writings as penned by the authors. (Thought through much study and research the current Bible is trustworthy.) That is to say the very words put on paper by the authors' hand were the inerrant words of God.

Finally, the scriptures are the proven authority for life (Isaiah 55:11). The Bible itself testifies to this fact as did Jesus Christ. (II Samuel 22:31, John 17:7-8)

God has revealed himself. Though many of us may not experience miracles God speaking directly to us, visions, Angelic Visits and Dreams we can see Him through His Creation and we can know Him though His inspired word.

Trusting in God's will - An Act of Faith

I recently received a note of encouragement and sound advice from a friend. My friend served in ministry for 1 ½ years before the position came to an end. He began searching for a new position but eventually realized that nothing was forthcoming and so needed to find a job to support his family. He has since done so. I am glad to hear that he has a means to support his family and pray that God will continue to bless him in all that he does. In his message he said, “May I suggest you get a non-ministry job, anywhere, pronto just to feed your family while you are looking.” This is, of course, sound practical advice, and I am not one to ignore the practical. But I have been contemplating God’s call and my response. Most notably, how do faith based and practical decisions interact and/or conflict with one another.

I realize I have responsibilities to care for and provide for my family. This is, of course my first and greatest responsibility. What is further, I do not believe that God would ask me to follow him to the detriment of my family. Having said this, I also realize that my vision is limited by my experience and by what I see around me. What I mean by this is that what to me, may initially seem to be detrimental to my family, in the long run may, in fact, be the greater good and glorifying to God. For example, in the short run, God asking Abraham to sacrifice Isaac was clearly detrimental to his family. But Abraham saw past this, for he knew God’s promise to him and in the long run, God’s request and Abraham’s faith proved to be glorifying to God.

But let’s be honest, the first thing through my mind is “I am not Abraham and Abraham was a special case.” Is it not self-serving for me to try to justify an impractical decision by claiming that God will use it to his glory? Here in lies the dilemma. When does making practical decisions equal a lack of faith and when does a leap of faith become a foolish venture?

I cannot speak for every person and every situation, but I can share my thoughts. God gave me a brain and expects me to use it. At the same time, God sometimes ask people to do things that seem foolish.

So how do we know which one to follow? How do we discern God’s will? Discerning God’s will has been a problem for all people from the very beginning. (Okay, not from the beginning, it was pretty clear for Adam and Eve, but even when they clearly knew it, they had trouble following it.)

For me, it has not been easy, as those whose advice I have sought will testify too. But that is one of the keys I have found in discerning God’s will. It is to seek the insight of those around you, those who can look at things objectively and those will be completely honest with you. It is from these people I have felt confirmation and support of my calling and the direction in my life.

Another important aspect of discerning God’s will is prayer. Prayer has been my opportunity to seek God’s guidance, to ask for His blessing on my life. It is, however, important to remember that prayer is not a onetime thing, but it is on going. I have prayed daily over this with the only result being a growing commitment to the call.

Another important part has been to take time away from distraction and other activities. This is a time when I can hear God’s voice, when I can cry out to Him and I can sit in silence before Him. I can describe the times of joy and the tear filled moments that have helped me to grow.

The answers are seldom 100% clear. Sometimes the act of faith may well be the practical route, but other times the act of faith may be what seems impractical to the world. In either case, the dependence must be placed on God and not in our own abilities.

I cannot say, what the answers are for others. Each of us must seek God’s will for our own lives. each of us must learn to listen as much with our heart as we do with our mind. In my case, I can say with confidence that I have placed my trust in God and I am seeking his guidance. I do not question any decision I have made to date in this matter and will continue to seek his guidance in seeking His direction.

I thank my friend for His advice and will take it under consideration, but either way, I will seek God’s guidance.

“Then the LORD said: "I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you.”
Exodus 34:10