Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

Authority Is Not a Four Letter Word

It is important for us to know that authority from God’s perspective is not a four-letter word.

In the post-modern world in which we live, it seems that all authority is suspect because it is so often used for something other than God intended.

Authority in general is likely to be viewed skeptically as being a means to exercise power over others to advance a selfish agenda. Authority is often equated with authoritarianism, which is an unbridled and oppressive exercise of power. Most people naturally recoil from abusive authoritarianism, but we should be careful not to lump every exercise of authority into that one category. There are benevolent uses of authority, too. Jesus is the benevolent and just lord of all creation. The Kingdom of God is overseen by servants of God who hopefully exercise Christ’s authority in humility and love. At least, that is the ideal. This article will focus primarily on proper use of authority in the home and the church.

Authority in the Kingdom of God

When Jesus overthrew Satan’s domination of darkness and birthed the Kingdom of God, it was not something simply laid over what already existed or a rearrangement of what was already there. Christ’s kingdom is radically different in all respects. Jesus taught his disciples.

And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ 26  “But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. Luke 22:25-26 (NASB)

Most problems with the abuse of authority begin with individuals thinking more highly of themselves than they should.

Authoritarian people imagine that they are great ones who deserve to be able to have their own way. The more power and wealth a government accumulates, the more corrupt it generally will become. People, without God’s intervention, have an insatiable lust for wanting to be considered great and powerful. Going all the way back to the garden of Eden, people want to be God, or at least a god. Glory hungry people use their authority for their own ends for self-aggrandizement, wealth, and pleasure. When power goes over to the dark side, it is used to hurt one’s enemies and those we despise.

Jesus taught that in his kingdom authority gives one a responsibility to serve others.

Corrupted power hurts others in order to protect and enrich the leader; whereas, in the kingdom of God authority is used to bless, protect, lead, and provide for the ones under its care. Worldly authority pushes others down, but godly authority pushes others up and forward.

Authority in the Home

A great example of the proper use of benevolent authority is the role of a father in the home.

If a family is following God’s principles, the father has the most authority and responsibility in the home and is called the “head.” (Ephesians 5:23) For this reason, he also is the chief servant. His responsibility is to provide for his family, love them, give guidance and instruction, model godly living, bring correction and discipline as needed, and protect those under his care from all threats.

Authority always is connected to responsibility. The more responsible a person is, the greater the authority.

Problems arise when irresponsible people use authority selfishly.

Since fathers are fallible humans, they sometimes misrepresent God through the misuse or abuse their authority. Dads may use their “headship” for selfish ends or to dominate the wife and kids, alienating them in the process, breeding resentment, and giving them a very poor model for the future. Failures at fatherhood do not nullify God’s principles. Instead they reinforce God’s ways by contrast. God’s ways produce life. The world’s ways, just the opposite.

Authority in the Church

The church is another realm in which authority is given to protect, provide, lead, guide, and correct. Disciples of Christ know that Jesus alone is the Lord of the church and of their lives in particular.

In addition, Jesus delegates authority to those whose God-given responsibility is to shepherd the flock.

Proper pastoring is a great example of how authority is meant to be used. Shepherds exist for the welfare of the sheep. They have authority over the sheep to determine where they go, when and where they feed, and when and where they drink. Shepherds lead their sheep in and out of the sheepfold, guard them from predators, and discipline wandering sheep to keep them from getting picked off by wolves and other predators, who prefer to attack stragglers and wanderers. They give special attention to those who are weak and sickly.

When followers of Christ choose to distance themselves from the flock and shepherds, they are in danger of being attacked by the enemy.

God has established pastoral authority in the church in the form of elders and five-fold ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers).

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12  for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13  until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15  but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16  from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16 (NASB) 

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 3  Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. 1 Peter 5:2-3 (NLT)

Other people also can have delegated authority under the oversight of these shepherds. Pastoral authority serves the church through teaching the Bible, modeling the Christian life, training and equipping disciples, correcting those who stray from the path, and guarding against threats from both within and without. The chief threats come in the form of sin and false prophets and teachers.

The Benevolent Use of Authority

Below are some important verses relating to this benevolent use of authority. The apostle Paul wrote the following to the church in Corinth.

Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm. 2 Corinthians 1:24 (NASB)

Godly authority teaches people how to submit to Christ’s authority. Correction by those in authority should not need to be exercised often in the lives of mature disciples. It is primarily for the immature and wayward, in a similar way to how parents are required to discipline young children far more than older ones. If parents are still trying to have domineering sway over older children, something is very wrong. A parent’s goal is to produce self-governing adult children. It is the same in the kingdom of God.

For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. 2 Corinthians 4:5 (NASB)

Anytime those in leadership try to focus people’s attention on themselves for the purpose of preserving their preeminence, it is an improper use of authority.

Proper Submission to Authority

Authority in the church is very real and should be honored and obeyed as if it were being done to the Lord himself. In other words, our submission to delegated kingdom authority is based on our understanding that all legitimate authority comes from God. He stands behind it. Therefore, to honor legitimate authority is to honor God. (Romans 13:1)

We need to see that God is behind authority, or we will have a tough time submitting to another human being who has faults and weaknesses.

I am referring here primarily to the proper use of authority. When those in government use their authority and power to oppress and abuse those under them, we may be required to resist their illegitimate abuse of authority.

Any time authority demands we violate our faith, our conscience, or God’s Word, it must be resisted, while remaining as respectful as possible.

When we obey and honor those who properly use delegated authority, we do so as a way to honor our Lord. It is important for us to understand that God “has our back” and will correct his delegated authorities, if they are missing the mark somehow.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13:17 (NASB)

Leaders will answer to God, which is why it is important for us to answer to them.

In answering to them, we answer to God. In caring for us, they are serving Christ.

The apostle Paul gave us a great example of the proper use of authority.

As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. 8  We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too. 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 (NLT)

It is easy to see Paul’s love and care for God’s people and his determination to use his authority as a shepherd to teach, correct, care for, and protect them. Truly, authority properly used is not a four letter word, nor is it something to be taken lightly. It is part of God’s loving provision for us. It is in our best interest for us to honor and submit to those who have been given God’s delegated authority over our lives. Who knows? We may be wishing that one day people will take our authority seriously and listen to what we have to say. Since we always reap what we sow, let’s show honor and submission to God’s delegated authority as a way of honoring God himself.

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Chapter 106: The Trinity

(lessons 104-107 are taken largely from Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine published in 1999 by Zondervan.)

The doctrine of the Trinity can be summarized as follows: God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God. (Grudem, p. 104)

Trinity means “triunity” or “three-in-oneness.” The actual word is not found in Scripture, but the Bible does reveal this truth.

Old Testament Revelation of the Trinity

This doctrine is somewhat hidden in the Old Testament but can be derived from various scriptures when we use New Testament revelation to explain them. One of the basic rules of hermeneutics is that the New Testament explains and expands our understanding of the Old. Everything in the Old Testament pointed to Jesus and the New Covenant.

Our first example is from Genesis.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image...”  Genesis 1:26a (NASB95)

Some try to explain the use of the plural here as what is called “plurals of majesty,” but there are no instances of this elsewhere in the Hebrew Old Testament. Others have suggested that the angels were included, but nowhere does the Bible say that angels contributed in any way to creation. The best solution is one held by early church fathers that this was a reference to God’s plurality of persons. The same usage is found later.

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”—  Genesis 3:22 (NASB95)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”  Isaiah 6:8 (NASB95)

There are also Old Testament verses that differentiate between God the Father and another divine being.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.  Psalm 45:6–7 (NASB95)

“God” is this passage is the Hebrew word “Elohim,” which is itself plural. Elohim refers to two separate persons here. The one whose throne is eternal and the one who anointed him. The author of the letter to the Hebrews informs us that this verse refers to our Lord Jesus.

But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. 9 “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”  Hebrews 1:8–9 (NASB95)

In Psalm 110:1, David wrote:

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”  Psalm 110:1 (NASB95)

Jesus used this passage to silence his critics by showing that David’s descendant, the Messiah, was more than merely human.

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” 43 He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, 44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet” ’? 45 “If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” 46 No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.  Matthew 22:41–46 (NASB95)

It seems that David was also aware of God’s plurality of persons.

Psalm 63:10 suggests that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person, too, who has emotions and can be “grieved.” In other passages, the “angel of the Lord” is equated with God and is a divine person. Compare…

Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites.  Judges 6:11 (NASB95)

With…

The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”  Judges 6:14 (NASB95)

In conclusion, we cannot derive a complete doctrine of the Trinity from the Old Testament, but it certainly contains significant hints.

New Testament Revelation of the Trinity

There are passages in which all three persons of the Godhead are present at once. In the following, we have the Father, Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit together in one place at the same time.

After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”  Matthew 3:16–17 (NASB95)

This passage nullifies the heresy of modalism, which states that there is only one person of God, who merely appears in different forms.

This clearly cannot be the case, since all three persons are present at the same time. In addition, modalism makes Jesus’ prayer in the garden non-sensical. Was he talking to himself? Was he pledging to do his own will, when he said, “Not my will…?”

When Jesus gave us his baptismal formula, he differentiated between the three persons of the Trinity.

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  Matthew 28:19 (NASB95)

Jesus lets us know that the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct persons.

Some modalists teach that it is only proper to baptize in the name of Jesus. They propose that Jesus only is God, there is no Trinity, and Jesus’ name is the only name of God that we are now allowed to use. However, this disagrees with Jesus’ own command to his disciples. Although Acts records that the early apostles baptized in the name of Jesus, we are not to infer from this that Jesus’ formula is wrong or not used by the early church. However, if we understand that water baptism is primarily a declaration of allegiance to Jesus the Lord, it makes sense that people were baptized in the name of Jesus.

Other passages also mention all three members of the Godhead.

God the Father is usually referred to as “God” or theos in Greek. The Son is called Lord or kurios. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit or pneuma.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit [pneuma]. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord [kurios]. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God [theos] who works all things in all persons.  1 Corinthians 12:4–6 (NASB95)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.  2 Corinthians 13:14 (NASB95)

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.  Ephesians 4:4–6 (NASB95) 

God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace.  1 Peter 1:2 (NLT)

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.  Jude 20–21 (NASB95)
God Is Three Persons in One Essence

The doctrine of the Trinity says that even though God is one essence, he is three distinct persons. Perhaps no passage illustrates this mystery better than John 1:1-2.

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.  John 1:1–2 (NASB95)

The Word (logos) was both “with” God (theos) and “was” God. We would never say such a thing about a human being. We cannot be someone while at the same time being with ourselves. Other verses in John clearly show that Jesus and the Father are distinct persons while being one.

Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  John 17:24 (NASB95)
 “I and the Father are one.”  John 10:30 (NASB95)

The following verse distinguishes between the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  John 14:26 (NASB95)

The Holy Spirit is called “he” in this passage. Even though the Greek word for spirit (pneuma) is neuter, the pronoun “he” (Greek – ekeinos) is masculine. Other characteristics of a person are applied to the Holy Spirit. He teaches (John 14:26), searches (1 Cor. 2:10), knows God’s thoughts (1 Cor. 2:11), is willing (1 Cor. 12:11), speaks (Acts 8:29), forbids (Acts 16:6-7), evaluates and approves (Acts 15:28), and can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). (Grudem, p.107)

Each Person Is Fully God

God the Father is obviously fully God. Jesus is also God according to various scriptures.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  John 1:1 (NASB95)

After his resurrection, our Lord appeared to unbelieving Thomas, telling him to put his fingers in his wounds. Thomas exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) Jesus did not correct his disciple for calling him God. Hebrews 1:8 calls Jesus God, too.

But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.  Hebrews 1:8 (NASB95)

The Holy Spirit is also revealed to be God in such verses as follows.

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”  Acts 5:3–4 (NASB95)

The Spirit lives inside every believer, making the church a temple of God.

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  1 Corinthians 3:16 (NASB95)

 Being born again by the Spirit is also called being born of God.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  John 3:5 (NASB95)

No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  1 John 3:9 (NASB95)
There Is One God

While consisting of three distinct persons, the Trinity is one God.

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! 5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  Deuteronomy 6:4–5 (NASB95)

When God speaks, he does so as a singular voice.

I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; 6 That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other,  Isaiah 45:5–6 (NASB95)

The New Testament affirms God’s oneness, too.

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,  1 Timothy 2:5 (NASB95)

In the above verse, Jesus’ manhood is preeminent, highlighting his role as mediator between God and mankind.

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.  James 2:19 (NASB95)
Analogies Fall Short

Sometimes we use analogies to try to convey the mystery of the Trinity, but they almost always come short of relating the complete truth. For example, the three-leaf clover that St. Patrick was said to have used to teach the Trinity in Ireland, is an imperfect analogy. Each leaf contributes to the makeup of the entire clover, but each leaf is not the clover.

Others use the three forms of water – ice, liquid, and vapor – to represent the Trinity. This one conveys part of the truth, but it is not possible to speak of one “water.” In addition, water cannot be all three at the same time. This analogy more closely corresponds to the modalistic heresy than to the truth. Perhaps the best analogy is the tripartite makeup of human beings. We are spirit, soul, and body. The three together make up the person, but each part is distinct; nevertheless, we are one person.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NASB95)
Heresies Usually Deny One Strand of Trinitarian Truth

Modalism

This heresy teaches that God is one person who appears in three different forms or modes – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This heresy is attractive in that it stresses God’s oneness and seems to overcome the claim that Christianity is a polytheistic religion. This heresy runs into big problems trying to explain the atonement (Isaiah 53:11). Into whose hands did Jesus commit his spirit when ready to expire on the cross? To whom was Jesus praying when he addressed the Father? Why did Jesus say that the Spirit of God was upon him (Luke 4:18), if he and the Spirit are one? Modalism forces us to believe that God deliberately deceives us in these instances and dismisses the clear relationships between Father, Son, and Spirit.

 Arianism

This heresy denies the full deity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Arius, bishop of Alexandria in the fourth century, is credited with developing this false doctrine, which was condemned at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. Modern exponents of this heresy include the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This error teaches that Jesus is a created being, not the eternal Son of God. They believe the Greek term “monogenes” (only begotten) means that Jesus was created. We can properly interpret this word in three ways. First, Jesus’ body was created when the Spirit impregnated Mary at the Incarnation. Secondly, Jesus is the first-born from the dead (Colossians 1:18), meaning he was the first to rise again from the dead permanently, making him the first-born of (the new) creation (Colossians 1:15). Additionally, the first-born of creation can mean the one having the privileges of the first-born, which includes being in charge. Thirdly, the word can also mean “one of a kind,” in a class all by itself. It is clear from other scriptures, which we covered earlier, that Jesus is indeed God and truly man.

Subordinationism

This heresy holds that, even though Jesus is divine, he is not equal to the Father. This false teaching was also rejected at the Council of Nicea. This one is interesting in that it relates to the relationship between a natural father and son and a man and his wife. The Father in heaven is not superior to the Son, but he is called “greater” by the Son out of respect. Natural children are to honor their parents, but no one would ever say that they are not equal to their parents. Equality of being is not the same as having equal roles. The same is true regarding man and wife. The man is given headship and is respected and obeyed by the wife, but he is not superior to her. These are God-given roles we play. Subordination in role is not equal to subordination in being.

The Jewish leaders understood that Jesus claimed to be equal with God and condemned him for it.

For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.  John 5:18 (NASB95)

Tritheism

No group today holds this view, but other religions, such as Islam, accuse Christians of worshiping three Gods.

Roles within the Godhead

Creation

  • God the Father spoke creative words to bring the world into being. (Genesis 1:3, 2 Corinthians 4:6)
  • The Son is the eternal Word or logos through whom the Father’s decree was carried out. (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16)
  • The Holy Spirit’s role was more mysterious. He is said to have “hovered” or “moved” over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2 – rachaph – grow soft, relax, tremble)

Redemption

  • God the Father planned redemption. (Ephesians 1:3-5, John 3:16)
  • Jesus carried out the Father’s plan by dying for our sins and rising again. (John 6:38-40, Hebrews 10:5-7)
  • The Holy Spirit is a sort of executor who applies the merits of Christ’s sacrifice to those whom the Father elected and draws them to Christ. (John 3:5-8, 1 Peter 1:2)

Equality of deity does not prohibit the persons of the Trinity from serving in subordinate roles. For us to operate with proper humility toward one another, it is important for us both to recognize and embrace this distinction.

The Eternal Existence of the Three Persons of the Trinity in Their Roles

Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians informs us that the Father chose us in the Son before he created the world. This indicates that their respective roles preexisted creation.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,  Ephesians 1:3–5 (NASB95)

The different functions of the persons of the Trinity reveal the nature of their eternal relationships. Their respective roles are essential to who they are in the Godhead. In being they are the same, but in roles subordination comes into play.

Subordination does not imply inferiority.

In marriage God brings male and female into a unity in which the two become one flesh. This unity is symbolic of the relationship between Christ and his church, which is also a unity. It also reflects the unity of the three Persons of the Trinity.

“But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 7 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, 8 and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”  Mark 10:6–9 (NASB95)

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.  Ephesians 5:31–32 (NASB95)

This unity in diversity is also reflected in the church which is one body but has many members.

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Romans 12:4–5 (NASB95)

The doctrine of the Trinity is an important lesson in humility. If the Persons of the Trinity are able to subordinate themselves to one another, surely we can do the same.

Jesus was the perfect example. Paul wrote:

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:6–11 (NLT)

The ability to humbly function in subordinate roles when appropriate is perhaps the greatest takeaway for us in the doctrine of the Trinity. God is humble while being unfathomably great and powerful.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28–30 (NASB95)

 

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Chapter 105: The Communicable Attributes of God

(lessons 104-107 are taken largely from Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine published in 1999 by Zondervan.)

Whereas the “incommunicable” attributes of God are outside of our experience, the communicable attributes of God’s nature and character can be experienced or shared by us to some degree. The Bible tells us that we are to imitate God (Ephesians 5:1), which is made possible through the spiritual transformation process whereby the Holy Spirit imparts to us experientially the character of God, called the fruit of the Spirit.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB95)

 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  Romans 8:29 (NASB95)

God’s communicable attributes can be categorized as follows:

Attributes of God’s Being
  • Spirituality
  • Invisibility
Mental Attributes
  • Knowledge
  • Wisdom
  • Truthfulness
Moral Attributes
  • Goodness
  • Love
  • Holiness
  • Righteousness or Justice
  • Jealousy
  • Wrath
Attributes of Purpose
  • Will
  • Omnipotence
Summary Attributes
  • Perfection
  • Blessedness
  • Beauty (Grudem, pp.85-86)
Spirituality

This attribute signifies that God is a spirit and lives on a higher plane of existence than the finite physical world which he created.

“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  John 4:24 (NASB95)

By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.  Hebrews 11:3 (NASB95)

When he created Adam, he made him out of the physical world (dust) and put within him a spirit. He thus became what the Bible calls a living soul.

Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being [soul].  Genesis 2:7 (NASB95)

It appears that when Adam sinned, his spirit “died” within him, cutting him off from God’s eternal life. Jesus came to restore us spiritually through the new birth, whereby the spirit is recreated.

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. 47 The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.  1 Corinthians 15:45–49 (NASB95)

 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

We share in God’s spirituality because we have become one with him in the spirit.

But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.  1 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV)

This recreation of man through Christ will be culminated at the resurrection when our entire being will be restored into a glorious new spiritual reality that presently is past our comprehension.

Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  1 Corinthians 15:50–52 (NASB95)

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.  1 Corinthians 15:42–44 (NKJV)

After we are resurrected, we will share God’s spirituality in every area of our being – body, soul, and spirit – having received a spiritual body.

Invisibility

Because God is a spirit, he is not visible to our eyes.

He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  Colossians 1:15 (NASB95)

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.  1 Timothy 1:17 (NASB95)

He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.  1 Timothy 6:16 (NLT)

However, we can observe partial manifestations of God. These are called “theophanies” or appearances of God. Jesus, when he walked on the earth, was the most perfect representation of the invisible God.

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power…  Hebrews 1:3a (NASB95)

John wrote that Jesus made the invisible God known to us.

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.  John 1:18 (NASB95)

However, we have the promise that, after we are resurrected, we will see him as he is.

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.  1 John 3:2 (NASB95)

We learn from the above verse that we share in God’s invisibility in that who we are spiritually in Christ is not yet visible to us, but one day it will be.

Knowledge or Omniscience

God is omniscient in that he always has all knowledge of all things. In other words, his knowledge is “perfect.” (Job 37:16)

Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.  1 John 3:20 (NLT)

God fully knows himself and everything about his creatures and creation.

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.  1 Corinthians 2:10–11 (NASB95)

 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.  Hebrews 4:13 (NASB95)

He even knows what is possible, even though it never takes place. (Matthew 11:21 and 2 Kings 13:19) God knows all things at once. He sees the end from the beginning.

Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;  Isaiah 46:10 (NASB95)

We share this attribute with God in a limited fashion. He gives us knowledge and even shares his ability to foresee the future and hidden things through the gifts of prophecy and words of knowledge.

One day we will know as we are known.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.  1 Corinthians 13:12 (NASB95)
Wisdom

God always wisely chooses the best course of action and the best means to reach those ends.  Paul perhaps gives us the greatest declaration of God’s wisdom in the Bible.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.  Romans 8:28–30 (NASB95)

In his foreknowledge and wisdom, combined with his sovereign power, God works out everything for our good and his glory. Paul identified him as the “only wise God.” (Romans 16:27) Evil may be cunning, but it is never wise. Only God is wise. This is affirmed by his amazingly intricate creation.

We can share in God’s wisdom by asking for it.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  James 1:5 (NASB95)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10) When we stand in awe of God, we will lean on his wisdom instead of our own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6) It is wise to seek God and to trust God. Those times when life is confusing to us, we must choose to trust that God in his wisdom is working things for our good.

Truthfulness or Faithfulness

God defines truth because all his words are true. Jesus said that his Father is the “only true God.” (John 17:3) Jesus called himself the “Truth.” (John 14:6) God is looking for faithfulness in his creatures, which is a highly regarded fruit of the Spirit.

Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?  Proverbs 20:6 (NKJV)

Godless people have no standard for truth, but we who believe have God’s Word as the gold standard. God’s faithfulness, a corollary of his truthfulness, means that he will always do what he says. (Numbers 23:19)

God wants us to share in this attribute of truth and faithfulness. The first step is loving truth.

He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.  2 Thessalonians 2:10–12 (NLT)

Those who love the truth will pursue God and his truth.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  John 8:31–32 (NASB95)

God is working in his people to make us lovers of truth and truth tellers.

Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.  Psalm 51:6 (NASB95)
 
Goodness

God is the final standard of what is good. All he does is worthy of approval. (Grudem, p.90)

And Jesus said to him, “…No one is good except God alone.”  Luke 18:19 (NASB95)

For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.  Psalm 100:5 (NASB95)

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.  Genesis 1:31 (NASB95)

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.  James 1:17 (NASB95)

Mercy and grace are closely related to God’s goodness. Both are given to us when we do not deserve them, out of the goodness of God’s heart.

The Lord wants us to participate in his goodness by how we love others.

Love

The Bible tells us that God is love. (1 John 4:8) The love usually associated with God is called agape in Greek, which is sacrificial in nature. God’s love existed before he created the world since it describes the relationship between the members of the triune God. Jesus spoke of this love in John’s gospel.

“Father, … You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  John 17:24 (NASB95)

but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.  John 14:31 (NASB95)

God extended his love toward us when he sent Jesus to die for our sins and restore us to a right relationship with him.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  John 3:16 (NASB95)

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Romans 5:8 (NASB95)

God wants us to imitate his love by returning love to him and extending that love toward other people, even our enemies.

And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  Matthew 22:37–39 (NASB95)

But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  Luke 6:27–28 (NASB95)

This is all possible because God first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Holiness

Holiness means to be set apart. We are set apart for God and for his purposes. This means we are also set apart from sin and everything that works against our being set apart to God. Holiness is closely related to the fear of the Lord.

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.  2 Corinthians 7:1 (NASB95)

We are to be holy because God is holy. (Leviticus 19:2) He is wholly separated to his purposes and glory and from sin.

God disciplines us to share in his holiness. (Hebrews 12:10)

As we devote ourselves to holiness, we are promised that we will grow in our revelation of God. (Hebrews 12:14, Matthew 5:8)

Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.  Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)
Righteousness or Justice

Righteousness means that God always acts in accordance with and is the final standard of what is right. (Grudem, p.93) Justice and righteousness are very similar.

The Rock! His work is perfect [complete], For all His ways are just [mishpat – judgment]; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous [tsaddiq – innocent, blameless, just, righteous] and upright is He.  Deuteronomy 32:4 (NASB95)

Whatever conforms to God’s moral character is what is right or just. That is why, without God, there is no standard of right and wrong. When we observe God’s acts, we should resist any temptation to criticize him, thinking he has been unjust or unfair in some way. This is to malign and blaspheme God. God does not always explain his actions; so, we must hold fast our commitment to regard him as being just even when things do not make sense to us. If we find ourselves in a difficult situation that makes us question why God would allow such a thing to happen to us, it would be wise to ask God to reveal to us what he is doing in our lives so we can try to fully cooperate in the process rather than resisting it. When Jesus allowed Lazarus to die in John Chapter 11, he did so because he planned to raise him from the dead, something incomprehensible to him or his sisters.

God’s justice was revealed at Calvary. He could not forgive our sins unless the just penalty was paid on our behalf. If we are tempted to feel sorry for ourselves, it is good to remember what Jesus endured on our behalf. Since Jesus took the penalty for our sin and guilt, God retained his justice while at the same time justifying us.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  Romans 3:23–26 (NASB95)

God wants us to share in his righteousness through the ongoing process of transformation. The righteousness that God imputes to us through justification is meant to be imparted experientially.

Jealousy

When people are jealous, it is usually negative and connected with an attempt to selfishly control someone. There is a godly jealousy, too. God describes himself as being jealous.

You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.  Deuteronomy 5:9 (NLT)

God is not selfish, since agape love is always focused on the other. Paul felt such jealousy for God’s people in the church in Corinth.

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.  2 Corinthians 11:2–3 (NASB95)

God always deserves our honor; therefore, it is never wrong for him to be jealous for it. In addition, when we fail to honor God, it hurts us. So, God has two reasons to jealously protect us from false gods. Godly jealousy has God’s honor and the well-being of the other person in the forefront.

God wants us to share in his jealousy by hating sin and loving him and other people.

Examples of people sharing in God’s jealousy are Phinehas in the Old Testament (Numbers 25:11) and Paul in the new (2 Corinthians 11:2-3).

Wrath

God’s wrath means that he intensely hates all sin, which opposes his lordship and character and destroys the sinner. The Old Covenant Israelites frequently incited God to wrath by their flagrant idolatry and rebellion, but God’s wrath is present in the New Covenant, too. God’s intense wrath against sin fell upon Jesus at Calvary because he took our sin upon himself. It is impossible to understand the significance of Jesus’ sacrificial death unless we understand God’s intense hatred for sin.

The gospel is the announcement that God is willing to forgive our gross rebellion against his rule if we will simply believe the gospel and declare allegiance to Jesus the Lord. Those who refuse to do so, however, will eventually encounter God’s wrath.

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”  John 3:36 (NASB95)

This means that everyone in the world lives under the threat of encountering God’s wrath on judgment day. The only escape is through believing the gospel.

Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),  Ephesians 2:3–5 (NASB95)

When we place our faith in the crucified and risen one, Jesus, we will be delivered from the wrath that is surely coming to those who reject the gospel.

For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.  1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 (NASB95)

The delay of God’s coming wrath is due to his patience in giving time for more people to repent to escape encountering his judgment.

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NASB95)

God wants us to understand and embody his wrath by hating sin and the devil.

The psalmist wrote about this in Psalm 139.

Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.  Psalm 139:21–22 (NKJV)

Jesus commanded us to love our human enemies, however, and pray for them.

 Will or Sovereignty

God’s will is that attribute of God whereby he approves and determines to bring about every action necessary for the existence and activity of himself and all creation. It is the ultimate reason for everything that takes place. (Grudem, p.95)

… having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,  Ephesians 1:11b (NASB95)

Creation itself originated and is sustained by God’s sovereign will.

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”  Revelation 4:11 (NASB95)

Even Christ’s death was ordained by God’s sovereign will.

For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.  Acts 4:27–28 (NASB95)

God is never the author or originator of evil, but he allows evil to operate within the parameters set by his sovereign will. He works all things, even evil, for the good of his elect and for his glory.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28 (NASB95)

What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,  Romans 9:22–23 (NASB95)

God has a revealed will and a secret will.

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.  Deuteronomy 29:29 (NASB95)

The revealed will of God is made known to us so that we can obey him and know the path he wishes us to take. The secret will of God involves those things which he decreed but has not made known to us. In these matters, we must trust in the goodness and love that accompany his sovereign rule.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5–6 (NASB95)

We only discover God’s secret will as events unfold. An example of this is how God transformed what Joseph’s brothers meant for evil into something good and salvational.

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.  Genesis 50:20 (NASB95)

God foretold via dreams that Joseph would be elevated to a place of honor, but how he did it was unknown until it took place. It was a most surprising end to what appeared to be years of suffering and futility as Joseph endured being betrayed, sold into slavery, falsely accused, imprisoned, and forgotten. Nevertheless, God turned it all around and fulfilled his purposes for Joseph and all Israel.

God’s revealed will is that he wants all men to be saved.

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  1 Timothy 2:3–4 (NASB95)

However, he may choose to hide truth from some but reveal it to others.

At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.  Matthew 11:25–26 (NASB95)

Nevertheless, we are responsible agents who will be judged for our choices and actions. God’s sovereignty and our responsibility are not mutually exclusive, although we may not always understand how the two interact.

God’s sovereign will allows him to have complete freedom to do all that he pleases. He is not under any form of restraint, except what exists by reason of his own character.

But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.  Psalm 115:3 (NASB95)

All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’  Daniel 4:35 (NASB95)

God wants us to share this attribute by coming into alignment with his sovereign will.

Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.  Matthew 6:10 (NASB95)
 Omnipotence

Omnipotence means that God has the power to accomplish all his desires. Nothing is too difficult for God.

Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,  Jeremiah 32:17 (NASB95)

And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  Matthew 19:26 (NASB95)

God’s will would not be sovereign if he were not omnipotent. The only factor that limits God’s actions is his character. He will always act in agreement with his character. We “tap into” God’s omnipotence when we acknowledge and worship him in all situations, knowing that he is working them omnipotently for our good and his glory.

We can participate in his omnipotence when he enables us through faith to accomplish what would otherwise be impossible to us.

Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.  Mark 11:23–24 (NASB95)
Perfection

Perfection means that God completely possesses all excellent qualities and lacks nothing that would be desirable for him. (Grudem, p.99)

Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.  Matthew 5:48 (NASB95)

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.  James 1:17 (NASB95)

Those who are born again share in God’s perfection in the spirit. This is called justification. God intends for us to experientially share in his perfection through the transformation process and the resurrection.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.  Philippians 3:20–21 (NASB95)
Blessedness

Blessedness means that God delights fully in himself and in all that reflects his character. (Grudem, p. 99)

God is perfectly happy and has fulness of joy in himself, a joy that he shares with us as we give ourselves to him.

…He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.  1 Timothy 6:15b–16 (NASB95)

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.  Psalm 16:11 (NASB95)

God takes pleasure in all he made because it reflects his glory.

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.  Genesis 1:31 (NASB95)

God’s goodness and power are revealed through his creation so that we will choose to glorify him.

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.  Romans 1:18–21 (NLT)

We find our greatest blessedness in glorifying God. Conversely, refusing to do so keeps us in darkness and sin and prohibits our enjoyment of God.

Beauty

God’s beauty means that he is the sum of all desirable qualities. (Grudem, p.100)

One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple.  Psalm 27:4 (NASB95)

As we behold God’s beauty, grace transforms us to share in it.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.  2 Corinthians 3:18 (NASB95)

 

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Introduction to the Amazing New Covenant Series

The New Covenant is more amazing and wonderful than most people think. It is completely different from the Old Covenant of Law given to Moses. I hope you will be amazed like I am as we explore its wonders and glory.

The prophet Jeremiah foretold that God would make a brand new covenant with his people.

"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32  not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. 33  "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34  "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NASB)

The difference between the Old and New Covenants is stark and often misunderstood, even by those who have put their faith in Christ.

I have heard sermons presented by well-meaning people who taught that we who believe in Christ are still under the requirements of Law of Moses. They sometimes use Deuteronomy Chapter 11 as their text, explaining that we are either under a blessing or a curse, depending on our obedience to God’s commandments. That, by the way, is the essence of what it means to live under the Law. It is sad to see how readily the people accept this false gospel of works. On the other hand, there is another group of people who think how we live day to day makes little or no difference, since we are saved by grace apart from the works of the law. This also is a false gospel because it holds that we do not have to live according to the truth of the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit.

How we live reveals what we think and believe. A truly saved person who believes the truth will act accordingly. A good tree always bears good fruit.

The Old Covenant Way

Under the Old Covenant, the Jews were given the Law of Moses. If they kept its provisions, they would experience blessings and life. If they violated the Law, curses and death would follow.

You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God. 5  'So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD. Leviticus 18:4-5 (NASB)

Under the Law, being in a right relationship with God is performance-based. That makes us more or less responsible to save ourselves by keeping the requirements of the Law, something we are quite incapable of doing. The Law makes demands upon us without lifting a finger to help us and then condemns us for failing to keeps its provisions.

Herein lies the reason a new covenant was needed. If we were going to ever be in proper relationship with God, it could not depend on us!

Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20  because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:19-20 (NASB)

In fact, the purpose of the Law was to convince us that we are hopelessly enslaved to sin so that we would desperately cry out to God for a savior.

But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23  But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24  Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. Galatians 3:22-24 (NASB)
 
Jesus, Lamb of God, Savior

The Good News or gospel is that Jesus took upon himself the condemnation and punishment that our sin deserved. He substituted for us by taking the brunt of God’s just wrath against our sin; even though he was completely innocent, having been perfectly obedient to his heavenly Father.

When Jesus died, he removed condemnation once and for all from all those who would afterward put their faith-allegiance in him.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 (NASB) 

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3  For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4  so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 (NASB)

By taking our punishment, Jesus also removed the Law’s power to rule us, which is done through condemnation. The Law’s power comes from its ability to define our sin and condemn us for sinning.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57  but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 (NASB)

When the Law loses its power to condemn us, sin loses its power to rule us.

By taking away our condemnation,  Jesus set the stage for us to live in a radical new way – in the freedom and power of the Spirit. This is done by believing the truth (the Word of God), denying ourselves (refusing to live self-directed lives), and walking in the Spirit (actively cooperating with the Spirit of God, who lives in and through us).

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25  "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26  "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27  "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. Matthew 16:24-27 (NASB)  

"For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. 20  "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:19-20 (NASB)
Summary

Christ took upon himself the penalty for our sins, thereby removing condemnation and taking away the power of the Law and sin over our lives. Our “old man,” that part of us which is still linked to Adam’s sin, was crucified with Christ. Consequently, we are officially dead to sin. This was done so that we can now voluntarily choose to live in compliance with God’s Spirit and Christ’s teachings.

The only real freedom is living in harmony with God’s will in the power of the Spirit. Everything else is slavery to sin.

Walking in true freedom depends on three things working together:

  1. Belief of the truth.  We learn and believe in what Christ has done for us, who we are in Christ, and who He is in us. We live in harmony with God’s Word.
  2. Denial of self. We choose to not follow our sinful desire to go our own way and live independently from God.
  3. Walking in the Spirit. We live in harmony with and obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit, our best and forever friend, who is also God.

I will examine each of these in the next installments of this series. I hope you will read the whole series. I believe it can help us to experience a new level of freedom in Christ and grow in our faith, joy, and peace.

Link to all articles in this series.

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Science Fiction

Theoretical sciences deal with subject matter that is either too old (evolution) or too far away (astrophysics) to be able to do much in the way of practical, repeatable experiments. By necessity, these areas of study will never offer us much more than theories. This is acceptable unless conjecture is taught as fact, as has become the case. Neil deGrasse Tyson, who seems to be more of a comedian than a scientist, once said: “The theory of evolution, like the theory of gravity, is a scientific fact.”

Such a move from theory to fact requires the acceptance of unprovable presuppositions by faith. Modern astrophysics has become more of a religion than true science.

When Copernicus and others proposed the revolutionary (pun intended) heliocentric theory to explain what can be observed in the heavens, it was simply another possibility. It was partly based on reason and partly based on mysticism. This man and others, such as Sir Isaac Newton, were heavily influenced by the Egyptian sun worshiper, Hermes Trismegistus. They also believed that circles were perfect geometric figures, much to be preferred over the patterns of “planetary” motion they observed. Copernicus believed that the sun should be the center of the universe, holding sway over its subjects, including earth. (I have written about the occult side of heliocentrism in another article.) This new way of viewing the heavens soon took root and influenced everything that followed. Today heliocentrism is considered to be “gospel” truth, not to be disputed by any sane person, but it is still merely a theory.

Some astrophysicists are honest enough to admit this, such as George Ellis, who wrote in 1995.

People need to be aware that there is a range of models that could explain the observations, For instance, I can construct you a spherically symmetrical universe with Earth at its center, and you cannot disprove it based on observations. You can only exclude it on philosophical grounds. In my view there is absolutely nothing wrong in that. What I want to bring into the open is the fact that we are using philosophical criteria in choosing our models. A lot of cosmology tries to hide that.    —Cosmologist George Ellis, in Scientific American, “Thinking Globally, Acting Universally”, October 1995

Another less honest astrophysicist, none other than Edwin Hubble, wrote the following after discovering that cosmic background radiation indicates that the earth is the center of the universe.

…Such a condition would imply that we occupy a unique position in the universe, analogous, in a sense, to the ancient conception of a central Earth…This hypothesis cannot be disproved, but it is unwelcome and would only be accepted as a last resort in order to save the phenomena. Therefore we disregard this possibility…. the unwelcome position of a favored location must be avoided at all costs…. such a favored position is intolerable…Therefore, in order to restore homogeneity, and to escape the horror of a unique position…must be compensated by spatial curvature. There seems to be no other escape.” (The Observational Approach to Cosmology)

Ellis and Hubble teach us that certain things in astrophysics must be accepted by faith, making it a religion. Max Planck agreed.

Anybody who has been seriously engaged in scientific work of any kind realizes that over the entrance to the gates of the temple of science are written the words: ‘Ye must have faith.’ —Max Planck

Modern astrophysics assumes by faith that there is no Creator. Therefore, the universe must be explained using only mechanistic principles. The Bible is not taken seriously. These false assumptions have unavoidably produced false conclusions.

Modern astrophysics is not science. It is science fiction.

The only way to find our way back to the truth is to return to square one: God exists and created everything, just as the Bible, God’s inspired Word, tells us. What the Bible teaches is the truth. 

Our model of the cosmos must agree with the Bible’s teachings, or it is false. We are faced with the choice to believe what God says or in science fiction.

It takes great courage to contest the accepted paradigm. Many have refused to do so.

I have already known a long time that we do not yet have proof for the system of Copernicus, but I shall not take the risk to be the first one attacking it  —Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), Quoted in F.K. Schultze’s synopsis and translation of F.E. Pasche’s “Christliche Weltanschauuing

Will we stand up for God’s truth or bow the knee to science fiction?

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Man’s Ongoing Quest to Escape Our Assigned Habitation, the Earth

Not only has man rebelled against God and the limitations imposed by his Word, the Bible; we also have made it an ongoing quest to go beyond our assigned habitation into regions not given to us by God. The Bible teaches us that Satan wished to go beyond his God-given place and role in order to usurp God’s throne.

But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Isaiah 14:13–14 (NASB95)

The essence of sin lies in our refusal to accept God’s authority as our Creator.

We see this being played out all around us in our culture. People are not happy with their assigned sexuality or gender. Some women despise the perceived limitations of being wives and mothers. Some men do not want to carry the weight of responsibility connected with the roles of husband and father. Many people believe that has no right to limit our freedom or require anything from us. In actuality, God has given us tremendous freedom, but we have used it for self-destruction for the most part.

Apparently Satan had a privileged status prior to his rebellion, but he wanted more. Although a created being, he considered himself to be God’s equal and had the audacity to attempt to overthrow the Creator’s rule. The result was his utter defeat and ouster from heaven.

And He [Jesus] said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Luke 10:18 (NKJV)

Having failed in his first attempt, Satan did not give up. Apparently, his next plan was to seduce the humans God created and placed in the garden. He succeeded in getting them to join his rebellion against God. It seems that the lure of god-like self-determination is quite overpowering.

God created us to be perfectly fulfilled and happy in a dependent relationship with him.

We were not designed or intended to go it alone. Our Lord’s desire has always been to be with us and live his life in and through us, which is the only pathway to peace and joy. Sadly Adam and Eve threw all that away in pursuit of an empty promise from the devil that they could be like God, knowing good and evil for themselves.

God was not willing to leave us in our degraded and enslaved state. He sent Jesus to restore us to the abundant life God originally intended for us.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10 (NLT)

Not only did God intend for Adam and Eve and their descendants to enjoy a happy and fulfilled life of partnership and dependence upon their Creator, he also provided them with the perfect environment.

The earth God created was a paradise with more than enough capacity to provide for a vast number of people. Before they rebelled against God’s rule, the earth worked with them to provide their needs. After their sin and the consequent judgment, the earth worked against them to some degree.

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17–19 (NASB95)

Now it is more difficult to extract the blessings from the ground, but not impossible. God’s command to be fruitful and multiply still stands. God still wants the earth to be full of people, something the devil works hard to prevent. Everything he does is designed to enslave and kill us.

Satan, the father of lies, works hard to get us to believe and accept his version of reality in place of God’s truth. 

The earth God created is huge with plentiful resources. The Bible says that it is safely enclosed and protected in a solid firmament. This crystalline structure separates us from the third heaven where God’s throne is located. God reserved heaven for himself, his angels, and all who put their faith and allegiance in his Son, our Lord Jesus the Messiah. Our assigned abode for now is on the earth below the firmament. The Lord wants us to be satisfied with what he has provided for us, not wishing we had more.

Very soon after Adam’s and Eve’s rebellion and their expulsion from the garden, their descendants became discontented with remaining in our assigned habitation.

The Bible records that residents of Mesopotamia constructed a giant tower whose purpose was to reach into heaven.

They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:4 (NASB95)

Tradition has it that Nimrod wanted to penetrate the barrier of the firmament in order to kill God with his bow and arrows. Regardless of whether there is any truth in that, God took note of this attempt to penetrate into his domain and frustrated their efforts. By dividing them into many different language groups, God slowed down mankind’s technological development. But the drive to push beyond the limits of our habitation and escape its confines persisted.

The quest to breach the firmament was delayed but not stopped.

Permit me space to conjecture a bit, with the full understanding that I am making what I consider to be educated guesses regarding the following points. The Bible tells us that the solid firmament rises from the earth where it is securely anchored. I wrote more about this in previous articles in this series. A 1958 version of The Encyclopedia Americana reported the presence of a dome. This was prior to the Antarctic Treaty and before censorship regarding that area of the world. We are “fenced in” by this structure. At this point, the general public does not know where the firmament connects to the earth, since that area of the world is now “off limits,” but quite possibly Admiral Richard E. Byrd found it, having made several expeditions to that region before and after WWII (1928-30, 1933-34, 1939-40, 1946-47, and 1955-56). He gave a televised interview in which he made some remarkable claims.

During and after Byrd completed his assignments there, several very interesting things took place.

  1. The United Nations was created in 1945.
  2. Walt Disney, who majored in fantasy, and Werner Von Braun partnered to produce a documentary on outer space travel in 1955.
  3. NASA was formed in 1958. Werner Von Braun, a former Nazi, brought to the US under the auspices of Operation Paperclip, was put in charge of our space program, or at least became one of its major spokesmen.
  4. The Antarctic Treaty was signed, cordoning off the area beyond the South 60th parallel, December 1, 1959. The signing nations were each assigned a segment to guard and protect against independent exploration. Interestingly, despite all our international conflicts since then, no one has violated this treaty. Why is it alone so valued?
  5. Operation Fishbowl was part of a series of high altitude nuclear explosions conducted by the US and Russia. Operation Starfish exploded a 1.4 megaton bomb in 1962 at a reported altitude of 400 kilometers or 240 miles.

If I am correct in speculating that Byrd and his associates discovered the wall of the firmament, then the formation of NASA and subsequent rocket launches were part of a plan to probe and perhaps penetrate the firmament. Operation Fishbowl likely was designed to test the strength and nature of the firmament. Numerous videos of rocket launches show them apparently skimming through water and sometimes coming apart at very high altitudes. Many of NASA’s launches take an arc that would dump them into the Bermuda Triangle. (You can find out more about these various topics by visiting my resource page.

If the firmament exists, outer space is a fantasy. The firmament cannot be penetrated, and pretty much everything NASA produces is part of a Disney-like magical kingdom.

Many believe that NASA exists to maintain the illusion that we live on a globe while making ongoing efforts to break through the firmament.

Whatever is the actual case, no one will deny that many people are genuinely obsessed with space travel and the idea of leaving the earth and exploring, and maybe even establishing colonies, beyond the earth. Hollywood, which often hides the truth in plain sight, has given us many clues regarding the firmament and humanity’s inborn desire to escape our assigned habitation. Here are a few examples.

The Matrix movie describes a world where humans are enslaved by convincing them that the lie, with which they are all brainwashed, is reality. In order to break free from the lie, Neo was encouraged to take the “red pill” that would open his eyes to the truth and launch him on a dangerous pursuit of freedom.

Sinful rebellious humankind wants to escape the limitations of our God-imposed habitation. Satan and those working with and for him, hide the true nature of our world from its inhabitants in order to enslave us under false pretenses. They tell us that the world we live in is more or less doomed and that we need to find somewhere else for a habitation. All the while they hide from us how amazing and plentiful is God’s provision.

Almost everything about our world as presented by our government is contrary to the truth.

Consider the following.

  • We are told that we live on a “fragile” planet. 
  • We are in danger from climate change, asteroids, disease, aliens, and over crowding.
  • Resources are limited and running out.
  • World population needs to be reduced, resources rationed, and energy conserved.

But what does God say?

  • We live on a firmly secured earth enclosed by a solid firmament. Climate change, aliens, and asteroids are not real. Demons, yes, but not aliens.
  • God created the earth with more than enough resources to support a massive population. Otherwise, God would not have commanded us to fill the earth.
  • God said to be fruitful and multiply. Efforts to reduce the population through wars, starvation, abortion, vaccines, etc., like everything else Satan suggests, are in direct violation of God’s commands.

If we would accept that the earth God created is a perfectly designed habitation and seek to bring it more and more in line with God’s original intention under his rule, we would see our lives prosper in a greater way.

Instead, inspired by Satan and our own rebelliousness, we refuse to tell the truth, listen to the truth, or accept our God-imposed limitations. Instead, we try to escape, not realizing that all the while Satan is working his plan to subjugate and destroy the inhabitants of the earth. Thankfully, we know from the Bible that God wins! Eventually the truth will be known. God will create a new heaven and earth in which only righteousness exists. Hallelujah!

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It’s Time for Us to Escape This Tottering House of Cards

The “Over Mountain Men” won a decisive battle at Kings Mountain, NC during some of the darkest days of the American fight for independence from England. These intrepid fighters, having been threatened by one of General Cornwallis’ subordinates, decided to hunt him down and destroy him. Ferguson had promised to hang their leaders and burn their settlements, if they did not swing their support to the Crown. Ferguson did not understand these people who had already defied the King by settling in the mountains of what is now Eastern Tennessee, an area designated as Indian territory. These hardy pioneers, who had hewed out a rough existence from the wilderness, were unwilling to be told what to do by a faraway king from another land. They were used to battling Indians and the environment and were ready to die, if necessary, to preserve their freedom from England. Our nation continues to recognize and celebrate their fierce independence and fighting spirit which significantly influenced the outcome of the Revolution.

It is one thing to throw off what might be considered the oppressive rule of a distant tyrant, but it is another matter altogether when such fierce independence manifests itself in opposition to God. 

Since the Garden of Eden, humans in general have been in a prolonged war to throw off God’s rule and the limitations imposed by his Word, the Bible.

This, however, is a war we cannot possibly win. All those engaged in it have been deluded into fighting against the omnipotent ruler of the heavens and earth. King David wrote the following in Psalm Two.

Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed [Jesus], saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Psalm 2:1–4 (NKJV)

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s direct command in the garden, they demonstrated that they were unwilling to be limited by what God told them. They chose to transgress or “go beyond” his command not to eat the forbidden fruit. This rebellious desire to go beyond the boundaries set for us has been passed down spiritually to every human being. Our most fundamental sin, therefore, is our refusal to acknowledge God’s right to rule over us. This is why it is essential that we confess that Jesus is Lord, if we want to be rescued from the bondage and death that resulted from our rebellion.  (Romans 10:9-10)

The choice willingly to come back under God’s rule is the key action we must take to be restored to favor with God. Christ’s lordship is the focus. Acknowledge it and live. Defy it and be destroyed.

If we willingly bow the knee to Jesus, our sins are forgiven, we are restored to a proper relationship with God, and become one with the Holy Spirit, who is the fountain of eternal life. God begins to live his life through us, transforming us from the inside out to be more and more like him. We are promised that one day Jesus will raise our mortal bodies from the dead, after which we will share in his glory and rule for all eternity! Hallelujah!

However, there is another group of people who will not bow the knee to the Lord Jesus and insists that he has no right or say in their lives. They fiercely resist his rule and refuse to be limited or governed by his Word, the Bible.

But his people hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want him to be our king.’ Luke 19:14 (NLT)

The Bible says that these people make up the world system. They hate Jesus and his Word (the Bible) as much or more than the Over Mountain Men hated the King of England and his laws. This refusal to be limited by what God has revealed and commanded in the Bible manifests itself in many ways. It shows up very clearly in theoretical astrophysics. If we reject God’s description of the heavens and earth found in the Bible and his explanation of origins, we must come up with an alternate theory, one that, by default, is in error.

Whatever begins with false assumptions, will always lead to deep deception.

God’s Word is always true (John 17:17); therefore, we become opponents of truth in any area in which we resist the final authority of God’s Word.

It disturbs me that so many who acknowledge that Jesus rose from the dead still have reservations about accepting the authority of his Word regarding the origin and nature of the earth and heavens. If in any area we put more faith in the proclamations of men than in God’s Word, such as cosmology, we ally ourselves with the world system ruled by Satan, whose subjects prefer lies over truth, Satan over God, darkness over light, and death over life. (John 3:19-20)

Jesus addressed the religious leaders of Israel, who thought they were spiritually minded, but were actually under Satan’s rule. He told them that they were unable and unwilling to hear and believe the truth he spoke because they were children of the devil. (John 8:43-45) Those who have not been reborn by the Holy Spirit instinctively hate the truth and spurn God’s Word. Those in the  world system highly esteem what God hates and hate what God loves. (Luke 16:15)

Whatever the world praises is most likely something that opposes God’s rule and defies the words of the Bible.

About a year ago I became convinced that the heliocentric model, which includes the spherical earth, is a lie that opposes the clear teaching of Genesis Chapter One. Holding this position puts me at odds with what most people believe is the truth about the cosmos, which, I contend, is a house of cards, built on a most shaky foundation of lies that leads to great deception.

When we begin with an assumption that contradicts the Bible, we cannot help becoming entangled in a web of deception.

Satan does not deceive us just for fun. He is not a mischievous prankster. His end game is to destroy us.

The highly esteemed heliocentric model, which opposes God’s Word in almost every way, is detestable in the eyes of God but idolized by mankind.

Those of us who have placed our faith in the Lord Jesus are faced with a choice: shall we embrace the Bible and turn our backs on the heliocentric lie, which will require us to endure the scorn of men, or shall we take the easy way out and go along with the lie?

The foundation of theoretical astrophysics is slowly eroding as more and more people are waking up to the truth about the earth’s design. The deceptions connected to the space program are unraveling before our eyes.  The king has no clothes! Eventually the lies supporting this massive deception will be exposed. The house of cards built on the heliocentric lie is under God’s judgment. It is in danger of imminent collapse. Tension escalates as to the fate of those who are still inside. Will they get out before the whole thing comes crashing down?

For a long time now, it seems that God has “winked” at the deception surrounding globe earth, but that time is coming to an end.

I believe a time is approaching when having the right cosmology will save us from falling for Satan’s next big lie. Let’s put our faith in what agrees with the Bible. Let’s be steadfast and immovable in our allegiance to God and his Word. If we show allegiance to Jesus and his Word, we will have nothing of which to be ashamed.

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 (NKJV)
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Lords of the Universe

God gave man dominion over the earth and reserved heaven for himself.

The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, But the earth He has given to the sons of men. Psalm 115:16 (NASB95)

When God created the earth, he separated the third heaven from the earth below by creating the solid dome called the firmament. (Genesis 1:7) God sits on his throne atop this structure observing all who dwell on the earth below. (Isaiah 40:22)

Under the influence of Satan, who desires to unseat God from his throne (Isaiah 14:13-14), deluded and rebellious people want to be lords of the heavens, too. The first manifestation of this was the tower of Babel, which was built in hopes of reaching into the heavens, thus making a name for mankind, apart from anything granted to him by God. (Genesis 11) Such unlawful grasping after glory is the exact opposite of the attitude of our Lord Jesus, who humbled himself to become a man to reconcile us to the Creator.

Paul wrote:

who [Jesus], although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:6–11 (NASB95)

As a result of his self-effacing humility and complete submission to God’s will, Jesus has been elevated to the grandest position of all. He sits enthroned with God in heaven as Lord over everything in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. As astounding as this is, there is something perhaps even more wondrous that God has done in Christ.

All who put their faith and allegiance in Jesus the Lord are elevated with him to God’s throne.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4–7 (NASB95)

That which Satan sought illegitimately has been granted to all who receive forgiveness and reconciliation in Christ. The gospel offers this supreme honor to all who will receive it, but mankind’s rebellion knows no bounds.

Those who refuse to bow the knee in submission to our Lord still seek to take the heavens illegitimately. We want to be lords of the universe without any help from God.

Although doing such a thing is quite impossible, we imagine we can do it. We dream about it. We fantasize for ourselves a fictional “universe” that we can explore using space ships. We use our amazing technologies of deception to implant the dream of space exploration in the hearts of the young and old alike.

The fictional Copernican – Newtonian universe, complete with its globe earth, has no solid barrier between heaven and earth. In fact, the heaven of the Bible does not even exist, and God is nowhere to be found in this imaginary universe of ours. The only thing impeding us now is the technology to go through something called the Van Allen radiation belts which threaten to kill anyone making the attempt. Oddly, somehow our moon men managed to traverse these belts unscathed long ago, but we apparently lost or destroyed that advanced 1960’s technology and cannot seem to recreate it. (For more information on the amazing technology of that era, I suggest watching Wagging the Moon Doggie video series.) We love movies like the moon landings, ISS videos, Star Trek, and Star Wars, which fuel the fiction that we were destined to roam the heavens at will, going where no man has ever gone before (nor ever will outside of Christ).

As a result of massive deception, fueled by NASA, other space agencies, and the entertainment industry, people love the idea of space exploration and are loathe to be separated from our  rebellious quest to be lords of the universe.

Even many Christians, who ought to know better because of our knowledge of the Bible, have been caught up in this delusional quest. Instead of being content with having dominion over what God has given to us, the earth, we want more and on our own terms. May the Lord open our eyes to see that the heavens belong to God and to those who pledge allegiance to Christ as Lord. There is only one way for us to breach the firmament. His name is Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. For all those who refuse the gospel, heaven is strictly off limits.

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Devotion to the Globe Is a Form of Self-Worship

When I first began to share what I have come to believe about the shape and nature of the earth on which we live, I was surprised by the level of animosity and resistance I encountered, even from family, friends, and people who say they believe the Bible. Clearly something beyond intellectual disagreement was at the root of this hatred of all things related to biblical cosmology. It did not matter if I appealed to the Bible for support. Then it dawned on me.

The ubiquitous globe is actually an idol.

It sits in almost every home and classroom. It makes regular appearances in movies, television, and other forms of media. The non-biblical words “globe” and “planet” are used in preference to the biblical word, “earth.” We have completely swallowed the globe lie, “hook, line, and sinker.” We absolutely love our globe! It has become an idol.

The globe idol represents a self-worship of our own intelligence, as opposed to reliance upon God. It stands for our rebellion against the truth of the Bible, and it illustrates our determination to go beyond the confines of the region God assigned to us, called the earth.

Our love for “outer space” is actually a form of rebellion against God in two ways. First of all, it does not even exist. Everything beyond the dome of the firmament is an unknown region, perhaps what the Bible calls the “third heaven,” where God’s throne is located, or perhaps it is the region Jesus called “outer darkness,” a place of judgment, sorrow, and regret. When we devote so much time, effort, focus, and money on an imaginary place, created by our own minds in opposition to what the Bible teaches, it is an escape from reality rooted in rebellion against the truth and God himself.

Secondly, our love for outer space represents our sinful determination to go beyond what God has assigned to us. As I wrote in a previous article, the “grass always looks greener” on the other side of the firmament. We seem determined to discover “truth” for ourselves, rather than rely on what God has revealed in his Word. This goes all the way back to the Garden. Modern evolutionary astrophysics is nothing short of a complete rebellion against God’s Word. The quest to explore “outer space” links us to Satan’s longing to oust God from heaven, one that goes all the way back to the tower of Babel.

Idolatry is the only explanation of why people so ferociously oppose anyone who dares challenge the globe and modern ideas related to astrophysics.

People always hate anyone who threatens their idols. (Judges 6:30) People will fight “tooth and nail” to hold on to their fantasies. Otherwise, one would expect to encounter more intellectual curiosity. One would hope that Christians would seriously consider if their way of looking at the cosmos agrees with what the Bible says. But that is not usually the case. Most of the time one encounters hostility against any attempt to tear down the high place of heliocentrism.

My love for God and biblical truth is what motivates me to remain committed to exposing the satanic deception behind the idolatry of globe earth and modern astrophysics. Is this issue really so important? Yes, it is. May the Lord open our eyes to understand and accept what the Bible says about the heavens and earth. Let us repent of self-worship. May God cause his church to once again esteem what the Bible says above the words, dictates, and opinions of men. Amen.

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Heliocentrism Fails Logical Test

Astronomy and astrophysics tends to be extremely complicated when it comes to mathematical calculations and physics. This is because we are dealing with so many unknowns and all we know is derived from what we can observe in the heavens from this place called earth. Another reason for the complexity is to obfuscate matters deliberately so that the average person feels as if he or she is not adequate to even think about such things. It is better to leave it to the experts and simply accept their proclamations as the truth. This devilish strategy has worked amazingly well.

God gave us minds and senses through which we can observe and know the world around us. It is only reasonable to conclude that God, if we first accept that he created all this, wants us to trust in the senses and mind he gave us.

But even more importantly, God wants us to trust what he says more than anything or anyone else, even our own mind and senses. That is one of the most important lessons of Genesis. Adam and Eve failed that test, but you and I have an opportunity to pass it.

The Bible makes it clear that God’s Word is always true. Most of the Christians I know, agree with this principle in theory, but when it comes to practice sometimes we betray that we do not always think so. We have come up with ingenious ways to avoid the plain truth of the Bible. Jesus addressed this sinful tendency, when he said:

Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ 8 For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.” 9 Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. Mark 7:6–9 (NLT)

Jesus warned us that the words of God cannot be “broken,” (John 10:35) meaning that they are inviolable and always true. Jesus should know, since his name is the Word of God, the eternal Logos. (John 1:1 and 1:14) He warned the Jewish leaders on another occasion that they were in error because they did “not understand the Scriptures or the power of God.” (Mark 12:24) We learn from these verses of scripture that we fall into error when we fail to understand and believe what God says in the Bible or when we discount God’s words because we fail to grasp the enormity of his power to accomplish whatever he wishes.

We err when we, for whatever reason, determine that God’s words are not really true after all.

Heliocentrism was advanced most famously by Nicolai Copernicus, who used his powers of reason and deduction to formulate a theory that contradicted what the Bible says and what was generally believed for millennia. He deduced that the sun was the center of the “solar system,” and the earth revolved around it. By what has become known as the Copernican Principle, mankind is now regarded as having minuscule importance in the vastness of a very impersonal and dangerous “universe.”

Genesis Chapter One stands in complete contradiction to heliocentrism.

It declares that the earth the center of things with the sun and moon running a circuit or course over it. The stars are fixed in the dome of the firmament. Man is the focal point of God’s creation and God observes and rules from on high. (Isaiah 40:22) The order of creation in Genesis also makes it impossible for a heliocentric system to have ever come into being. This is why the evolutionary Big Bang theory had to be developed to explain how all we see came to be. It must be either creation or evolution, it seems.

Here is the logical failure of the heliocentric system for all who say they believe God’s Word if true.

  1. God’s Word is always true.
  2. The heliocentric system opposes God’s Word.
  3. Therefore, heliocentrism is a lie.

If heliocentrism is accepted as true, then the following must also be true.

  1. Heliocentrism is true.
  2. Heliocentrism opposes God’s Word.
  3. Therefore, God’s Word is a lie.

Which syllogism do you support? Will we pass the test Adam failed?

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