“Count it all joy…” Really?
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trails of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
~James 1:2-4
We are to find joy in trials of various kinds, Scripture tells us. But 1) why and 2) how?
First, we are to find joy in trails for or because the testing of our faith produces steadfastness (cf. Rom. 5:3; 1 Pet. 1:5-9). What, then, is “steadfastness”? Steadfastness is endurance. It is continuing in something although it is difficult.
Why is steadfastness so precious? It sounds like something I don’t want; much like praying for patience. Steadfastness is precious because it preserves us. It ensures we remain loyal to the Lord until the end. This is vital.
We count it joy because our faith—continual faith, i.e. steadfastness—is more precious than gold because, though it is tested, it results in the salvation of our souls (1 Pet. 1:7-9). It is through this steadfastness, this continuing faith, that we obtain “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Pet. 1:4). It is faith that guards us (1 Pet. 1:5). It is through faith that our every longing is met in the beatific vision of our Lord Messiah (cf. Jn. 17:24; 1 Cor. 13:12; 1 Jn. 3:2; 1 Pet. 1:7-8; Rev. 22:4).
Second, how does it work? The athlete, at least the true athlete, will count it all joy when he has to do two-a-days, suicides, front-back-goes, and so on. Though, it is not the training itself that brings joy. It is the benefit of that training. It is the endurance that comes as a result that athlete is concerned with. For instance, Navy Seals go through rigorous training to become the elite but in the midst of it they set their mind on the prize. They remember that their training will result in them becoming a part of the elite and the training that is being endured could save their life someday. We show we are, not the elite, but the elect of God by are endurance.
So, in short, trials are like a workout regimen that keep us fit. They insure our faith will have endurance.
Trails, James goes on, will, if we allow them to, make us “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:4).[i] I say, “If we allow them to” because we can choose to not make use of them. We can choose to grow bitter and not better, as my good friend Mike Wilson says. We see this in our text too. It says, “Let steadfastness [which is produced through trials] have its full effect.” If we are exhorted to “let” trials have their full effect then it is possible that we would not let them have their full effect. However, we should not do that. For one, it doesn’t make sense. If we are going through something bad we might as well get something good out of it.
So, how can we “count it all joy”? We can count it all joy when we realize that the LORD is working in the midst of our trials to persevere us. Our trials are a regimen that God is using to confirm us to the image of His Son.
Will you take joy in your trials? Will you let them have their full effect?
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[i] Jesus, Himself, “learned obedience through what He suffered. And being made perfect [i.e. demonstrated His perfection], He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:8-9). This is a complex verse to explain theologically because it enters into conversations of how the incarnation worked as it pertains to Jesus’ deity. However, the point I want to make is that God even used trails in Jesus’ life. Jesus was tempted and tested (cf. Matt. 4:1-13; Heb. 4:15) but He persevered and thus when it was His hour of great temptation He said, “Not my will, but Thine” (see Matt. 26:19; Jn. 12:27; 17:1ff).
Biblical Mysticism?
A Mystic’s Meter
The rhythms of a mystic’s faith are not drudgery upon duty and duty upon drudgery. The mystic’s meter, rather, is delight. Delight in a God they know. Yet, as much freedom as rhythm and cadence have, there is still structure. So, I want to look at the structure of the meter. What cadence does knowing God take?
Is Mysticism Wrong?
Is mysticism wrong? I think a lot depends on how it is defined. If you define mysticism as subjective vain emotional longings, then yes it is wrong. If you define mysticism as unbiblical, then yes it is wrong. If mysticism is set on anything else then God in the face of Christ (2 Cor. 4:6), then yes, mysticism is wrong.
Mysticism, however, is not wrong in itself. It is the focus that can be wrong. It is the information, or perhaps more often, the lack of information, that can be wrong.
Don Whitney instructs us:
“Don’t be deceived by a complex spirituality that gives the appearance of wisdom but doesn’t start with ‘Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ (Colossians 2:3). And don’t become entangled in any spiritual practices that sound good but incline your mind and heart away from the ‘things that are above’” (“Practice True Spirituality”).[1]
Not All Mysticism is Created Equal
Mysticism does not have “inalienable rights.” That is, not all mysticism is created equal.
Frist, some mysticism is based on illusionary dreams and speculation. However, there is a problem with this (1 Jn. 4:1). Satan parades himself around like an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) so that he may devoir like a lion (1 Pet. 5:8). Subjective experiences alone cannot be our guide.[2]
Second, some mysticism contradicts the Word of God. Any word that contradicts His Word should not be our word. God is our authority. And His Word is our authority. There are many other good and important texts but they are not ultimate. They are subordinate.
Third, any form of mysticism that does not prize and exalt Messiah and His work is defective (1 Jn. 4:2). Mysticism is about knowing God. Jesus the Messiah is God in the flesh (Jn. 1:14). It is through Him that we can know God (e.g. 2 Cor. 4:4); that we can go boldly before the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). Jesus reveals God. If we conceal Him, belittle Him, or don’t rightfully honor Him, we are not practicing mysticism but anti-mysticism; we are concealing God.
Good Mysticism
Mysticism, I believe, at it’s heart, is about knowing God deeply and experientially.[3] So then, how do we know God? We know Him through His Spirit, amen![4] And the Spirit, most typically, uses the means of His own inspired Word, the Bible. We meditate on His Word, as well as other good texts, and God, by the Spirit, reveals Himself to us. Good Christian mysticism thus relies on: 1) The Spirit for illumination, not vain visions or the like (Rom. 8:26; 1 Cor. 2:12-16; Eph. 3:14-19; 1 Jn. 4:1); 2) The inspired Word of God, not primarily other sources (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:3-4); 3) The Incarnate Son to show us God, and not visions (Jn. 1:1-14; 14:6; 2 Cor. 4:4; Heb. 1:3).
Good biblical mysticism (some may prefer “spirituality”) is about having a deeper sense of God’s truth. It’s seeking for God to open our eyes that we would be deeply impacted by His truth (Ps. 119:18). It is about knowing God’s love that surpasses knowledge that we may be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19). It’s about being renewed by the transformation of our minds (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23-24; Col. 3:10). It is about revival.
It short, mysticism does not seek mere knowledge. It seeks to also experience the truth of that knowledge. So, it seeks to taste the sweetness, and not just know hypothetically and intellectually that something is sweet.
Jonathan Edwards words are enlightening:
“There is such a thing as a spiritual and divine light immediately imparted to the soul by God, of a different nature from any that is obtained by natural means… This spiritual light that I am speaking of, is quite a different thing from inspiration: it reveals no new doctrine, it suggests no new proposition to the mind, it teaches no new thing of God, or Christ, or another world, not taught in the Bible, but only gives a due apprehension of those things that are taught in the word of God… There is a difference between having an opinion, that God is holy and gracious, and having a sense of the loveliness and beauty of that holiness and grace. There is a difference between having a rational judgment that honey is sweet, and having a sense of its sweetness.”[5]
Mystics, so to speak, not only want to know that something is sweet, they want to taste it’s sweetness.
A.W. Tozer: A Good Example of a Good Mystic
James L. Snyder points out that “the word ‘mystic’ did not scare Tozer. The term ‘mysticism’ simply means ‘the practice of the presence of God,’ the belief that the heart can commune with God directly, moment by moment, without the aid of outward ritual. He saw this belief at the very core of real Christianity, the sweetest and most soul-satisfying experience a child of God can know.”[6]
Tozer rightly reminds us—how sad that we need reminded!—that salvation is “not an end but an inception, for now begins the glorious pursuit, the heart’s happy exploration of the infinite riches of the Godhead.”[7] Conversion is meant to lead to communion. Orthodoxy must, if it is to be true orthodoxy, result in doxology. “’You can be straight as a gun barrel theologically,’ Tozer often remarked, ‘and as empty as one spiritually.’”[8]
The true Christian mystic should be heat and light. Heart, head, and hand. He should love the LORD with all that he is, his heart, soul, mind and strength; and his neighbor as himself.
Conclusion
So, you might say, a mystic’s meter, what gives him his aesthetic poetry and music, is knowing God by the Spirit, though the Word, and in Christ. This is where he can find true delight. He can know God and true joy in this rhythmic triad; instead of the clashing and subjective thrashings found elsewhere. A mystic’s meter in sum, should be rhythmic, not chaotic. It should have a distinguished element to it, not destructive and haphazard vague desires. God has, Paul reminds us, revealed Himself; we don’t worship Him as unknown, but as known (Acts 17:23). We can know God truly, if not fully.
Will you seek to know God? Will you dance to the melodious meter? Will you use the means He has given you? Will you be a Christian mystic?
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[1] Don Whitney, “Practice True Spirituality.”
[2] Let it be noted that exceptional things may likely still happen. See 2 Cor. 12:2-4, for example.
[3] Mysticism is “the belief and practice that seeks a personal, experiential… knowledge of God by means of a direct, nonabstract and loving encounter or union with God. Although a psychophysical dimension (including visions, dreams or special revelation) may be part of the mystical experience, this dimension is not necessary. Instead, Christian mystics generally teach that the true test of the experience is the resulting fruit of the Spirit in the mystic’s life” (Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, 81). “The mystic,” Tozer said, “differs from the ordinary orthodox Christian only because he experiences his faith down in the depths of his sentient being while the other does not. He is quietly, deeply and sometimes almost ecstatically aware of the presence of God in his own nature and in the world around him” (The Christian Book of Mystical Verse).
[4] Mysticism, at least, true accurate mysticism, can only take place after the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (see Jn. 3:3).
[5] Jonathan Edwards, “A Divine and Supernatural Light”).
[6] The Life of A.W. Tozer: In Pursuit of God, 155.
[7] The Pursuit of God, 13 cf. Jn. 17:3. Brother Lawrence reminds us that “Many do not advance in the Christian progress because they stick in penances and particular exercises, while they neglect the love of God, which is the end” (Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, 24).
[8] The Life of A.W. Tozer: In Pursuit of God, 155.
Commandment and Joy
I like to drive. And, whether I’m going to “happiness” or Ohio, it is helpful to know how to get there. So when I drive I obey the GPS, my wife. I listen to her instructions because she knows how to get where we’re going, I don’t, or if I do, I’ll forget.
Commandment has a similar relationship with joy. If we want to get somewhere, or something, i.e. happiness, we need to know how to get it. We are, so to speak, like a train; most free when “constrained” to the tracks. The tracks seem narrow. They seem restraining. But the only thing they restrain us from is destruction.
It is God who makes known to us the path to life. It is He that sets us on the road to fullness of joy. Not our inclinations.[1]
Often when we listen to our self, we say, “This is the way, I just feel it.” That, however, is much like my driving: Hopeless. I, we, need instruction. Remember this, Without instruction, destruction.
God Your Word, not my own, is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I need Your commandments that I may live.
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[1] “Sensuous pleasure—pleasures of the body—divorced from enjoying a well-ordered life is problematic… The happy life is grounded in the moral life” (Ellen Charry, “Christian Happiness”).
An Anthology of New Creation
The place is forsaken,
the populous city deserted. (Is. 32:14a cf. 2:11; 5:21)
In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places, there will be desolation.
For you have forgotten the God of your salvation
and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge;
therefore, though you plant pleasant plants
though you sow and toil,
yet the harvest will flee away
in a day of grief and incurable pain. (Is. 17:9-10 contrast Ezek. 47:1-12)
Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,
and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field. (Is. 32:15a)
Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
And the effect of righteousness will be peace,
and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places. (Is. 32:16, 17, 18a)
The nations shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore. (Is. 2:2 cf. v. 3b, 4)
In that day the LORD will say, “Blessed be Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” (Is. 19:25 cf. vv. 21-25)
The LORD will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for Him;
let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.” (Is. 25:8-9)
For the LORD comforts Zion;
He comforts all her waste places
and makes her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the LORD;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song. (Is. 51:3)
Our Messiah brings good news to the poor,
binds up the brokenhearted
the Anointed proclaims liberty to the captives,
opens the prison to those who are bound
He gives beautiful headdress instead of ashes
the oil of gladness instead of mourning
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit. (Is. 61:1-4)
“For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in My people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress. (Is. 65:17-19 cf. 4:2-6)
There shall be no more a brier to prick or thorn to hurt. (Ezek. 28:24a)
Before My people call I will answer;
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
and dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all My holy mountain. (Is. 65:24-25)
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the LORD delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you. (Is. 62:3-5)
Zion’s righteousness goes forth as brightness,
And her salvation as a burning torch. (Is. 62:1)
The name of the city from this time on shall be, “The LORD Is There.” (Is. 48:35)
For, the LORD is King. (cf. Is. 33:22)
The government shall be upon His shoulders,
and His name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over His kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (Is. 9:6-7 cf. 42:1-4)
Every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance. (Is. 45:23 cf. 49:7; 66:23)
You shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. (Is. 60:16)
Our LORD says,
“Come, everyone who thirsts.” (Is. 55:1a)
The Grave Necessity for a Hideous Hell
Hell is unashamedly a dreadful doctrine; yet, as we will see, a necessary doctrine.[1] C. S. Lewis’ said,
“There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, specially, of Our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by Christendom; and it has the support of reason.”[2]
We don’t desire controversy for the sake of controversy.[3] Rather, we want to be convinced biblically,[4] logically, and practically that hell is a necessary doctrine.
It is important before considering the evidence to think about our a priori assumptions. For instance, in Harper Lee’s book To Kill a Mocking Bird the correct verdict could not have been given in that context (i.e. Maycomb’s racist white community) because people excluded the possibility that anyone other than the black man, Tom Robinson, was guilty. Despite the strong evidence that Atticus Finch put forward Tom was convicted. Why? Because people were prejudice against the truth. The people’s a priori assumption, that Tom was guilty because he’s black, led them to not honestly look at the evidence and pronounce the correct verdict.
This sadly still happens. It happens in the court of law and it happens when people consider other forms of evidence. This is especially likely to occur when emotional issues are involved. So when people consider what the Bible teaches on certain subjects they come with tinted glasses. One theologian, for instance, admits that he “was led to question the traditional belief in everlasting conscious torment because of moral revulsion and broader theological considerations, not first of all on scriptural grounds.”[6]
John Stott believed in annihilationism. Stott, by his own admission, left the ranks of what is “traditional orthodoxy for most of the church fathers, the medieval theological and the Reformers.” Even as Stott emotionally wrestled with the doctrine of hell he said, “our emotions are a fluctuating, unreliable guide to truth and must not be exalted to the place of supreme authority in determining it. As a committed evangelical, my question must be—and is—not what does my heart tell me, but what does God’s word say?”[7]
As we look at the wrath of God we look from a certain vantage point in the cultural climate in which we live. This inevitably shades our perception of things. One book I read told of a Korean man that struggled not with the wrath of God (and even hell) but with the love and grace of God.[8] This was because he had seen horrible wickedness and clearly understood that wickedness deserves justice.
Timothy Keller tells about a woman that told him that the very idea of a judging God was offensive. Keller responded by asking why she wasn’t offended by the idea of a forgiving God. The woman was puzzled so Keller continued:
“’I respectfully urge you to consider your cultural location when you find the Christian teaching about hell offensive.’ …Westerns get upset by the Christian doctrine of hell, but they find Biblical teaching about turning the other cheek and forgiving enemies appealing. I then asked her to consider how someone from a very different culture sees Christianity. In traditional societies the teaching about ‘turning the other cheek’ makes absolutely no sense. It offends people’s deepest instincts about what is right. For them the doctrine of judgment, however, is no problem at all. That society is repulsed by aspects of Christianity that Western people enjoy, and are attracted by the aspects that secular Westerns can’t stand.”[9]
Many people are chronological or geographical snobs. That is, they have baseless biases and think their place in space and time has the unique vantage point to decipher morals, values, and truth claims of people in different times and cultures than their own. However, why should one think that non-Western cultures are inferior to our own?
The various aspects of the unpopularity of Christianity actually show that it is transcultural. Keller says,
“For the sake of argument, let’s imagine that Christianity is not the product of any one culture but is actually the transcultural truth of God. If that were the case we would expect that it would contradict and offend every human culture at some point, because human cultures are ever-changing and imperfect. If Christianity were the truth it would have to be offending and correcting your thinking at some place. Maybe this is the place, the Christian doctrine of divine judgment.”[10]
Let’s, as Keller says, for the sake of argument, listen to the transcultural truth of Scripture. Let’s not be biased. Let’s take our tinted glasses off and seek to see why hell is necessary.
“If the resurrection really happened…”
Imagine for a moment that Christ actually rose from the dead in bodily form after being in the grave for three days. How would His followers have reacted? For the sake of argument, suppose Christ did indeed rise from the dead. And I do not mean some vague floating mist. I mean a bodily resurrection. How would Jesus’ followers have responded?
You would think it would leave a movement in its wake. One that would continue to the present day. They would do and say things that otherwise would not make sense.
Psychological
There would be psychological differences in the group that followed Jesus. If the group was frightened after Jesus’ death, for example, hiding away, we would expect that after His bodily resurrection, they would be bold. They would be excited. They would tell people about Jesus.
In short, their psychological state would go from scared, disillusioned, and depressed to fearless, reassured, and energized. They would go from hiding in shame to hazarding their lives.
Volitional
The transformation of their psychological state would transform their actions as well. So, we would expect His followers to tell others about it. In fact, they would go to great lengths and even suffer to share the news about Jesus. They would willingly be counted insane or even go to the gallows, so to speak. In short, they would show through their actions that they had seen and touched the resurrection.
Religious
Religious texts would be reexamined and reinterpreted in light of the traumatic event. For instance, Jews would look at Isaiah 53 through a different lens. The group of followers would also have other practices that could not be explained in any other way except by the resurrection. For example, they may have a meal celebrating the work of Jesus. This practice would be strange by outsiders, yet they would still practice it because of its significance.
Traditions
Previously held religious traditions would be changed. Changes would happen that could not be explained except through a cataclysmic event. Examples of ingrained religious traditions that would be significant if changed:
1) The day a religious group gathers for worship.
2) The changing of a religious rite used to enter a religious group. An example here would be doing away with circumcision as a rite of entrance into a religious community.
It is not unreasonable to believe if something big happened it would lead to a change in tradition. It must be understood, however, that traditions do not change unless there is a reason to change them. For example, it would take something significant to change the day a religious group would gather for worship if they were told to worship on a particular day (e.g., Exodus 20:10); and it would take something big to change the religious rite of passage into a group if there was already solid precedence for a particular rite (e.g., Leviticus 12:3).
Heritage
If the resurrection happened, it would have left a heritage in its wake. People would still be impacted by it. People would still gather in mass in celebration of it. People would still be psychologically changed by it. People would tell other people about it. People would… be transformed.
If the resurrection really happened…
If the resurrection happened, it would make sense that we should not be lackadaisical about it.
Do you believe Jesus rose from the dead? If the resurrection really happened, it changes everything!
Be Transformed… By Gospel Motivation
In a previous post I talked about our need for action steps to assist the process of sanctification (i.e. growth in holiness). The first “action step” I want to look at is the most important. If this one isn’t understood the other ones probably won’t see a lot of action. First, an example from Timothy Keller.
“Imagine that a baby bird falls from its nest in the sight of a fox. The bird cannot yet fly (hence the fall), but there is a small protective hole at the base of [a] tree that is within a scurry’s reach. The fox pounces and sets out after the bird. What should the bird do? Of course, it should scamper into the hole to get out of immediate danger. But if as time goes on all the bird ever does is scamper, it will never learn what it has been designed for: to fly. And eventually it will surely be eaten by the predators it was designed to escape.
In the short run, we should simply obey God because it is his right and due. But in the long run, the ultimate way to shape our lives and escape the deadly influence of our besetting sins is by moving the heart with the gospel” (Center Church, 70).
So, the first and most important thing we desire is for our heart to be moved and shaped by the gospel. When we have gospel motivation we will be invigorated, energized, and refreshed for transformation. This is what Paul repeatedly prayed for in others (e.g. Eph. 1:15-23; 3:14-21).
The Bible tells us to do a lot of things and not do a lot of things. It tells us to be a certain type of person and not be a certain type of person. But this can be hard. I remember as I kid being told to do something by my mom. And you know what I would say to my mom after she told me to do something? I would ask, “Why?” I wanted to know how what I was doing made logical sense. Knowing why we are to do something and having motivation to do something is important.
Paul tells the Corinthian church to work hard for the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58). But why? Because Christ has been raised from the dead and they will rise with Him so their faith and their work is not a foolish waste of time but actually makes a lot of sense (cf. 1 Cor. 15:14, 17, 20-22). All over Scripture we are essentially told to be transformed but we are motivated to be transformed by gospel truth (e.g. 1 Kings 8:60-61; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Eph. 4:1; Col. 3:1-5).
Again, Keller points out something helpful for us:
“Moralistic behavior change bends a person into a different pattern through fear of consequences rather than melting a person into a new shape. But this does not work. If you try to bend a piece of metal without the softening effect of heat, it is likely to snap back to its former position. This is why we see people who try to change through moralistic behaviorism find themselves repeatedly lapsing into sin… But the gospel of God’s grace doesn’t try to bend a heart into a new pattern; it melts it and re-forms it into a new shape. The gospel can produce a new joy, love, and gratitude—new inclinations of the heart that eat away at deadly self-regard and self-concentration” (Center Church, 67).
The first “action step” is to be affected and motivated by the gospel. Of course, this is not something we can conjure up on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to work in us. However, it is vital that we give Him fuel to light our souls a flame. So, first, pray as Paul the Apostle did that God would enlighten our eyes to His truth that it would affect us deep within. Second, consume God’s truth. Read Ephesians and then read it again. Read Desiring God, The Knowledge of the Holy, or some other good Christian book that God can use to awaken your soul.
Basically, we need to stoke the fire of our soul. So, stoke your soul! Be transformed by the renewal of you mind (Rom. 12:2)!
What thoughts do you have? How has the gospel motivated you to be transformed?
The Accomplishing Power of God
There is a lot I want to do. There is more I cannot do. I am limited, finite. I die. Grow tired.
God, thank Him, is not like me. He accomplishes all His will—always.* And, unlike me, that is a good thing. God is not like me. If I accomplished all my will this world would be a scary and stupid place to live. I have neither the character nor wisdom to accomplish my will.
I rest in the fact that God does accomplish all He purposes. And I take much comfort in the fact that He is holy. His character and purposes are always good, all the time, and He is all-wise.
I am sure you remember Bob Ross. Bob Ross would paint his “happy little trees.” He once said, “In painting, you have unlimited power. You have the ability to move mountains. You can bend rivers. But when I get home, the only thing I have power over, is the garbage.” Yet, sometimes Bob Ross would “move mountains” and “bend rivers” and it didn’t seem to make sense.
Sometimes he would say:
“Just ‘smoosh’ it in there. It’s not a real word, but people seem to know what it means” (I don’t know what he means)
“Just put a few do-ers in there…”
“Decide where your little footy hills live”
“Shwooop. Hehe. You have to make those little noises, or it just doesn’t work”
“The only thing worse than yellow snow is green snow”
Or, listen to this:
“If you did this with yellow, and you went over it with blue, you would end up with a .. with a translucent… green. And it’s gorgeous. It is GORGEOUS.” Did you know that? Would you have guessed that? I certainly wouldn’t have.
Well, if you have watched Bob Ross you might think he was a little crazy and didn’t know what he was doing. But by the end of the episode you see a beautiful picture. After you have seen one episode you don’t question him as much; you know he is a great painter.
Well, God’s power is analogues to this. God is the Great Painter. He will accomplish His will. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to us. But we can trust His character. We can trust that the end will be beautiful. Better then we could have imagined.
Not even the terrible sufferings of this present time are worth comparing to the amazing glory that will be revealed to us. God will indeed work all things together for good. He will make all things new. He will accomplish His perfect will.
God help us to trust You. To rest in You. God, I thank You that you are all-wise. I thank You that You are Good.
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*E.g. Gen. 18:14; Job 42:2; Ps. 33:11; 43:13; 115:3; 135:6; Prov. 16:9; 19:21; 21:30; Is. 46:10; Jer. 32:27;Dan. 4:35; Matt. 19:26; Luke 1:37; Eph. 1:4-5; Rev. 3:7. This is known as God’s efficacy. He accomplishes His will.
He is there and He is not Silent
He is there and He is not silent. Of course, both these facts are immensely relevant to our discussion of the attributes of God. If God was not, or was silent, we could speak nothing of Him. But God is.[1] But, that is not all, He speaks. He has revealed Himself! In one sense, it is right to say that He didn’t need to do this.[2]
God is! He exists. He made the world—worlds!—and holds all things together (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). But that is not all, He shows Himself—Himself—to us. He is not silent.
He paints the sky for us. Not once a day but twice a day. It will take a genius a lifetime to paint his masterpiece. God, with relish, paints two each day. He needs neither brush nor canvas. He paints with matter. However, that’s just one way of looking at it, for in actuality, He is continuously painting a sunset and sunrise, somewhere.
What’s more, God speaks not merely through creation but He condescends and speaks to creation. We know God through His Word. We know Him must fully through the Word become flesh (cf. Jn. 1:1-14). Contra agnosticism and deism, God can and has condescended and revealed Himself. He can do this because He is Lord of all creation.[3] It certainly is not beyond His power.
General Revelation
It says in Romans 1:18-20 that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven… for His invisible attributes… have been clearly perceived.” What does this mean? This means that we can clearly see that there is a God from creation, even more than that, some of His attributes are made visible from His creation. “Namely, his eternal power and divine nature.” So we can perceive from creation God’s innate divinity and his everlasting power (see also Ps. 19:1-6).
So what can we understand about God from creation alone; from general revelation? We can first see God’s power. The God who made this immeasurable universe must himself be endless. The God who made this world with all its endless mysteries must Himself be majestic and divine. We can also see that God’s wrath is revealed.
I use to be a security officer. One night when I was doing my rounds and walking around the perimeter of the fence I heard a weird noise. I was not sure what it was. I was all by myself and my mind was telling me that all sorts of ill fates awaited me. However, I had to do my job so I continued to investigate the strange noise.
The noise reminded me of some sort of constant rumbling but of what I could not be sure. I kept walking toward the noise. I walked as far as I could, but eventually the fence stopped me. I was not a hundred percent sure what the noise was. It sounded like a fountain or a stream. But why had I never noticed it before? Was it a new fountain? That seemed unlikely. Or perhaps a man on a four-wheeler was planning on breaking in?
I don’t know. And the point is, I couldn’t know. My perception was obstructed. I could never be sure what I heard. I had evidence that something was there and I could even deduce things about it from what I heard but I could never be sure about it.
It is this way with general revelation. We can know something is out there but we are limited in our understanding of that something because we are fenced in. However, the good news is that this something has revealed itself, Himself, to us through the Bible; through special revelation. The Bible allows us to go past the fence and behold God.
While there are similarities between general and special revelation there is a chasm of difference. With general revelation alone there is only condemnation and hopelessness. Whereas with special revelation, there is a chance for reconciliation and hope in Christ.[4] Just as if we read merely Romans 1:18-32 we see man’s shortcoming and God’s wrath, we do not see hope. It is the same if one sees merely general revelation we cannot ultimately have real hope. However, if we read Romans 1:18-32 in context we will read verse 16 and realize that we can have hope in the gospel and we can see that it is through the gospel, though special revelation alone, that one can have salvation.
Special Revelation
Some seek after a god and imagine vainly what he would be like (Acts 17:27) but we rest in the fact that God has revealed Himself, He has spoken (e.g. Deut. 5:23-24; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Heb. 1:1-2). We can know Him, the all-powerful God. Our knowledge cannot be exhaustive, yet we can truly know, but not wholly. Not yet, not for all eternity, for God is infinite and the finite cannot obtain the infinite, even after eons in pursuit. So our knowledge and love will grow, but grow eternally, for we cannot reach the end of God’s glory. So, yes we can know God! And truly! But not finally wholly, but this is part of the superb glory and wonder of Yahweh, and indeed heaven.
Jesus, the Revelation of God in Flesh
The LORD wrote the word to reveal Himself, yet in the later days the Word—God—became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us and we have seen His glory (see Jn. 1:14; Heb. 1:1-2). The infinite, inconceivable, was conceived! The Lord of all nature formed His own human nature in His mother’s womb. The nails that held Jesus on the tree were upheld by His own hand on the molecular level (see Heb. 1:3).
What Christ did on earth—loved, healed, sought sinners, condemned Pharisees, told us of God’s wrath, died for sinners, etc.—shows us God and His priorities (cf. Jn. 14:9). Jesus, God in flesh, He who is infinite in perfection, reached out and touched a leper. What an amazing thought! The LORD loves us. The LORD condescends and reaches out to us in love.
Jesus manifested the glory of God. Jesus tabernacled among us, He showed us Himself in flesh.[5] Yet, that still does not mean that we have seen all of God or know God exhaustively. Heaven will be an endless revealing of the glory of God. Remember the response that humans give angels in Scripture? Humans sought to bow in worship. Yea, angels fall prostrate before Yahweh and cry, “Holy, holy, holy.” We for all eternity will see more and more and more of God’s glory manifested and thus will increase in our ecstasy of worship. This sounds strange, I realize, yet this is what we all truly desire. I, also, do not pretend to know how it will unfold. Yet, I know it will be better than anything we can think or imagine, as Paul the Apostle says.
In Scripture, it seems to me that with each epoch of revelation from God there is a new crescendo of praise that God’s people are able to reach. In the garden, though Adam and Eve saw God they did not see Him as we do, as Savior. We have seen that which the prophets longed to look, which is a vast blessing, and should cause us to cry out in praise, yet what was the response of the saints in John’s vision from Patmos? From Genesis to Revelation we see in escalation of praise. This, I believe, is because we see more of God manifested and thus praise more. I believe this will go on and on for eternity. Seeing more, loving more, seeing more, loving more. When talking about addictions, there is what is called, “the law of diminishing returns.” That is, once someone has reached a certain “high” they no longer are happy with that high but desire a new high. This for the addict has, literally, grave consequences. However, for the saint this is glorious! The “high” (excuse the crass example) we seek is ever available, will ever increase, and will never harm![6]
Practical Application of this Doctrine
If we know of God in our heads, that is, a self-conceived notion of Him but not the real God, not the God of the Bible, then we will become futile in our thinking and our foolish hearts will be darkened (Rom. 1:21). A wrong view of God leads necessarily to impurity (v. 24), dishonorable passions (v. 26), and a debased mind (v. 28). We must truly know God and honor Him as God. We will not rightly honor Him if we do not rightly know Him. It may seem as though this topic is not applicable but it certainly is. A. W. Tozer put it well in his classic work, The Knowledge of the Holy,
“It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate. If we would bring back spiritual power to our lives, we must begin to think of God more nearly as He is.”[7]
Now may we praise God for graciously revealing Himself to us—His power and majesty through creation, His character through His word, and who He is, expressed most definitively in, the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
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[1] Here are some helpful and popular arguments for the existence of God from William Lane Craig. And here are some more arguments for the existence of God.
[2] Yet, in another sense, He did need to reveal Himself. And that is because of His character, not because of some outside constraining force.
[3] See for example John Frame, The Doctrine of God, 80-115.
[4] Calvin says, “there is no righteousness except what is conferred, or comes through the gospel; for he shows that without this all men are condemned: by it alone there is salvation. John Calvin The Romans Trans. by John Owen (Grand Rapids, Michigan Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1948), 67.
[5] It must not be forgotten that not only do we see Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, in Scripture, but Jesus sent a Helper to us; the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity (Jn. 14:16-17). Our bodies, we are told, are temples for the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). So we do not just learn of God externally but the Spirit bears witness and deeply communicates with us internally (cf. Rom. 8:16, 26).
[6] I believe our worship as individuals increases the more special and general revelation that we receive; or at least should. Thus, I believe that we should be the “worhipingist” people of all time. This is because we can see the glory of God proclaimed by the use of the Hubble Telescope (soon to be Webb) and because we have more Scripture then past generations and we have many more resources available to truly understand the text.
[7] A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy The Attributes of God: Their Meaning in the Christian Life. (Lincoln, NE: Back to the Bible Broadcast, 1961), 6. I can of many examples to demonstrate this. The first one that comes to mind is Greek Mythology. The so-called gods and goddess were more crass then the whole of humanity.
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