more thoughts on creation, Systematic Theology, part 18

"When all the facts are rightly understood, there will be "No Final Conflict" between Scripture and natural science."

There is room for disagreement among Christians who believe in the total truthfulness of Scripture, for example, was it 7 literal days or longer?

In our understanding of the natural world and our understanding of Scripture, our knowledge is not perfect.

God, who speaks in Scripture, knows all facts, and he has not spoken in a way that would contradict any true fact in the universe.

However, three theories about Creation seem inconsistent with Scripture:

1. Secular theory (i.e. without God)

2. Theistic Evolution, (i.e. Evolution took place but God guided it). God speaks about creation orderly and intentionally, not in random mutation as evolution would suggest.

Furthermore, if what God made was "good" and "very good," then why would it have to go through so many mutations to it's final form?

Grudem points out that despite the evidence supporting creationism and the Bible, the ultimate reason people go up against it is because "It seems as though they will believe in anything, so long as it is not belief in the personal God of Scripture, she calls us to forsake our pride, humble ourselves before him, ask his forgiveness for failure to obey his moral standards, and submit ourselves to his moral commands for the rest of our lives. " 

3. If life was not created by God or responsible to him, then of what significance is human life?  Honest reflection on this notion should lead people to a profound sense of despair.

To add to this, without God there are no moral absolutes.  My moral ideas are “good for me but not to be imposed on you.”  Anything goes.

There is a group that suggests that from the first “day” when God created the heavens and the earth and the second “day.” This allows for all the millions of years old fossils to have a place in the Biblical account.  (This viewpoint also suggests the darkness on the first day as a result of God’s judgement/wrath, perhaps over when Satan rebelled).  This is an argument from silence, no scripture verse directly relates to this.

Next question: HOW OLD IS THE EARTH? This is an interesting yet less important question compared to the doctrinal questions of creation already covered. (God’s sovereignity in making the earth, doing it well, etc). 

Old Earthies, agree with modern science that the earth is 4.5 billion years old.  They draw from the verse, 2 Peter 3:8, “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (for God)”.

·        Day age view says, each day is an “age” of time.  They are in concordance with the Bible and the scientific conclusions about dating.

        

           The literary framework view says, this should not be taken literarily but rather as a framework or a literary device to understand creation.

Young Earthies say the earth is 10 to 20 thousand years old.  The verses that say “and there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.” Give strength to their argument that it was indeed a true 24 hour time period.

·      

           Mature creationism: That God made the earth with a deal of maturity already from the get go. For example, Adam and Eve were made as adults, not created and thrown on the earth as infants.  This suggestion questions how we can know that radiometric dating can be reliable in all times, considering that the substance of the earth could have changed the way the test results read out.

·    

           Flood geology: this would solve a lot of fossil/hard substances (diamonds, coal), due to the weight and power of the flood on the earth.

Both are valid options for Christians who believe the Bible today.

Simply adding up all the Biblical characters from Adam to Jesus is incomplete, as the Bible is clear that in it’s genealogies it includes the main/important characters primarily.

Did animals die before the fall? What about dinosaurs? (did they come along with all the other animals that Adam and Eve named, or where the animals living much before man was created).

Up next, the providence of God.

Systematic Theology, part 17.

(Actually chapter 15 in the book) Today's topic: CREATION.

Some points are very clear in scripture and broadly agreed upon, other questions have many varying viewpoints among evangelical Christians.



This is the doctrine of creation: "(1)God created the entire universe out of nothing;(2) it was originally very good;(3) and he created it to glorify himself."

1. Several places in the Bible affirm that God is the one who created all things, and before that only he existed. By His will (Revelations 4:11) all things were created.
God not only made the earth, but he made the spiritual realms, i.e. heaven, angels, etc.

God created Adam and Eve specially, and as such, it would be hard for Christians to claim that they came about as part of a long evolutionary process.  Although humans are like animals in many ways, we are very different in the sense that we are created "in God's image."

God didnt just create the heavens and earth but also....Time:  God created time, whereas he lived in his own way (without time?) before.
 "The fact that God created time reminds us of his lordship over it and our obligation to use it for his glory." 


The trinity worked together in creation.  John 1:3 says that all things were made through Jesus.   The spirit of God is generally seen as completing, filling, and giving life to God's creation.

Creation is distinct from God yet always dependent on God.  He made everything and is above it all, yet creation is continually dependent on him for its existence and functioning.   God is IMMANENT (remains in creation.)
Job 12:10, In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.

Lots of other philosophies try to distort this beautiful relationship.
God is over creation, Christianity
The universe is all there is, Materialism (no God)
God is everything, Pantheism (for example Buddhism)
God and the universe eternally exist separately, side by side, Dualism. (for example, new age)
God is not directly involved in creation nowadays, Deism (sometimes nominal Christians).



2.  God created the universe to show his Glory.
What does creation show about God? It shows his great power and wisdom, far above anything that could be imagined by any creature.   But, God was NOT incomplete without the glory that he would recieve from the created universe.  The universe does not fulfill God.   God did however, create the universe to delight in it.
This explains why we take spontaneous delight in all sorts of creative activities ourselves. ....that is an amazing aspect of humanity, compared to other creatures, that we can create new things.

God delighted in his creation, and called it "good," as he created each day.  Even after sin entered the world, God's creation is still good and should be appreciated.



As scientists have made new discoveries, it has caused Christians to reevaluate what earlier generations thought the scripture had said.  So it is always important to look closely what Scripture actually says on a scientific issue, an not just what Christians through history have translated it to say.

We must remember, in the question of the age of the earth and such questions, that all pronouncements by scientists are at best educated speculation.

To come next time: principles by which the relationship between creation and the finding of modern science can be approached.

Systematic Theology, Part 16

Here is a continuation of Chapter 11,  The Character of God; his Incommunicable attributes.  (i.e. How is God different from us).

d.  The challenge from process theology. (At first reading, this sentence is all new to me!)

Well, it means, Does God process and change over time?  The Bible says no but new theological ideas say yes, anything living must process and change. Part of their motivation is that humans through history add to God's experiences, and thus we humans mean something to God and who he is.   This, according to Grudem, does not stand up to scripture. 

Wayne Grudem says, "Scripture is clear that our ultimate significance comes not from being able to change the being of God, but from the fact that God has created us for his glory and that HE counts us as significant." 

Hebrews 1 says, " You, Lord, did found the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands, they will perish, but you remain; they will all grow old like a garment....they will be changed.  But you are the same, and your years will never end."  

e. God is both Infinite and personal.

God is not subject to us or creation, YET he interacts with us personally.  Wow, what a beautiful truth. 

Grudem points out that no other theological/religious system has a God image that is both personal and infinite, usually it is either/or. 

f. The importance of God's unchangeableness. If God could change, then he would either change for the better or the worse.  Either way, he would make us wonder whether there is something untrustable about him after/before changing.   He could ultimately change his plan for humanity, or if he could change, he could change into something totally evil.  And that is why we stand on the truth of the Bible that God doesnt change. 

3.  Eternity. God has not beginning, end, or "sucession of moments" in his own being, yet he sees events in time and acts in time.  Grudem says, " God knows all things, past, present, and future, and knows them all equally vividly." 

God is timeless in his own being.   God has a continually present existence, "I AM."  God sees events in time and acts in time. 

Will time stop in Heaven?  Although we will be in eternity, things will continue to progress...very interesting topic!

God is omnipresent.  God does not have any size or dimension, and is present everywhere, yet God acts differently in different places. 

God can be present to punish, to sustain, or to bless.  For example in the Old Testament, God made his presence known in the temple, and in the new covenant, there is no one place on earth that God has chosen as his particular dwelling place, for we can worship him anywhere.   The usual principle is that when God is "present" in scripture, it is to bless, and when he is "removed," it is because he removes his blessing. 

God's unity.  God is not divided into parts, yet we see different attributes of God emphasized at different times.   God is not a sum of a bunch of character traits, he is each of those things, unified and completely integrated whole person who is infinitely perfect in all of these attributes.  We must be careful to not overemphasize one characteristic, or set one aspect against another, as all are important. 

Systematic Theology, Part 15

Chapter 11,

The Character of God; his Incommunicable attributes.  (i.e. How is God different from us).


Lots of sermons, songs, etc, focus on one or another specific characteristic of God...yet knowing all his attributes in a good balance is vital for a healthy understanding of God.

Some attributes that only God has (called incommunable), are:
his eternity
unchangeableness
omnipresence..

Things that are communable (that we can have to a lesser degree):
love
knowledge
mercy
justice...etc.

What is God's name in Scripture?  "His "name" is equal to all that the Bible and creation tell us about God."

Several times in scripture, it is pointed out that we should honor God and his holy name, which is even one of the ten commandments in Exodus 20:7.

All sorts of descriptive names are used in Scripture about God, such as a torch, the sun, a lion, a hiding place, etc.

God does not have a body but is described metaphorically with eyes, ears, mouth, arms, foot, finger, etc.

"All creation in one sense or another, reveals something about God to us, and that the higher creation, especially man who is made in God's image, reveals him more fully."

Another reason Grudem points out the diversity of descriptions of God is that GOD made the universe so that it would show forth the excellence of his character.

Now, let's look at the incommunicable attributes of God closer:

1. Independance. God doesn't need us, yet we and creation can glorify him and bring him joy.
(Everything belongs to God, and God did not create us out of loneliness, because he had perfect love, fellowship, and communication in the trinity for all eternity.)
 
We and God are not just comparable like the ocean and a raindrop, the sun and a candle, but God's being is qualitatively different.   YET, God has created us and determined that we would be meaningful to him.  "That is the final definition of genuine significance."

2.  Unchangeableness.  Although God is unchangeable in his being, perfections, purposes, promises, yet he acts, feels emotions, and responds to different situations.


Psalm 102 speaks of how God laid the foundations of the earth, yet they will perish...but YOU are the same, and your years have no end.

Is God impassible? (That means he is passionless, emotionless)?  God does not have sinful passions or emotions, but he clearly rejoices, is grieved, burns with wrath, pities, loves, etc. ....

next time, more about God's incommunicable attributes!

Systematic Theology part 14.

Chapter 10, the Knowability of God.

It is necessary for God to reveal himself to us, so that we can know God.  Thus we need scripture if we are going to interpret natural revelation rightly.

"Hundreds of false religions in the world are evidence of the way sinful people, without guidance from Scripture, will always misunderstand and distort the revelation about God found in nature."



We can never FULLY understand God, he is infinite and we are finite.

Psalm 145: Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is UNSEARCHABLE.

In terms of Gods knowledge, David says, "such knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is high, i cannot attain it." Psalm 139

"We will never run out of things to learn about God, and we will thus never tire in delighting in the discovery of more and more of his excellence and of the greatness of his works."

"Thus, the prospect of a lifelong habit of regular Bible study, and even the prospect of a lifelong study of theology, should be a very exciting prospect to us."


Even though we cannot know God fully, we can know and stand firm in the truths of scripture concerning God. He is love, light, spirit, just, righteous, etc.

Jeremiah 9, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, says the Lord."

Systematic Theology, Post 13

I am finally moving on to Part 2 of Systematic Theology (a 7 part book).

 This part is called, The Doctrine of God.

(I will just remind readers that I am not teaching anything here, just summarizing, quoting, and pointing out what is interesting from Wayne Grudems Systematic Theology.)

Allright, here we go.  Chapter 9, the Existence of God. 

We can know God exists through
1. An inner sense of God
2.  Believing the evidence found in Scripture and in nature.

Paul points out in Romans 1 that non believers "knew God," but did not honor him, give thanks to him, and have willfully rejected some truth about Gods existence.

Quite simply, sin or irrationality cause people to say, There is no God.

"As a Christian, we have such an inner awareness of God our father, the Holy Spirit bearing witness that we are children of God, and Jesus Christ living in our hearts, that though we have not seen our Lord Jesus Christ, we indeed love him."

The evidence of God is seen through his creation, and especially in creation of fellow human beings that are intricately and skillfully made.


Psalm 19, David says, "the heavens are telling the glory of God."  

Every leaf, blade of grass, star in the sky, and all of creation cry out continuously, "God made me! God made me!"

4 traditional proofs for the existence of God:
1.  Cosmological, everything has a cause, and the cause of such a great universe can only be God.
2. Teleological, the harmony of the universe give evidence to intelligent design.

3. Ontological, God who is greater that his created creation cannot be himself created.
4. Moral, God is the source of mans sense of right and wrong.

"Finally, it must be remembered that in this sinful world God must enable us to be persuaded or we would never believe in him."

Sytematic Theology part 13

The four characteristics of scripture, or it's Sufficiency (Chapter 8)

IS the Bible enough for us to know what God wants us to think or do?  Fantastic question for this chapter!

Sufficiency of Scripture: The Bible has all we need for salvation, trusting God perfectly, and obeying him perfectly.  

"WE should be CONTENT with the GREAT REVELATION GOD HAS GIVEN US. "



Paul says in 2 Tim 3:15, "the sacred writings...which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." 

2 Tim 3:16-17 also speaks about how Scripture leads to "that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 

Imagine if God did NOT say that scripture was sufficient....we Christians would spend our lives searching history, our own subjective feelings and impressions, etc...just to find out what God requires of us. 

(For example, Systematic Theology book points out that Roman Catholics we also have to listen to the official teaching of the church throughout its history.)  Although history might help us to understand, Scripture is indeed sufficient on its own. 

Another cool thought from this book, "The amount of Scripture given was sufficient at each stage of Redemptive history." 



In addition, the Bible says at different stages that what has been revealed so far is sufficient, and in Deuteronomy, Proverbs, and Revelations, warns to not add or take away from what was given. 

What about all the stuff that was not written about? (for example smoking cigarettes).

Wayne Grudem says that with the Sufficiency of Scripture, we see that nothing is sin that is not forbidden by Scripture either explicitly or by implication. 

The result?  When seeking Gods will, we should seek his word first as our guide, and then be able to live like Psalm 119:44-45, "I will keep your law continually, for ever and ever; and I shal walk at liberty, for I have sought your precepts...Great peace have those who love your law, nothing can make them stumble."

Some good questions:
1. When trying to know Gods will for our lives, do we seek Scripture itself or many Christian books/sermons, etc, or even worldly influences?  What is it that feeds us?