God is the cause of all there is, the Maker of heaven and earth, the One whose will cannot be thwarted. He writes and directs history, and His power is unlimited. Everything ultimately traces back to his plans and actions. He is transcendent, that is, above us.
But God also intervenes in history and becomes a part of his own story. He "rubs shoulders" with people, alternately rejoicing or grieving over their choices. God pleads, responds, interacts, and relates to men and women. He is immanent, or with us.
Of course the combination of these traits in one being is one of the great mysteries of the faith. How can God sincerely interact with those whose destiny he at some level determines? In what way is it possible for him to retain his sovereignty over people while simultaneously entering into meaningful relationships with them?
So baffling is this mystery that some have sought to smooth out the "rough edges" by minimizing one or the other of these truths. If, for instance, we portray God as if he is only a king, we can treat the language of God in relationship with his creatures as merely anthropomorphic; in other words, the Bible speaks as if God relates to us, but his real activity is that of reigning. On the other hand, if our conception of deity is that he is merely our friend, there will be little need to be concerned about the control he exerts over our lives; he's simply a "good guy," who wouldn't dare interfere with our plans.
But God is not so easily defined. As baffling as it may be, he is both our king and our friend. His genuine interaction with us does not in the least detract from his Lordship over our lives. He is the divine Lord, and he expects us to obey his will. Then again, his kingship does not in the least detract from his sincere desire to accompany us through life's journey. Thus, God communes with us, and he also rules over us.
Here, then, is the point: If we truly want to capture and be captured by God as he really is, it is essential to allow these paradoxical realities to co-exist and have their sway in our thoughts and lives. We must recognize him as both personal comrade and incomprehensible Lord, closest companion and governor of all things, spiritual confidant and ruler of human destiny. While there are surely times when we need a dose of one or the other of these truths, the overall goal must be to accept both of them. Seeing God in this way frees us to respond to him as we should, for we are called to live a life of combined awe and acceptance, embracing the mystery of the one who is simultaneously above and with us.
But God also intervenes in history and becomes a part of his own story. He "rubs shoulders" with people, alternately rejoicing or grieving over their choices. God pleads, responds, interacts, and relates to men and women. He is immanent, or with us.
Of course the combination of these traits in one being is one of the great mysteries of the faith. How can God sincerely interact with those whose destiny he at some level determines? In what way is it possible for him to retain his sovereignty over people while simultaneously entering into meaningful relationships with them?
So baffling is this mystery that some have sought to smooth out the "rough edges" by minimizing one or the other of these truths. If, for instance, we portray God as if he is only a king, we can treat the language of God in relationship with his creatures as merely anthropomorphic; in other words, the Bible speaks as if God relates to us, but his real activity is that of reigning. On the other hand, if our conception of deity is that he is merely our friend, there will be little need to be concerned about the control he exerts over our lives; he's simply a "good guy," who wouldn't dare interfere with our plans.
But God is not so easily defined. As baffling as it may be, he is both our king and our friend. His genuine interaction with us does not in the least detract from his Lordship over our lives. He is the divine Lord, and he expects us to obey his will. Then again, his kingship does not in the least detract from his sincere desire to accompany us through life's journey. Thus, God communes with us, and he also rules over us.
Here, then, is the point: If we truly want to capture and be captured by God as he really is, it is essential to allow these paradoxical realities to co-exist and have their sway in our thoughts and lives. We must recognize him as both personal comrade and incomprehensible Lord, closest companion and governor of all things, spiritual confidant and ruler of human destiny. While there are surely times when we need a dose of one or the other of these truths, the overall goal must be to accept both of them. Seeing God in this way frees us to respond to him as we should, for we are called to live a life of combined awe and acceptance, embracing the mystery of the one who is simultaneously above and with us.
2 comments:
What is your starting point apologetically?
Hi, Joe.
I think you can start either with God and his revelation or man and his image bearing capacity.
I think we limit our selves when we begin with only God (as some--not all--presuppositionalists do) or only man (as most evidentialists do).
The more I contemplate these matters, the more convinced I am that we must avoid an apologetic that is reductionistic. The issues are complex because both God and his creatures are complex. :-)
John Frame does a pretty good job dealing with some of these matters (Apologetics to the Glory of God). Ronald Mayers also has some good stuff to say (Balanced Apologetics). Obviously, there are others.
I hope I'm understanding you question . . . and that this makes at least some sense.
Please feel free to get back to me on these matters.
Thanks for the question.
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