Lord Jesus, give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its approach. Help me chastely to flee it and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be Thine alone.
Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find myself in Thee, the ground of my rest, the spring of my being. Give me a deeper knowledge of Thyself as saviour, master, lord, and king. Give me deeper power in private prayer, more sweetness in Thy Word, more steadfast grip on its truth. Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action, and let me not seek moral virtue apart from Thee.
Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly husbandman, that my being may be a tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wide, until Thou alone art seen in me, Thy beauty golden like summer harvest, Thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.
I have no master but Thee, no law but Thy will, no delight but Thyself, no wealth but that Thou givest, no good but that Thou blessest, no peace but that Thou bestowest. I am nothing but that Thou makest me. I have nothing but that I receive from Thee. I can be nothing but that grace adorns me. Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with living water.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
THE INFINITUDE OF GOD, An Overview
The Lord is a God of infinite worth. He is infinitely worthy of praise, honour and reverence. Ah, even if all creation were to gather together to praise Him for all eternity, none can give Him the true honour He deserves. Who alone but God can please Himself? Can man please God on his own, without grace? Can man truly honour God as He ought to be? Nay. Man’s praise in finite whereas God deserves a praise that is infinite. Hence, without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). It is only by the faith, which He has created in our hearts, that we can truly glorify Him.
It is also because of God’s infinite worth that sin is dealt with much severity. Dear Christian, have you ever wondered why a single act of sin deserves eternal suffering in hell? Ah, it is because sin of any form is committed against a God of infinite worth. If you commit sin against a person who is infinitely worthy, you will be punished infinitely with little regard to the gravity or frequency of your transgression. Big or small sin, it doesn’t matter. You offend God once and you’re doomed, lest you be forgiven at the cross! You see, Adam sinned only once but not even the innocent soil escaped the curse of the law. Whenever we sin, we offend an infinitely worthy and holy God. This is why sin is dealt with much severity. If God were just finitely worthy, then the punishment for offending Him is also finite. But because God is eternally and infinitely worthy, sin, even in the most subtle form, is punishable only by eternal torment. To make less of the punishment for sin is to make less of the offended One’s worth.
Another angle of the countless perspectives to God’s infinitude is God’s infinite character. Dear Christian, the reason why you will never get bored in heaven is because the One who is enthroned there is infinite! After two centuries in heaven, you will get tired of the streets of gold or the pearl gates. But we shall never get tired of the Lord because He is beyond the grasp of finite minds! We will run after Him, hoping to get to know Him fully but we shall never find an end to such endless conquest! Ah, to the wind with the pearl gates, streets of gold or mansions of many a gem. Run after God because He is infinite! We will never get tired of Him or get enough of Him. Dear Christian, start now! To know Him is eternal life! (John 17:3)
Emanating factors from God are also eternal. Life from Him is eternal (1 John 2:25). Redemption from Him is eternal (Hebrews 9:12). The blood covenant which He made is eternal (Hebrews 13:20). Judgment from Him is eternal (Hebrews 6:2). The Gospel He composed is eternal (Revelation 14:6). The Word that cometh from His mouth is eternal (Psalm 119:89). The righteous laws He formed are all eternal (Psalm 119:160). His established ways are eternal (Habakkuk 3:6). He is the eternal and everlasting God after all! (Genesis 21:33)
Finally, we must already know this at the back of our minds – every attribute of God is infinite! His love is eternal – this is why His elect will be loved forever! His wrath is eternal – this is why the unrepentant will be tormented forever! His patience is eternal – this is why He never runs out of it! His glory is eternal – this is why we can never contain Him! His power is eternal – this is why He remains unrivalled! And so on, dear friends, so on, infinitely!
“To Him (God) belongs eternal praise!” (Psalm 111:10)
What then is the effect of the doctrine of God’s infinitude?
1) God’s infinitude fills us with awe and adoration. Have we ever seen such great God? Can anyone be compared to Yahweh, the Lord God, who sits enthroned above heaven and earth? Oh, the regenerate man would go insane trying to comprehend this great God, let alone His workings!
2) God’s infinitude reveals to us how horrid sin really is. Ah, sin is revolting primarily because it is committed against an infinitely holy God! A Christian who knows of God’s infinitude cannot help but weep even at the slightest of his misconducts.
3) God’s infinitude brings great comfort to the repentant but fear to the unrepentant . For the elect to discover that they are eternally loved by an infinitely worthy God is the greatest comfort in this fallen world. On the other hand, for the unrepentant to discover that they are eternally damned by an infinitely holy God brings disembowelling fear. Ah, in the end times, when the Lord finally shows up, the great captains of this world will run in fear, begging the mountains and hills to fall upon them to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb (Hosea 10:8; Luke 23:30)
4) God’s infinitude promotes boasting in the Lord. Boasting in the Lord is one of the many great fruits of God’s infinitude. The Christian will say with fearless boasting in front of pagans: “Who can be compared to the Lord who is my God? Can anyone measure Him? Can anyone challenge Him? Can anyone bring Him down? Ah, my God is a God of infinite worth, undying and overwhelming. Your gods are dead, having done nothing since you’ve made them!”
5) God’s infinitude develops perseverance even in the midst of trouble. The cry of the Christian believer is this: “Even if I lose everything, even if I’m defeated by all my trials, I shall persevere in serving the Lord, my God, for He is infinitely worthy! He is beyond praise, beyond comprehension, beyond apprehension! Such is the Lord, who is my God and in whom I am bound to!”
It is also because of God’s infinite worth that sin is dealt with much severity. Dear Christian, have you ever wondered why a single act of sin deserves eternal suffering in hell? Ah, it is because sin of any form is committed against a God of infinite worth. If you commit sin against a person who is infinitely worthy, you will be punished infinitely with little regard to the gravity or frequency of your transgression. Big or small sin, it doesn’t matter. You offend God once and you’re doomed, lest you be forgiven at the cross! You see, Adam sinned only once but not even the innocent soil escaped the curse of the law. Whenever we sin, we offend an infinitely worthy and holy God. This is why sin is dealt with much severity. If God were just finitely worthy, then the punishment for offending Him is also finite. But because God is eternally and infinitely worthy, sin, even in the most subtle form, is punishable only by eternal torment. To make less of the punishment for sin is to make less of the offended One’s worth.
Another angle of the countless perspectives to God’s infinitude is God’s infinite character. Dear Christian, the reason why you will never get bored in heaven is because the One who is enthroned there is infinite! After two centuries in heaven, you will get tired of the streets of gold or the pearl gates. But we shall never get tired of the Lord because He is beyond the grasp of finite minds! We will run after Him, hoping to get to know Him fully but we shall never find an end to such endless conquest! Ah, to the wind with the pearl gates, streets of gold or mansions of many a gem. Run after God because He is infinite! We will never get tired of Him or get enough of Him. Dear Christian, start now! To know Him is eternal life! (John 17:3)
Emanating factors from God are also eternal. Life from Him is eternal (1 John 2:25). Redemption from Him is eternal (Hebrews 9:12). The blood covenant which He made is eternal (Hebrews 13:20). Judgment from Him is eternal (Hebrews 6:2). The Gospel He composed is eternal (Revelation 14:6). The Word that cometh from His mouth is eternal (Psalm 119:89). The righteous laws He formed are all eternal (Psalm 119:160). His established ways are eternal (Habakkuk 3:6). He is the eternal and everlasting God after all! (Genesis 21:33)
Finally, we must already know this at the back of our minds – every attribute of God is infinite! His love is eternal – this is why His elect will be loved forever! His wrath is eternal – this is why the unrepentant will be tormented forever! His patience is eternal – this is why He never runs out of it! His glory is eternal – this is why we can never contain Him! His power is eternal – this is why He remains unrivalled! And so on, dear friends, so on, infinitely!
“To Him (God) belongs eternal praise!” (Psalm 111:10)
What then is the effect of the doctrine of God’s infinitude?
1) God’s infinitude fills us with awe and adoration. Have we ever seen such great God? Can anyone be compared to Yahweh, the Lord God, who sits enthroned above heaven and earth? Oh, the regenerate man would go insane trying to comprehend this great God, let alone His workings!
2) God’s infinitude reveals to us how horrid sin really is. Ah, sin is revolting primarily because it is committed against an infinitely holy God! A Christian who knows of God’s infinitude cannot help but weep even at the slightest of his misconducts.
3) God’s infinitude brings great comfort to the repentant but fear to the unrepentant . For the elect to discover that they are eternally loved by an infinitely worthy God is the greatest comfort in this fallen world. On the other hand, for the unrepentant to discover that they are eternally damned by an infinitely holy God brings disembowelling fear. Ah, in the end times, when the Lord finally shows up, the great captains of this world will run in fear, begging the mountains and hills to fall upon them to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb (Hosea 10:8; Luke 23:30)
4) God’s infinitude promotes boasting in the Lord. Boasting in the Lord is one of the many great fruits of God’s infinitude. The Christian will say with fearless boasting in front of pagans: “Who can be compared to the Lord who is my God? Can anyone measure Him? Can anyone challenge Him? Can anyone bring Him down? Ah, my God is a God of infinite worth, undying and overwhelming. Your gods are dead, having done nothing since you’ve made them!”
5) God’s infinitude develops perseverance even in the midst of trouble. The cry of the Christian believer is this: “Even if I lose everything, even if I’m defeated by all my trials, I shall persevere in serving the Lord, my God, for He is infinitely worthy! He is beyond praise, beyond comprehension, beyond apprehension! Such is the Lord, who is my God and in whom I am bound to!”
THE SOLITARINESS OF GOD, An Overview
The solitariness of God is defined as God’s independence from all His creations. This doctrine is often dismissed as common knowledge but there are many viewing windows to this attribute, just like His other perfections. We shall look at some of these windows as revealed in His inspired Word.
First of all, God is solitary in His existence. God was all alone in the beginning, fully blessed in Himself and in need of no one. He did not create the universe out of obligation or loneliness. Rather, He created because He chose to create and it pleased Him to reveal Himself to His creatures. We need to work out of need. We need to labour to survive. Even animals of the lowest class have to fight their way in this world to gain food. But the Lord did not work for six days out of need. It was a sovereign act on His part to create the universe, not a need to be fulfilled. One of the greatest tragedies of this age is that we ascribe human traits to the Lord as if He were like us. But does not the Scripture repeatedly declare that He is not like us at all? (Psalm 50:21) The Lord has been alone from the beginning. Every living creature in this world has a respective origin. Even inanimate objects such as the heavenly bodies are born from something. But the Lord God had no beginnings. He has been there all alone – self-existent, self-sustaining, self-blessed. No one created Him. No one obligates Him. No high law controls Him. He is solitary. The Lord is the Law Himself and the sole Determiner of the future.
Secondly, God is solitary in His motivation. God is not motivated by anything outside of Himself. He did not love Jacob because he had some special trait that Esau did not have. The Bible says that He loved Jacob even before he did anything. In fact, Jacob had done more displeasing things than Esau and yet the Lord loved him. Is this because Jacob had some form unforseen merit? Or is it because the Lord chose to love him. To this many will say that God is not fair. And to this I will respond in the words of the Apostle Paul (Romans 9:11-24):
Thirdly, God is solitary in His works. As the Creator and Sustainer of all life, He is totally independent of His creatures. He works alone. Salvation is by His grace alone. Redemption is by His mercy alone. Sanctification is by His Spirit alone. He does not need man (Acts 17:25), rather, it is us who needs Him (Acts 17:28). Ah, so if God does not need us, why does He call us into ministry? Dear Christian, He calls us into ministry because He wants us to be a part of His work. The Lord is not calling us for His benefit. Neither does He call us out of a desperate need – as if He had one. He is calling us for our benefit, that we may enjoy the privilege of serving Him and experiencing His good grace.
Fourthly, the Lord is solitary in His counsel. His Word is sufficient to direct our lives. His counsel is independent. God does not ask the opinions of His angels on how to run His universe. He does not consider the thoughts of His creatures as if He needed some counselling. As the prophet declares: “Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed Him as His counselor?” (Isaiah 40:23) The Lord God does not reign through democracy, but through monarchy. The gentiles would find this offensive. But, oh how it would even be more repulsive if the Lord was a puppet of the majority vote! This solitariness is also applied in His revealed and inspired Word. The Bible is sufficient and independent. We do not combine God’s Word with the world’s wisdom and make up our own theology. Neither do we discern or apply the Scriptures through psychology, tradition or statistical data. The Holy Scriptures stand on its own, all sufficient in equipping us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17).
What then is the effect of the doctrine of God’s solitariness to the Christian?
1) God’s solitariness in His existence should deepen our veneration for Him. Ah, no one is like our Lord God! Even before the beginnings, the Lord God has already existed. He has have always been present – fully clothed in His glory even before the foundation of the world. Who can rival Him or explain such case?
2) God’s solitariness in His motivation humbles us and eliminates our pride. God’s election wounds the proud and uplifts the broken. When the Lord says “Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated”, He is boldly proclaiming that He is God and if He ever chose to love you that is not because you have some special merit that others did not have. He had loved us because He chose to. Hence, the application of His love is often called grace – the undeserved and the unmerited favour of God. Here is the divine irony and the show of God’s true wisdom – those who come before God’s presence wishing to stir Him by their good works are rejected; while those who come before His presence broken and weeping over their inability to stir the Lord to save them are saved.
3) God’s solitariness in His works grants comfort to the righteous and humbles the carnal-minded. Ah, how comforting is it to find out that the Lord does not need man? How relieving is it to find out that God’s will and purpose will stand whether we are successful in our ministries or not? On the contrary, how humbling must it be for the carnal-minded to find out that the Lord is in need of no one? Ah, carnal people want to be acknowledged. They want to be approved. They want to think that they deserve God’s love or deserve His approval because they helped the Lord. But the Lord is solitary and independent. He shares His titles and glories with no one. Hence, the carnal man is humbled.
4) Finally, God’s solitariness in His counsel establishes the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures in directing us. The Bible is not only infallible. It is also sufficient. One of the greatest plagues in modern-day Christianity is a denial of the Bible’s sufficiency. Is the Bible sufficient in equipping us to do every good work? Or are we to consult psychologists and anthropologists on how to run the Church? Is the Bible’s Gospel message sufficient in saving sinners? Or do we have to water-down the message to make it more attractive to carnal men? Are the Bible’s instructions sufficient? Or do we have to dilute it with the traditions and the wants of the people? Ah, here are the questions that all professing Christians must answer. We are not to conform our teachings to the whims of carnal men. Isn’t it folly to consult the spiritually dead regarding spiritual matters? Also, we are not to learn from psychologists and sociologists on how to govern God’s people. My dear friends, psychology and sociology were created as a protest to God. They are atheistic in both nature and origin. They may contain some “truths” but they are nothing but half-truths and worldly wisdom. We have nothing to do with them. God’s inspired Word is sufficient in directing us all the way.
First of all, God is solitary in His existence. God was all alone in the beginning, fully blessed in Himself and in need of no one. He did not create the universe out of obligation or loneliness. Rather, He created because He chose to create and it pleased Him to reveal Himself to His creatures. We need to work out of need. We need to labour to survive. Even animals of the lowest class have to fight their way in this world to gain food. But the Lord did not work for six days out of need. It was a sovereign act on His part to create the universe, not a need to be fulfilled. One of the greatest tragedies of this age is that we ascribe human traits to the Lord as if He were like us. But does not the Scripture repeatedly declare that He is not like us at all? (Psalm 50:21) The Lord has been alone from the beginning. Every living creature in this world has a respective origin. Even inanimate objects such as the heavenly bodies are born from something. But the Lord God had no beginnings. He has been there all alone – self-existent, self-sustaining, self-blessed. No one created Him. No one obligates Him. No high law controls Him. He is solitary. The Lord is the Law Himself and the sole Determiner of the future.
Secondly, God is solitary in His motivation. God is not motivated by anything outside of Himself. He did not love Jacob because he had some special trait that Esau did not have. The Bible says that He loved Jacob even before he did anything. In fact, Jacob had done more displeasing things than Esau and yet the Lord loved him. Is this because Jacob had some form unforseen merit? Or is it because the Lord chose to love him. To this many will say that God is not fair. And to this I will respond in the words of the Apostle Paul (Romans 9:11-24):
11Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God's purpose in election might stand: 12not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15For he says to Moses,
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " 21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
22What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
The Bible cannot be anymore clearer. The motivation of God for saving sinners is based on His effectual calling and not on some unforeseen merit of man (vs. 11-12). Besides, who are we to talk back to God? (vs. 20) Are we special enough to find favour in His holy eyes? We are sinners, rightfully condemned under divine justice and God has all the right to do what He wills (vs. 21).
14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! 15For he says to Moses,
"I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " 21Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
22What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
Thirdly, God is solitary in His works. As the Creator and Sustainer of all life, He is totally independent of His creatures. He works alone. Salvation is by His grace alone. Redemption is by His mercy alone. Sanctification is by His Spirit alone. He does not need man (Acts 17:25), rather, it is us who needs Him (Acts 17:28). Ah, so if God does not need us, why does He call us into ministry? Dear Christian, He calls us into ministry because He wants us to be a part of His work. The Lord is not calling us for His benefit. Neither does He call us out of a desperate need – as if He had one. He is calling us for our benefit, that we may enjoy the privilege of serving Him and experiencing His good grace.
Fourthly, the Lord is solitary in His counsel. His Word is sufficient to direct our lives. His counsel is independent. God does not ask the opinions of His angels on how to run His universe. He does not consider the thoughts of His creatures as if He needed some counselling. As the prophet declares: “Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed Him as His counselor?” (Isaiah 40:23) The Lord God does not reign through democracy, but through monarchy. The gentiles would find this offensive. But, oh how it would even be more repulsive if the Lord was a puppet of the majority vote! This solitariness is also applied in His revealed and inspired Word. The Bible is sufficient and independent. We do not combine God’s Word with the world’s wisdom and make up our own theology. Neither do we discern or apply the Scriptures through psychology, tradition or statistical data. The Holy Scriptures stand on its own, all sufficient in equipping us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17).
What then is the effect of the doctrine of God’s solitariness to the Christian?
1) God’s solitariness in His existence should deepen our veneration for Him. Ah, no one is like our Lord God! Even before the beginnings, the Lord God has already existed. He has have always been present – fully clothed in His glory even before the foundation of the world. Who can rival Him or explain such case?
2) God’s solitariness in His motivation humbles us and eliminates our pride. God’s election wounds the proud and uplifts the broken. When the Lord says “Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated”, He is boldly proclaiming that He is God and if He ever chose to love you that is not because you have some special merit that others did not have. He had loved us because He chose to. Hence, the application of His love is often called grace – the undeserved and the unmerited favour of God. Here is the divine irony and the show of God’s true wisdom – those who come before God’s presence wishing to stir Him by their good works are rejected; while those who come before His presence broken and weeping over their inability to stir the Lord to save them are saved.
3) God’s solitariness in His works grants comfort to the righteous and humbles the carnal-minded. Ah, how comforting is it to find out that the Lord does not need man? How relieving is it to find out that God’s will and purpose will stand whether we are successful in our ministries or not? On the contrary, how humbling must it be for the carnal-minded to find out that the Lord is in need of no one? Ah, carnal people want to be acknowledged. They want to be approved. They want to think that they deserve God’s love or deserve His approval because they helped the Lord. But the Lord is solitary and independent. He shares His titles and glories with no one. Hence, the carnal man is humbled.
4) Finally, God’s solitariness in His counsel establishes the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures in directing us. The Bible is not only infallible. It is also sufficient. One of the greatest plagues in modern-day Christianity is a denial of the Bible’s sufficiency. Is the Bible sufficient in equipping us to do every good work? Or are we to consult psychologists and anthropologists on how to run the Church? Is the Bible’s Gospel message sufficient in saving sinners? Or do we have to water-down the message to make it more attractive to carnal men? Are the Bible’s instructions sufficient? Or do we have to dilute it with the traditions and the wants of the people? Ah, here are the questions that all professing Christians must answer. We are not to conform our teachings to the whims of carnal men. Isn’t it folly to consult the spiritually dead regarding spiritual matters? Also, we are not to learn from psychologists and sociologists on how to govern God’s people. My dear friends, psychology and sociology were created as a protest to God. They are atheistic in both nature and origin. They may contain some “truths” but they are nothing but half-truths and worldly wisdom. We have nothing to do with them. God’s inspired Word is sufficient in directing us all the way.
Monday, January 26, 2009
THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD, A Brief Reminder
I am deeply grieved because so little a portion of God is exhorted today even amongst the most sincere of Christians. I, myself, had been a slave to the modern culture of the average Christian. Professing believers today have no business with God. They are more interested in practical steps of how to better their lives. They have no desire to know the Lord. They love the gifts more than the Giver.
A conference on "how to be positive during negative times" will have so many guests, but a conference about the attributes of great God of this universe will have but a few spectators. A book of practical steps on improving your lifestyle will be a bestseller. But a book about who God is, what the Gospel is, what conversion is - the very things that contain the glory of God and build character in the life of a Christian - will be on the worst selling list. Some people might even say, "But we know God already, we do not need to be reminded of His character". Oh my dear friend, listen to what you are saying. No, we only know a fragment of God's nature and we will spend eternity in heaven trying to acquaint ourselves with Him but we will always fall short, never arriving at end of our destination.
I would also submit to you dear readers that in this present age, most of the things we know about God are mere assumptions. About 70% of what we know about God comes from Christian cliches, and when it comes down to the application, we can do no better than a corpse.
One of the greatest need today is to begin rediscovering who God is and how His attributes play in the context of Scripture. To know God is eternal life (John 17:3). Yes, we know God is love, but do we understand how His love works? Do we understand that His love is unconditional and it freely offered to you, not because of some special merit you have above others, but simply because it pleased Him to do so? Do we know how different His love is from man? A correct understanding of God's love will cause the repentant to abhor himself and fall down on His knees in wholesome adoration. But how much do all the teachings in many conferences today have to do with who God is? Is it not true that most Christian gatherings are vain pursuits? We talk so much about principles and steps on how to improve our lives, but when have we passionately discussed the dimensions of God's mercy? Or His wrath? Or His immutability?
Some of us would even say that the attributes of God has no practical application. Oh, can you even hear what your saying? Your saying that the knowledge of the God Almighty, the very One who created you and continually sustains you has no practical value?
I tell you dear friend, if you are seeking practical steps to be holy, pondering on the excellencies of God is the best and only place to start. It is only by knowing Him can you submit to Him and love Him at an even greater degree. And I also tell you that you can start at the attributes of God and find yourself satisfied day after day, but you will never reach the end because the very Centerpiece of your study has no end!
Tired of sin? Study the wrath of God and His abhorrence of evil that you may tremble in reverence and remember not to grieve His heart.
Looking for comfort? Run to the sovereignty of God that you may find assurance that nothing is without His reach.
Feeling lukewarm? Exhaust yourself in the knowledge of God's grace that you may weep over your dull heart, remembering that you deserved hell and yet was saved by grace - the unmerited and undeserved favor of God.
Doubting your salvation? Seek to grasp the unconditional love of God that your carnal doubts be purged and in turn, be replaced by faith, hope and love.
Ah, these are but a few examples of the many ways the attributes of God can be put into practice. But be not deceived! Our primary goal in unveiling the attributes of God has nothing to do with the betterment of our lives - far from it! Our main objective in studying the character, nature and excellencies of the Lord is so that we may glorify Him and acquaint ourselves with Him - taking pleasure in Him as we digest His words daily.
A conference on "how to be positive during negative times" will have so many guests, but a conference about the attributes of great God of this universe will have but a few spectators. A book of practical steps on improving your lifestyle will be a bestseller. But a book about who God is, what the Gospel is, what conversion is - the very things that contain the glory of God and build character in the life of a Christian - will be on the worst selling list. Some people might even say, "But we know God already, we do not need to be reminded of His character". Oh my dear friend, listen to what you are saying. No, we only know a fragment of God's nature and we will spend eternity in heaven trying to acquaint ourselves with Him but we will always fall short, never arriving at end of our destination.
I would also submit to you dear readers that in this present age, most of the things we know about God are mere assumptions. About 70% of what we know about God comes from Christian cliches, and when it comes down to the application, we can do no better than a corpse.
One of the greatest need today is to begin rediscovering who God is and how His attributes play in the context of Scripture. To know God is eternal life (John 17:3). Yes, we know God is love, but do we understand how His love works? Do we understand that His love is unconditional and it freely offered to you, not because of some special merit you have above others, but simply because it pleased Him to do so? Do we know how different His love is from man? A correct understanding of God's love will cause the repentant to abhor himself and fall down on His knees in wholesome adoration. But how much do all the teachings in many conferences today have to do with who God is? Is it not true that most Christian gatherings are vain pursuits? We talk so much about principles and steps on how to improve our lives, but when have we passionately discussed the dimensions of God's mercy? Or His wrath? Or His immutability?
Some of us would even say that the attributes of God has no practical application. Oh, can you even hear what your saying? Your saying that the knowledge of the God Almighty, the very One who created you and continually sustains you has no practical value?
I tell you dear friend, if you are seeking practical steps to be holy, pondering on the excellencies of God is the best and only place to start. It is only by knowing Him can you submit to Him and love Him at an even greater degree. And I also tell you that you can start at the attributes of God and find yourself satisfied day after day, but you will never reach the end because the very Centerpiece of your study has no end!
Tired of sin? Study the wrath of God and His abhorrence of evil that you may tremble in reverence and remember not to grieve His heart.
Looking for comfort? Run to the sovereignty of God that you may find assurance that nothing is without His reach.
Feeling lukewarm? Exhaust yourself in the knowledge of God's grace that you may weep over your dull heart, remembering that you deserved hell and yet was saved by grace - the unmerited and undeserved favor of God.
Doubting your salvation? Seek to grasp the unconditional love of God that your carnal doubts be purged and in turn, be replaced by faith, hope and love.
Ah, these are but a few examples of the many ways the attributes of God can be put into practice. But be not deceived! Our primary goal in unveiling the attributes of God has nothing to do with the betterment of our lives - far from it! Our main objective in studying the character, nature and excellencies of the Lord is so that we may glorify Him and acquaint ourselves with Him - taking pleasure in Him as we digest His words daily.
May we all exhaust ourselves in His divine excellencies which are so graciously revealed in Scripture!
Jeremiah 9:23,24
This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows Me.."
This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows Me.."
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
THE IMMUTABILITY OF GOD, An Overview
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
The immutability of God is defined as God's never changing character. He never grows, adapts or changes. His divine attributes and wholesome decrees are subject to no change or revision. He is immutable - a perpetual Rock, an immovable Stronghold, an unshakable Pillar of might! Creatures are subject to mutations but the Creator is not! Nature is subject to alterations but the Nurturer is not! Puppets are controlled by the strings of the puppeteer, but no archangel, no force in the universe, no power in heaven or below will ever control the Lord. None shall and none can shove Him from His almighty position. He is immutable forever and ever!
God is immutable, foremost, in His nature. He is consistent - there is no conflict in Him. He is constant - subject to no modifications. Our understanding may grow, our characters may develop, but His disposition does not. All His divine excellencies, attributes and perfections are solid, unmoved, unchanged, influenced by nothing outside of Him. His nature is constant with no variability. He does not change like the seasons. He does not grow like the trees. He does not age. Ah, the Lord diminishes not! Nor does He gain anything in the centuries. He is at His peak and at His best. He is in need of no change and is subject to no alterations. He is eternally composed and He will never decay. He has always been the same God. He has always been the same King. He has always been and will always be the same Lord and Ruler. Constant is His love. Constant is His mercy. Constant is His sovereignty. Constant is His compassion. Constant is His glory. Constant is His justice. Constant is His wrath - lest it be dealt with on the cross!
God is also immutable in His power. Ah, God is not bothered by that which bothers us! He was not troubled when a third of His angels rebelled. He scoffs at the armies of men and laughs at those who think they can plunder His kingdom. He is never moved or shaken from His place of power. His power, in all essence, is absolute, concrete, unyielding, unrivalled and unchallenged. None can stay His hand (Dan 4:35) or force Him to give way. His power will never change, never wane or never increase.
Thirdly, God is immutable in His Word. His divine Word, spoken or written, does not change. If He swears to do something by His Name, He will do it. If something is written in Scripture, we can trust that it remains infallible for all time. He will not take His promises back or change His mind all of sudden as if He were a wearied old man pacing back and forth. "For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29). Such is the hope of a praying believer - that God will never change His mind. He will never turn back from His word or give up. Even if there is no current evidence, we can be assured that He will complete His promises to those who avail of them by faith. The Lord will finish the work He began (Philippians 1:6)!
Ah, imagine for a moment if the Lord were a mind-changer? Imagine for a moment if the Lord, like man, changes His direction and decides to condemn the very ones He has chose to love eternally? A terrifying thought isn't it? What if God raised His hands in surrender, exclaiming, "You know what? I'm fed up with humanity. They have been constantly sinning against me, constantly rebelling against me with their lifestyle and constantly provoking me to anger with their ungodly thoughts. I give up. I'll send no help. I'll send mo more hard truth. Those whom I have elected, I will forget. The promises I gave, I will withdraw. I'll leave them to themselves until they wake up in hell."
Oh but the Lord is not as such! If He is such, then He is not "God". If He changes His mind and takes back His words which He has declared, then His foreknowledge is not eternal and He is but a slave to some unknown power. He would be like man, like us in thought and emotion - in need of learning and maturity. But the Lord is not! He is the immutable One.
Some of us would probably say, but what about those moments in the Holy Scriptures when the Lord "relented"? Does that mean He made a mistake? Does that mean He cannot fully anticipate the future and thus relented? More importantly, does it mean that He changes His mind? Does it mean that His immutability is only applicable to some divine aspect but not His entire character? To this I shall answer using the words of Arthur W. Pink,
"Perhaps some are ready to object that we ought to read the following: "And it repented the Lord that He had made man" (Gen 6:6). Our first reply is, Then do the Scriptures contradict themselves? No, that cannot be. Numbers 23:19 is plain enough: "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent." So also in I Samuel 15:29, "The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent." The explanation is very simple. When speaking of Himself, God frequently accommodates His language to our limited capacities. He describes Himself as clothed with bodily members, as eyes, ears, hands, etc. He speaks of Himself as "waking" (Psalm 78:65), as "rising up early" (Jer 7:13); yet He neither slumbers nor sleeps. When He institutes a change in His dealings with men, He describes His course of conduct as "repenting". Yes, God is immutable in His counsel. "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Rom 11:29). It must be so, for "He is in one mind, and who can turn from Him? and what His soul desires, even that He does" (Job 23:13)... God's purpose never alters. One of two things causes a man to change his mind and reverse his plans: lack of foresight to anticipate everything, or lack of power to execute them. But as God is both omniscient and omnipotent there is never any need for Him to revise His decrees. No, "the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations" (Psalm 33:11). Therefore do we read of "His unchangeable purpose" (Heb 6:17)."
The Lord does not "rest" or "wake up". Nor does He have hands or feet. Yet, the Bible describes Him as such to accommodate the language of men and teach us at our level. Hence, when the Bible says "God relents or repents" it does not mean that God made a mistake, changed His mind and is now "trying" to accomplish things in a "better" way. The Scriptures is clear on Numbers 23:19 and Hebrews 13:8. God is not like us. He does not change. His will is constant. His promises are eternal. Besides, if God were a changeling, its all over! Imagine how confusing that would be? All His attributes are now subject to change. All doctrines are now fallible. Worse of all, we have a God who is not really a "god". He has either no omniscient eye to anticipate everything (so is therefore capable of mistakes) or has no omnipotent hand to execute what He so desires. If God changes His mind due to a failure to see or a failure to execute His will, we have no hope in prayer, no hope in His promises and ultimately, no hope for redemption.
But, then again, the Lord is not like such! He is immutable primarily because He is omniscient and omnipotent. He is moved by no external force or philosophy. He does not make mistakes. He does not relent like an impulsive youth lacking in discernment. Nay, the Lord God is the same yesterday, today and forevermore.
1) It grants comfort and security to His children. There is a hope to look forward to. There are promises to claim by faith. There is a never changing God who will fulfill what He has declared. There is a God who will never give up on us. 2 Timothy 2:13 - If we are faithless, He is faithful. We can be assured and encouraged that the Lord's everlasting love for His people (Jeremiah 31:3) will remain everlasting despite our momentary lapses to carnality. God is the Refuge we surely can run to. He never changes and is the same forever!
2) It magnifies the glory of God. The fact that God is an unmovable Rock. The fact that God is an unchanging Being plus the fact that His attributes, power and dominion is unchallenged, uninfluenced and unrivalled by anything outside of Himself - all these facts summed up together causes the believer to fall prostrate before the immutable One. Any revealed attribute, perfection or excellency of God always creates worship in His body of believers.
3) It removes confusion and anarchy which Satan seeks to create. As we have previously elaborated, if God changes His mind, then there is no definite ground for our faith. There will be no absolute truth to uphold. The opposite is also true. When there is the hard preaching of an immutable God, there is order, there is sanity, there is wise counsel, there is hope, there is faith, there is truth - unbendable and unchangeable. There is unity and an absolute sense of divine monarchy.
4) It provides godly confidence and makes it easier for His people to trust in all His declared promises, especially the finished work of Christ. How blessed is the believer who finds confidence and assurance on the cross of Calvary? Eternal salvation for a damned sinner is an impossibility if God were mutable. But He isn't and so is His counsel. The Lord is not a chameleon. We can trust Him - really trust Him! "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you (Isaiah 54:10). We can rely and claim His promises daily without fear and doubt. The people who admire us today may conspire against us tomorrow. But the Lord is not like such, hence, we can trust Him with all confidence.
May the Lord's immutability encourage us to trust and admire Him even more!
The immutability of God is defined as God's never changing character. He never grows, adapts or changes. His divine attributes and wholesome decrees are subject to no change or revision. He is immutable - a perpetual Rock, an immovable Stronghold, an unshakable Pillar of might! Creatures are subject to mutations but the Creator is not! Nature is subject to alterations but the Nurturer is not! Puppets are controlled by the strings of the puppeteer, but no archangel, no force in the universe, no power in heaven or below will ever control the Lord. None shall and none can shove Him from His almighty position. He is immutable forever and ever!
God is immutable, foremost, in His nature. He is consistent - there is no conflict in Him. He is constant - subject to no modifications. Our understanding may grow, our characters may develop, but His disposition does not. All His divine excellencies, attributes and perfections are solid, unmoved, unchanged, influenced by nothing outside of Him. His nature is constant with no variability. He does not change like the seasons. He does not grow like the trees. He does not age. Ah, the Lord diminishes not! Nor does He gain anything in the centuries. He is at His peak and at His best. He is in need of no change and is subject to no alterations. He is eternally composed and He will never decay. He has always been the same God. He has always been the same King. He has always been and will always be the same Lord and Ruler. Constant is His love. Constant is His mercy. Constant is His sovereignty. Constant is His compassion. Constant is His glory. Constant is His justice. Constant is His wrath - lest it be dealt with on the cross!
God is also immutable in His power. Ah, God is not bothered by that which bothers us! He was not troubled when a third of His angels rebelled. He scoffs at the armies of men and laughs at those who think they can plunder His kingdom. He is never moved or shaken from His place of power. His power, in all essence, is absolute, concrete, unyielding, unrivalled and unchallenged. None can stay His hand (Dan 4:35) or force Him to give way. His power will never change, never wane or never increase.
Thirdly, God is immutable in His Word. His divine Word, spoken or written, does not change. If He swears to do something by His Name, He will do it. If something is written in Scripture, we can trust that it remains infallible for all time. He will not take His promises back or change His mind all of sudden as if He were a wearied old man pacing back and forth. "For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29). Such is the hope of a praying believer - that God will never change His mind. He will never turn back from His word or give up. Even if there is no current evidence, we can be assured that He will complete His promises to those who avail of them by faith. The Lord will finish the work He began (Philippians 1:6)!
Ah, imagine for a moment if the Lord were a mind-changer? Imagine for a moment if the Lord, like man, changes His direction and decides to condemn the very ones He has chose to love eternally? A terrifying thought isn't it? What if God raised His hands in surrender, exclaiming, "You know what? I'm fed up with humanity. They have been constantly sinning against me, constantly rebelling against me with their lifestyle and constantly provoking me to anger with their ungodly thoughts. I give up. I'll send no help. I'll send mo more hard truth. Those whom I have elected, I will forget. The promises I gave, I will withdraw. I'll leave them to themselves until they wake up in hell."
Oh but the Lord is not as such! If He is such, then He is not "God". If He changes His mind and takes back His words which He has declared, then His foreknowledge is not eternal and He is but a slave to some unknown power. He would be like man, like us in thought and emotion - in need of learning and maturity. But the Lord is not! He is the immutable One.
Some of us would probably say, but what about those moments in the Holy Scriptures when the Lord "relented"? Does that mean He made a mistake? Does that mean He cannot fully anticipate the future and thus relented? More importantly, does it mean that He changes His mind? Does it mean that His immutability is only applicable to some divine aspect but not His entire character? To this I shall answer using the words of Arthur W. Pink,
"Perhaps some are ready to object that we ought to read the following: "And it repented the Lord that He had made man" (Gen 6:6). Our first reply is, Then do the Scriptures contradict themselves? No, that cannot be. Numbers 23:19 is plain enough: "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent." So also in I Samuel 15:29, "The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent." The explanation is very simple. When speaking of Himself, God frequently accommodates His language to our limited capacities. He describes Himself as clothed with bodily members, as eyes, ears, hands, etc. He speaks of Himself as "waking" (Psalm 78:65), as "rising up early" (Jer 7:13); yet He neither slumbers nor sleeps. When He institutes a change in His dealings with men, He describes His course of conduct as "repenting". Yes, God is immutable in His counsel. "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance" (Rom 11:29). It must be so, for "He is in one mind, and who can turn from Him? and what His soul desires, even that He does" (Job 23:13)... God's purpose never alters. One of two things causes a man to change his mind and reverse his plans: lack of foresight to anticipate everything, or lack of power to execute them. But as God is both omniscient and omnipotent there is never any need for Him to revise His decrees. No, "the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations" (Psalm 33:11). Therefore do we read of "His unchangeable purpose" (Heb 6:17)."
The Lord does not "rest" or "wake up". Nor does He have hands or feet. Yet, the Bible describes Him as such to accommodate the language of men and teach us at our level. Hence, when the Bible says "God relents or repents" it does not mean that God made a mistake, changed His mind and is now "trying" to accomplish things in a "better" way. The Scriptures is clear on Numbers 23:19 and Hebrews 13:8. God is not like us. He does not change. His will is constant. His promises are eternal. Besides, if God were a changeling, its all over! Imagine how confusing that would be? All His attributes are now subject to change. All doctrines are now fallible. Worse of all, we have a God who is not really a "god". He has either no omniscient eye to anticipate everything (so is therefore capable of mistakes) or has no omnipotent hand to execute what He so desires. If God changes His mind due to a failure to see or a failure to execute His will, we have no hope in prayer, no hope in His promises and ultimately, no hope for redemption.
But, then again, the Lord is not like such! He is immutable primarily because He is omniscient and omnipotent. He is moved by no external force or philosophy. He does not make mistakes. He does not relent like an impulsive youth lacking in discernment. Nay, the Lord God is the same yesterday, today and forevermore.
What then is the effect of the doctrine of God's immutability?
1) It grants comfort and security to His children. There is a hope to look forward to. There are promises to claim by faith. There is a never changing God who will fulfill what He has declared. There is a God who will never give up on us. 2 Timothy 2:13 - If we are faithless, He is faithful. We can be assured and encouraged that the Lord's everlasting love for His people (Jeremiah 31:3) will remain everlasting despite our momentary lapses to carnality. God is the Refuge we surely can run to. He never changes and is the same forever!
2) It magnifies the glory of God. The fact that God is an unmovable Rock. The fact that God is an unchanging Being plus the fact that His attributes, power and dominion is unchallenged, uninfluenced and unrivalled by anything outside of Himself - all these facts summed up together causes the believer to fall prostrate before the immutable One. Any revealed attribute, perfection or excellency of God always creates worship in His body of believers.
3) It removes confusion and anarchy which Satan seeks to create. As we have previously elaborated, if God changes His mind, then there is no definite ground for our faith. There will be no absolute truth to uphold. The opposite is also true. When there is the hard preaching of an immutable God, there is order, there is sanity, there is wise counsel, there is hope, there is faith, there is truth - unbendable and unchangeable. There is unity and an absolute sense of divine monarchy.
4) It provides godly confidence and makes it easier for His people to trust in all His declared promises, especially the finished work of Christ. How blessed is the believer who finds confidence and assurance on the cross of Calvary? Eternal salvation for a damned sinner is an impossibility if God were mutable. But He isn't and so is His counsel. The Lord is not a chameleon. We can trust Him - really trust Him! "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you (Isaiah 54:10). We can rely and claim His promises daily without fear and doubt. The people who admire us today may conspire against us tomorrow. But the Lord is not like such, hence, we can trust Him with all confidence.
May the Lord's immutability encourage us to trust and admire Him even more!
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