One-dimensional View of God

Still thinking about love, and that God is love. It's so sublimely true, and any conception of God is incomplete without it. But then isn't any conception of God, or of us for that matter - incomplete when the concept can only speak of one facet of a person's character.

Don't get me wrong, to say that God is love is scriptural, fundamental and essential. Often quoted is 1 John 4:16 - "God is love". But the next verse then says that the purpose of this love is so that it will be "made complete among us so that we will have confidence in the day of judgment". Even here the facet of God's love is made to shine brighter by being connected to His righteousness and holiness.

Like a diamond, no one facet can sparkle on it's own. It's the totality of the facets in relationship to one another that result in its brilliance. In the same way, God is not God without His love reflected through His holiness, or His holiness reflected through His love. And so on for all His attributes. Some examples from scripture:

•    Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
•    Romans 12:9 - Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
•    Hebrews 12:6 - For those whom the Lord loves he disciplines.
•    1 John 3:16 - We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us.

We see God's great love by His sacrifice of His Son, in order that the requirements of His own holiness. would be met. It was holy love. Without God being a Holy God, the sacrifice (Christ's death on the cross) would have been a waste, because there would be no sin to pay for.

Our great need in theology these days is an accurate and complete view of God.

-RD

the Perfect Gift

I chose “The Perfect Gift” as title of this article because I believe that of all the gifts given down through the ages there is only one that can claim perfection and that is God's awesome gift of His Son Jesus Christ to the human race The object of a gift is to bring happiness which human gifts do but that happiness is fragile and often hammered into oblivion by life's trials and tribulations. Not  so with God’s perfect gift, for once one accepts His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior a lasting spiritual blessing commence, growing within them helping them survive the trials and tribulation of life and whose blessing never depart even unto eternity.

In 1980, Richard Brose, a long time friend, shared God's perfect gift with me and like Richard and millions of Christians before him I too tried to share God's perfect gift with others but over the years it has become increasingly difficult as more and more Americans wallowing in wealth refused God's gift instead choosing to worship money as their god seeking to find happiness in the material pleasures it could buy.

After the horror of 9/11members of Congress huddle on the steps of congress singing and pleading with God to protect and bless America. But they sang in vain because America is no longer worthy of God's blessing and is being devastated financially and assailed on all sides by fanatical terrorists led by those spawned from the loins of the devil and because of the unbelievable love or money that has permeated our mostly Godless society many Americans now find themselves with no money to love as they reap what they have sown staggering on the brink of a devastating financial disaster.

But all is not loss for our God is a kind and forgiving and tells us if we repent of our sins and return to Him He will heal our land. God fearing and loving Americans who have stood strong for their Lord Jesus Christ after years of suffering relentless secular attacks seeking to eliminate any mention of His name from our society need not repent but they must pray for God to once again bless America and share lovingly with those confused by chaos assailing them God's Perfect Gift His Son Jesus Christ Amen and Amen.

Love and God Bless.
"Ed."

The Path.

.a reflection in Proverbs.

“Be still my soul: your God will undertake
To guide the future, as in ages past.
Your hope, your mind, your will let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright” 
          - “Be Still My Soul” by Catharina von Schlegel (18th century)

Not long ago I shared a reflection (message) on “The Path.” I believe this may be an encouragement and aid again. I speak of a beautiful, rocky, meandering, purposed and craggy path as a metaphor for the guidance and presence of God- God’s will in us and around us.

There is a path, a walking way. Beside a path being a metaphor for God’s guidance- God’s will, I think we can see that the path is also a metaphor for Jesus.  Jesus of course expressed that he was the “way, the truth and the life.” To be connected with God in Christ, to be deeply cognizant and sensitive to Christ in us, is to be in a healthy place. The path has much to do with the person and character of Christ worked out in us.

The direction we are walking from there is likely the path God has planned for us. In fact, we know that God desires to instruct and guide us (Proverbs 1:1-5), that we can ask for wisdom, we can look for God’s caring guidance (Proverbs 2:3-11), and we can depend on God rather than relying solely on our own genius or intuition (Proverbs 3:5-6). So far, we have established a simple premise that God is concerned with and compassionate toward our direction and we can be certain of a great way and companion in Christ. Fourthly, we can commit our way to the Lord and he will direct (Proverbs 16:1-4). To commit our way assumes we are giving something that is of healthy, trustworthy and right (intentioned) virtue as opposed to asking God to bless something that is inherently self seeking, narcissistic, unethical, inhumane etc. Finally, we can be sure that God’s guidance and counsel will persist (Proverbs 19:21).

-gb