God Is, God Acts (Doctrine of God)

THE NATURE OF GOD

I believe that God is (Exod. 3:14). He is the true (Jer. 10:10), living (1 Thess. 1:9), and only God (1 Cor. 8:4). Besides Him is no other (Isa. 44:6).

I believe that God exists eternally as Trinitarian community of mutual glorification (Jn. 17:5). God is one indivisible essence (Deut. 6:4) yet three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)—interrelated within Himself (Gen. 1:26, 11:7), co-equal in nature yet distinct in roles (1 Pet. 1:2, Tit. 3:4-6). The three members of the Godhead are distinguishable, but not separable.

I believe that God is spirit (Jn. 4:24), invisible (1 Tim. 1:17), and without form (Deut. 4:15-16), yet is not a force. He is personal and relational (Exod. 3:13-14; Jas. 4:8). God is transcendent (Job 11:7-8) and separate from creation (1 Ki. 8:27), yet is immanent (Jer. 23:23-24), everywhere present (Ps. 139:7-10), and intricately involved in creation (Acts 17:27-28).

THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

I believe that from God’s nature flow a variety of attributes—incommunicable (possessed by God alone) and communicable (shared with humanity). These attributes display the infinite richness of God’s being (Job 11:7)!

God alone is self-existent—the ground of His being is in Himself (Jn. 5:26). God alone is eternal—without beginning or end (Rev. 22:13), outside of time (2 Pet. 3:8). God alone is everlasting—existing in an unending succession of moments (Ps. 90:1-2). God alone is omnipotent—infinite in power (Ps. 147:5), capable of anything (Matt. 19:26). God alone is omniscient—infinite in knowledge (Rom. 11:33-34). God alone is omnipresent—everywhere at once (Ps. 139:7-10). God alone is immutable—unchanging in essence, attributes, and decree (Mal. 3:6). God alone is perfect (Matt. 5:48). God alone is utterly incomprehensible (Ps. 145:3)!

Some of God’s communicable attributes are His holiness (1 Pet. 1:16), love (1 Jn. 4:8), faithfulness (2 Tim. 2:13), goodness (Nah. 1:7), righteousness (Ps. 89:14), justice (Rom. 3:25-26), mercy (Eph. 2:4), and grace (Exod. 34:6-7). God is the source of all these things, displaying them in profound perfection.

THE WORK OF GOD

I believe that God acts. He works. He is neither static nor passive. He decrees, elects, creates, and sustains. God does whatever He pleases (Ps. 115:3, 135:6).

I believe that everything God decrees comes to pass (Isa. 14:27). God ordains all things by the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11; Dan. 4:35) according to His purpose and plan (Isa. 14:24; Acts 2:23) to the praise of His glory (Rom. 11:36). God does not, however, ordain evil (Jas. 1:13), but does permit it, is not surprised by it, may interfere to stop it (Ps. 33:10), and works to bring about redemption through it (Gen. 50:2). God uses evil to serve His purposes, but always holds people accountable for the evil they do (Jer. 17:10; Rom. 2:5-6).

I believe that God has chosen some for salvation (2 Thess. 2:13-14). This election occurred before the foundations of the world, was according to God’s purpose and for God’s glory (Eph 1:3-6). It was not based not on human effort or foreknowledge of human decision, but solely on God’s grace (Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 1:9). God has chosen to dramatically save some (Acts 9:3-16) while gently drawing others (Acts 16:14, 17:27).

I believe that God created all things (Isa. 40:28; Acts 17:24)—the heavens and the earth (Neh. 9:6; Isa. 42:5) and everything in them (Acts 14:15) visible and invisible (Col. 1:16). In God’s initial creation, He spoke (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 33:6) and out of nothing everything came to be (Heb. 11:3). Like all that God does, He created according to the counsel of His will for His own glory (Isa. 43:7; Rev. 4:11).

I believe that God’s creation is dependant upon His providential care. God governs (Dan. 5:21), rules (Ps. 66:7), sustains (Acts 17:25), and directs (Isa. 48:17) all things. Through this providential action, He holds the universe together (Col. 1:17) and keeps it aligned by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3).

GOD THE FATHER

I believe that God the Father, the first member of the Trinity, possesses the full nature and attributes of the Godhead (1 Cor. 8:6). He is the source of all the Godhead is (Jn. 1:18, 5:26) and the initiator of all the Godhead does (Jn. 5:19). The Father begets the Son (Jn. 3:16) and the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (Jn. 15:26). The Father is the composer of creation and the author of salvation (Eph. 1:3-6). The Father always sends the Son (Jn. 6:44) and the Spirit (Jn. 14:26) to accomplish His purpose and carry out His plan.

(more to come on God the Son and God the Spirit…)

God Speaks (Doctrine of Revelation)

I believe that through general and special means God reveals Himself to mankind so that they might know Him personally, glorify Him passionately, and enjoy Him eternally.

GENERAL REVELATION: CREATION & CONSCIENCE

I believe that God reveals Himself to all people in general so that they would seek and find Him (Acts 17:27). God reveals Himself externally through creation as it declares God’s power (Rom. 1:20), glory (Ps. 19:1-3) and goodness (Acts 14:17). God reveals Himself internally in every human conscience (Rom. 1:19) through an innate sense of morality imbedded deeply in the human soul (Rom. 2:14-16). General revelation is an evidence of God’s grace. It is a means by which all people can know certain aspects of God—namely, His divinity, glory, power, and law. Since general revelation is clear in creation and conscience, all people are accountable for their response to it. There is no excuse for refusing to know God (Rom. 1:19-20), and the consequences for distorting this knowledge and ignoring this God are severe (Rom. 1:18-32).

General revelation is used by God to strengthen the faith of those who know Him (Matt. 6:25-34), to fuel their worship (Ps. 148), and to under gird their evangelism (Acts 17:22-34). General revelation is also used by God to actively pursue those who do not yet know Him (Acts 17:26-27). It is, however, in and of itself unable to save. This revelation is clear, but not complete. It points to God as Creator, but not God as Redeemer. While general revelation may convict people of their smallness, only special revelation can convict people of their sin. General revelation, therefore, is an essential yet partial revelation of who God is and what He does.

SPECIAL REVELATION: REDEMPTIVE WORKS & WRITTEN WORDS

I believe that God reveals Himself more clearly through special means so that some people hear, see, and respond to His saving initiative (Rom. 10:14-18). Special revelation reveals God’s mercy, justice, and grace as it unpacks His glorious plan to rescue and restore sin-alienated humanity to Himself. Special revelation is a supernatural revelation that is only given and received through supernatural means (1 Cor. 2:12-13).

Throughout history, God has revealed Himself in redemptive works and written words. His works reveal His power to save (Ex. 14) and His words explain and interpret those works. Without the works the words are abstract story; without the words the works are forgotten history. Though God has spoken and does speak through other various means—direct speech (Ex. 3:3-5), angelic announcements (Luke 1:11-20), dreams and visions (Num. 12:6)—God has spoken most clearly through the person and work of Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:2-3) as it is recorded in the Scriptures. I believe that Jesus is the Living Word of God who incarnated into human history (Jn. 1:14) to accomplish the saving work of God (Jn. 3:16). In Jesus, we see the fullest revelation of God’s nature, character, and will (Col. 1:15-20).

SPECIAL REVELATION: THE BIBLE

I believe that the Bible is the Word of God that tells the great story of God’s work to reconcile the world through Jesus Christ. This sixty-six-book-in-one volume is the primary means by which God speaks to His people today. It is a perfectly preserved account of what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do.

I believe that all Scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). That is, He providentially prepared (Jer. 1:5; Gal. 1:15) and powerfully moved human authors—motivated and guided by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:20-21)—to record exactly what needed to be said (Jer. 1:9) so that His people would know, enjoy, and glorify Him forever. Inspiration is verbal, extending to the very words of Scripture (Matt. 4:4; Jn. 10:34-35, Gal. 3:16), and inspiration is plenary, meaning that all the words in every part are inspired (2 Tim. 3:16, Lk. 24:44; 1 Thess. 2:13). Scripture is a one of a kind book—both human and divine.

Since all Scripture is inspired by God, it is without error (Ps. 18:30, 19:7) in its original writing. All that the Bible affirms to be true is wholly true.[1] As the inerrant word, Scripture is completely reliable (1 Pet. 1:25; Matt. 5:18; 24:35), utterly profitable (2 Tim. 3:16-17), and entirely sufficient to provide people with everything they need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). It leads people into salvation (1 Pet. 1:23; 2 Tim. 3:15; Jas. 1:21), enables growth in godliness (2 Tim. 3:16), and equips believers for every good work (2 Tim. 3:17). Scripture is the primary and final authority for all matters of life and faith (Rom. 15:4; Matt. 15:3).[2] Scripture is clear, understandable, and life changing, though not all Scripture is equally clear and easily understood (2 Pet. 3:16). Scripture is not meant to merely inform minds, but to transform lives. This happens as the Holy Sprit works to illumine our minds and penetrate our hearts (1 Cor. 2:12-13, Heb. 4:12). Those in whom the Sprit is not working (Jer. 5:21) can understand Scripture objectively in a literary sense, but cannot be transformed subjectively in a spiritual sense (1 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 3:4). As we depend on the Spirit to teach (Jn. 14:26) and guide (Jn. 16:13), every believer must study Scripture diligently and apply its teachings daily (Jos. 1:8; Ps. 1:2) as they engage God together in Biblical community (Acts 2:42; 2 Pet. 1:20). Using careful grammatical-historical exegesis through a biblical-theological framework with a Christological focus (Lk. 24:27), believers should labor together in the study, application, and teaching of God’s Word (Ezr. 7:10). Those who preach and teach are especially called to such a task (Acts 6:4; 1 Tim. 5:17; 2 Tim. 4:1-2).

Through special revelation God has invited us into a story bigger than ourselves. Through the study and application of Scripture we understand that story and find our place in it. God has graciously revealed Himself through both general and special means so that we might know Him, glorify Him, and enjoy Him forever.

[1] The Bible, however, is not a science textbook and should not be treated as such. Also, Scripture often uses phenomenal language, summarizes content, and uses approximations in numbering. These apparent ‘errors’ do not discredit its inerrancy. It only points to the ingenuity of God’s communication methods—using human beings in contemporary culture and common practice. In cases of apparent error, the level of precision must be determined by the context.

[2] There are other authorities to which we must submit ourselves (parents, government, church elders, Holy Spirit, tradition, community together, science, wisdom, experience) but Scripture stand above and trumps them all.

Doctrinal Statements: Intro

I thought I’d post a series of doctrinal statements I've been writing in my theology classes at Western Seminary. They are brief statements of what I believe the Bible teaches about how God speaks, who God is, what God does, how we’re jacked up, how God saves us and works for us, in us, and through us. There are much better books written on these topics (one recommendation would be Doctrine by Mark Driscoll and my theology prof Gerry Breshears), but these statements are my attempts to articulate Christian theology clearly and concisely.

The goal of theology is to think God’s thoughts after Him so that we live out the life of God. May these doctrinal statements encourage us to think well and may we find ourselves living out the life of God!

Reflections on One Year in Texas

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been down in Texas for a year now. Time flies. Looking back over this year I’m grateful for the grace of God that has led me through seasons of both difficulty and excitement. Here’s a quick glimpse of what God has done…

My vision for the year was simple, but challenging: to grow in spiritual, emotional, physical, and relational health. Here’s how I sought to do this:

Spiritual & Emotional Health:

1. Soak regularly in Christ-centered teaching in Gospel-saturated community as a member of The Village Church
2. Connect with people in Recovery at the Village, learn to better fight sin, struggle well and live honestly
3. Serve in behind-the-scenes low-recognition ministries in the church (i.e. Parking Team, Kids Village)

Physical Health:

4. Work out regularly and eat better in order to honor God with my body

Relational Health:

5. Build friendships with all sorts of people—older/younger, male/female
6. Engage people at work, learn to listen well and serve as appropriate

By God’s grace, I’ve seen growth in all these areas. (Some more than others.)

It has been a joy to serve behind the scenes in the church and to work on developing friendships at work and beyond. God has been exceedingly gracious to teach and grow me this year! I pray that He would continue His good work as I learn to walk more regularly in joyful submission to Him.

When I left CT a year ago I was in a dark season of frustration, discouragement, and spiritual/emotional/physical exhaustion. (You can read about it here.) I was burnt out from working in the church, had become a ‘ministry doing machine' with little affection for Christ, and had developed a lot of bitterness and anger toward people.

Over this year the Lord has changed me. He has…

• deepened my love for the gospel
• convicted me of sinful brashness and arrogance
• humbled and softened my heart
• led me as a loving Father through a season of discipline in which a deeply rooted idol of control was exposed
• enabled a lot of freedom from habitual addictive sins
• provided me with some good friends and godly brothers in a new environment
• renewed my vision for joining Jesus on His mission to love and serve people

I'm grateful for His grace.

I Don't Want to Be a Debbie Downer

I’ve been doing a lot of introspection lately and have been thinking about this question: “How do people perceive me?” At times I think I know, but I’m not always sure that my mental version of me is the real version of me. (Can anyone relate?)

The fact is this: My personality tends to be more serious than silly, more intense than laid back. I’m not a naturally ‘bubbly’ person and have never been described as ‘spunky!’ In the realm of observation, I tend to be more critical than sensitive, more aware of ‘flaws to be fixed’ than ‘successes to be celebrated.’ The glass usually looks half-empty to me. Unfortunately, my serious-intense-criticalness often comes across as mean-abrasive-arrogance. And that’s not good! I’ve been convicted recently and am being challenged regularly to become more balanced in personality and positive in outlook. I cannot change the way I’m wired, but I can work with Jesus to uproot my sins and cultivate what remains.

Bottom Line: I want to be a life-giving person, not a life-draining person. I want to be joy-infusing, hope-producing, and grace-abounding. When I walk into a room may people’s hearts lift and think “oh good, I’m glad he’s here!” When I leave a room may there never be a sigh of relief with the accompanying thought “oh good, I'm glad he’s gone.” I never want to stress people out, make them feel dumb, or demean. I want my words to build up, not tear down…to be uplifting, never discouraging. Even in the little things I say, in the one-line replies and brief conversations, I want to offer hope. I want to impart life!

Thinking about these things reminded me of some hilarious SNL skits from a while back. To sum this up… I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer.

Debbie Downer @ Yahoo! Video

Implications of the Atonement in Preaching and Counseling

The atonement [God reconciles sinners to himself through the cross of Christ] is to be understood as a multi-faceted jewel. As you turn it examining its beauty, each and every angle will shine forth a unique and glorious reflection of the plan of God to restore rebels to relationship with Himself. Another way to see the beauty of the atonement is through the image of a symphony in which all the different themes interweave together creating one glorious sound. At the core of the atonement is the theme of substitution, but circling around it are the concepts of sacrifice, propitiation, redemption, reconciliation, triumph, and example.

This massive multi-faceted atonement has massive multi-faceted implications for every aspect of Christian ministry. Whether preaching or counseling (or mentoring, evangelism, discipleship…you name it!) the atonement not only affects our ministries, it is central and vital to our ministries. It is of first importance. You cannot minister without understanding and applying the atonement.

Of course, in large group proclamation (the preaching of God’s Word week in and week out), we must be diligent to show how the atonement is central in the Christian life and experience. Every sermon must speak of God's plan to reconcile rebels to relationship with Himself. One or more aspects of the multi-faceted atonement must be exegeted from the text (because they're there!), expounded, and applied. We must teach our people corporately to be gospel-saturated people.

And in small group community (i.e. counseling, mentoring, discipleship), we must have confidence in the multi-faceted atonement to deal with every problem that we face. A biblical counselor (i.e. every Christian) must learn to listen well to the people they counsel (where is their heart at? what circumstances are they facing? how are they thinking? etc) in order to find the aspect of the atonement that will cut to their heart at that very moment.

- Is it a matter of addiction? Then perhaps the theme of REDEMPTION would motivate people to walk with Jesus out of slavery to sin in to the freedom of life in Him. Or perhaps the theme of TRIUMPH—that Jesus has defeated the powers of satan and sin on the cross—is most appropriate for the addict? Perhaps that truth that "you are in Christ, sin has lost its grip on you" will provide the empowerment for breaking free from addiction?

- Is it a matter of abuse? Then perhaps the themes of PROPITIATION—that God deals wrathfully against sin and injustice—and/or EXPIATION—that God cleanses people from the defilement of sin—will serve to comfort and console victims of abuse. Victims of injustice must realize that God does not let sin go unpunished. His wrath is always appeased by blood—either the blood of Jesus or the blood of an unrepentant abuser.

- Is it a matter of marital conflict where peace in the home seems to be an impossibility? Then perhaps the theme of RECONCILIATION—that God brings peace out of alienation, reconciling us to Himself and each other—would speak volumes. Or perhaps the theme of SACRIFICE—that Jesus was slaughtered for our sins so that this marriage wouldn’t have to be. The question for this couple could be: “Are you going to give your sin to Jesus, or allow your sin to crucify your marriage?”

- Is it a matter of failing to use the resources God has given for our sanctification, or failing to live a life in biblical community on gospel mission? Does someone simply need a strong exhortation to live like Christ? Then perhaps the theme that Jesus is our EXAMPLE may motivate obedience to the Father and dependence on the Spirit.

In the end, the theme of SUBSTITUTION—that Christ died in my place for my sins—is the heart of the atonement. It is the center of the jewel, the main theme in the symphony. Around this concept every other concept orients. Without a perfect Savior taking our sin, destroying it on the cross, and imputing to us His righteousness, we are left with no hope! The good news of 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Galatians 3:13 must be central in all our Biblical preaching and counseling. Only then can the other themes of atonement be ignited and applied to the specific problems that sin-plagued people face in a sin-saturated world. "In my place condemned He stood" is the heart of the gospel. "Hallelujah! What a Savior!"

Reflections on Luke 23 and 24

Haven't posted in a while, so I thought I'd put something up that I wrote for my theology class today. It's a reflection on Luke 23:33 - 24:53.

This passage helps us see how people respond to Jesus, the crucified Savior. This notion (that God would die on a cross) is oxymoronic, scandalous, offensive, and absurd. It evokes a mix of various responses.
- Some respond to the cross of Christ by simply observing the spectacle, standing unaffected by it (23:35).
- Others scoff and mock at its absurdity (23:35-36).
- Some are broken in fear of God, repent of their sin, and receive life from Christ (23:40-41).
- Others, after mocking, are humbled and believe (23:47).
For every person alive, this is a question that must be addressed: How do YOU respond to the cross of Christ? The answer to this question affects everything.

This passage also shows us that Jesus is not easily offended by our doubts about His resurrection. The call of Christ is not to a ‘blind faith,’ but to experience Him (24:39). We see that Jesus is willing to offer the honest seeker tangible evidence that His life, death, resurrection, and exaltation are indeed realities (24:40). Jesus is willing to come and walk alongside us as we seek truth about Him (24:15). He will join us in our confused discussion and draw us to the truth. He even graciously puts up with our stupid comments and limited perspective (24:18)!

If someone is seeking to know Christ, two things must be done:

(1) Ask God to open your EYES to see Him (24:16, 31). He can do this in a variety of ways, at times even using sacraments (24:30, 35).

(2) Ask God to open your MIND to understand the Scriptures (24:45). He will do this by revealing that Jesus is the key that unlocks the entire Bible. Even the Old Testament (all of it!) is about Him (24:27, 44)!

Scripture is a primary means through which God draws people to Himself. When it is rightly interpreted and Christocentrically taught, there is a good possibility that (through the Holy Spirit's working) eyes will be opened, minds will understand, HEARTS will burn (24:32), and LIVES will change. May many more come to experience life in Christ! Indeed, it is a life of joy-filled life of worship (24:52) and spiritual blessing (24:51)!