The book read this week presents a clear picture of God’s existence through the New and Old Testaments. God exists as the creator and as the Trinity Lord. The Trinity comprises of God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three exist as one. However, God the Father is the head of the Trinity. He also lives as the sovereign Lord and King of the whole world. This means that the world as a whole and everything therein belongs to him and is under his authority. In Genesis, He is portrayed as a powerful and God who created everything by his word of mouth. He spoke, “Let there be” and things came into being. Upon reflecting on these verses in Genesis, I remember the words spoken by Paul in Romans 4:17 “ in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist ” (ESV). This verse affirms the words in Genesis that he exists as the only creator who can make things out of nothing. He was not created, does not depend on anyone, and is self-sufficient 1 . Since he owns the entire universe and creation, he alone should be worshipped. Being the King, the world is his kingdom.
The current pandemic has led many to doubt the existence of God, including Christians who have either suffered from the disease or lost their loved ones to the pandemic. Many have questioned God as a good king because of the pandemic situation. God is the King of the universe, and everything that occurs, including the recent Coronavirus Pandemic, is because he permits it. He is in authority over everything, and nothing happens in his kingdom without him allowing it. Besides, he remains to be good. He can allow things to happen to the universe due to various reasons. In the book, the covenant made with Noah after the floods demonstrates how human beings can provoke the wrath of God ( as the King of the earth) due to disobeying his authority leading to severe events such as the flooding in times of Noah.
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The book demonstrates that God’s work as a King is not an end in itself but a start of his eternal plan 2 . He directs and orders everything towards his plan for eternity with man. This is reflected in his redemptive plan through Christ Jesus, who brings the saving reign of God. The obedience of Jesus Christ until death on the cross sets an example for we believers who have received God’s saving grace and are set apart for his eternal kingdom. Throughout the text, the theme of obedience to God’s rule is evident. It is something that God requires of men because they are under his dominion. It is disobedience that led to the fall of man in the garden of Aden and the floods that wiped out creation.
Bibliography
Chapter 16: “ Kingdom through Covenant”: A Biblical-Theological Summary. Workspace Library
Week 3 Journal: Contemporary Theology
This week, insights into God being a loving Father, a judge, and his amazing grace that caused forgiveness of our sins through Christ were gained. It was interesting to read how individuals view God as a creator of moral order and yet not concerned about it. Indeed, our cultures can shape our lives if we are not careful. In Romans 12:2, Paul says that the renewal of our minds should change us. This renewal can only occur if embrace God’s truth presented in the Holy Scriptures 3 . Our lives should be shaped and molded by the word of God but not our cultures. Indeed the word alone is adequate. It is vital for every person and especially Christians, to know that God is standing before us, and he calls us to come out of ourselves and have developed knowledge of him. I believe Christians should be careful about the beliefs they hold on to because some of them are not theological. Some indeed believe and teach that we ought to go into our own selves to know God. I consider this a heresy because it is not derived from the Word of God.
I think such cultural influences are one reason why there are different viewpoints about God and how people approach God today. I have observed this in my fellowship. It is important to teach people that God is calling them out of themselves so that they know him. This understanding will help me have an open mind when reading the scripture so that God fills me instead of reading with a certain notion in my mind. Another important insight gained from the week’s readings is that the weight of our belief as individuals matters a lot in how we live, talk, and approach and see God. A good example given in this week’s readings are the words “In God we trust: on the U.S. currency. It is a belief that is held by many people in the United States, but most people do not reflect in how they live. They believe that God exists, but the belief does not hold any value to them.
I agree with the text’s author that many claim that God exists but the way they conduct their lives is as if he did not exist. Also, the notion that God is a loving father and he does not make any moral judgments is a false doctrine that is rampant in our society and especially the church today. There are different instances in the Bible indicating that although he is a loving God, he makes moral judgments. The chapters covered throughout the week indicate that for those who believe that God makes moral judgments, saying that he is before has more value to them than to those who believe that he is only a loving father and does not judge our morals.
Bibliography
Chapter 1: God Our Vision, Culture Our Context , Chapter 2: The Gospel Across Time , Chapter 3: So Much More , & Chapter 4: The Love of God. Workspace Library.
Week 4 Journal: Non-Moral Attributes
In this week, the non-moral attributes of God were learned. One of these attributes is aseity. Although the term aseity is defined in various ways, the core meaning is that God does not depend on anything apart from himself to exist. God was not brought into existence by anyone, and therefore, he is self-existent. I agree with the theologians who say that saying that God is his own cause is not an appropriate choice of language because it would insinuate that he was brought into existence, which is not the case 4 . Although God is not created, he is the cause of all other things. The idea that the mental focus and reaction of God is partly influenced by human actions does not mean that it is the creation that causes his existence. Therefore whatever God chooses to happen, like the things that happen in our lives, the church, and the world at large depend on him alone. From a rational perspective, there is a need for a self-existent being or necessary being that does not come or fade in existence. Infinity is an attribute of God that indicates that he is not limited. His power is unlimited; hence he can do anything he wants. Also, his infinity can be described from a maximal degree perspective. In regards to space, God is omnipresent. He is able to transcend all spatial boundaries 5 . Therefore, God can find us anywhere we are because he is not limited by space. He is everywhere, and this got me thinking about a debate where individuals were arguing if God is present even where people are engaging in sin. Is God present where sin is being committed or involved?
God is eternal. There is a lot of evidence in the Bible indicating God’s eternity. God exists beyond time hence he has no beginning or end. His divine immutability indicates that he does not change. It is so encouraging to know that he does not lose or change his attributes or perfections. He is always perfect. I disagree with those who reject this attribute. Malachi 3:6 says, “ For I am the LORD, I change not” (KJV). We believers should be careful not to adopt false doctrines. The Bible from Genesis all the way to revelation show that God does not change. The omnipotent attribute of God is evident in creation. The Old Testament provides a clear picture of God’s omnipotent nature also. God is sovereign, meaning that he uses his power in any way he wants. In the texts covered this week, the author states that God can use his power overall apart from the human will. What about the case of Jonah in the Old Testament? Did God use his power over the will of Jonah? Does it indicate that he can exercise power over human will sometimes? God is omniscience and full of wisdom.
Bibliography
Chapter Six: The Attributes of God & Chapter Seven: The Non-Moral Divine Attributes (II) . Workspace Library
Week 5 Journal: Moral Attributes
One of the most important things learned this week is that we do not go to God in worship because it is our conception, or we need to, or we like doing so 6 . We come before him because he came to us first. Therefore, worship is a reaction to what God has done. Although there are benefits in worship, the focus is not about us as human beings getting comfort, being inspired, or feel entertained. It is about adoring and praising God because of who he is and everything he has done. It is true that when the focus of worship is the worshiper more than God, the authenticity of worship is lost. I find this and crucial reason for understanding worship, especially in the current world we are living where self-centeredness and focus on self are encouraged. Lessons throughout the week helped me see how we are living in a world that is upside down.
The gospel is considered a scam used by people to profit or enrich themselves. This notion is caused by some who claim to be born again but live their lives in the same way that unbelievers live. As a result, unbelievers do not see a difference between themselves and those who claim to be born again. It is said that such individuals tarnish the gospel of our Lord Jesus through how they live, talk, and do things. People are no longer told to abandon their evil ways when they confess to be believers. Holiness is no longer the focus of most of the people who claim to be Christians. I believe that holiness should make a distinction between a believer and an unbeliever. God requires us to be holy just as he is. Instead of God’s salvation, the world is pursuing other things such as self-promotion in order to gain psychological wellbeing. People think that improving their self-esteem will redeem them, which is false.
Instead of being self-centered, Christians ought to be God-centered in everything they do, think, or even plan. The fear of God in our hearts is lacking, and that is why people will do all manner of sin and still have the courage to stand and say that they are born again. They do not fear the God who sees them in secret. The church and the world today requires a renewed vision of God. I agree with the author of the chapters studied the character of God is holy-love. When we understand this, we start seeing things clearly as individuals and as a church and God starts having the weight and priority he deserves in our lives 7 . By doing so, we become citizens of the eternal kingdom. When the church will realize this, it will change the world and reflect the glory of our God. It will not be just an organization like any other, but a reflection and reality of eternity in the current bleeding and messed up universe.
Bibliography
Chapter 8: And C ome, Let Us Bow Down & Chapter 9: And, Come, Let Us Serve . WorkSpace Library
Week 6 Journal: Trinity
I have learnt several things with regards to the subject matter of Trinity. The first thing is that the doctrine of the Trinity is closely intertwined with the revelation of the gospel. The carrying out of God’s work of salvation through Jesus Christ came in with the notion of the Trinity. It is through God’s salvation that man is able to receive and understand the knowledge of the Trinity. I further understood that the message of the Trinity was not handed by God through statements but rather through the knowledge that one acquires when one is saved 8 . The gospel gives man the knowledge of God, which is embodied in the doctrine of the Trinity.
However, what was new to me was the revelation that the trinity cuts across both the New and Old testament. My earlier assumption was that the Trinity was representative of the gospel aptly captured in the new testament and not the Old Testament. But this view has changed because of the notion that the New Testament only represents the latest moment of a revelation that is progressive in nature which originates from the Old Testament. Both testaments are, therefore, essential in creating the right interpretations and expectations of the doctrine of the Trinity. This new insight has had a considerable impact on my understanding and interpretation of the doctrine of the Trinity. It provides the notion that both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are in tandem with the understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity.
However, I strongly disagree with the view that the scriptures are a mess of materials that need to be ordered by man for him to understand the concept of the Trinity. The Bible is a perfect source of God’s message to mankind that does not need to be synthesized to understand the Trinity. The scriptures are already synthesized and provide expressions that are coherent and full irrespective of how it is ordered. Some will completely misunderstand the doctrine of the Trinity when some Bible passages only talk about the Father and the Son without any mention of the Holy Spirit. There will be the feeling that the trinity triangle has not been adequately addressed and thus consider it as problematic. It should not be construed to mean that the Bible is binitarian but rather the manner in which God’s message to man is presented. This type of presentation should not concern us by concentrating on certain sub-points of the doctrine since the triangular symmetry of the Trinity is not necessarily a template to measure God’s message to mankind. The most important thing to note is that the doctrine of the Trinity is not only related to the gospel but also to the teachings of the Old Testament.
Bibliography
Sander. Chapter 9: Theses on the Revelation of the Trinity. WorkSpace Library.
Week 7 Journal: Creator
The doctrine of creator has taught me that there are various theories that have been developed to deal with the issue of creation. Most of these scientific theories have, however, not been static but dynamic. Their dynamism has raised doubts as to their authenticity and accuracy. Despite having various claims and explanations as to the issue of creation and the creator, these scientific theories have not been able to counter the biblical narrative, which has remained static and solidly grounded in the Christian faith. The Christian doctrine of creation is premised on the belief of eternity of matter. It is based on the concept of ex nihilo nihil, which means that one cannot get something out of anything. The belief is that God, as a being, created the universe out of nothing. However, it was often referred to as non-being since it was a formless type of matter which was added qualities by God to create something. They regarded God as a relative non-being who created the universe as a total absence of being. 9 Therefore, the Greco-Roman Christians believed that God created the universe out of the absolute absence of anything. This is in sharp contrast to the scientific theories of creation, which are mainly based on matter.
This type of thinking is new to me since even though it conforms to the biblical story of creation, it nonetheless portrays a God that is a non-being whose existence is relative. It brings out the notion that before creation, God was a relative non-being who created the world out of nothing by adding specific qualities to it. This kind of rationale demonstrates that the creation of the universe by God was some type of miracle that contradicts natural processes. It means that God’s creative activities were a series of divine miracles that fashioned many things from nothing.
I disagree with the ex nihilo type of creation because it is not consistent with the biblical type of creation where God created man by using dust. This, therefore, means that God created man out of matter and not out of nothing as proposed by the Greco-Roman belief. Even though God created the creatures of the sea, the Bible does not say that they were created out of nothing. It is, therefore, not wrong to assume that the biblical version of creation views the creation of the universe as one stemming out of pre-existing matter. In the same vein, the Bible talks of the creation of a woman from the rib of the man. Furthermore, Christian believers talk about being created for good works. This is a type of creation that is based on spirituality and not out of nothing. We can, therefore, safely say that God, the creator fashioned the universe out of something.
Bibliography
Chapter 12: The Doctrine of Creation. Workspace Library.
Week 8 Journal: Providence
The Christian Doctrine article on providence entitled The Doctrine of Providence has helped me understand that even though creation is God’s action, providence entails acts of God within human history. However, it not only covers the mighty acts of God, such as our redemption, but also the works of God in human lives through inspiration, vocation, answer to prayer, and guidance. I have also learned that there is a distinction between special and general providence. 10 It is a new knowledge that has helped me understand that nature and its processes, including moral law, enable God’s creation to fulfill its aims and objectives without any divine intervention. However, special providence involves God’s divine intervention in helping mankind to deal with life’s challenges. It entails specific acts of God that come into play to assist man to achieve their intended goals and objectives.
Special providence has had a considerable influence and impact on human history. When looked at from a biblical point of view, one could point out instances when the hand of God has been seen in the lives of individuals and groups of people. For instance, Christians believe that it is the hand of God that delivered the children of Israel out of captivity. There are many other examples that fully support the doctrine of providence in the Bible. The impact of God’s actions has been considerable and helped in the salvation of man from sins. It has also preserved his people from extinction through many works which are considered miracles or divine intervention. Various examples in the Bible that demonstrate divine intervention by God include saving Noah and his family during the floods, Preserving the life of a lot during Sodom and Gomorrah, among many others.
However, I strongly disagree with some theologians and philosophers who question the notion of special providence. Some of them are of the view that special providence is non-existent because today’s world is full of suffering, evil, and many other ills. They argue that if God is truly there, he cannot allow such ills to afflict mankind. It is their belief that there is so much suffering in this world that the course of human lives is anything but providential. However, I believe that the whole world is God’s intervention, given its freedoms and God-given powers. Man is able to make his own decisions because of God’s divine intervention, which provided him with a mind to choose between right and wrong. God is not absent but always present in all situations and whose divine spirit pervades in every situation and can be used in humans in a number of ways. The problems of the world are created by man himself even after he was given the freedom to choose right from wrong.
Bibliography
Christian Doctrine . The Doctrine of Providence. Wilmington for Christ. 2020.
1 Chapter 16: " Kingdom through Covenant": A Biblical-Theological Summary. Workspace Library
2 Chapter 16: " Kingdom through Covenant": A Biblical-Theological Summary. Workspace Library
3 Chapter 1: God Our Vision, Culture Our Context , Chapter 2: The Gospel Across Time , Chapter 3: So Much More , & Chapter The Love of God. Workspace Library.
4 Chapter Six: The Attributes of God & Chapter Seven: The Non-Moral Divine Attributes (II) . Workspace Library
5 Chapter Six: The Attributes of God & Chapter Seven: The Non-Moral Divine Attributes (II) . Workspace Library
6 Chapter 8: And C ome, Let Us Bow Down & Chapter 9: And, Come, Let Us Serve . WorkSpace Library
7 Chapter 8: And C ome, Let Us Bow Down & Chapter 9: And, Come, Let Us Serve . WorkSpace Library
8 Sander. Chapter 9: Theses on the Revelation of the Trinity. WorkSpace Library.
9 Chapter 12: The Doctrine of Creation. Workspace Library.
10 Christian Doctrine . The Doctrine of Providence. Wilmington for Christ. 2020.
