Unlimited Divine Wisdom
Point 2 in the five points of Jackson
Earl's 5 Points (TULIP)
1. Total Unconditional Stupidity
2. Unlimited Divine Wisdom
3. Limited Human Freedom
4. Irresistible Divine Sovereignty
5. Persistent Truth
1Sam. 2:3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
Job 37:16 Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?
Psa 147:5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVIN
So many people are concerned about the so-called Five Points of Calvin, that I think our entire emphasis in contemporary evangelicalism has become distorted and off balance. The Calvinist's are busy arguing with the Arminian's and both are engaged in a never-ending battle to exegete and prove things that have been proven 600 years ago! Let's get on with it. It's time to get back on track and start exegeting and explaining the other 50,000 points of the Bible instead of always riding a five legged hobby horse that takes us nowhere. If people refuse to believe what Calvin and Augustine and others saw in the Scriptures, so be it. Let them believe whatever the hell their twisted minds want them to think. Let's get on with the business of declaring the whole counsel of God. We do not follow Calvin or Arminius or any other man. We follow the Bible, Christ, His Apostles and the Holy Spirit who is the only authority on the Scriptures. Its time we quit sending mixed messages here, and start sending out the truth that Christ is the substance of our religion, and not Calvin or any human.
That's why I have decided to call this series Earl's Five Points (tulip), because I want people to see that there are at least 5 more things that are of equal (or more) importance than the 5 points of Calvinism. In my mind these points are far more important in today's world than Calvin's 5 points, because they are seldom heard today in all their correct dimensions, and in most cases they are not even mentioned; yet if you understand these things you will have a solid foundation for Biblical knowledge which will help deliver you from the many perils of false teaching and thinking which pervades our age of hyper intellectualism. These issues are far more relevant and important today than the 600 year old Calvinism debate. You need to settle whether or not you are a Christian first, a Calvinist second, and then move on toward getting yourself firmly established as a Biblicist foremost. Even Christ told us to study the Scriptures for they speak of Him (John 5:39).
So what I am trying to do here, is not downplay the importance of the Calvinistic issues, but to up-play the fact that their are many other issues of equal or more importance to the church and the world today. It's time for Christians to move onward and upward so that we are speaking relevant truth to our society today, and not just rehashing dead issues from antiquity. The Bible is a living book, and the message of Christ is a living message, and while it never changes, it is always adapting itself on a level of relevance and importance.
THE ISSUE OF SOCIALLY RELEVANT DOCTRINE
Let me give you an example, I just encountered today. A friend of mine, who became unemployed recently, was very sad and dejected because she could had to have her cable TV disconnected, because she could no longer afford the cable bill. She was complaining how horrible it is to have no TV, and I suggested that she Get herself a digital antenna and watch TV the old fashioned way with only a few channels but for free. She was more concerned about feeling sorry for herself, and the horrible sacrifices she is making because of her situation. Then I reminded her that TV is not a necessity but a luxury, and that in India, one of the worlds most populated countries, almost half of the billions of people who live there do not even have the ability to plug in a light bulb. Half the country has no electricity at all. But in America we have come to think that Televisions, Cell phones, Computers, gizmos and contraptions are absolute necessities. This example shows us that in our age of electronics, and extreme luxury, we have to address issues and concerns that John Calvin could have never imagined. People weeping over Television sets, and traumatized by lack of luxuries, is a relatively new phenomenon, and somebody needs to show these people how insane they are, and how blind they are to what is really important. Televisions and stuff should never cause people to have emotional and mental trauma, but it is happening in our day. Our gospel, and our message must address the issues of today, while keeping the message the unchanged and absolute truth of the Bible and Christ. That is what we are supposed to be doing, not hashing and rehashing the issues in John Calvin's day. We become a completely irrelevant force when we act like that. What does Christ expect us to tell the people today?
What is keeping people from God in our country and our world today? Of course I know it is sin, but specifically which ones? Calvin did not have to preach about gay rights and sexual mis-identification, because people knew in his day whether they were male or female. But that is not the case today in our very complex and confused society. People think that they are females in male bodies, and men in women's bodies, and everybody seems to be confused about something. The issue today is not the five points of Calvin. It just isn't. That may be a very small issue, among a very small group of conservative Christians, but it is not even remotely one of the main issues facing our world.
What about the issue of Islamic terrorism? Would Calvin have ever considered the possibility that a biological weapon could wipe out Geneva in five minutes, and that it was a distinct possibility in the hands of a terrorist network, or a deranged sociopath? People today, need to think about it, and Christians need to explain that. That is far more important than debating whether or not the elect will actually be saved, and how. Of course they will be saved and we already know how, because even the morons today have heard about what Jesus Christ has done. Is salvation, and salvation doctrine important, of course it is. But this other stuff is important also, and it is high time that Christians start preaching to this generation before it is forever lost. That is our responsibility and duty, not to sit around and endlessly debate idiosyncrasies of interpretation, while men are perishing everywhere around us.
Do not misinterpret this, and yank it out of context, I am not saying that pure doctrine, and correct Biblical interpretation are not important. They are, and they are of supreme importance, but once we have established what we believe, and why, then it is time to move beyond that to translating that pure doctrine and correct Biblical interpretation into language that speaks to all the relevant issues of our society. We do not live in the age of Calvin or the puritans, and God bless their dead bones, we know how great and important they were; but we have to become the new Calvin's and the New Puritans in our own age. And we will never get the job done by rehashing their ancient message, or imitating their ancient ways. This is the 21st century, and this is the century we are trying to reach. Let us bury the blessed Puritans and Reformers once and for all time, and let us become the new Reformers of this century.
THE CONCEPT OF SPEECH
1Sam 2:3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
One of the reasons why this issue of the "Unlimited Divine Wisdom" is so important in our age is mentioned in this text. Proud talking and arrogant speech is the modus operedi of the modern philosophers and the scientist of our day. Speech of all kinds, however, was created by God and given to men to communicate truth and to glorify Him. David recognized this when he said: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14). One of the unique characteristics of the New Covenant is it's trans-formative effect on man's speech. God describes the content of New Covenant speech is Isaiah.
Isa 59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.
This is the reason why Jesus insisted that "man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4; Deut. 8:3), and why he further insisted that every idle word that proceeds from a mans mouth will be judged in the day of judgment (Matthew 12:36).
Matt 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Prov. 13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin (ESV).
You ask yourself, what does this have to do with anything? and you probably don't see any indication yet of the fact that God connects human speech with the highest aspects of truth and religion. But the whole story of the Bible is in fact the story of God's revelation through words... written words in the form of Scripture, Laws which He wrote with His own finger, and the incarnate Word (Jesus Christ, the logos of God, the word of God in the flesh). The entire Bible is the story of words, both Divine words and human words. Words are therefore something of great importance, because they are the form in which God has chosen to express himself throughout all of history and in all the acts of His divine will. God spoke and it was so. God said "Let there be light,m and there was light". Words are also the form in which He intends for man to communicate and express Himself, both toward his fellow man and back toward God in worship. Words are the currency of all human existence and meaning, and that is why God places such importance and emphasis on them. When God says something, it happens, because His words are His thoughts in action. By the same token man's words express his thoughts as well. "Out of the heart the mouth speaks."
Matt. 12:34-37 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Luke 6:45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks (ESV).
WHAT ARE WORDS?
It is impossible to think or to communicate anything that is thought without words. Even pictures which flash by in our mind derive their meaning and interpretation through the words which we associate with the images. When I say "cow" you have an image of what a cow is. The thought of cow is transmitted by the word "cow" because the image of a cow is associated with the word. Proof of this basic human psychology can be seen in the simple game that people often play when they draw a series of strokes and images on a piece of paper and they hold it up in front of the whole group and the first one to guess what the image is or means. Symbols on the picture are translated into a meaning through the use of words. Everybody tries to guess, this one sees a circle and guesses cup, the next person might guess bowl. Somebody else might say moon or wheel. Eventually somebody (the winner) will correctly identify the image. This childhood game illustrates the basis for all rational human thinking and logic. But it only works because of the words which we understand in our minds. If we don't understand the words, the images mean nothing and no comprehension of logical thought can occur. The person who guessed cup was wrong. So A is not B. The next person, who guesses Bowl is also wrong so now we have, A is not B and A is not C. That gives us the next deduction that B and C together are not A. Through this most basic process of human logic we can make sense of both the image and the words which we might try to use to describe or think about the image. Eventually somebody will hit upon the correct conclusion and the cryptic image on the paper will be confirmed to be a coin. All this is through the most basic law of logic functioning through words which express thoughts which are equal to images which float around in our brains. There is no other way for humans to think, because God himself thinks this way and He wired us to think this way.
This is the basis for our entire religion. We know that God has thoughts, and we know that He has words, and we also know that He has expressed His thought by His words which created everything, and in His word which explains everything He wants us to know. God communicated His full thought in the creative word of His eternal decree, and He has communicated His full thought toward us in the written word of the inscripturated revelation written by His Holy Spirit. He has also communicated His full thought regarding salvation in the incarnate word of His Son, so that God needs to say nothing else. We on the other hand need to say "thank you". "Thank you" is our worship, and basically everything that comes from our mouth that does not add to our continual "thank you" and worship of Him, is an idle word. God created us for this purpose. God's purpose is that "in all things He might have the preeminence" (Col. 1:18). Language enables both Him and us to achieve all His purpose.
EPISTEMOLOGY - WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE?
Language is also the tool whereby God reveals His own infinite wisdom and knowledge. God is said to be "perfect in knowledge" and his "understanding" is said to "beyond measure". "Jehovah is a God of Knowledge". Theologians and philosophers are fond of discussing what they call Epistemology, and they make detailed discussions about it, and it is nothing more than a theory of knowledge. But if you listen carefully to the speech of God the image which He wishes to convey from the infinite brain to our finite brains is quite simple and clear. His thought includes all thought about all things, within all realms, spheres and brains. Our thoughts are quite simply derived from Him. We have never thought an original thought, or conceived of an original idea. We know this because we have never been able to invent a word that He does not already understand better than we do. We have never been able to draw a picture of anything which he has not already conceived of. In fact every design that any artist or engineer has ever made consists only of sticks, circles, ellipsis triangles and geometric images synthesized from shapes which He has already created. Man is 100% non creative. We are re moulders and re-fashioners, but not creators. We create nothing either in the physical realm or in the realm of thought and ideas. All our thought is derived from what He has already thought. Therefore our thoughts are but miniature reflections of something that existed billions of years ago in the Divine mind. (I am speaking purely humanistically, here, because God is above time, and His thought is non-linear). The point is this: All knowledge derives from Him who has all knowledge. And there is no knowledge apart from Him. No creature has ever had an original thought, a secret thought, or a hidden thought which God did not already think before Him. God saw in one eternal instant, the thoughts and intentions of every heart, as well as the implications and applications of every action resulting from any and every thought of any sentient being in the universe, throughout all of history and beyond. Nothing is hidden to Him. All things are naked and open before His all-seeing gaze. In an eternal "is", everything is comprehended by His infinite mind instantly, eternally and exhaustively.
Job 34:21 For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.
2Ch 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth
Prov. 5:21 For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.
Prov. 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
Jer. 16:17 For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes.
Heb 4:13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
When contemplating the sublimity of God's wisdom and this whole process of thought, look at what David says. This is only the first part of the chapter. The whole chapter merits careful exegesis. But look.
Psa 139:1-6 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE PERFECT DIVINE THINKING ON HUMAN THOUGHT
This is where our study becomes really important. Notice carefully what David said in verse 4
"Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether". We use words in order to express our thoughts, but David is showing us that God is not limited by that mechanism. God goes directly to the knowledge, because words impose vast restrictions on the ideas which they try to represent. We cannot think without vocabulary. But our thinking is limited by our vocabulary, and by the accuracy of our definitions of the words we use to think with. This means that all human thinking is deficient because no human has an exhaustive vocabulary with exclusively accurate definitions. This deficiency accounts for all the processes of learning, investigation, scientific research, exploration and discovery. Men are always on a quest to correct the deficiencies they have in the realm of knowledge. When you quit learning, you shrivel up mentally, or you succumb to various mental illnesses. Learning is based on language, and language is the basis for for all human thought.
David says however, that God knows all of David's innermost thoughts, before they are ever spoken, which means they are in their non-verbal picture form, and he says that this knowledge which God possesses is exhaustive..."Behold, O Jehovah, you know it altogether".
Hebrews affirms the same thing but with different terms. Look.
Heb 4:12-13 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
The author of Hebrews may be talking about the word of God in its written form here, and most Christians hold to that position. That is a very doubtful interpretation. I think it is more likely that he is referring to Jesus Christ, the incarnational word of God, because of the actions he describes "discerning of thoughts and intention of the heart" and because of his use of the pronouns in the next verse "No creature is hidden from his sight" and then it speaks of "his eyes" and concludes with actually calling him "our great High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God " in verse 14. If this is indeed speaking of Christ, as I think is clearly warranted from context, then Christ discerns thoughts and intention of the heart, directly and without words, because He is "The Word" and "The Word" which He is, is the word of God which is the expression of the full thought of God.
GOD'S KNOWLEDGE IS ALL-COMPREHENSIVE
By this we mean that it includes every possible thought that can ever be thought about everything or anything. Because the thinking of every sentient being in the universe is fully understood by Him, even before it is actually thought we conclude that He knows all creaturely thoughts. We also know that He has His own realm of thoughts, which is not ours, "My thoughts are not your thoughts" (Isa. 55:8). His thinking in this realm, is unlike our thinking, because these are the thoughts that we cannot think. They are the secret things which belong to the Lord, not the revealed things which belong to us (Deut. 29:29). We also know that His thoughts are "exceedingly abundantly above what we can ask or think" (Eph.3:20).
So as far as we are concerned and are able to conceive of it. God knows everything, seen and unseen; things in our brains and things beyond our brains. God's thought is all-comprehensive.
ALL-COMPREHENSIVE THOUGHT REQUIRES KNOWLEDGE OF ALL CONCEIVABLE EVENTS
There is a special term in the Bible used to describe this type of infinite cognition. It is the term "FOREKNOWLEDGE". It is used exclusively of God, and it has two meanings. It means that God has absolute and complete prescience or knowledge of all events before they happen at any human viewpoint in time. It's second meaning is derived from the translation of the Greek words proginosko and prognosis in the New Testament, in which instances the word “fore-knowledge” means "Fore-ordination" which is another word for Predestination. These two different uses are seen in the two following verses.
Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
1Pet. 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
There are certain anthropomorphic verses in the Bible which seem to say that God does not know certain things, and that is because the Bible often speaks in terms that accommodate our limited human viewpoint. In verses like this the Bible speaks as if God were a man, by way of using simple human analogy. It does not mean that God's knowledge is in any way incomplete or imperfect. Verses which also speak of God a seeing everything, are also purely anthropomorphic.
Gen 11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
Gen 18:21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
Prov. 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
God knows everything about everything, and the word "Foreknowledge" indicates that He knew it before there was anything.
FOREKNOWLEDGE AND DIVINE DECREES
Foreknowledge is generally considered to be part of the Doctrine of the Divine Decrees, but technically it has little to do with what God decreed would come to pass, because even before He purposed to do anything, He knew everything.
I know that these things are hard to grasp, because we think linearly...that is, in terms of the continuum of time. We think in terms of sequence...one thing following another, but God is above time and is above sequence. God is non-sequential. The past, present and future are irrelevant terms when speaking of God. He is Alpha and Omega; beginning, middle and end; the same yesterday, today and forever.
There are people who make little or know attempt to try to think like God, and instead they persist in forcing words like predestination and foreknowledge into some sort of sequential box. The Arminian's are correct when they conceive of Foreknowledge as being the basis for our salvation, because God did in fact know everything about everything even before He purposed to do anything. But the Calvinist's are also correct in saying that the reason God knows the future perfectly is because He predestined everything that would occur in the future. Foreknowledge and Predestination are not contradictory concepts, in fact they are identical concepts which have merely been presented to us in a linear, human, fashion by way of anthropomorphic illustration. The reality is that God's perfect knowledge and His decrees to ordain all things are identical. God comprehended, planned and actualized all events in a single eternal is moment. This is why the Bible speaks clearly about Christ being slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8; 1Pet. 1:19-20) in the same way as it says that we have been predestined and foreknown from the foundation of the world (Eph.1:4; Rom. 8:29-30). Romans 8:30 even says that our final "glorification" has already happened. This concept is unfathomable if you do not allow yourself to think like God thinks... outside of time, above time, and in a way where time is irrelevant. Foreknowledge then becomes identical with all realities and all possible realities.
Calvinist's especially, would do well to expand their thinking and teaching on this subject. Many of the ideas that they have come up, such as all the various lapsarian ideas about the order of the decrees; (did God decree to do this before He decreed to do that?) are absolutely ridiculous, and are completely artificial and contrived. They have nothing to do with truth and the Bible at all. God decreed nothing before something else, because time is irrelevant to the all-knowing one. He thought everything at once, thought it perfectly, thought it completely and exhaustively, and that thought was the actualization of all reality. Nothing exists, or ever will exist, or ever did exist, outside of that one thought of the almighty. That is Foreknowledge.
FOREKNOWLEDGE REMOVES ALL VERB TENSES
We must divorce God from time completely in order to understand Him, but sadly, the theologians have repeatedly failed to do that. Here's what they do when faced with an idea like I have just stated. They will immediately revert to their linear concepts and reply to me when I insist that God thought all thoughts in one timeless instant, and that thought is the fulness of all reality. They will immediately tell me "that implies that God is no longer thinking". That's correct in one sense, and very wrong in another.
When I teach about this I have to use human verbs, which are in tenses. The word "thought" is in past tense. My statement is: "God thought all thought in one timeless moment, and that one thought comprises all reality". These statements are all in the past tense and that's why they conclude that this teaching implies that God is no longer thinking. The problem is linguistic not logical.
If I used present tense, instead of past, and say God knows all things in one eternal moment, and that moment is now, and encompasses all reality. They would have less problem understanding it, but then they might say, "that statement implies that God did not think in the past". They would be right and wrong at the same time. The same thing can be said with equal force of future tense, which is the basis for all the prophetic utterances in the Bible. The future is a present and past reality at the same time.
The correct way to try to think about these things is to remove time, and all tenses from the equation. That is the only way to approximate the thinking of God.
The old ISBE Bible encyclopedia recognized this problem of 100 years ago and said this in their article on God's Foreknowledge: "God is not only without beginning or end of days, but with Him a thousand years are as one day. Hence, God knows in one eternal intuition that which for the human consciousness is past, present and future. In a strict sense, therefore, there can be no foreknowledge or prescience with God, and the distinction in God's knowledge made by theologians, as knowledge of reminiscence, vision and prescience, is after all an anthropomorphism. Nevertheless this is the only way in which we can conceive of the Divine omniscience in its relation to time, and consequently the Scripture represents the matter as if God's knowledge of future events were a foreknowledge or prescience, and God is represented as knowing the past, present and future". More theologians need to understand these simple concepts, it will deliver their minds from heresy."
CONFUSION OVER PREDESTINATION
As I have already indicated the Calvinist's need to radically alter their thinking about predestination, to reflect the idea that a decree to predestine is the exact same thing as the full thought of God in an Eternal "is" moment. The predetermination of God is no different than the knowledge of God. They are identical in every respect. The differences reflected in the terms are for the benefit of men, they really relate little to God Himself. The words Foreknowledge, Predestination, Election, Reprobation, and other terms such as "counsel of God", "immutable counsel", "Divine Decrees", etc. are all terms of human vocabulary, and are all terms describing different aspects of the same thing. They apply only to us. They are designed to increase our limited and restrictive knowledge about God. These vocabulary words and their definitions are for the benefit of our understanding. None of things things actually apply to God even though they all have reference to Him. That is why I think the better term to use when referencing any of these things is the term Foreknowledge, or simply Knowledge. That's what God has...perfect knowledge. All things that God has done, or ever will do expresses His All-inclusive knowledge. History, past present and future is His thought. His thought was activated and completed the exact moment He thought it, and generally speaking we say that this was before time. The Bible says "Before the foundation of the world". Notice all these things which were realized before the foundation of the world:
Matt. 13:35 so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."
Matt. 25:34 Then the King shall say to those on His right hand, Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Luke 11:50 so that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
John 17:24 Father, I desire that those whom You have given Me, that they may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me, for You have loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Eph. 1:4-5 according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
Heb. 4:3 For we who have believed do enter into the rest, as He said, "I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 9:26 (for then He must have suffered often since the foundation of the world), but now once in the end of the world He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
1Pet. 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Rev. 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev. 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD ELIMINATES FALSE DOCTRINES FROM OUR MINDS
I am not saying that predestination is not a true and important doctrine. Certainly it is, that's why it is revealed in Scripture. It teaches us that all things are controlled by God, even our salvation or damnation. Certainly that is very important. But the same truths are comprehended in, and better understood when you look at them in the light of God's incredible Knowledge of everything. Theological problems and heresies arise because most people do not think right about thought, and about God's thought in particular. That's why I feel that Calvinist's (and Arminian's for that matter) need to shift the bulk of their discussions away from concepts like election and predestination which are very limited concepts with very limited applications, to the larger concept of the Knowledge of God. When we concentrate on that with more precision and clarity, all these narrower concepts will come into clearer focus and false doctrine will be eliminated. I have already discussed how the knowledge of God eliminates the various lapsarian positions entirely. We will never postulate that God did this or that before he did that or this, because all notions like that are completely foreign to God. God did everything the moment He thought it. His full thought was realized before the foundation of the world.
The Bible however, was written in time, and for people who are in time. It records history passing by sequentially, and that is good for us, because that's what we are in and that's how we think. We are in history, and we think historically. But that is not how God thinks. We make a huge mistake when we turn God into one of us. WE were made in His image. He was not made in our image. He was not made. He is. "I am , That I am!" Until we learn to think about His "IS", His "I am", we are thinking foolishly and we are bound to embrace any and every false doctrine. All False doctrine originates from false views of God. That's why their are only two concepts of God. The true concept... the "I Am" concept, or idolatry..."the other gods" concept. The First Command embrace all worldviews and all God views. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Ex. 20:3). It is "right God" - "wrong god". There are no other choices. It is "I Am" or "is not". There are no alternatives.
Every correct Theology begins with "Theos". And "Theos" is not a man or an idol of man. That means that men better spend much time correcting their thinking about God, and spend no time trying to get God to fit into their own notions of him, because all human notions are "other gods". The only view of God that is correct, is God's view. It does not matter what you think, it matters what He thinks. He thinks everything perfectly and always. That's why this is the most important doctrine in the world. It is the only doctrine which correctly identifies who and what God is. The knowledge of God is the knowledge of God, and there is no truth, or light, or knowledge outside of Him. The source of all that is known or knowable is Him. Him is "I am"! Him is "I know". It is like the philosopher Descartes who said: "Cognito ergo sum" (I think therefore I am). My thinking proves my existence, because it defines my reality. God's thinking defines the reality of all things. He thinks therefore all Is.
GOD'S PERFECT UNLIMITED WISDOM EXPLAINS THEODICY
Theodicy is the question of the origin of evil or sin. Actually there should be no question at all. God knew all about it before it ever occurred, and because it was in His perfect and Infinite Mind, He comprehended all of the ramifications, implications and results of every sinful thought, action or event. Since all things originate from His perfect Thought, sin was clearly foreknown and predestined by Him. All Sin. All Sinful acts. All sinful beings. Sin did not create itself. It originated in the Perfect Mind of God.
Theologians like to propose the question "How could sin originate with an all-wise, holy and benevolent God?" And then they like to propose ten million reasons why God could never be the author of sin. But that idea is a complete straw man, because the fact of sin already exist. Just look at the dark pages of both world history and your own personal history. Sin clearly exists. So the quest is not how could a holy loving God have ever made it? The question is "How could it have ever originated from any other source?" The answers put forth by traditional orthodoxy, and which are maintained like some sort of holy grail, are nothing more than human speculations, which are insanely contradictory, and absurd in the extreme.
The traditional orthodox view can easily be represented by the position illustrated in the Westminster Confession of Faith and most of the mainstream statements of Faith. Here's what the Westminster says about the origin of sin, including the Scripture references they list for proof of this position. Numbers in parenthesis indicate proof texts, I have included them in full, so please read carefully, and ask yourself the question is there anything that says God is not the author of sin? The confession state the orthodox position "neither is God the author of sin" and the proof texts for this are number (2).
Chapter Three Paragraph 1
"God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;(1) yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin,(2) nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established" (3).
(1) Eph. 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
Rom. 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Heb. 6:17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.
Rom. 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
(2) James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
1John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
(3) Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.
Matt. 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Acts 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
John 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
Prov. 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.
Obviously the framers of the confession did not actually find verses to substantiate their position. This part of their statement of faith was clearly made up and hatched out of some peoples brains, who could not wrap their minds around the actual Biblical teaching. They had in their head the traditional view which is mindlessly parroted over and over again: "a holy god could never be the author of sin". So because they could not think in any way other than that, they chose to obviously ignore what God himself said about this matter. Look.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Many have sought to get around this clear statement by saying evil here does not mean sin, it means war or calamity in contrast to peace. The word here rendered evil is the one commonly used throughout the Old
Testament to denote wickedness, sin, wrongdoing. In some five hundred passages it is so
used. (For example, see Genesis 6:5; Numbers 14:27; Deuteronomy 31:29; I Kings 11:6; 16:30; Psalms 34:21). The very same Greek word is also rendered “wicked” and “wickedness” more than a
hundred times. (See for example Genesis 6:5; 13:13; Psalms. 94:23; 101:4).
The old Trapp's Commentary had this to say about that idea. "Sin, Satan and War all have one name...EVIL!"
The traditional orthodox interpretation is sustained by James 1:13 as the proof text which says "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one" (ESV). The issue being discussed in James is not the question of is God the author of sin, but is God tempted by sin or is He Himself the tempter. How does this verse in any way say that God is not the author of sin?
Verse 17 is also listed as proof. It says: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (ESV)." How does a verse telling us about the unchangeable goodness of God, his light and perfect gifts come to mean that God cannot be the author of sin? Are they trying to show that because God is so good He therefore cannot be the author of sin? The verse simply says what all Christians including myself believe that God is infinitely good. And if he created sin, that would in no way mean that He was somehow no longer good. When God clearly says that He is not the tempter, and that He is un-tempted by sin, He is simply saying that He is completely unaffected, untarnished and undiminished by sin. He is not denying that He created it. He actually says that He created all things on numerous occasions, and that would include sin and sinful beings. Look
2Cor. 5:18 And all things are of God
Rom. 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
1Cor. 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
1Cor. 11:12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.
Eph. 1:11 ...Him who works all things according to the counsel of his will
Heb. 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things...
Rev. 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Prov. 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Isa. 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
In the light of these very uncomplicated and strikingly simple verses, how on earth could the framers of the traditional orthodox view ever justify the idea that there is no explanation for sin? That God is absolutely sovereign over all things, but sin just sort of intruded by itself into God's perfect moral order? Poof sin magically appeared by itself? But God is absolutely sovereign, he just had nothing to do with the origin of sin! Does that make any sense at all to anybody who can actually think?
According to this view, which mindless theologians have been parroting for hundreds of years, sin was not a part of God's original plans at all. He did not plan it, because He is not the author of sin. Many have said...Sin is an "interloper" (whatever that is?). They will go on to say: "God’s plans cannot be thwarted nor
disarranged in the least, because He is all-wise and almighty". Yet they will admit that sin has in fact entered the perfect universe which the Almighty created and made. How does that make any sense at all? If God, according to this definition cannot be the author of sin, then why on earth did he ever create man and place him in a garden that was crawling alive with evil serpents? A good God who could never have authored sin in the first place, surely would have been so good that He never would have created an innocent being (man) and placed him in a paradise that was actually a sin trap waiting to be sprung? He could have chosen to not create man if He was actually unable to control the existence or non-existence of sin. What kind of a God is that? That view of God actually turns Him into some kind of viscous monster, and is far worse than saying that God actually did create sin, and that He also controls it perfectly according to holy and completely sovereign plans. A sovereign God controls all things. But their view of sovereignty means that God really isn't in control of everything, because He could not be in control of sin. If God does not control everything, then He does not control anything, and He is not Sovereign. That means He also would have no control over sinful beings. And that is exactly the position of the Westminster on the matter of the origin of sin. According to orthodoxy, God does not control sin, nor does he He violate the free will of His creatures, or control second causes or the freedom of second causes. That is Pelagianism, pure and simple. But it is not orthodoxy. It's heresy. It's a pagan and godless view. That's where this whole false doctrine of Free-Will has come from. Satan had free will and sinned. Man has free-will and sinned. And according to this traditional orthodox view God was incapable of doing anything about any of it! Yet we are told in the next breath that He is sovereign and works all things after the counsel of His own will. Well which is it? God is either in control or He is not in control. You cannot have it both ways. If He is not able to control all things and all actions, then obviously He is not in control. God therefore is not actually Sovereign, nor is He Almighty, because He cannot control the actions of free-moral agents. This stuff should never have been included in such a well crafted document as the Westminster confession, but it was and it was by rebellion against the truth that it entered in. That is the only way it could have gotten there. Somebody or some group was too rebellious to submit to the actual teachings of scripture, and the rest of them were too rebellious to fight for the truth. Somebody obviously did not want to believe what the Bible actually says, and the rest of the framers obviously either were too tired to resist or too stupid. Chapter 3 and paragraph 1 is a hideous statement of false doctrine that was carelessly allowed to enter into a great document. The whole thing is horrendous. Let me quote it to you again so you can also see this Pelagian language about doing violence to the free will of creatures and to any maybe secondary causes. (What on earth is a secondary cause? and Why is it established by removing the absolute Sovereignty of God. Does that imply another creator? I have no idea where any of this language came from, but it was not anywhere in the Bible, not even by way of implication if not by direct reference.)
"God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;(1) yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin,(2) nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established" (3).
Just so you are clear about this screwed up so-called orthodox view, here is how someone else summarized it, and while I disagree with most of this mans theology, because He is a Universalist, I think he hit the nail on the head with regard to this. Keep in mind he is paraphrasing the traditional view, which makes absolutely no sense and which theologians blindly subscribe to, that is his purpose here...to show you how horrendous that view really is.
"God allows it (sin) to come into contact with the man He created when He
might have prevented it, knowing full well what the result would be; yet He is in no wise
responsible for the consequences of evil. In fact, it is blasphemy to entertain any such idea.
Evil having come into existence contrary to God’s will, He cannot put it out of existence,
but it will continue as long as He exists, an eternal blot on His otherwise perfect universe
and a perpetual offense unto all the purified; yet His will is absolute and sovereign and the
redeemed will be perfectly happy. Thus, God is in no wise responsible for either the origin,
existence, consequences or continuance of evil; yet He can have everything as He pleases,
and is the Creator of all things.
So Orthodoxy goes on, stultifying common sense, throttling human reason, and stupidly
expecting that intelligent, thoughtful men and women will accept its idiotic patter as the
infallible utterances of divine inspiration.
Cannot everyone see that the entire orthodox view is contradictory and absurd in the extreme,
and hence self-destructive and untenable?”
-Arthur P. Adams (1845-1925) The Purpose of Evil
Adam's conclusion and the alternative to this fallacious thinking is stated by Him quite simply, and it is the exact thing that I have said over and over again in countless the articles I have written and sermons I have preached on this topic. Here is Adam's again.
"So Orthodoxy goes on, stultifying common sense, throttling human reason, and stupidly
expecting that intelligent, thoughtful men and women will accept its idiotic patter as the
infallible utterances of divine inspiration.
Cannot everyone see that the entire orthodox view is contradictory and absurd in the extreme,
and hence self-destructive and untenable?
Now, I hold that the following proposition is self-evident: Given a God of infinite power,
wisdom and goodness, He is responsible for ALL things that exist. This also follows from the
wisdom and goodness of God: all things that exist are for an intelligent and benevolent end.
These conclusions are inevitable from the premises; they cannot be modified except by
modifying the premises. For instance, if you say that some things exist contrary to God’s
will, then it follows that God is not all-powerful; and you cannot escape this conclusion by
bringing in the orthodox doctrine of man’s free moral agency, for whatever a free moral agent
may do, He is responsible for it who made him a free moral agent. If God made man a free
moral agent, He knew beforehand what the result would be, and hence is just as responsible
for the consequences of the acts of that free moral agent as He would be for the act of an
irresponsible machine that He had made.
Man’s free moral agency (free will), even if it were true, would by no means clear God from
the responsibility of His acts, since God is his Creator and has made him in the first place just
what he is, well knowing what the result would be.
If God’s will is EVER thwarted, then He is not almighty. If His will is thwarted, then His plans
must be changed, and hence He is not all-wise and immutable. If His will is NEVER thwarted,
then all things are in accordance with His will and He is responsible for all things as they exist.
If He is all-wise and all-good, then all things, existing according to His will, must be tending to
some wise and benevolent end."
-Arthur P. Adams (1845-1925) The Purpose of Evil
Amos 3:6 Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
Job 2:10 What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?
The perfect wisdom of God necessitates the logical and Scriptural truth that sin and evil originate and are absolutely controlled by the Sovereign God alone, because were that not the case anarchy and mayhem would reign over everything. This universe is in the all-powerful hands of an infinite being who knows all things because He causes and controls them all. Truly His wisdom is perfect.
Earl's 5 Points (TULIP)
1. Total Unconditional Stupidity
2. Unlimited Divine Wisdom
3. Limited Human Freedom
4. Irresistible Divine Sovereignty
5. Persistent Truth
1Sam. 2:3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
Job 37:16 Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge?
Psa 147:5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVIN
So many people are concerned about the so-called Five Points of Calvin, that I think our entire emphasis in contemporary evangelicalism has become distorted and off balance. The Calvinist's are busy arguing with the Arminian's and both are engaged in a never-ending battle to exegete and prove things that have been proven 600 years ago! Let's get on with it. It's time to get back on track and start exegeting and explaining the other 50,000 points of the Bible instead of always riding a five legged hobby horse that takes us nowhere. If people refuse to believe what Calvin and Augustine and others saw in the Scriptures, so be it. Let them believe whatever the hell their twisted minds want them to think. Let's get on with the business of declaring the whole counsel of God. We do not follow Calvin or Arminius or any other man. We follow the Bible, Christ, His Apostles and the Holy Spirit who is the only authority on the Scriptures. Its time we quit sending mixed messages here, and start sending out the truth that Christ is the substance of our religion, and not Calvin or any human.
That's why I have decided to call this series Earl's Five Points (tulip), because I want people to see that there are at least 5 more things that are of equal (or more) importance than the 5 points of Calvinism. In my mind these points are far more important in today's world than Calvin's 5 points, because they are seldom heard today in all their correct dimensions, and in most cases they are not even mentioned; yet if you understand these things you will have a solid foundation for Biblical knowledge which will help deliver you from the many perils of false teaching and thinking which pervades our age of hyper intellectualism. These issues are far more relevant and important today than the 600 year old Calvinism debate. You need to settle whether or not you are a Christian first, a Calvinist second, and then move on toward getting yourself firmly established as a Biblicist foremost. Even Christ told us to study the Scriptures for they speak of Him (John 5:39).
So what I am trying to do here, is not downplay the importance of the Calvinistic issues, but to up-play the fact that their are many other issues of equal or more importance to the church and the world today. It's time for Christians to move onward and upward so that we are speaking relevant truth to our society today, and not just rehashing dead issues from antiquity. The Bible is a living book, and the message of Christ is a living message, and while it never changes, it is always adapting itself on a level of relevance and importance.
THE ISSUE OF SOCIALLY RELEVANT DOCTRINE
Let me give you an example, I just encountered today. A friend of mine, who became unemployed recently, was very sad and dejected because she could had to have her cable TV disconnected, because she could no longer afford the cable bill. She was complaining how horrible it is to have no TV, and I suggested that she Get herself a digital antenna and watch TV the old fashioned way with only a few channels but for free. She was more concerned about feeling sorry for herself, and the horrible sacrifices she is making because of her situation. Then I reminded her that TV is not a necessity but a luxury, and that in India, one of the worlds most populated countries, almost half of the billions of people who live there do not even have the ability to plug in a light bulb. Half the country has no electricity at all. But in America we have come to think that Televisions, Cell phones, Computers, gizmos and contraptions are absolute necessities. This example shows us that in our age of electronics, and extreme luxury, we have to address issues and concerns that John Calvin could have never imagined. People weeping over Television sets, and traumatized by lack of luxuries, is a relatively new phenomenon, and somebody needs to show these people how insane they are, and how blind they are to what is really important. Televisions and stuff should never cause people to have emotional and mental trauma, but it is happening in our day. Our gospel, and our message must address the issues of today, while keeping the message the unchanged and absolute truth of the Bible and Christ. That is what we are supposed to be doing, not hashing and rehashing the issues in John Calvin's day. We become a completely irrelevant force when we act like that. What does Christ expect us to tell the people today?
What is keeping people from God in our country and our world today? Of course I know it is sin, but specifically which ones? Calvin did not have to preach about gay rights and sexual mis-identification, because people knew in his day whether they were male or female. But that is not the case today in our very complex and confused society. People think that they are females in male bodies, and men in women's bodies, and everybody seems to be confused about something. The issue today is not the five points of Calvin. It just isn't. That may be a very small issue, among a very small group of conservative Christians, but it is not even remotely one of the main issues facing our world.
What about the issue of Islamic terrorism? Would Calvin have ever considered the possibility that a biological weapon could wipe out Geneva in five minutes, and that it was a distinct possibility in the hands of a terrorist network, or a deranged sociopath? People today, need to think about it, and Christians need to explain that. That is far more important than debating whether or not the elect will actually be saved, and how. Of course they will be saved and we already know how, because even the morons today have heard about what Jesus Christ has done. Is salvation, and salvation doctrine important, of course it is. But this other stuff is important also, and it is high time that Christians start preaching to this generation before it is forever lost. That is our responsibility and duty, not to sit around and endlessly debate idiosyncrasies of interpretation, while men are perishing everywhere around us.
Do not misinterpret this, and yank it out of context, I am not saying that pure doctrine, and correct Biblical interpretation are not important. They are, and they are of supreme importance, but once we have established what we believe, and why, then it is time to move beyond that to translating that pure doctrine and correct Biblical interpretation into language that speaks to all the relevant issues of our society. We do not live in the age of Calvin or the puritans, and God bless their dead bones, we know how great and important they were; but we have to become the new Calvin's and the New Puritans in our own age. And we will never get the job done by rehashing their ancient message, or imitating their ancient ways. This is the 21st century, and this is the century we are trying to reach. Let us bury the blessed Puritans and Reformers once and for all time, and let us become the new Reformers of this century.
THE CONCEPT OF SPEECH
1Sam 2:3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
One of the reasons why this issue of the "Unlimited Divine Wisdom" is so important in our age is mentioned in this text. Proud talking and arrogant speech is the modus operedi of the modern philosophers and the scientist of our day. Speech of all kinds, however, was created by God and given to men to communicate truth and to glorify Him. David recognized this when he said: "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14). One of the unique characteristics of the New Covenant is it's trans-formative effect on man's speech. God describes the content of New Covenant speech is Isaiah.
Isa 59:21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.
This is the reason why Jesus insisted that "man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4; Deut. 8:3), and why he further insisted that every idle word that proceeds from a mans mouth will be judged in the day of judgment (Matthew 12:36).
Matt 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Prov. 13:3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin (ESV).
You ask yourself, what does this have to do with anything? and you probably don't see any indication yet of the fact that God connects human speech with the highest aspects of truth and religion. But the whole story of the Bible is in fact the story of God's revelation through words... written words in the form of Scripture, Laws which He wrote with His own finger, and the incarnate Word (Jesus Christ, the logos of God, the word of God in the flesh). The entire Bible is the story of words, both Divine words and human words. Words are therefore something of great importance, because they are the form in which God has chosen to express himself throughout all of history and in all the acts of His divine will. God spoke and it was so. God said "Let there be light,m and there was light". Words are also the form in which He intends for man to communicate and express Himself, both toward his fellow man and back toward God in worship. Words are the currency of all human existence and meaning, and that is why God places such importance and emphasis on them. When God says something, it happens, because His words are His thoughts in action. By the same token man's words express his thoughts as well. "Out of the heart the mouth speaks."
Matt. 12:34-37 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Luke 6:45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks (ESV).
WHAT ARE WORDS?
It is impossible to think or to communicate anything that is thought without words. Even pictures which flash by in our mind derive their meaning and interpretation through the words which we associate with the images. When I say "cow" you have an image of what a cow is. The thought of cow is transmitted by the word "cow" because the image of a cow is associated with the word. Proof of this basic human psychology can be seen in the simple game that people often play when they draw a series of strokes and images on a piece of paper and they hold it up in front of the whole group and the first one to guess what the image is or means. Symbols on the picture are translated into a meaning through the use of words. Everybody tries to guess, this one sees a circle and guesses cup, the next person might guess bowl. Somebody else might say moon or wheel. Eventually somebody (the winner) will correctly identify the image. This childhood game illustrates the basis for all rational human thinking and logic. But it only works because of the words which we understand in our minds. If we don't understand the words, the images mean nothing and no comprehension of logical thought can occur. The person who guessed cup was wrong. So A is not B. The next person, who guesses Bowl is also wrong so now we have, A is not B and A is not C. That gives us the next deduction that B and C together are not A. Through this most basic process of human logic we can make sense of both the image and the words which we might try to use to describe or think about the image. Eventually somebody will hit upon the correct conclusion and the cryptic image on the paper will be confirmed to be a coin. All this is through the most basic law of logic functioning through words which express thoughts which are equal to images which float around in our brains. There is no other way for humans to think, because God himself thinks this way and He wired us to think this way.
This is the basis for our entire religion. We know that God has thoughts, and we know that He has words, and we also know that He has expressed His thought by His words which created everything, and in His word which explains everything He wants us to know. God communicated His full thought in the creative word of His eternal decree, and He has communicated His full thought toward us in the written word of the inscripturated revelation written by His Holy Spirit. He has also communicated His full thought regarding salvation in the incarnate word of His Son, so that God needs to say nothing else. We on the other hand need to say "thank you". "Thank you" is our worship, and basically everything that comes from our mouth that does not add to our continual "thank you" and worship of Him, is an idle word. God created us for this purpose. God's purpose is that "in all things He might have the preeminence" (Col. 1:18). Language enables both Him and us to achieve all His purpose.
EPISTEMOLOGY - WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE?
Language is also the tool whereby God reveals His own infinite wisdom and knowledge. God is said to be "perfect in knowledge" and his "understanding" is said to "beyond measure". "Jehovah is a God of Knowledge". Theologians and philosophers are fond of discussing what they call Epistemology, and they make detailed discussions about it, and it is nothing more than a theory of knowledge. But if you listen carefully to the speech of God the image which He wishes to convey from the infinite brain to our finite brains is quite simple and clear. His thought includes all thought about all things, within all realms, spheres and brains. Our thoughts are quite simply derived from Him. We have never thought an original thought, or conceived of an original idea. We know this because we have never been able to invent a word that He does not already understand better than we do. We have never been able to draw a picture of anything which he has not already conceived of. In fact every design that any artist or engineer has ever made consists only of sticks, circles, ellipsis triangles and geometric images synthesized from shapes which He has already created. Man is 100% non creative. We are re moulders and re-fashioners, but not creators. We create nothing either in the physical realm or in the realm of thought and ideas. All our thought is derived from what He has already thought. Therefore our thoughts are but miniature reflections of something that existed billions of years ago in the Divine mind. (I am speaking purely humanistically, here, because God is above time, and His thought is non-linear). The point is this: All knowledge derives from Him who has all knowledge. And there is no knowledge apart from Him. No creature has ever had an original thought, a secret thought, or a hidden thought which God did not already think before Him. God saw in one eternal instant, the thoughts and intentions of every heart, as well as the implications and applications of every action resulting from any and every thought of any sentient being in the universe, throughout all of history and beyond. Nothing is hidden to Him. All things are naked and open before His all-seeing gaze. In an eternal "is", everything is comprehended by His infinite mind instantly, eternally and exhaustively.
Job 34:21 For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.
2Ch 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth
Prov. 5:21 For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.
Prov. 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
Jer. 16:17 For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes.
Heb 4:13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
When contemplating the sublimity of God's wisdom and this whole process of thought, look at what David says. This is only the first part of the chapter. The whole chapter merits careful exegesis. But look.
Psa 139:1-6 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE PERFECT DIVINE THINKING ON HUMAN THOUGHT
This is where our study becomes really important. Notice carefully what David said in verse 4
"Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether". We use words in order to express our thoughts, but David is showing us that God is not limited by that mechanism. God goes directly to the knowledge, because words impose vast restrictions on the ideas which they try to represent. We cannot think without vocabulary. But our thinking is limited by our vocabulary, and by the accuracy of our definitions of the words we use to think with. This means that all human thinking is deficient because no human has an exhaustive vocabulary with exclusively accurate definitions. This deficiency accounts for all the processes of learning, investigation, scientific research, exploration and discovery. Men are always on a quest to correct the deficiencies they have in the realm of knowledge. When you quit learning, you shrivel up mentally, or you succumb to various mental illnesses. Learning is based on language, and language is the basis for for all human thought.
David says however, that God knows all of David's innermost thoughts, before they are ever spoken, which means they are in their non-verbal picture form, and he says that this knowledge which God possesses is exhaustive..."Behold, O Jehovah, you know it altogether".
Hebrews affirms the same thing but with different terms. Look.
Heb 4:12-13 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
The author of Hebrews may be talking about the word of God in its written form here, and most Christians hold to that position. That is a very doubtful interpretation. I think it is more likely that he is referring to Jesus Christ, the incarnational word of God, because of the actions he describes "discerning of thoughts and intention of the heart" and because of his use of the pronouns in the next verse "No creature is hidden from his sight" and then it speaks of "his eyes" and concludes with actually calling him "our great High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God " in verse 14. If this is indeed speaking of Christ, as I think is clearly warranted from context, then Christ discerns thoughts and intention of the heart, directly and without words, because He is "The Word" and "The Word" which He is, is the word of God which is the expression of the full thought of God.
GOD'S KNOWLEDGE IS ALL-COMPREHENSIVE
By this we mean that it includes every possible thought that can ever be thought about everything or anything. Because the thinking of every sentient being in the universe is fully understood by Him, even before it is actually thought we conclude that He knows all creaturely thoughts. We also know that He has His own realm of thoughts, which is not ours, "My thoughts are not your thoughts" (Isa. 55:8). His thinking in this realm, is unlike our thinking, because these are the thoughts that we cannot think. They are the secret things which belong to the Lord, not the revealed things which belong to us (Deut. 29:29). We also know that His thoughts are "exceedingly abundantly above what we can ask or think" (Eph.3:20).
So as far as we are concerned and are able to conceive of it. God knows everything, seen and unseen; things in our brains and things beyond our brains. God's thought is all-comprehensive.
ALL-COMPREHENSIVE THOUGHT REQUIRES KNOWLEDGE OF ALL CONCEIVABLE EVENTS
There is a special term in the Bible used to describe this type of infinite cognition. It is the term "FOREKNOWLEDGE". It is used exclusively of God, and it has two meanings. It means that God has absolute and complete prescience or knowledge of all events before they happen at any human viewpoint in time. It's second meaning is derived from the translation of the Greek words proginosko and prognosis in the New Testament, in which instances the word “fore-knowledge” means "Fore-ordination" which is another word for Predestination. These two different uses are seen in the two following verses.
Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
1Pet. 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
There are certain anthropomorphic verses in the Bible which seem to say that God does not know certain things, and that is because the Bible often speaks in terms that accommodate our limited human viewpoint. In verses like this the Bible speaks as if God were a man, by way of using simple human analogy. It does not mean that God's knowledge is in any way incomplete or imperfect. Verses which also speak of God a seeing everything, are also purely anthropomorphic.
Gen 11:5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
Gen 18:21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
Prov. 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
God knows everything about everything, and the word "Foreknowledge" indicates that He knew it before there was anything.
FOREKNOWLEDGE AND DIVINE DECREES
Foreknowledge is generally considered to be part of the Doctrine of the Divine Decrees, but technically it has little to do with what God decreed would come to pass, because even before He purposed to do anything, He knew everything.
I know that these things are hard to grasp, because we think linearly...that is, in terms of the continuum of time. We think in terms of sequence...one thing following another, but God is above time and is above sequence. God is non-sequential. The past, present and future are irrelevant terms when speaking of God. He is Alpha and Omega; beginning, middle and end; the same yesterday, today and forever.
There are people who make little or know attempt to try to think like God, and instead they persist in forcing words like predestination and foreknowledge into some sort of sequential box. The Arminian's are correct when they conceive of Foreknowledge as being the basis for our salvation, because God did in fact know everything about everything even before He purposed to do anything. But the Calvinist's are also correct in saying that the reason God knows the future perfectly is because He predestined everything that would occur in the future. Foreknowledge and Predestination are not contradictory concepts, in fact they are identical concepts which have merely been presented to us in a linear, human, fashion by way of anthropomorphic illustration. The reality is that God's perfect knowledge and His decrees to ordain all things are identical. God comprehended, planned and actualized all events in a single eternal is moment. This is why the Bible speaks clearly about Christ being slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8; 1Pet. 1:19-20) in the same way as it says that we have been predestined and foreknown from the foundation of the world (Eph.1:4; Rom. 8:29-30). Romans 8:30 even says that our final "glorification" has already happened. This concept is unfathomable if you do not allow yourself to think like God thinks... outside of time, above time, and in a way where time is irrelevant. Foreknowledge then becomes identical with all realities and all possible realities.
Calvinist's especially, would do well to expand their thinking and teaching on this subject. Many of the ideas that they have come up, such as all the various lapsarian ideas about the order of the decrees; (did God decree to do this before He decreed to do that?) are absolutely ridiculous, and are completely artificial and contrived. They have nothing to do with truth and the Bible at all. God decreed nothing before something else, because time is irrelevant to the all-knowing one. He thought everything at once, thought it perfectly, thought it completely and exhaustively, and that thought was the actualization of all reality. Nothing exists, or ever will exist, or ever did exist, outside of that one thought of the almighty. That is Foreknowledge.
FOREKNOWLEDGE REMOVES ALL VERB TENSES
We must divorce God from time completely in order to understand Him, but sadly, the theologians have repeatedly failed to do that. Here's what they do when faced with an idea like I have just stated. They will immediately revert to their linear concepts and reply to me when I insist that God thought all thoughts in one timeless instant, and that thought is the fulness of all reality. They will immediately tell me "that implies that God is no longer thinking". That's correct in one sense, and very wrong in another.
When I teach about this I have to use human verbs, which are in tenses. The word "thought" is in past tense. My statement is: "God thought all thought in one timeless moment, and that one thought comprises all reality". These statements are all in the past tense and that's why they conclude that this teaching implies that God is no longer thinking. The problem is linguistic not logical.
If I used present tense, instead of past, and say God knows all things in one eternal moment, and that moment is now, and encompasses all reality. They would have less problem understanding it, but then they might say, "that statement implies that God did not think in the past". They would be right and wrong at the same time. The same thing can be said with equal force of future tense, which is the basis for all the prophetic utterances in the Bible. The future is a present and past reality at the same time.
The correct way to try to think about these things is to remove time, and all tenses from the equation. That is the only way to approximate the thinking of God.
The old ISBE Bible encyclopedia recognized this problem of 100 years ago and said this in their article on God's Foreknowledge: "God is not only without beginning or end of days, but with Him a thousand years are as one day. Hence, God knows in one eternal intuition that which for the human consciousness is past, present and future. In a strict sense, therefore, there can be no foreknowledge or prescience with God, and the distinction in God's knowledge made by theologians, as knowledge of reminiscence, vision and prescience, is after all an anthropomorphism. Nevertheless this is the only way in which we can conceive of the Divine omniscience in its relation to time, and consequently the Scripture represents the matter as if God's knowledge of future events were a foreknowledge or prescience, and God is represented as knowing the past, present and future". More theologians need to understand these simple concepts, it will deliver their minds from heresy."
CONFUSION OVER PREDESTINATION
As I have already indicated the Calvinist's need to radically alter their thinking about predestination, to reflect the idea that a decree to predestine is the exact same thing as the full thought of God in an Eternal "is" moment. The predetermination of God is no different than the knowledge of God. They are identical in every respect. The differences reflected in the terms are for the benefit of men, they really relate little to God Himself. The words Foreknowledge, Predestination, Election, Reprobation, and other terms such as "counsel of God", "immutable counsel", "Divine Decrees", etc. are all terms of human vocabulary, and are all terms describing different aspects of the same thing. They apply only to us. They are designed to increase our limited and restrictive knowledge about God. These vocabulary words and their definitions are for the benefit of our understanding. None of things things actually apply to God even though they all have reference to Him. That is why I think the better term to use when referencing any of these things is the term Foreknowledge, or simply Knowledge. That's what God has...perfect knowledge. All things that God has done, or ever will do expresses His All-inclusive knowledge. History, past present and future is His thought. His thought was activated and completed the exact moment He thought it, and generally speaking we say that this was before time. The Bible says "Before the foundation of the world". Notice all these things which were realized before the foundation of the world:
Matt. 13:35 so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."
Matt. 25:34 Then the King shall say to those on His right hand, Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Luke 11:50 so that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
John 17:24 Father, I desire that those whom You have given Me, that they may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me, for You have loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Eph. 1:4-5 according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
Heb. 4:3 For we who have believed do enter into the rest, as He said, "I have sworn in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Heb 9:26 (for then He must have suffered often since the foundation of the world), but now once in the end of the world He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
1Pet. 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Rev. 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev. 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD ELIMINATES FALSE DOCTRINES FROM OUR MINDS
I am not saying that predestination is not a true and important doctrine. Certainly it is, that's why it is revealed in Scripture. It teaches us that all things are controlled by God, even our salvation or damnation. Certainly that is very important. But the same truths are comprehended in, and better understood when you look at them in the light of God's incredible Knowledge of everything. Theological problems and heresies arise because most people do not think right about thought, and about God's thought in particular. That's why I feel that Calvinist's (and Arminian's for that matter) need to shift the bulk of their discussions away from concepts like election and predestination which are very limited concepts with very limited applications, to the larger concept of the Knowledge of God. When we concentrate on that with more precision and clarity, all these narrower concepts will come into clearer focus and false doctrine will be eliminated. I have already discussed how the knowledge of God eliminates the various lapsarian positions entirely. We will never postulate that God did this or that before he did that or this, because all notions like that are completely foreign to God. God did everything the moment He thought it. His full thought was realized before the foundation of the world.
The Bible however, was written in time, and for people who are in time. It records history passing by sequentially, and that is good for us, because that's what we are in and that's how we think. We are in history, and we think historically. But that is not how God thinks. We make a huge mistake when we turn God into one of us. WE were made in His image. He was not made in our image. He was not made. He is. "I am , That I am!" Until we learn to think about His "IS", His "I am", we are thinking foolishly and we are bound to embrace any and every false doctrine. All False doctrine originates from false views of God. That's why their are only two concepts of God. The true concept... the "I Am" concept, or idolatry..."the other gods" concept. The First Command embrace all worldviews and all God views. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Ex. 20:3). It is "right God" - "wrong god". There are no other choices. It is "I Am" or "is not". There are no alternatives.
Every correct Theology begins with "Theos". And "Theos" is not a man or an idol of man. That means that men better spend much time correcting their thinking about God, and spend no time trying to get God to fit into their own notions of him, because all human notions are "other gods". The only view of God that is correct, is God's view. It does not matter what you think, it matters what He thinks. He thinks everything perfectly and always. That's why this is the most important doctrine in the world. It is the only doctrine which correctly identifies who and what God is. The knowledge of God is the knowledge of God, and there is no truth, or light, or knowledge outside of Him. The source of all that is known or knowable is Him. Him is "I am"! Him is "I know". It is like the philosopher Descartes who said: "Cognito ergo sum" (I think therefore I am). My thinking proves my existence, because it defines my reality. God's thinking defines the reality of all things. He thinks therefore all Is.
GOD'S PERFECT UNLIMITED WISDOM EXPLAINS THEODICY
Theodicy is the question of the origin of evil or sin. Actually there should be no question at all. God knew all about it before it ever occurred, and because it was in His perfect and Infinite Mind, He comprehended all of the ramifications, implications and results of every sinful thought, action or event. Since all things originate from His perfect Thought, sin was clearly foreknown and predestined by Him. All Sin. All Sinful acts. All sinful beings. Sin did not create itself. It originated in the Perfect Mind of God.
Theologians like to propose the question "How could sin originate with an all-wise, holy and benevolent God?" And then they like to propose ten million reasons why God could never be the author of sin. But that idea is a complete straw man, because the fact of sin already exist. Just look at the dark pages of both world history and your own personal history. Sin clearly exists. So the quest is not how could a holy loving God have ever made it? The question is "How could it have ever originated from any other source?" The answers put forth by traditional orthodoxy, and which are maintained like some sort of holy grail, are nothing more than human speculations, which are insanely contradictory, and absurd in the extreme.
The traditional orthodox view can easily be represented by the position illustrated in the Westminster Confession of Faith and most of the mainstream statements of Faith. Here's what the Westminster says about the origin of sin, including the Scripture references they list for proof of this position. Numbers in parenthesis indicate proof texts, I have included them in full, so please read carefully, and ask yourself the question is there anything that says God is not the author of sin? The confession state the orthodox position "neither is God the author of sin" and the proof texts for this are number (2).
Chapter Three Paragraph 1
"God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;(1) yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin,(2) nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established" (3).
(1) Eph. 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
Rom. 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Heb. 6:17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.
Rom. 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
(2) James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
1John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
(3) Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.
Matt. 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Acts 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
John 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
Prov. 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.
Obviously the framers of the confession did not actually find verses to substantiate their position. This part of their statement of faith was clearly made up and hatched out of some peoples brains, who could not wrap their minds around the actual Biblical teaching. They had in their head the traditional view which is mindlessly parroted over and over again: "a holy god could never be the author of sin". So because they could not think in any way other than that, they chose to obviously ignore what God himself said about this matter. Look.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Many have sought to get around this clear statement by saying evil here does not mean sin, it means war or calamity in contrast to peace. The word here rendered evil is the one commonly used throughout the Old
Testament to denote wickedness, sin, wrongdoing. In some five hundred passages it is so
used. (For example, see Genesis 6:5; Numbers 14:27; Deuteronomy 31:29; I Kings 11:6; 16:30; Psalms 34:21). The very same Greek word is also rendered “wicked” and “wickedness” more than a
hundred times. (See for example Genesis 6:5; 13:13; Psalms. 94:23; 101:4).
The old Trapp's Commentary had this to say about that idea. "Sin, Satan and War all have one name...EVIL!"
The traditional orthodox interpretation is sustained by James 1:13 as the proof text which says "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one" (ESV). The issue being discussed in James is not the question of is God the author of sin, but is God tempted by sin or is He Himself the tempter. How does this verse in any way say that God is not the author of sin?
Verse 17 is also listed as proof. It says: "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (ESV)." How does a verse telling us about the unchangeable goodness of God, his light and perfect gifts come to mean that God cannot be the author of sin? Are they trying to show that because God is so good He therefore cannot be the author of sin? The verse simply says what all Christians including myself believe that God is infinitely good. And if he created sin, that would in no way mean that He was somehow no longer good. When God clearly says that He is not the tempter, and that He is un-tempted by sin, He is simply saying that He is completely unaffected, untarnished and undiminished by sin. He is not denying that He created it. He actually says that He created all things on numerous occasions, and that would include sin and sinful beings. Look
2Cor. 5:18 And all things are of God
Rom. 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
1Cor. 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
1Cor. 11:12 for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God.
Eph. 1:11 ...Him who works all things according to the counsel of his will
Heb. 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things...
Rev. 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Prov. 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Isa. 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
In the light of these very uncomplicated and strikingly simple verses, how on earth could the framers of the traditional orthodox view ever justify the idea that there is no explanation for sin? That God is absolutely sovereign over all things, but sin just sort of intruded by itself into God's perfect moral order? Poof sin magically appeared by itself? But God is absolutely sovereign, he just had nothing to do with the origin of sin! Does that make any sense at all to anybody who can actually think?
According to this view, which mindless theologians have been parroting for hundreds of years, sin was not a part of God's original plans at all. He did not plan it, because He is not the author of sin. Many have said...Sin is an "interloper" (whatever that is?). They will go on to say: "God’s plans cannot be thwarted nor
disarranged in the least, because He is all-wise and almighty". Yet they will admit that sin has in fact entered the perfect universe which the Almighty created and made. How does that make any sense at all? If God, according to this definition cannot be the author of sin, then why on earth did he ever create man and place him in a garden that was crawling alive with evil serpents? A good God who could never have authored sin in the first place, surely would have been so good that He never would have created an innocent being (man) and placed him in a paradise that was actually a sin trap waiting to be sprung? He could have chosen to not create man if He was actually unable to control the existence or non-existence of sin. What kind of a God is that? That view of God actually turns Him into some kind of viscous monster, and is far worse than saying that God actually did create sin, and that He also controls it perfectly according to holy and completely sovereign plans. A sovereign God controls all things. But their view of sovereignty means that God really isn't in control of everything, because He could not be in control of sin. If God does not control everything, then He does not control anything, and He is not Sovereign. That means He also would have no control over sinful beings. And that is exactly the position of the Westminster on the matter of the origin of sin. According to orthodoxy, God does not control sin, nor does he He violate the free will of His creatures, or control second causes or the freedom of second causes. That is Pelagianism, pure and simple. But it is not orthodoxy. It's heresy. It's a pagan and godless view. That's where this whole false doctrine of Free-Will has come from. Satan had free will and sinned. Man has free-will and sinned. And according to this traditional orthodox view God was incapable of doing anything about any of it! Yet we are told in the next breath that He is sovereign and works all things after the counsel of His own will. Well which is it? God is either in control or He is not in control. You cannot have it both ways. If He is not able to control all things and all actions, then obviously He is not in control. God therefore is not actually Sovereign, nor is He Almighty, because He cannot control the actions of free-moral agents. This stuff should never have been included in such a well crafted document as the Westminster confession, but it was and it was by rebellion against the truth that it entered in. That is the only way it could have gotten there. Somebody or some group was too rebellious to submit to the actual teachings of scripture, and the rest of them were too rebellious to fight for the truth. Somebody obviously did not want to believe what the Bible actually says, and the rest of the framers obviously either were too tired to resist or too stupid. Chapter 3 and paragraph 1 is a hideous statement of false doctrine that was carelessly allowed to enter into a great document. The whole thing is horrendous. Let me quote it to you again so you can also see this Pelagian language about doing violence to the free will of creatures and to any maybe secondary causes. (What on earth is a secondary cause? and Why is it established by removing the absolute Sovereignty of God. Does that imply another creator? I have no idea where any of this language came from, but it was not anywhere in the Bible, not even by way of implication if not by direct reference.)
"God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;(1) yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin,(2) nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established" (3).
Just so you are clear about this screwed up so-called orthodox view, here is how someone else summarized it, and while I disagree with most of this mans theology, because He is a Universalist, I think he hit the nail on the head with regard to this. Keep in mind he is paraphrasing the traditional view, which makes absolutely no sense and which theologians blindly subscribe to, that is his purpose here...to show you how horrendous that view really is.
"God allows it (sin) to come into contact with the man He created when He
might have prevented it, knowing full well what the result would be; yet He is in no wise
responsible for the consequences of evil. In fact, it is blasphemy to entertain any such idea.
Evil having come into existence contrary to God’s will, He cannot put it out of existence,
but it will continue as long as He exists, an eternal blot on His otherwise perfect universe
and a perpetual offense unto all the purified; yet His will is absolute and sovereign and the
redeemed will be perfectly happy. Thus, God is in no wise responsible for either the origin,
existence, consequences or continuance of evil; yet He can have everything as He pleases,
and is the Creator of all things.
So Orthodoxy goes on, stultifying common sense, throttling human reason, and stupidly
expecting that intelligent, thoughtful men and women will accept its idiotic patter as the
infallible utterances of divine inspiration.
Cannot everyone see that the entire orthodox view is contradictory and absurd in the extreme,
and hence self-destructive and untenable?”
-Arthur P. Adams (1845-1925) The Purpose of Evil
Adam's conclusion and the alternative to this fallacious thinking is stated by Him quite simply, and it is the exact thing that I have said over and over again in countless the articles I have written and sermons I have preached on this topic. Here is Adam's again.
"So Orthodoxy goes on, stultifying common sense, throttling human reason, and stupidly
expecting that intelligent, thoughtful men and women will accept its idiotic patter as the
infallible utterances of divine inspiration.
Cannot everyone see that the entire orthodox view is contradictory and absurd in the extreme,
and hence self-destructive and untenable?
Now, I hold that the following proposition is self-evident: Given a God of infinite power,
wisdom and goodness, He is responsible for ALL things that exist. This also follows from the
wisdom and goodness of God: all things that exist are for an intelligent and benevolent end.
These conclusions are inevitable from the premises; they cannot be modified except by
modifying the premises. For instance, if you say that some things exist contrary to God’s
will, then it follows that God is not all-powerful; and you cannot escape this conclusion by
bringing in the orthodox doctrine of man’s free moral agency, for whatever a free moral agent
may do, He is responsible for it who made him a free moral agent. If God made man a free
moral agent, He knew beforehand what the result would be, and hence is just as responsible
for the consequences of the acts of that free moral agent as He would be for the act of an
irresponsible machine that He had made.
Man’s free moral agency (free will), even if it were true, would by no means clear God from
the responsibility of His acts, since God is his Creator and has made him in the first place just
what he is, well knowing what the result would be.
If God’s will is EVER thwarted, then He is not almighty. If His will is thwarted, then His plans
must be changed, and hence He is not all-wise and immutable. If His will is NEVER thwarted,
then all things are in accordance with His will and He is responsible for all things as they exist.
If He is all-wise and all-good, then all things, existing according to His will, must be tending to
some wise and benevolent end."
-Arthur P. Adams (1845-1925) The Purpose of Evil
Amos 3:6 Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?
Job 2:10 What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?
The perfect wisdom of God necessitates the logical and Scriptural truth that sin and evil originate and are absolutely controlled by the Sovereign God alone, because were that not the case anarchy and mayhem would reign over everything. This universe is in the all-powerful hands of an infinite being who knows all things because He causes and controls them all. Truly His wisdom is perfect.
©2012 E H Jackson This article may be reproduced on Websites and blogs with a direct link from the article back to this website. It may not be republished in any other form without written permission. This copyright notice must appear in full anywhere this article is used.
