THE BIBLICAL GOD: THE PRECONDITION OF INTELLIGIBILITY (Repost)

Geisler goes over much of this extensively in his Systematic Theology. Wonderful stuff.

DR. RELUCTANT

This (re)post is a “stand-alone.” But I think it is rather important in its own way.  I apologize for the formatting.

“When the Christian sets forth his outlook he will stress the kind of God to whom he is committed, the nature of the world in relation to God, and the nature of man as God’s creature. The Christian God is totally self-sufficient, and in Him there is an equal ultimacy of unity and diversity (being Triune). Everything outside of Him derives its existence, character, meaning, and purpose in light of Him and His sovereign counsel.” – Greg L. Bahnsen, Presuppositional Apologetics: Stated and Defended, 16.

Logic/Reason…..precondition ……. God who is immaterial perfect rationality

Morality…………..precondition ……..God who is righteous

Truth……………….precondition ……..God who is unchanging Truth

Uniformity……….precondition ……..God who upholds regularity (providence)

Order………………..precondition ……..God who imprints His order on creation

Subject-Object

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Consider the avian and the flora

In what ways can looking at the bird and the lily help us to not worry? How can Jesus assert this? Kierkegaard asserts that man’s ability to worry innately affirms that humanity touches both the temporal and the eternal. Our ability to care about that which hasn’t occurred or that which might occur distinguishes us from those who aren’t created in the image of God, i.e. the bird and the plant. So how is it that looking at the bird and the plant help us not to worry?

What would we say to the bird worrying in the tree rather than actively working and finding his food? Only when the bird works does he live. So too the human. Would not we mock the bird who worries? And yet as Jesus says in Matthew 6 God provides for the birds, and humans are worth much more than birds.

And does the lily ever worry about its ability to photosythesize? They do not move, but they take the sunlight and water provided and build nutrients and energy, yet the wildflowers destiny is to be beautiful for a short time, and destined to be fire kindling a short time after that. And are we not destined for much more?

So the bird and the lily can teach us something. Each day worries enough for itself, we should, like the bird, work daily and expect daily provision from the God who has given the body and life, and we should, like the lily, bloom beautifully for the short time that we have. Worry takes away from today’s energy which should be used for tomorrow’s trouble, not today’s. We cannot add length to our life by worrying, but we can certainly lose time worrying.