Lesson 7
The Fall of Man
To fully understand humanity we must not only look to his creation we must also look to his fall. In other words "What went wrong?"
Lets start with the Biblical account:
Genesis 3:1-7
Should we understand this story as being historical or figurative?
If there was no historical Adam and Eve then one has to come up with some other understanding to humanity's fall.
The most popular answer is that we each are born innocent and then fall ourselves, we are our own Adams. This was a belief promoted by a British monk named Pelagius. Unfortunately, this idea not only reduces Adam to an example of what we all eventually do, it reduces Jesus simply to the person we can make ourselves become.
Where did sin originate?
Some people argue that sin existed before the creation in that Satan rebelled against God and thus brought sin into existence. More likely is that sin is a possible result of freedom. That when God created individuals with freedom He creates the opportunity for there to be sin. Adam and Eve had the freedom to not sin. We being their descendants do not have that freedom.
I stress this because we can not blame sin on Satan (or environment, ignorance, etc.) but realizes that it lies within us. It is in our nature
Passage Romans 6:6
Adam and Eve's actions brought about two results.
1. Inherited Depravity
A. As descendants we all inherit a sinful and corrupt nature. I am not sure how this exactly occurs or if it is even necessary to understand. I am sure that it is more spiritual than physical.
Inherited Depravity does explain the need for the Holy Spirit’s work in us. (recall the lesson on the Holy Spirit)
B. This is not to say that we are totally evil but that every facet of who we are has been tainted. We all have the ability to chose certain actions and behavior. The murderer cannot say, "I had no choice."
2. Sin is universal
We all sin. Everyday life can confirm this reality.
What is sin?
Psalm 51
1. Sin is something we are.
2. Sin is something we do.
I John 3:4
3. Sin is also something we fail to do.
Romans 3:23
The Consequences of sin
1. Guilt
Romans 3:19
2. Punishment
Genesis 2: 17, Ephesians 2:1,5, Revelations 20:14
A physical punishment, a spiritual punishment, and an eternal punishment.
Proverbs 14:9
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Lesson 6 Doctrine of Man
Lesson 6
Doctrine of Man
Origin
Humanity’s origin is an interesting and important topic. Where we came from and how we came about is more than just a story or a question of science it is also a metaphysical question. How you understand man’s origin has an impact on how you think and see the world.
In Western Society there have been two major ways to understand the origin of man.
1. Naturalism: The idea of simple structures developing "evolving" into more complex ones. This occurs through the process of chance.
2. Theism: That a divine being had a hand in creating and guiding the process. There are numerous world views that share this idea (Christianity, Judaism, Muslim) and also numerous Schools of thought.
Three very popular theistic understanding of creation ones are:
A. Short term Creationist
B. Progressive Creationist
C. Theistic evolution
Although each differs in the exact way creation occurred, they all agree that it was divinely driven.
Biblical View
Genesis 1:1, 1: 26-28, 2:7
Let’s look at some key points that come out of these passages.
First, we were created by God.
Our origin comes from God and therefore we are accountable to Him
Second, our creation was a Special act
Our creation is different than all the other creatures. We receive the breath of life from God.
Humanity is the crowning and purpose for creation. What do you think about that statement? Instead of making us arrogant this fact should work to humble us. Why?
Third, it is from Adam and Eve that all humanity springs.
The idea of Adam and Eve being the universal parents should not only impact the way we see each other, it also effects the way we understand the Fall.
Just taking these three points, what are some of the moral and ethical understandings?
The Nature of Man
When we talk about humanity there are two natures we can look at.
Body and Soul
First man is made up of body and soul. Now off the bat this is a complicated idea but still biblically correct.
To help understand it let me make five brief points.
1. The soul is not good and the body bad. The body is not some shell holding us in (Popular Greek philosophy)
2. What happens in the body can affect the soul, and the condition of the soul affects the body. Phil. 2: 20
3. But they are also two distinct substances
4. The soul inhabits the body, is removed from body at death, and exists in a separate state
2 Corinthians 5: 1-10
5. At the time of the resurrection there will be a new body.
Second, man is created in the image of God.
Genesis 1:26-27
What does the image of God mean? This idea of the image of God applies to both men and women so we know it does not refer to gender or that God looks like a man (Mormon church teaching)
Some suggest that it might refer to our intelligence (ability to create and think), our free will (Which we have always had), or our ability to make moral decisions.
Another idea is that it refers to us possessing a spiritual nature.
Regardless, one thing that clearly stands out is that by having the Image of God we are separate from the rest of the animal kingdom.
Doctrine of Man
Origin
Humanity’s origin is an interesting and important topic. Where we came from and how we came about is more than just a story or a question of science it is also a metaphysical question. How you understand man’s origin has an impact on how you think and see the world.
In Western Society there have been two major ways to understand the origin of man.
1. Naturalism: The idea of simple structures developing "evolving" into more complex ones. This occurs through the process of chance.
2. Theism: That a divine being had a hand in creating and guiding the process. There are numerous world views that share this idea (Christianity, Judaism, Muslim) and also numerous Schools of thought.
Three very popular theistic understanding of creation ones are:
A. Short term Creationist
B. Progressive Creationist
C. Theistic evolution
Although each differs in the exact way creation occurred, they all agree that it was divinely driven.
Biblical View
Genesis 1:1, 1: 26-28, 2:7
Let’s look at some key points that come out of these passages.
First, we were created by God.
Our origin comes from God and therefore we are accountable to Him
Second, our creation was a Special act
Our creation is different than all the other creatures. We receive the breath of life from God.
Humanity is the crowning and purpose for creation. What do you think about that statement? Instead of making us arrogant this fact should work to humble us. Why?
Third, it is from Adam and Eve that all humanity springs.
The idea of Adam and Eve being the universal parents should not only impact the way we see each other, it also effects the way we understand the Fall.
Just taking these three points, what are some of the moral and ethical understandings?
The Nature of Man
When we talk about humanity there are two natures we can look at.
Body and Soul
First man is made up of body and soul. Now off the bat this is a complicated idea but still biblically correct.
To help understand it let me make five brief points.
1. The soul is not good and the body bad. The body is not some shell holding us in (Popular Greek philosophy)
2. What happens in the body can affect the soul, and the condition of the soul affects the body. Phil. 2: 20
3. But they are also two distinct substances
4. The soul inhabits the body, is removed from body at death, and exists in a separate state
2 Corinthians 5: 1-10
5. At the time of the resurrection there will be a new body.
Second, man is created in the image of God.
Genesis 1:26-27
What does the image of God mean? This idea of the image of God applies to both men and women so we know it does not refer to gender or that God looks like a man (Mormon church teaching)
Some suggest that it might refer to our intelligence (ability to create and think), our free will (Which we have always had), or our ability to make moral decisions.
Another idea is that it refers to us possessing a spiritual nature.
Regardless, one thing that clearly stands out is that by having the Image of God we are separate from the rest of the animal kingdom.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Holy Spirit
Lesson 5
Holy Spirit
We have so far looked at two persons of the Trinity, this evening we will look at the third person, the Holy Spirit.
One book I read this week on the subject made this interesting observation "the current interest in the Holy Spirit is not without its dangers" (p 42 Christian Doctrine for Everyman). This is not a quote that one might have said about interest in God or in Jesus although I think it might be true of both. We must always be careful in our studies and stay faithful to the text. Much that is said about God (ie He has many different names) or Jesus (He was just a good man) so also are things said about the Holy Spirt when examined in the light of the Scriptures prove false.
Just as we looked at Jesus through the person and the works we will now do the same with the Holy Spirit.
The Person of the Holy Spirit
Like Jesus, there are two parts to understanding the person of the Holy Spirit
1. First, The Holy Spirit is a person
Max Ander's points out that too often people think of the Holy Spirit like we think of "School Spirit" or that we see it as a sort of an "it". When in reality, just like God and Jesus, the Holy Spirit is also a person. We know this for two reasons.
a. He is spoken of in personal terms (I use the masculine because Jesus used masculine pronouns.) (John 14:16)
b. He has personal qualities: hearing, speaking, comforting, revealing, and grieving
2. Secondly, The Holy Spirit is God.
(Acts 5:4)
The Work of the Holy Spirit
There are three ways to look at the work of the Spirit: His work in the world, with believers, and in relationship to Jesus.
1. When I talk about His relationship in the World, I am referring to His relationship with both believers and non-believers.
a. The first thing He does is he works to Convict (some say reprove or convince)
(John 16:8)
"...To make men realize their lost condition and make them seek after life and righteousness." (CDFE)
When we are caught up in sin we are not fully aware of our condition or the necessity to do something about it. It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that we are convicted (or convinced) that we have a problem.
(I like the word convinced over convicted because we, at times, feel convicted and we don’t know why. Convinced means you know why. The Holy Spirit lets us know why)
(If you are never convinced will you ever change?)
b. Regenerates
He provides the power or the means for a person to believe. Just as our sinful condition does not allow us to see the state we exist in, we are also helpless in that state. We are incapable of believing in Jesus Christ.
This is sometimes what the Bible means when it says faith. It is the ability to believe.
This why I sometimes think people are wrong when the say, "if I have enough faith such and such will happen". When really it is allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you so you can be okay if such and such doesn't happen.
2. After we are convicted and then regenerated we become a believer. But the work of the Holy Spirit does not stop there. He continues to be at work in the Believer.
a. We see Him at work at the time of our Conversion
1. First, He comes to dwell within us. I Cor. 6:19 God with us.
2. Second, He Seals until the day of our redemption Eph 1:13
3. Thirdly He Baptizes us into the body of Christ. I Cor 12:13
This is the primary meaning of "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" and not the recieving of special gifts or powers.
(Max Anders in 30 Days to understanding the Bible uses the anachronism CRIBS to described all five acts Conviction, regeneration, Indwelling, Baptism, and Sealing )
b. The Holy Spirit also continues to be at work in our lives after conversion. After Conversion
1. He develops Christian character
2. He bring comfort
3. He Teaches
4. And He empowers Christians for service
5. And within the fellowship of the church He works to maintain unity, lead in worship and provide gifts for ministry. Needless to say He is one busy dude.
3. In one of the texts I was working from they listed a third area, the Holy Spirit’s relationship to Christ. It mentioned two things that the Holy Spirit does in relationship to Jesus.
a. He glorifies Christ. Just as Jesus glorified the Father so now does the Holy Spirit glorify the Son
b. He makes Christ real to believers. One way of understanding this is that we know Jesus is alive and at work today. That He is relevant.
The Holy Spirit never eclipses Jesus Christ.
Holy Spirit
We have so far looked at two persons of the Trinity, this evening we will look at the third person, the Holy Spirit.
One book I read this week on the subject made this interesting observation "the current interest in the Holy Spirit is not without its dangers" (p 42 Christian Doctrine for Everyman). This is not a quote that one might have said about interest in God or in Jesus although I think it might be true of both. We must always be careful in our studies and stay faithful to the text. Much that is said about God (ie He has many different names) or Jesus (He was just a good man) so also are things said about the Holy Spirt when examined in the light of the Scriptures prove false.
Just as we looked at Jesus through the person and the works we will now do the same with the Holy Spirit.
The Person of the Holy Spirit
Like Jesus, there are two parts to understanding the person of the Holy Spirit
1. First, The Holy Spirit is a person
Max Ander's points out that too often people think of the Holy Spirit like we think of "School Spirit" or that we see it as a sort of an "it". When in reality, just like God and Jesus, the Holy Spirit is also a person. We know this for two reasons.
a. He is spoken of in personal terms (I use the masculine because Jesus used masculine pronouns.) (John 14:16)
b. He has personal qualities: hearing, speaking, comforting, revealing, and grieving
2. Secondly, The Holy Spirit is God.
(Acts 5:4)
The Work of the Holy Spirit
There are three ways to look at the work of the Spirit: His work in the world, with believers, and in relationship to Jesus.
1. When I talk about His relationship in the World, I am referring to His relationship with both believers and non-believers.
a. The first thing He does is he works to Convict (some say reprove or convince)
(John 16:8)
"...To make men realize their lost condition and make them seek after life and righteousness." (CDFE)
When we are caught up in sin we are not fully aware of our condition or the necessity to do something about it. It is through the work of the Holy Spirit that we are convicted (or convinced) that we have a problem.
(I like the word convinced over convicted because we, at times, feel convicted and we don’t know why. Convinced means you know why. The Holy Spirit lets us know why)
(If you are never convinced will you ever change?)
b. Regenerates
He provides the power or the means for a person to believe. Just as our sinful condition does not allow us to see the state we exist in, we are also helpless in that state. We are incapable of believing in Jesus Christ.
This is sometimes what the Bible means when it says faith. It is the ability to believe.
This why I sometimes think people are wrong when the say, "if I have enough faith such and such will happen". When really it is allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you so you can be okay if such and such doesn't happen.
2. After we are convicted and then regenerated we become a believer. But the work of the Holy Spirit does not stop there. He continues to be at work in the Believer.
a. We see Him at work at the time of our Conversion
1. First, He comes to dwell within us. I Cor. 6:19 God with us.
2. Second, He Seals until the day of our redemption Eph 1:13
3. Thirdly He Baptizes us into the body of Christ. I Cor 12:13
This is the primary meaning of "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" and not the recieving of special gifts or powers.
(Max Anders in 30 Days to understanding the Bible uses the anachronism CRIBS to described all five acts Conviction, regeneration, Indwelling, Baptism, and Sealing )
b. The Holy Spirit also continues to be at work in our lives after conversion. After Conversion
1. He develops Christian character
2. He bring comfort
3. He Teaches
4. And He empowers Christians for service
5. And within the fellowship of the church He works to maintain unity, lead in worship and provide gifts for ministry. Needless to say He is one busy dude.
3. In one of the texts I was working from they listed a third area, the Holy Spirit’s relationship to Christ. It mentioned two things that the Holy Spirit does in relationship to Jesus.
a. He glorifies Christ. Just as Jesus glorified the Father so now does the Holy Spirit glorify the Son
b. He makes Christ real to believers. One way of understanding this is that we know Jesus is alive and at work today. That He is relevant.
The Holy Spirit never eclipses Jesus Christ.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Jesus Part 2
B. What is the nature of His work (Work of Christ)
Having looked at the person of Jesus we will now turn our attention to the work of Jesus.
1. Preaching, teaching and healing (words and deeds)
The gospel records that Jesus performed both words and deeds. The words can refer to the preaching and teaching of Jesus, while the deeds can refer to the way He lived and to the miracles He performed.
As important as these were they were not His primary reason form coming.
2. Primary work
It is important that we understand that Jesus’ primary reason for coming was removal and restoration.
Removal of the penalty of sin and restoration to our relationship with God. While preach, teaching and even miracles were performed by numerous people, it required someone who was fully Human and fully God to be able to remove sin and restore relationship.
Lets look at this in three great acts
a. Christ’s death
Mark 10: 45
The penalty of sin required a sacrifice therefore for Jesus to be that sacrifice He had to be fully human and die a real death. But for the penalty to completely paid the sacrifice had to be perfect, thus the need for Jesus to be fully God.
Jesus did not become God after His death, He always was fully God, fully human.
b. Resurrection
Romans 1:4, 4:25, Acts 10: 4-43
The resurrection not only demonstrated that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, it is also the assurance of our salvation. If Jesus has not been fully, bodily resurrected then there is no hope for us. But just as Jesus was fully resurrected so also shall we.
c. Ascension
Acts 1: 1-2
The ascension is often overlooked in Baptist life. It is as if Jesus simply rode off into the sunset. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus ascended into heaven to continue that
which He had started.
“Killing Jesus,” says Walter Wink, “was like trying to destroy a dandelion seed-head by blowing on it.” (The Jesus I Never Knew , Phillip Yancey 226)
“Christ died for our sins, He was raised for our justification, he now lives to make intercession for us. This is the redemptive work.” Christian Doctrine for Everyman - Jimmy A. Millkin
C. Theological Question: Does Jesus remain Incarnate? Last week we digressed a little in our discussion of the incarnation and in doing so neglected to explain just what incarnation mea
Having looked at the person of Jesus we will now turn our attention to the work of Jesus.
1. Preaching, teaching and healing (words and deeds)
The gospel records that Jesus performed both words and deeds. The words can refer to the preaching and teaching of Jesus, while the deeds can refer to the way He lived and to the miracles He performed.
As important as these were they were not His primary reason form coming.
2. Primary work
It is important that we understand that Jesus’ primary reason for coming was removal and restoration.
Removal of the penalty of sin and restoration to our relationship with God. While preach, teaching and even miracles were performed by numerous people, it required someone who was fully Human and fully God to be able to remove sin and restore relationship.
Lets look at this in three great acts
a. Christ’s death
Mark 10: 45
The penalty of sin required a sacrifice therefore for Jesus to be that sacrifice He had to be fully human and die a real death. But for the penalty to completely paid the sacrifice had to be perfect, thus the need for Jesus to be fully God.
Jesus did not become God after His death, He always was fully God, fully human.
b. Resurrection
Romans 1:4, 4:25, Acts 10: 4-43
The resurrection not only demonstrated that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice, it is also the assurance of our salvation. If Jesus has not been fully, bodily resurrected then there is no hope for us. But just as Jesus was fully resurrected so also shall we.
c. Ascension
Acts 1: 1-2
The ascension is often overlooked in Baptist life. It is as if Jesus simply rode off into the sunset. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus ascended into heaven to continue that
which He had started.
“Killing Jesus,” says Walter Wink, “was like trying to destroy a dandelion seed-head by blowing on it.” (The Jesus I Never Knew , Phillip Yancey 226)
“Christ died for our sins, He was raised for our justification, he now lives to make intercession for us. This is the redemptive work.” Christian Doctrine for Everyman - Jimmy A. Millkin
C. Theological Question: Does Jesus remain Incarnate? Last week we digressed a little in our discussion of the incarnation and in doing so neglected to explain just what incarnation mea
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Jesus (part 1)
Lesson 4
Jesus Christ
Introduction
Last week we looked at the first person of the Trinity, God the Father. Tonight we are going to look at the second person, God the Son. We are going to talk about Jesus.
We are going to do this in two ways: Who He is and What He did.
A. Who is Christ (person of Christ)
There are two terms that describe Jesus the person: He is a man and He is God.
1. Jesus was a man
The Scriptures reveal that Jesus "being made in human likeness, and being found is appearance as a man." Philippians 2: 7b-8a
But what sort of humanity was it? Was He actually human or just looked that way?
a. Humanity was real
First, the humanity was real. He expressed emotions, He had need for sleep, He ate, He cried, He laughed, He hurt (Although the Scriptures do not mention it, I am sure He even used the bathroom.)
John 15:11
Matthew 26: 37
"I once showed to a class several dozen art slides portraying Jesus in a variety of forms-African, Korean, Chinese-and then asked the class to describe what they thought Jesus looked like. Virtually everyone suggested he was tall (unlikely for a second-century Jew), most said handsome, and no one said overweight." (87)-Philip Yancey The Jesus I Never Knew
b. Jesus’ humanity was unique
1. Unique origin
His birth was different than ours. In Matthew and in Luke we read that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary.
William Hendricks better calls this the virginal conception because it was the conception and not the birth that was different. (Layman’s Library of Christian Doctrine: Who is Jesus Christ)
2. He was Sinless
A second way that His humanity was unique was that He is sinless. This means that unlike you and me He lived without sinning.
Hebrews 4: 15
His sinless is important in many ways, but the most important is that is only by being sinless that He was able to take on our sins.
2 Corinthians 5:21
2. Jesus is God
One of the struggles of the early church came from those who denied Jesus’ humanity. For them it was unthinkable, and impossible, for God to become human. So they argued that Jesus only looked like a human but really wasn’t one.
In our generation the opposite has become the argument. We can easily accept that a person named Jesus existed , but there is much debate over whether he is also God. The strongest argument coming from those whose who say Jesus never claimed the title. Nor did His followers see Him as God. Such an example is the DaVinci Code.
But in Scripture we find the opposite to be true.
a. Claims
1. Jesus
Jesus claimed to be in relationship with God: Luke 2: 49
He claimed to know God: John 8: 19
He claimed to have pre-existed John 8: 58
He allowed His followers to worship Him John 20: 26-28
2. Jesus’ followers
His followers believed Him to be God. John at the start of His gospel shares this. Paul testifies to this in a number of places two of them being: Colossians 1: 15 and I Timothy 3:16.
3. Jesus’ deeds
Another thing that testifies to Jesus divinity is the actions in His life. He demonstrated control over nature and the super natural. He healed diseases and sickness. He even showed control over death. The greatest testimony was His own resurrection.
Jesus Christ
Introduction
Last week we looked at the first person of the Trinity, God the Father. Tonight we are going to look at the second person, God the Son. We are going to talk about Jesus.
We are going to do this in two ways: Who He is and What He did.
A. Who is Christ (person of Christ)
There are two terms that describe Jesus the person: He is a man and He is God.
1. Jesus was a man
The Scriptures reveal that Jesus "being made in human likeness, and being found is appearance as a man." Philippians 2: 7b-8a
But what sort of humanity was it? Was He actually human or just looked that way?
a. Humanity was real
First, the humanity was real. He expressed emotions, He had need for sleep, He ate, He cried, He laughed, He hurt (Although the Scriptures do not mention it, I am sure He even used the bathroom.)
John 15:11
Matthew 26: 37
"I once showed to a class several dozen art slides portraying Jesus in a variety of forms-African, Korean, Chinese-and then asked the class to describe what they thought Jesus looked like. Virtually everyone suggested he was tall (unlikely for a second-century Jew), most said handsome, and no one said overweight." (87)-Philip Yancey The Jesus I Never Knew
b. Jesus’ humanity was unique
1. Unique origin
His birth was different than ours. In Matthew and in Luke we read that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary.
William Hendricks better calls this the virginal conception because it was the conception and not the birth that was different. (Layman’s Library of Christian Doctrine: Who is Jesus Christ)
2. He was Sinless
A second way that His humanity was unique was that He is sinless. This means that unlike you and me He lived without sinning.
Hebrews 4: 15
His sinless is important in many ways, but the most important is that is only by being sinless that He was able to take on our sins.
2 Corinthians 5:21
2. Jesus is God
One of the struggles of the early church came from those who denied Jesus’ humanity. For them it was unthinkable, and impossible, for God to become human. So they argued that Jesus only looked like a human but really wasn’t one.
In our generation the opposite has become the argument. We can easily accept that a person named Jesus existed , but there is much debate over whether he is also God. The strongest argument coming from those whose who say Jesus never claimed the title. Nor did His followers see Him as God. Such an example is the DaVinci Code.
But in Scripture we find the opposite to be true.
a. Claims
1. Jesus
Jesus claimed to be in relationship with God: Luke 2: 49
He claimed to know God: John 8: 19
He claimed to have pre-existed John 8: 58
He allowed His followers to worship Him John 20: 26-28
2. Jesus’ followers
His followers believed Him to be God. John at the start of His gospel shares this. Paul testifies to this in a number of places two of them being: Colossians 1: 15 and I Timothy 3:16.
3. Jesus’ deeds
Another thing that testifies to Jesus divinity is the actions in His life. He demonstrated control over nature and the super natural. He healed diseases and sickness. He even showed control over death. The greatest testimony was His own resurrection.
Friday, October 5, 2007
God (part 2)
The Attribute of God
While the nature of God reveals “that He is,” the attributes of God tell us some thing about God.
There is no completely comprehensive list, and at times descriptions of God’s nature is also seen as an attribute.
Bill Bright in his little booklet “13 Steps to Discovering His Attributes” lists the following: God is a personal Spirit, is all-powerful, is ever-present. Knows everything, is sovereign, is holy, is absolute truth, is righteous, is just, is love, is merciful, is faithful, and he never changes.
Let’s look at one of these: holiness.
The holiness of God
One of the hardest attributes to grasp is the concept of God being Holy. This is complicated because:
1. What exactly does holy mean?
The simplest definition of Holy is “set apart”. God is set apart from everything else. Creation is temporary, God is eternal, Creation is impure, God is pure, Creation is tainted with sin, God is without sin.
Another way to understand Holy is being perfect or pure, unlike anything else.
2. If God is holy then why do bad things happen?
I realize that this statement is often phrased as “If God is loving then why do bad things happen?” But that it is not really the complaint, because many wonderfully loving people allow bad things to happen all the time. Or a person might ask “If God is all powerful why does He allow bad things to happen?” Again the question is wrong because even if you were all powerful you would not stop all the evil, because you would not recognize the evil.
Therefore the real problem is that God is loving, is all-powerful, and He is holy which means He is well aware of the difference between good and evil and yet it still exists.
3. If God is Holy how can I have anything to do with Him?
This hits to the heart of the matter. God is Holy and I am not, so how can we have anything to do with each other?
Understanding why Jesus came and why He had to die for our sins is caught up in this understanding of God’s Holiness. If we are going to be in relationship with God then we also need to be made holy. We are incapable of such a thing, but Jesus, being God, is holy and therefore capable of making us holy.
Let me explain it in another way. In the Old Testament items would be designated as holy (an item used in the Temple or perhaps a piece of ground. The items were not themselves holy, but were called so do to their association with God who is Holy.
In the same way we who believe in Jesus Christ are called holy (Not because we are perfect or pure) but because of our closeness (being found in) Jesus Christ who is Holy.
While the nature of God reveals “that He is,” the attributes of God tell us some thing about God.
There is no completely comprehensive list, and at times descriptions of God’s nature is also seen as an attribute.
Bill Bright in his little booklet “13 Steps to Discovering His Attributes” lists the following: God is a personal Spirit, is all-powerful, is ever-present. Knows everything, is sovereign, is holy, is absolute truth, is righteous, is just, is love, is merciful, is faithful, and he never changes.
Let’s look at one of these: holiness.
The holiness of God
One of the hardest attributes to grasp is the concept of God being Holy. This is complicated because:
1. What exactly does holy mean?
The simplest definition of Holy is “set apart”. God is set apart from everything else. Creation is temporary, God is eternal, Creation is impure, God is pure, Creation is tainted with sin, God is without sin.
Another way to understand Holy is being perfect or pure, unlike anything else.
2. If God is holy then why do bad things happen?
I realize that this statement is often phrased as “If God is loving then why do bad things happen?” But that it is not really the complaint, because many wonderfully loving people allow bad things to happen all the time. Or a person might ask “If God is all powerful why does He allow bad things to happen?” Again the question is wrong because even if you were all powerful you would not stop all the evil, because you would not recognize the evil.
Therefore the real problem is that God is loving, is all-powerful, and He is holy which means He is well aware of the difference between good and evil and yet it still exists.
3. If God is Holy how can I have anything to do with Him?
This hits to the heart of the matter. God is Holy and I am not, so how can we have anything to do with each other?
Understanding why Jesus came and why He had to die for our sins is caught up in this understanding of God’s Holiness. If we are going to be in relationship with God then we also need to be made holy. We are incapable of such a thing, but Jesus, being God, is holy and therefore capable of making us holy.
Let me explain it in another way. In the Old Testament items would be designated as holy (an item used in the Temple or perhaps a piece of ground. The items were not themselves holy, but were called so do to their association with God who is Holy.
In the same way we who believe in Jesus Christ are called holy (Not because we are perfect or pure) but because of our closeness (being found in) Jesus Christ who is Holy.
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