The everlasting God
Instead of thinking in terms of
theological trends we should think more in terms of God’s attributes.
The challenge we face with any
kind of natural theology (or theology in which we find God in the natural
world) is that there are inevitable limits. The idea of the natural carries the
idea that potentially the world can exist happily without God. It is an
attractive word since it contains a certain purity and innocence to it, yet
whether or not it is used by Christians it does not necessarily have to include
God. In fact, although we can rightly have a natural theology the idea of
‘nature’ is one of the most powerful referents to a world without him.
The charm and beauty of the term
can belie an element that is easily distorted and bent into an idol. Note the
second commandment. No idol is to be made out of anything in heaven above or
the earth beneath. The law and the natural world are found together in the
Bible in the one book of the law or way of life of God’s people. Psalm 19 is a
beautiful reminder of their co-incidence, but we must be aware of how they can
be separated also.
Faith in the God of natural
theology, although greater in certain respects than a God of revelation and
religion (Romans 1 v.20), will inevitably be confined to the natural
circumstances of this world. This is a God that is known by all and universally
present, but no tradition has been developed concerning his person. There is no
consistent body of truth to acquire that revolves around his personal
attributes. In the end natural theology will not only be left to fend for
itself, it will become distorted in the most ugly and degraded way, if no
access can be found to God’s miraculous intervening power (Romans 1 vs. 21-32).
We urgently need to call on God (Romans 10 v.12).
We must know that God is not
something in the world, something to be acquired in the sense of anything anybody
may acquire. God is not something in nature, even in human nature. This makes
God both common and cheap. Natural theology is inevitably limited to this- it
makes our God common to all, when he is personal to Christians. We should not
‘acquire’ anything in the world through the sinful nature. It must be through
the one who has died to the world, and whose acquisition of anything in the
world is only temporary for the Kingdom of God. No ‘getting’ or acquisition of
anything in the world, be that a career or wealth should be through the sinful
nature. The permanence of status is given by God in Christ Jesus. It is not
simply a function of nature.
Natural theology is positive as a
bridging project working on commonalites between Christians and non-Christians.
A natural theology refers to the substantial, rather than the personal
revelation of God. However, no matter how great that natural and inherent
ability or resource is, and it may be very great, it has no lasting power. It
comes to an end, like all the things of this world. Worse still it becomes
corrupted by the ugliness of sin.
But our God is everlasting. He
never comes to an end. He is inexhaustible. There is forgiveness and grace with
him. The things that he reveals to us shall be as gold that never perishes. It
has to be God. All the things of this world will wear out, and the children of
the world have become corrupted, but where my God is there is forgiveness,
grace, renewal strength and resource.
Hallelujah! My wonderful everlasting God.
Matthew 6 vs. 19-21
Hebrews 1 vs.10-12
Deuteronomy 29 v.29
Isaiah 40 v.31
No comments:
Post a Comment