We have looked at several aspects of sin, so now let’s talk about a solution for it. From what we have discovered in the previous posts, what does it all mean for us? Here are a few points to remember:

·       God’s word can be counted on. It is plausible. It is true. It is truth.

·       God is tangible; God is mysterious; God is unique

·       God cannot love you more.

·       God cannot love you less.

·       God is love; God is justice – both in their purest forms

·       We cannot by-pass his justice to receive his love

·       There is a reason he is Trinity – it is necessary for our salvation

God’s love came to us via justice, not to replace it or as a substitute or it: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). Some think this is exclusionary, but in reality, it is all inclusive. Yet, it requires a choice. Just because it is available doesn’t mean it is imputed. It is imputed freely only if you accept it.

In our first post, we talked about the Magic Zone and how it requires us to get out of our own Comfort Zone before we can reach it. Yet, the Magic Zone is available to all. You just have to get a little uncomfortable to achieve it. So, how do we get to the Magic Zone? Think about the following:

·       Our best is less than God’s requirement of perfection

·       Our pride yields Rebellion – we cannot please God and we will not reach out to God on our own

·       The Holy Spirit draws us to God

·       Acceptance leads to security through the Holy Spirit

·       Our imperfection is then clothed with Christ’s perfection

·       Our submission leads to obedience

·       Our obedience leads to transforming our minds in alignment with the mind of Christ

·       Being in sync with Christ takes us to the Magic Zone

We can become Christians without ever reaching this Magic Zone. Yet, we can choose to get there by choosing to develop the mind of Christ and look at sin as he does. This is how we begin to have a compassion for others and can look beyond their acts of sin to see them as an individual of worth. After all, we are all sinners. Yet, we all have worth in his sight. We need to see others as he does, realizing they can do nothing but sin without the Holy Spirit drawing them. We need to pray that we can develop the mind of Christ and pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the lives of those we talk to, so he will draw them unto himself. What about you? Are you in the Magic Zone? Do you want to be in the Magic Zone? You can, you know. A big sacrifice was made to make it easy for you. The hard part is already done. All you must do now is just accept it by faith. What does that mean. Just believe it. Trust in it. Your eternity depends upon it.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Some balk at God being Trinity and say it’s impossible. But stop and think about it. If you can understand God, would he be God?

Yet, he reveals himself in nature and is at the very heart of matter itself. Science is not truth but helps us to point to truth. If what we can understand—or don’t understand—in nature can be believed, then why can’t we believe in God?

Quantum physics is what some call “weird science” because it doesn’t perform as most of the laws of nature perform. Subatomic particles do strange things, yet we still believe in them. I bring this up constantly, because it shows that we can believe God and who he is because the nature of his character is embedded in each atom of the universe.

When I was in school, we were taught that an atom was the basic building block of matter: composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Yet, we now know that even an atom is much more complex. If we could look closer at the atom’s nucleus, we would see that protons and neutrons are composed of smaller particles, called quarks.

A proton is composed of 2-up quarks and 1-down quark. A neutron is composed of 2-down quarks and 1-up quark. The issue with protons, as you may remember, is that they are positively charged. What happens when you put two positive sides of a magnet together? They repel each other. Well, that is exactly what these protons do, but they don’t fly apart. Why? There are gluons which bind the quarks together inside both protons and neutrons and even between protons and neutrons. This makes the nucleus a very stable environment. The force of attraction by the gluons overcome the repulsion force of the protons against each other. This is known as the “strong force.”

OK, you may be thinking, but where does God come into the picture? Well, science has discovered that while there are three quarks in a proton and neutron, they cannot be viewed independently. While they are independent particles, they cannot be separated. This is where the “weird science” comes into play. Normally, when two objects get farther and farther away, there is less attraction between them. Not so here. If you try to pull two quarks apart, the binding force increases the farther apart they get.

We had mentioned in a previous post that God is both pure love and pure justice. These could not exist together in one being without compromise. Yet, because God is Trinity, they can exist together. Sort of like the quarks in protons or neutrons. God’s love and God’s justice are held together by the Holy Spirit, like the properties of the gluon. The Holy Spirit allows them to exist in their pure form, but never apart.

Just as quarks cannot exist separately, neither can God the Father and God the Son. Christ stated that if you have seen me, you have seen the Father (Jn 14:9), and I and the Father are one (Jn 10:30). He wasn’t bragging. He was stating a fact and we can now observe such in the very heart of matter itself.

Also, the Holy Spirit, the gluon, binds us to God and we can never be separated from Him once he draws us to himself. We are bound with the strong force of the cosmic gluon, the Holy Spirit—we cannot be pulled apart from him. Therefore, the Holy Spirit (the third part of the Trinity) binds God the Father (first part of the Trinity) to God the Son (the second part of the Trinity) and never allows them to be experienced separately. He also binds us to God and never lets us go as well. Therefore, we have the fingerprint of God within the very heart of matter itself.

The Bible does tell us that, one day, God’s justice will reign. Colossians states that Christ holds all things together (Cl 1:16-17). Yet what he has created will one day be destroyed and recreated. Peter tells us that the earth will be destroyed with fervent heat (2Pt 3:7).

I think these two are related back to the gluons we just talked about. It is the gluons which hold all matter together. If God was to have the gluons fail, what would happen? What I didn’t mention was that inside the protons and neutrons is like a firestorm. It is not placid and quiet. There is massive energy that is being contained. Once the containment, the gluon, is removed, all matter would be destroyed in a brilliant fireball explosion.

God stated he will then create anew. He will reinstate the gluons and all matter will be stable again. To me, science and Scripture, do go hand in hand.

Our sin problem could only be taken care of by someone like our God who is uniquely qualified to take care of it for us since we cannot do it on our own. See, that is a God of love. Justice? Yes, he is that as well, but he if first and foremost a God of love. Experiencing justice is our choice. God cannot deny who he is, but he can, and has, made a way of escape. Now, it is up to us. Are you ready to take that step of faith? I truly hope you are.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In the last few posts, we have been discussing God’s fingerprint and how to identify it. We showed that the gluons which hold quarks together seem to be his fingerprint since the characteristics of these subatomic particles display some of the same characteristics as does the triune Godhead itself. Also, this would seem to support what Paul stated: “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Cl 1:16-17).”

So, we see how he has showed us through the very essence of nature itself that he was there. And, because all things still hold together, he is showing us that he is still there. We, as humans, need evidence, and he has supplied it. Are you willing to accept it? You accept the “weirdness” of quantum physics, right? If the concept of God is similar, doesn’t that actually prove something rather than make it more difficult to understand? Let’s not let our bias prevent us from seeing the evidence.

We saw that gluons hold not only the quarks together within a neutron or proton, but between them as well. This leads to the creation of the strong nuclear force. It allows protons which should naturally repel each other to actually be held together in a stable environment. But what would happen if the gluons were to fail?

Believe it or not, there is Biblical evidence to support just that! “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them” (Rv 20:11). When our pastor read this verse to us, I thought it quite apropos as I had just talked about God’s fingerprint. What we read here is God removing his fingerprint. And if we take this verse and combine it with what Peter stated: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare” (2Pt 3:10), we get a pretty clear picture of what would happen when gluons fail.

God put his fingerprint into the very essence of matter itself and that is what is holding everything together is a very stable manner. At some point in the future, he is going to say, “it is enough” and remove his fingerprint. The gluons are going to fail, and all matter will fall apart. Everything will fall apart (“will flee”) in a big “whoosh” (more likely a “roar”) and the end will be a chaotic inferno.

Doesn’t this help you to visualize the Bible as being real? See how scientific it can be if we take it at face value? But it goes deeper. God has always brought order out of chaos. Without God there is no order. There is only chaos. Isn’t that true in our own lives as well. When we try things on our own, everything just winds up a mess – very chaotic. Yet, when we allow God to be in control of our lives, the chaos turns back into order. His fingerprint is back in control. Accept him. Accept his fingerprint. He’s at the essence of everything. Let him be at the essence of you as well. It’s a simple conversation. He will put his fingerprint on your life and bring the calm to your chaos.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

What does God’s fingerprint look like? The names of God help us to understand God’s character, but not God’s basic essence. So, what is God’s basic essence? Hashilush Hakadosh – Holy Trinity

Why is this important? It’s the foundation of who God is. It’s how he is unique. It’s how he is able to do what he does. It’s how he relates to us. This is why Lucifer became Satan, the Adversary, because he claimed to be as God. But God is holy – unique – no one can be like him.

So, there it is, his fingerprint, his uniqueness. Who else can claim to be Three-in-One? One part of holiness is being pure and righteous. Yet, the other meaning is that of uniqueness – being like none other. This certainly puts him into a category all by himself. God, the 1st part of the Trinity, became known as God the Father, the 2nd part of the Trinity became God the Son because he came to earth as a child to identify with mankind and pay the ransom for their sin, and the 3rd part of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit. They each have a job to do yet cannot be fully separated from each other.

So, does the Bible really support such a uniqueness to God? It is not explicitly stated. Why? I think because it is his essence, his fingerprint. You don’t have to state a certain fingerprint is yours, do you? It identifies you as you. You don’t have to claim it, it claims you.

In Genesis 1:1-2, it states that God (i.e., Elohim, a plural noun and a unique form in Hebrew) created (i.e., bara, a singular verb, utilizing the qal stem of Hebrew grammar and this form of the word is used exclusively for the activity of God in which he fashions something new and pristine). Then, in verse 2, the Spirit of God is mentioned. In addition, we find the words “us” and “our” in verse 26. These verses support the idea of God being Trinity.

If this was the only place in scripture which supported this, then we could debate, but there are others. In Exodus, we also find the Trinity of God revealed to Israel. “And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death’” (Ex 19:10-12). Here we see the justice of God being revealed.

“On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him (Ex 19:16-19). Here, we see the 1st Person of the Trinity being revealed to Israel.

We then find something very unusual. “Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something, like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank” (Ex 24:9-11). Here, we see the love of God being revealed, and we meet the 2nd Person of the Trinity.

In an account in Numbers, we find more. “The LORD said to Moses: ‘Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone’” (Nu 11:16-17). Here, we see the omnipresence of God is revealed by the 3rd Person of the Trinity.

Then, in the New Testament, we see a culmination of all the components of the Trinity. “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’” (Mk 1:9-11). This is 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Person of the Trinity working in concert.

Therefore, God can have pure justice and pure love co-exist together. They could exist no other way. Yet, that doesn’t mean God the Father is all justice and God the Son is all love. They are the same, yet different. The Bible tells us that one day God the Son, who has bestowed upon us the love of God, will one day bestow God’s justice to everyone who has not accepted him as their Savior. For those who have accepted him as their Savior, their ransom has been paid so God’s justice will not impact them.

How do we grasp the concept of Trinity? Why do we try to ignore the concept of Trinity? Why do we try to make it out as something impossible? Is there anything in nature that supports such a concept? The Answer is YES. God’s fingerprint is found is the very essence of matter itself. Isn’t that where you would expect it to be?

We’ll further explore this aspect next time, but don’t wait. God is unique so you can rely upon him. It’s hard to believe someone ordinary can so the impossible, but someone unique, like no other . . . now, that’s a different story. He’s waiting. Just talk to him.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens