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

Jesus stated, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6). This is quite a claim for Jesus to make. In my last post, we studied how Jesus claimed to be equal with God. In that light, maybe this is not such a remarkable claim. However, if we think about what He is saying here, it is that He is God, and He is the only way to Himself. Is that just too much? I think what He is really saying is that He is part of the Trinity and in that since He and God are the same. Also, as the second person of the Trinity, He is the one who has always been the face of God to the human race. He was the one who walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gn 3:8), He is the one who appeared to Abraham (Gn 18:1), to the Israelites (Ex 24:10), to Joshua (Js 5:13-15), to Manoah (Jd 13:22), Samson’s father, and to others. He came to earth to pave the way for all to find their way to God and to restore the relationship He had with mankind before Adam and Eve sinned and brought sin to all (Ro 5:12).

Some claim this is being very narrow minded and exclusionary. However, is it really? It is only exclusionary if people are excluded from accepting, like a country club. Although the cost was high and no human could afford the payment, God made the payment Himself so that it could be offered to everyone (Jn 3:16). It is very accepting: free to all and all are invited. One only has to come as they are. There is no special condition, no specific act, no payment, no good deed, or requirement needed for one to come freely and accept the price that has already been paid. It only takes faith: a belief that Jesus Christ came, died for sin’s payment, and rose again conquering death. Then one’s ability to be with Christ forever is that their sins are covered with His blood. Simple? Yes, for us. However, the act itself took planning by God from the beginning of time and required Jesus to leave all the riches of heaven to come to earth in the form of a man. Not only that, but he also remains in the form of man for all eternity so He can identify with us forever. Now that is a God I want to follow. He is definitely worthy of being the God of Easter.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Since Easter is just around the corner, I thought we should look at some things Christ said about himself that supports him being the God of Easter. However, before we do that, I think we should visit a few of the past posts to remind ourselves of what we already know so we can go forward. In the post Easter vs First Fruits we saw there is a difference between Easter and First Fruits (Bikkurim); but today, Easter for Christians is the same as First Fruits (Bikkurim) to the first century Christians. For the reason why, review the post. Therefore, for Christians, both are referring to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We also need to understand the character of God to help us understand the role of Jesus Christ. Review the post entitled Son of God to understand this more. This will help us understand the concept of the term “Son of God” and what that means. Does this mean they are two separate beings? Or does this term support the idea of Trinity? Reviewing that post will help you see that terminology sometimes yields to a connotation that was not the original intent.

Our understanding of the Godhead is especially important for us understanding how Jesus Christ can be the God of Easter. See the post entitled Biblical Conundrum: Trinity to review how God is an enigma to us and is very hard to understand from a human viewpoint. However, understanding that He is unique and above our understanding helps us to better understand how Jesus Christ can be the God of Easter. The idea of Trinity, although difficult, is key to our moving forward in understanding how Jesus could be the God of Easter.

Now that we have some background information for our discussion, we will begin to understand what Christ said about himself while here on earth. Many have claimed that while he was a great teacher and showed how to live a good life, he did not claim to be God. Others say he did not claim to have any qualities that would be considered equal to God. As we go forward from here toward Easter, we will explore some of Christ’s sayings and see what he really claimed. I look forward to hearing your feedback.

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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

In the last few posts we have talked about several different kinds of Biblical conundrums. The reason these conundrums (or paradoxes or antinomies) are there is because God is a part of them. We cannot fully understand God, how He works, or even why He works as He does. Therefore, He and His actions appear conundrum-like to us. I think this is one reason why so many people have trouble with the Gospel message. In one case it is quite simple and even a child can understand and accept it. However, the more deeply you think about it, the more complicated and anti-logical it seems and since people cannot rationalize it in their mind, they are skeptical of believing something that seems paradoxical.

So, how does one come to grips with all this? Well, first we need to understand how we think about God. What is your view of God? Do you want a God you can logically understand and figure out? Yes, it makes Him seem more rational, but is that how big a God you really want? If I can figure God out, how can I really expect Him to handle all the things I can’t figure out? I want a God who is bigger than what I can conceive, and who can do more than I can imagine—One who is totally mind-blowing! Isn’t that the kind of God you want? If that is the case then you want a God who is a conundrum, whose works are paradoxical, and who can make antinomies true. If that is the kind of God you want, then the next step is really not that big.

What step am I talking about? Faith. It is the glue that ties all these Godly conundrums together for us. If we want and believe in a God who is like we just described, then all we have to do is accept Him: who He is (a conundrum) as described in the Bible (Trinity), what He has done for us (a paradox) that we cannot do ourselves (salvation), and how he works and draws people to Himself (an antinomy) and makes us his (you can call it free will or predestination). This acceptance is by faith. It is what God requires. You can go only so far on human logic. It almost gets you there—but not quite. There is still a small gap. It is like Indiana Jones when he was seeking the Holy Grail to save his father. He was almost there. He could see where he needed to go but he couldn’t quite get there with his own efforts. He had to take that step of faith. It didn’t seem right. It didn’t seem logical. But he was desperate and so he took that step that in his mind would plummet him to his demise. However, the step was firm. It didn’t make sense—at first. But it was only after taking that step that it all made sense, and he was able to complete his mission and save his father. Are you at that place? You are almost there but the next step just does not seem logical. Trust me. Just take that step. Only after taking that step can the conundrum, the paradox, the antinomy of God begin to make sense. You will never fully understand Him, but you will know you can trust Him. That, my friend, makes all the difference.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Sometimes I feel Christianity has created more confusion than clarity around the role of the Godhead. I think the term Son of God has been so used and misused that we tend to forget the original meaning of the term. One can argue that the term is widely used in the Gospels so why the concern? The concern is not the term but the definition of the term. Over time, the way mankind thinks of terms changes and can get distorted from its original intent. We often think of "son" and "father" as not being equal and so I think we have fostered the idea that the Son of God is not really equal to God himself and thereby people start to think that they are actually two different entities. Some have tried to counter this by saying, "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit" but I think people often feel that three entities are being described. It is only a matter of subtlety you say? Perhaps; but even in his earthly ministry, Christ made subtlety important.

One day the Sadducees were asking Jesus about the validity of the resurrection (Mt 22:23-28). How did Jesus respond? He stated that they did not know the scriptures (Mt 22:29). They were incensed. Jesus told them that God stated, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Mt 22:32; Ex 3:6). Therefore, God was not their God; but is their God. Tense was very important. Yahweh was their God when on the earth and continued to be their God. As Jesus stated, "[God] is not the God of the dead but of the living" (Mt 22:32). Therefore, Jesus implied that life continues after death and therefore supportive of a resurrection. Hmmm, implication of scripture is just as important as direct statement in scripture.

So let's see if there are implications about God in the Old Testament. Many say that the idea of God as Trinity is not stated in the Old Testament and so is only a concept developed by Christians. Well, let's see if that is true. We don't have to go far to find a subtle clue. Genesis 1:1 states, "In the beginning, God created...." So let's see what is being stated here. God, or in Hebrew, Elohim, created. This is a plural noun but used with a singular verb. How clever. Subtle? Yes. Important? Yes.

If that was the only place we find such a clue then we might question the intentionality of this verse. However, there is another critical juncture in scripture that also speaks to God being Trinity.

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, He met them at Mt. Sinai. The first encounter was quite ominous. They saw huge billows of smoke and fire coming from the north and descending on the top of the mountain (Ex 19:16-19). God even spoke to them and it sounded like thunder, the earth shook, and the people were very frightened. So much so that they asked God to speak only to Moses and then he relay God's message to them (Ex 20:19). There was no one that day that wanted to stand up and say, "I have a few issues with you God. Let me get them off my chest." No, they knew their place and it was not one of righteousness. Who can argue that this encounter was with the first person of the Godhead, who we today term, God the Father?

However, a few chapters later, we have a very unusual occurrence. Moses, Aaron and his sons (the priests of their day), and 70 leaders of the people met with God and ate with Him (Ex 24:9-11). This is a stark contrast to their previous encounter as described above. God suspended his original requirement that they could not approach him—because this was on his terms, not theirs. This showed a more personable side of God. This was the second component of the Godhead - the one who later came to earth in human flesh—the one who had walked and talked with Adam and Eve—the one of the Godhead who has always reached out to mankind. The one we today term, God the Son.

Then not too far later, we see the third component of the Godhead. Scripture states that God's spirit indwelled the 70 leaders who Moses had chosen so they could understand what God wanted them to do to help administrate God's will to the people (Nu 11:24-25). It is not too hard to see that this is the one we today term, God the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, although not stated specifically, even the Old Testament is in agreement with God as Trinity. Why is this important? Who else can be Trinity? No one. Who else could be omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient yet still become human? No one. Therefore, God is unique and there is no other entity who can be his equal. Being Trinity allows him to be the most efficient relationship builder—ever!

This is what the Gospel writers were trying to portray about Christ—his uniqueness. He was born to a human woman but through the Holy Spirit—not through a human man (Mt 1:18). Because he was born, hence the term "son." Not a normal son, but the Son of God, meaning he originated from God but not separate from God. God's uniqueness is personified, not decreased. Who else could do that? No one. All of God put into a human form. He was brought low (Pp 2:7-8) in the sense he agreed to abide by some human limitations but not be limited by them. He still performed all the responsibilities as part of the Godhead. Again showing his uniqueness.

Therefore, next time you hear the term Son of God, think how the Gospel writers thought: uniqueness personified. It will bring a whole new level to your understanding of God, and a way for us to understand and show our humbleness toward Him.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens