Definition: God does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation can glorify Him and bring Him joy.
Paul states in Act 17:24-25- "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands as though he needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything."
The implication being that God does not need anything from mankind.
Job 41:11 - the Lord says; "Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine."
Implying that there is nothing that we or anyone has ever created that does not go back to God first creating it.
Many think that God made human beings because He was lonely and needed the fellowship. If this were true then God would not longer be completely independent, because He need fellowship, and therefore said to the incomplete Trinity, let's make some rebellious, men and women that will constantly defile and blaspheme our Name.
Scripture however is going to tell us a different story, John 17:5 - during Jesus' prayer to the Father cries out; "glorify me in Your presence with the glory that I had with You before the world existed." John 17:24 also says, "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given me, may be with me where I am, to see My glory that you have given me because You loved me, before the foundation of the world."
Wayne Grudem says it like this. "Theses passages indicate explicitly what we can learn elsewhere from the doctrine of the Trinity, namely, that among the persons of the Trinity there has been perfect love and fellowship and communication for all eternity." The Trinity, God 3 in one, means that there was no lack in the Godhead, there is no incompleteness, but rather the Trinity exists fully fulfilled and with infinite joy and glory that is given freely to each member of the Trinity.
God's independence is also seen in the burning bush, He tells Moses in Exodus 3:14- " I am who I am." God has always been, He has never not been, and He is self-existent, no one created Him, but He lives, He is totally unique from anything else that we know.
Some would say then are we important at all. To that I would say that we are in fact extremely important to God, He created us and He determined that we would be important and meaningful. It is something that we should delight ourselves in and why we strive to serve Him, love others, be a blessing to those that God has placed in our lives.
Isaiah 62:3-5 serves as a great reminder: "You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord; and a royal diadem in the hand of God. You shall no more to termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My delight is in her, adn your land Married; for the Lord delights in you and your land shall be married... as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride so shall your God rejoice over you."
It is when we realize that God is complete, that He is in need of nothing, and there is nothing that I could offer that He could ever be in want of, that my life becomes about Him, rejoicing in a huge God that is not defined by man's definitions or thoughts, but He exists to bring Himself glory and that He has created me, that I may delight in Him.
Rejoice in a God that is in need of no thing, and is creator of all things.
LOVE GOD LOVE PEOPLE
Immensely grateful to Wayne Grudem for helping me understand this beautiful attribute.
About Me
- Fellowship Church Lubbock
- We are not perfect, but we have been saved by the one who is. He did it by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Christ alone, for the glory of God alone, revealed infallibly by the Scripture alone.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Understanding the Lingo
2 Timothy 4:3-4 - "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suite their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths."
Paul is communicating something to his child in the faith, Timothy, be ready false teaching is coming. Some that is going to be easy to recognize and some that is going to be difficult to discern, and so he tells him in V. 5 - "... always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."
He admonishes him to know the truth, and preach the truth, even when you are getting blasted.
Today we have the same charge, as false teaching surrounds us, and each day it seems to be something different and if we are not careful we can fall victim to the seductive language the devil uses to pull us in. I see so many blogs, Facebook posts, articles, blasting doctrines and religions, and men, faithful and unfaithful. How do we stay alert and guard against our hearts being deceived?
I think to answer that question we must look at the root behind why so many get deceived. I think so often it is those who don't understand who God is, what He is like, what pleases Him, and what does not please Him. And we take our assumptions about Him and create our profile of Him, and so often it is based not on what we read and study in the narrative of the entire Bible but our own personal feelings, and that is dangerous, because I know my heart and I know how wicked and self-serving it is.
So our answer to the question is, we must know who the Scriptures say God to be, I know simple right? But has the power to change how we see God and how we rejoice in Him, this is how Paul warns Timothy to be sober-minded and alert and how he warns us today.
Over the course of the next year or so we are going to look, two times a week into the character of God and the Gospel, and look to what the Scriptures as a whole say to this. I think so often we walk through assuming we know things that are not true at all. My aim in this blog is to explore and inform us, so that we may be sober-minded and ready to do the work of an evangelist.
We will lean heavily on the Scriptures and on faithful men to help us increase in knowledge and understanding. I hope that this is helpful and truthful, that it nourishes your soul and mind.
NEXT WEEK - 3/28- The Independence of God.
Paul is communicating something to his child in the faith, Timothy, be ready false teaching is coming. Some that is going to be easy to recognize and some that is going to be difficult to discern, and so he tells him in V. 5 - "... always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."
He admonishes him to know the truth, and preach the truth, even when you are getting blasted.
Today we have the same charge, as false teaching surrounds us, and each day it seems to be something different and if we are not careful we can fall victim to the seductive language the devil uses to pull us in. I see so many blogs, Facebook posts, articles, blasting doctrines and religions, and men, faithful and unfaithful. How do we stay alert and guard against our hearts being deceived?
I think to answer that question we must look at the root behind why so many get deceived. I think so often it is those who don't understand who God is, what He is like, what pleases Him, and what does not please Him. And we take our assumptions about Him and create our profile of Him, and so often it is based not on what we read and study in the narrative of the entire Bible but our own personal feelings, and that is dangerous, because I know my heart and I know how wicked and self-serving it is.
So our answer to the question is, we must know who the Scriptures say God to be, I know simple right? But has the power to change how we see God and how we rejoice in Him, this is how Paul warns Timothy to be sober-minded and alert and how he warns us today.
Over the course of the next year or so we are going to look, two times a week into the character of God and the Gospel, and look to what the Scriptures as a whole say to this. I think so often we walk through assuming we know things that are not true at all. My aim in this blog is to explore and inform us, so that we may be sober-minded and ready to do the work of an evangelist.
We will lean heavily on the Scriptures and on faithful men to help us increase in knowledge and understanding. I hope that this is helpful and truthful, that it nourishes your soul and mind.
NEXT WEEK - 3/28- The Independence of God.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
How did Love get Hijacked
There has been over the course of the last week or so some controversy arise in the "evangelical" world over a new book to be released by emergent guru and Nooma creator Rob Bell entitled "Love Wins." The controversy centers around claims and statements that Bell makes in regards to hell and eternal separation from God. Let me preface this entire blog by saying I have not read the book (I'm not cool enough to get a pre-released copy) and I may or may not read it. In fact this blog post has little to do with Bell's book or the controversy around it, though based on what I see a word of caution and discernment is advised in reading anything from any man, especially one with such liberal views on Scriptures and the atoning work of Christ.
Enough with that, my message to us today centers around the response in our lives to reprove. In this case emergent minded men and women, I have not seen or heard anything from Bell, have blasted faithful men like John Piper, Justin Taylor, and a host of other solid men for their stance on this dangerous theology, claiming that these men are ravenous wolves, haters, and one blogger even comparing Piper to Vito Corleone.
My question is when did it become an act of hate to call out men that have massive influence when they are endanger of leading people astray. When did love become something that never has hard conversations or forsakes accountability so that everyone just gets along. When did we as a people become so sacred of someone telling us we are wrong? And when did it become wrong to examine our hearts to see if we did say something to offend or are in danger?
I guess this is what Paul faced when he called out the Judaizers in Galatians 1, or when Jesus rebukes Peter and calls him satan, or when the writer of Hebrews say in chapter 12, says that we should love and seek out discipline and reproof, for it shapes us and keeps us accountable to the walk that we so desperately want to see.
In using this example, I am simply stating that we have become a people who never want to be told right from wrong, we never want to love in a way that sometimes seems harsh but is meant for our good.
It is why we have men acting like boys when they are in their mid 30's, its why divorce rate is at an alarming high, it is why the pulpits in American have become a place for selling a bill of goods rather then teaching the loving, and sometimes harsh truth of the Scriptures and the glory of God.
Think about it, are you ok with someone calling you out, and are you quick to examine your heart or do you immediately get defensive? Are you prone to anger quickly or do you pray, seek counsel and clarity?
I will leave you with one good example of this, that came to my attention recently. John MacArthur, a faithful preacher, made a few remarks about a book written by Darrin Patrick entitled "Church Planter", where I believe pastor John misread and misunderstood the point, Patrick instead of ranting and raving and getting all his Acts 29 boys to hit the blogosphere he wrote a letter in response to pastor John explaining the passage and even going so far as to sit down with him and explain more.
I hope this is an encouragement to you to seek, reprove, rebuke, discipline, is ok, it is not something that we should run from, it will help keep us on solid ground, it will help keep us rooted and grounded in the rock and truth of Jesus. Seek out men and women that love you and desire the best for you and live in a place of humility.
Enough with that, my message to us today centers around the response in our lives to reprove. In this case emergent minded men and women, I have not seen or heard anything from Bell, have blasted faithful men like John Piper, Justin Taylor, and a host of other solid men for their stance on this dangerous theology, claiming that these men are ravenous wolves, haters, and one blogger even comparing Piper to Vito Corleone.
My question is when did it become an act of hate to call out men that have massive influence when they are endanger of leading people astray. When did love become something that never has hard conversations or forsakes accountability so that everyone just gets along. When did we as a people become so sacred of someone telling us we are wrong? And when did it become wrong to examine our hearts to see if we did say something to offend or are in danger?
I guess this is what Paul faced when he called out the Judaizers in Galatians 1, or when Jesus rebukes Peter and calls him satan, or when the writer of Hebrews say in chapter 12, says that we should love and seek out discipline and reproof, for it shapes us and keeps us accountable to the walk that we so desperately want to see.
In using this example, I am simply stating that we have become a people who never want to be told right from wrong, we never want to love in a way that sometimes seems harsh but is meant for our good.
It is why we have men acting like boys when they are in their mid 30's, its why divorce rate is at an alarming high, it is why the pulpits in American have become a place for selling a bill of goods rather then teaching the loving, and sometimes harsh truth of the Scriptures and the glory of God.
Think about it, are you ok with someone calling you out, and are you quick to examine your heart or do you immediately get defensive? Are you prone to anger quickly or do you pray, seek counsel and clarity?
I will leave you with one good example of this, that came to my attention recently. John MacArthur, a faithful preacher, made a few remarks about a book written by Darrin Patrick entitled "Church Planter", where I believe pastor John misread and misunderstood the point, Patrick instead of ranting and raving and getting all his Acts 29 boys to hit the blogosphere he wrote a letter in response to pastor John explaining the passage and even going so far as to sit down with him and explain more.
I hope this is an encouragement to you to seek, reprove, rebuke, discipline, is ok, it is not something that we should run from, it will help keep us on solid ground, it will help keep us rooted and grounded in the rock and truth of Jesus. Seek out men and women that love you and desire the best for you and live in a place of humility.
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