Transcendence, Immanence and Theism

Transcendence and Immanence - These are two characteristics of the God of the Bible. Transcendence refers to God as being prior to and existing outside the created world. To describe God as transcendent means God’s existence, his person and his nature, are not connected to the created world. God exists unchanged before, during and after the universe, or any created thing, existed. Immanence refers to God’s ability, desire and practice of being involved in the universe. This includes his general indwelling of every part of creation. God is everywhere simultaneously and is present at every point in space (but, this does not mean he exists as every point in space.) As transcendent, God is beyond time and space and is not affected by creation. As immanent, God is aware, present and involved in the created world. The Biblical God is both transcendent and immanent. He exists outside the universe but is active in the universe.

There are seven major world views of concerning God:

1. Atheism – believes there is no God
2. Polytheism – believes there are many gods
3. Panentheism – believes God is finite. He learns and changes as the free universe makes decisions.
4. Finite godism – believes God is finite but lives beyond the universe yet still has limited action in the universe
5. Pantheism – believes God is infinite but lives or exists with the creation
6. Deism – God is infinite, does not live in or effect the world; he is totally outside creation (transcendent).
7. Theism – God is infinite and beyond creation but he does act within creation; he is personal and knowable

Theism is an ancient philosophical concept that needed to be identified when the philosophy of deism began to be embraced in the 1600’s. Deism simply believes that God created the universe like a clockmaker. God wound it up and is letting it run. In deism God is entirely transcendent or outside the created world. Deism describes God as the first cause who created the world and established immutable, universal laws that can not be altered even by divine intervention. Theism on the other hand is the belief in the existence of one God who is transcendent and yet immanent. Theism embraces an infinite God who has personhood and interacts with people.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Bad Choices Eliminate Good Options in the Future

In Genesis 19 Lot is left in a very difficult situation. Lot wants to be the good host for the strangers that have come to his city of Sodom but he is unable to provide them with a good meal (the unleaven bread he gave them was the frozen pizza of his day) or a safe home. Even Lot's invitation to stay at his home was quickly turned down by his guest. When it came time to be the good host and protect his guest, Lot felt he had to choose between forfeiting his daughters and so be the bad father or surrendering his guest and be the bad host. Why was Lot left to chose between two bad options? Why did he not have any better choices?

Many times in life the decisions we make today eliminate the options we will get to choose from in the future. Bad choices today cancel out the good options from our list of future choices. Even in human history and in world events there are no "right" answers to our dilemmas because previous sins or selfish choices have destroyed the win/win options. Thus, we find ourselves with no clear direction and no real commitment to move ahead since any decision will produce lousy results.

As the angels tried to get Lot to leave the city, Lot hesitated and refused to flee. Why? He was fleeing into the dark wilderness were he would end up living in a cave in the mountains. Why did things end so badly for Lot? He had made a series of bad choices which included leaving Abraham who was still a powerful and wealthy relative living only twenty miles to the west.

Watch this 9:55 minute YouTube message by Galyn Wiemers:


Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Ancient Wall Discovered in Jerusalem

Yesterday, Wednesday, September 3, archaeologists announced the discovery of a 2,100 year old wall from the ancient perimeter of Jerusalem. It was a 10 1/2 foot high wall located on Mount Zion which is in the south west corner of the ancient city. The ancient walls which encircled Jerusalem in Jesus' day were part of a 3 1/2 mile-long wall providing fortification.

A year ago in June Toni and I, along with Ryan and Jenn, spent three weeks in Israel attending a class on Mount Zion near the location of this recently uncovered wall. There is a different wall that surrounds the Old City of Jerusalem now that was built by Suleiman in 1538 AD. This current wall runs 2 1/2 miles around old Jerusalem. While we were in Israel Toni and I ran the 2 1/2 mile route around this 500 year old wall on several occasions. One day I ran it three times running up and down Mount Zion each time. The most difficult part of the run is from the southeast corner of the Old City up the east side along the east wall of temple mount to the north east corner of the city which is the Muslim quarter of the city.

Details of this discovery of the 2,100 year old wall can be seen at
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1220444319782&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com/

Inspired Words of Scripture

It is important to accept that the written words of scripture are inspired, or breathed from God, because if you simply accept that God’s inspiration reached only to the thoughts of the writers you could then assume that it was possible for them to fail to properly communicate those thoughts in words they spoke or wrote. If this concept is accepted, which regretfully it is, then we really do not know if we have an accurate recording of the revelation of God. We could believe that he inspired Paul, Peter, Isaiah, David, etc. in the past but the revelation they received could then be rejected based on the fact that they failed to accurately record it. The Bible teaches that God inspired the very words the prophets spoke and the very words the apostles recorded. Inspiration of Scripture extends to the words of Scripture.

Points of Doctrine Concerning Inspiration
1. All Scripture is inspired (2 Tim. 3:16)
2. Scripture comes from the mouth of God (2 Tim. 3:16)
3. Scripture reveals God’s plan and God’s ways to man (2 Tim. 3:16)
4. Scripture did not originate in the thoughts of man (2 Peter 1:20)
5. Scripture came through men who were carried along by the Holy Ghost in their thinking, speaking and writing (2 Peter 1:20)
6. The Words of Scripture were written through inspiration (1 Cor. 2:13)
7. The Words of Scripture continue to be inspired throughout all time (Mark 13:31)

Doctrinal Errors Concerning Inspiration
1. Natural Inspiration – erroneously sees the writers of the Bible as very great men who were geniuses. They came up with their own thoughts and wrote them down.
2. Mystical Inspiration - this incorrect perspective accepts the Bible to be the result of men who were assisted by the Holy Spirit to write good material that was “inspired” by God like many of today’s sermons, songs, books, conversations and actions as equally “inspired” by God.
3. Dynamic Inspiration – an errant opinion that presents biblical authors as having had a revelatory experience with God. Then they wrote down in their own words and abilities what happened.
4. Degree Inspiration – this view accepts the Bible as inspired but considers some parts to be more inspired than others.
5. Limited Inspiration – in this position some parts of the Bible are inspired and others are not inspired. Inspiration is accepted in the case of doctrinal teaching, but some of the historical accounts (creation, flood, Abraham, Job, even miracles) are fables, stories, inaccurate recordings, etc.
6. Concept Inspiration – an illogical proposal that believes that the ideas of scripture are inspired but that the words themselves are not. This is like saying I understood the novel but I could not understand any of the words.
7. Barthian Inspiration – Karl Barth held that Jesus was the Word and that the Bible revealed and testified about Jesus. In this view Jesus is revealed in the Bible but the Bible is not inspired, and worse, it contains errors.
8. Neo-orthodox Inspiration – this false doctrine teaches the Bible is the word of God but not the words of God. When you read the Bible it becomes the Word of God, or inspired, for the you.
9. Mechanical or Dictation Theory – this undeveloped position teaches that the writers of the Bible were used by God as human typewriters (or word processors). God dictated word for word, and the writer simply recorded it.

Galyn Wiemers
http://www.generationword.com