created for glory II

Everyone desires to feel important and significant. Is this a problem or wrong in some way? 

Our need and desire for significance - worth - value - glory - is not our problem. We were created for¹glory; to receive it, experience it, reflect it back to the Source, and out to others. It is fundamental to who we are and were designed to be. 

Why? Because God is all glorious (most valuable, significant etc.). To experience his glory, we must take part in it.

To take part in it we must be like God i.e. designed to take part. We cannot partake of His glory if we do not have the capacity

to experience it i.e. we are created for glory;  God's glory. 

By partaking of His glory (significance, value etc.), we experience our own. This is the only time we experience it in the way we are designed to. To seek it another way does not truly satisfy us, but leaves us empty and leads to our ultimate destruction. 

This is part of being in God's image. We are like God, i.e. designed to behold and enter into His glory and thereby experience our own. Our greatest sense of meaning and purpose (happiness) is obtained by participating in God in all His glory.

This also explains why everything we do apart from God - i.e. actions that are not driven by the Spirit-Love of God - does not truly satisfy. They are attempts to gain or restore the glory we lost and so desperately desire - an attempt to gain a sense of meaning, significance, worth, purpose, love, etc. - through our finite, feeble, independent, self-sustaining efforts.

We can never successfully (i.e. permanently) find satisfaction outside of God since He created us for infinite and ultimate glory, only found in and through Him.

A desire or longing for a sense worth isn't our problem; our attempts to acquire it (i.e. " self-worth") apart from and outside of God is. An infinite need for worth-glory can never be satisfied by a finite source, i.e. by us and our use of created things outside of us (including other persons). 

Our need is infinite because God is infinite in love-glory. We were designed to be engaged with and for the infinite i.e. God. This is where we shine brightest - best - and have our greatest sense of joy, meaning, and purpose...worth. It is who we are meant to be and what we are designed for. Nothing else works long-term.

Fallen from glory...

To behold God's glory we must be able to see his glory. To see it, God must reveal himself to us. Why? Because we have turned away from God, severing our relationship with him and all the infinite love and life that comes through that relationship/union. We are spiritually blind. 

We cut ourselves off from our Source by acting contrary to His loving direction and design and are now broken and ²empty and unable to see God in all his glory -- though we can certainly see enough to know something significant about him Rom 1:19-20.

Still created for it...

Nevertheless, even in our present state of separation from our Creator, we are still created for glory i.e. we long for it and still have the capacity to behold His glory, just like a person with cataracts still has eyes capable of seeing that have been blocked and blinded by disease. God must do spiritual surgery and remove the obstruction -- our self-centeredness along with all its effects -- before we can ³see clearly again.

When the obstruction is removed and our eyes are opened (unblocked and clear), we again began to see God in his infinite majesty, beauty, wisdom, power, and love (i.e. his glory). We find what our hearts have longed for all along and we start to fill with light again and a sense of purpose and completeness. 

The more we focus on this most glorious God, the more we experience and participate in the glory we were originally designed to have. As we do, we increasingly are filled with his glory, and are transformed and shine it back to him and out to others.

2Co 3:18  And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image (the Source of our God-likeness) from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 

John 17:22  The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one... - (Christ praying to the Father).

Rom 8:21  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 

1Co 13:12  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face (with Christ). Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears (when Christ is displayed to us in all his glory) we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is (i.e. in all His glory).

Mar 12:29  Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'  31  The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." 

For more on what God is like and how we are like him click here and here.  

For more on how we are hard-wired for glory click here. 

For more on how God's glory is our highest good click here. 

Is God's glory and our delight in conflict? Click here

_______________________________

¹What would be the equivalent of the word glory today? If you look at the word in the original Hebrew and Greek, it gives us an interesting picture. 

Hebrew 

H3519   כּבד    כּבוד        kâbôd  kâbôd   kaw-bode', kaw-bode'

Definition:

From H3513; properly weight; but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness: - glorious (-ly), glory, honour (-able).

Greek 

G1392  δοξάζω  doxazō

Thayer GDefinition:

1) to think, suppose, be of opinion

2) to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate

3) to honour, do honour to, hold in honour

4) to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendour

4a) to impart glory to something, render it excellent

4b) to make renowned, render illustrious

4b1) to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged

From G1391

From the base of G1380  δοκέω

dokeō; from δόκος dokos (opinion); to have an opinion, to seem: - deem (1), expect (1), has a mind (1), inclined (1), recognized (1), regarded (1), reputation (3), reputed (1), seem (3), seemed best (1), seemed fitting (1), seemed good (4), seems (3), suppose (5), supposed (2), supposes (1), supposing (4), think (18), thinking (1), thinks (6), thought (4).

At first, it may not be apparent how glory - as defined in the Old Testament and New Testament - is connected. They seem to be very different. Where is the connection?

Originally Israel's economy was predominately agricultural, so the more weighty something was (or the greater the number, such as 1000 camels versus 100) meant the more valuable, like 10 bushels are heavier and therefore of greater value than one or several talents of gold weighed more than one. The greater or more "copious" the amount, the heavier its weight and the greater its value. 

To show forth or manifest the dignity and worth of something in the NT was to put it on display. Shining a light on a copious pile of gold coins would reveal the greatness of its value. Or as the definition indicates "...to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged..."

Within both definitions is the key idea of great value-worth. That we are in God's image and therefore can experience and display God's great worth/glory makes us significant and of great worth. We behold his infinite worth and display it to others. In so doing, we also find our greatest worth and glory i.e. purpose and meaning.

²it is not that we experience nothing of life, but we only experience limited aspects of physical and emotional life through the creation - i.e. by using our internal abilities/giftedness and the resources of the material world around us - but these are all finite (limited) and do not bring fullness of life we were designed for. We are made for the infinite i.e. God himself, the source of love, life and all things. We can not find true and lasting happiness until we find and engage the infinite God.

³We see truly again, once our spiritual eyes are restored - regenerated. But we do not yet fully see. We will see fully when we see him face to face. 

consequences and benefits of the law

Regarding the law scripture tells us there are...

Benefits  (blessings) in following it

and

Consequences (curses) of not following it

(by law I mean God's moral law summarized in the greatest and second commandment)

Those benefits and consequences fall under two broader categories.

·        Legal

·        Practical

Legal benefits:

If we operated according to the law perfectly we would be operating in alignment with and according to God's will and our design. This would be honoring and pleasing to God and result in a right standing with God as well as a harmonious relationship with him. 

It would also result in a harmonious alignment with who we are - i.e. our design - and how the rest of creation is designed to function. 

We would be living as God has designed us to and therefore - as his approved image bearers, instead of rebellious and condemned creatures - not cut off from and outside of his love. 

This was what Adam had before he broke trust with God and would have continued to have had as long as he had not rejected God's instructions/direction to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Of course, we do not and can not live in perfect obedience now due to our spiritually dead condition that resulted from rejecting God's direction/law to not eat of the forbidden tree i.e. in our present condition outside of Christ and apart from God's Spirit living in us and revealing to us the beauty of God - which stirs us to pursue God - we have no innate resources to obey God as we were designed to. We are helpless spiritually. Without outside intervention by God infusing His love back into us we have no hope. 

Legal consequences:

When we operate outside the law (his design and will) we come under the rightful and just condemnation and judgment of God for dishonoring him and others. We go from being faithful children to self-declared enemies. We are in opposition to what is right and against the true order of things. As a result, we are ultimately and rightfully tried, condemned, and sentenced. Most importantly we are against the one who gives us the proper way to conduct ourselves for the benefit of all and for his honor. 

All harm or loss can not go unaddressed but must be restored/paid back to those we harmed, who suffered loss.

Practical benefits:

When we operate according to our original design (which the law reveals and lays out for us) we are aligning ourselves with the reality of who God is and who we are. We are behaving exactly as we should; fulfilling our design as perfect image bearers of God, perfectly loving him according to who he is and the love and honor due him, and also perfectly reflecting him to others; causing others to consider him and find perfect joy and delight in him through our displaying his worth/glory. 

This results in our operating to the maximum of our capacity and having the maximum impact for good. We are drawing near to God and thereby experiencing more of who God is (the author of love and life) and desires us to experience of him in all his glory. This results in our loving others as they were designed to be loved and our greatest joy in operating according to that design. 

Practical consequences:

Why are we now his enemies? Because this results in harm, loss, and potential destruction to others (as well as our own harm) whom he created and loves e.g. "...you mess with those I love, you are messing with me..." 

That destruction is displayed in two ways. 

Dishonoring Him:

To dishonor God is to harm others because we are not displaying God by our words and deeds as he truly is (all loving, wise, powerful, and glorious). We are not demonstrating to others the complete worthiness and greatness of God, through our total loyalty/obedience to him. This results in others being drawn away from him, not too him due to our behavior, and hinders their experiencing him, the source of love, life, and all things, which is to their benefit.  

In short, we are denying others the love and life in and from God that we were designed to display and they are designed to experience through us as fellow image bearers. 

Dishonoring Others:

To harm others is also to dishonor God.  We dishonor God when we harm those who are in God's image and the objects of his love i.e. God places value on all his image bearers and their well-being. After all, they are like God and therefore his beloved creatures. 

When we operate outside the perimeters of our original design, it results also in our loss of love and life (i.e. God himself) with all the subsequent consequences i.e. pain suffering, and eventual death.

The importance of the law; some additional thoughts:

In order to stay in a harmonious relationship with anything (animate or inanimate), we must understand first that everything operates a *certain way.  We must align ourselves with how something operates if we are to enjoy all the benefits of aligning with that design and not incur the natural consequences of violating the design of whatever/whoever that is.

*(i.e. according to absolute and objective laws/principles. For a discussion of the grounds for right and wrong/morality click here).

This starts with God first. God is the first cause of all things. He is also a certain way (he is love) and operates according to a specific purpose/end i.e. to multiply his love to others which only occurs when others see him in all his majesty. Therefore all he has created is designed to operate a certain way and toward a specific end (for us that means to receive his infinite love and reflect it back to him and out to others).  

When we do not follow his design (spelled out in the law) we are acting contrary to God's design and will. This results in our harming others (as well as ourselves), which in turn results in the necessity (i.e. requirement) that we restore those we have harmed (it is required because they are also designed for love and worthy of being treated with love by virtue of God's design). This violation is a practical result of not following the law (his will/design), which has legal consequences.

This also addresses the question of sin. What is it exactly? 

For sin to exist, there must be a violation of some objective reality, order or design i.e. for a violation to occur, there must be an order or design that can be violated.

Sin is simply rebellion from or violation of who God is (the God of love, life and all things), who we are and how he designed things to operate. 

God's declared moral law is simply God communicating in words how we are designed to operate. To disobey the law is to distrust and reject the Designer. 

How does violation of God's law harm others: a recap

First it dishonors God i.e. it minimizes or out right dismisses the honor and glory *rightly due him. A glory that belongs only to him because he alone is the cause and sustainer of all things.

It does not harm God in the sense God is diminished in his person/being in some way. 

Act 17:24  The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25  nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything... 

God is self sustained within his being as Father, Son and Spirit and therefore needs no one outside himself. Whereas everything needs and depends on God. The very existence of everything is caused by him and depends entirely on his existence. We owe everything to him. He owes us nothing. 

Though he can never be diminished in his being, he can be diminished in the eyes of our fellow images bearers (and the rest of creation can thereby be harmed). This is displeasing to God because God is love and loves all of his creation and particularly those who are in his image (God said everything he created was good Gen 1:4 ff). This harm carries with it both legal and practical consequences.

It also dishonors and harms others. How? It is to their harm because God is the source of all things. If we live in a way that points others away from God as that source, instead of to him, it is to their harm. This is a practical consequence.

This destruction/harm must be restored, fixed or paid back. This is a legal consequence.

The challenge however is without God we do not have the resources to follow him perfectly or to adequately restore those we harm. We simply don't have the resources because we no longer have the source of them i.e. God. As rebels to God's will and design we have broken off relationship with the only one who gives life and love which enables us to live according to his design for us and fully pursue him. As rebellious image bearers we are cut off from the source of life and love, alone and powerless to carry out or pursue Gods design and will i.e. we are not able to see or pursue God on our own. A practical consequence.

This was the essence of God's warning that the day we act contrary to God's direction (which was to NOT eat of the tree of  the knowledge of God and evil) we will die i.e. he was warning us that we will cut ourselves off and no longer be connected to the source of love and life which enlivens, empowers and inspires us to pursue him. This resulted in our immediate spiritual death and eventually our physical death. Again a practical consequences.

 
The solution to our violation of God's law

Because Christ stepped in on our behalf and paid for the harm we have and do to others, and credited to us his track record of total faithfulness (Matt 5:17-18) to his father (as spelled out in the moral law), we are now looked upon as if we are those who perfectly obey God and therefore live in perfect harmony with his will and design (his moral law summed up in the greatest and second commandment) for us even though in reality we do not. He treats us (love us perfectly and infinitely, cares for us completely, receives and embraces us fully) as if we are perfect when we aren't.

Christ's work has totally secured  for us a right standing/status with God and therefore his infinite love for us as well, but this does not change the violation of our design or the need to operate according to God's will. There will still be practical consequences for not doing so, though no longer legal consequences i.e. if we are in Christ, there is no longer or every will be any judgment or condemnation again for violating God's will and the subsequent loss of God's love for us (Rom 8;1, 38-39).

There is still loss and harm to others however, when we do not love them as God does. And that loss must still be repaid. But because Christ has paid for it, we can now forgive those who violate us just as God offers to forgive them and us in Christ for violating him and others.

The outcome of that solution

Now as God's perfectly loved, fully accepted and embraced children, we are free from the condemnation of our violation of the law (God's perfect will and design). This freedom allows us (and also moves us) to now pursue God with all our heart soul mind and strength. It restores the love and trust we need to do so i.e. because God's love is now fully restored to us, this in turn increasingly restores our trust of him and love for him and the desire, will and strength to pursue him again (Rom 8:1-4).

This however does not spare us from the consequences of violated his will and design. Yet even in the pain of that violation/consequence God is working for our ultimate good and best. Our violations can no longer result in our ultimate harm but only in our ultimate gain (Rom 8:28-29) (though it still can cause temporary pain and suffering). 

Why are the legal and practical separate? 

For God's children, the legal and practical consequences and benefits are separated only because in our present state God has to deal with them separately given our ongoing propensity to sin i.e. even in Christ we are still inclined to go against God's law (will and design) and do. Even though in Christ we are just/righteous legally we are still unjust or unrighteous in practice (you could also say we are righteous objectively but not yet subjectively). We simply do not, in our present unglorified condition and present existence, love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength or our neighbor as ourselves. Once we are fully glorified this dichotomy will cease and we will be fully restored and whole as we were originally designed to be i.e. our experience will then match our legal status. 

Originally the legal and practical were both part of our experience simultaneously. But because of our rebellion, in order for God to freely pour out his love on us again, he had to address the legal consequence of our rebellion first and remove the barrier between us created by that rebellion. Eventually the full practical benefits (i.e. no more pain etc) will be our experience as well later in eternity  i.e. at our glorification.

To say it another way, God figured a way to love us even while we were still unlovely (not fully living/operating according to his will and design).  He did this by basing his love for us on the loveliness of another and not on ours (or our lack of loveliness). And because the loveliness of this other (Christ) is perfect, so now is God's love for us. 

Sin not only no longer interferes with or interrupts God's love for us, it now even becomes a tool God uses to teach us how to draw nearer to him. 

*For a fuller discussion of the basis for morality click here.

For additional discussions on how God uses sin to advance us click here.

The value of tension, paradox and seeming contradictions

Whenever God gives us a truth, there often seems to be an opposite truth that goes alongside it and appears contrary to it. Such as God is sovereign in the affairs of men and man is fully responsibility for his choices i.e. the "God is sovereign" vs man has a "free will" debate. 

Many key truths in scripture are in tension. The greatest truths seem to be those found within these greatest points of tension; between apparently opposing or opposite realities; the apparent contradictions and greatest paradoxes - i.e. there is a deeper and fuller truth hidden within the paradox and tension of seemingly opposite truths. If we humbly wrestle with and contemplate these seeming contradictions, God reveals vital truths about Himself and His creation we might otherwise miss. 

I would further suggest that those truths are in tension so we might press further into God in greater humility and trust, to discover the richest and most rewarding realities about Him (and ourselves) within the tension. Not an easy thing but the greatest challenges in life usually yield the greatest fruit.

If you dig into this blog further, you will notice many of the posts attempt to identify and address truths found in tension. 


Paradox easily misunderstood. 

Because the most profound truths and realities are often found in tension, the deeper truths to be discovered within are easily missed, misapplied, or misunderstood.

Like walking a tightrope or fence - i.e. at the apex of truths in tension - if you lean too far to one side or the other you fall off and away from the truth God desires we uncover within the tension.

We prefer an "either-or" scenarios because ironically, it's a form of control (or rather an attempt at a false sense of control). We don't like doing a balancing act. It takes a lot of effort (trust) and can be uncomfortable and even exhausting. The desire to feel settled ("off the fence") versus feeling unsettled creates stress. We don't like stress, we prefer comfort and try to use control via logic to obtain it, which is a false sense of comfort. 

Feeling "settled" is a control thing, tension is a "faith" thing. What we can't control creates tension and requires trust. 


Why denominations

I think these seemingly contradictory truths are also a primary reason there are often strong differences among various groups/denominations within the church at large. We settle on one side of those truths that are in tension to the exclusion of the other side (and gravitate to the group that agrees with us most) when both realities are not just taught in scripture but necessary for our greatest understanding of those deeper underlying truths and our greater advancement in our relationship and walk with God i.e. the advancement of our faith in God. 

I believe humility would go a long way in preventing denominational differences. We must recognize we are finite and only God is infinite, knowing all things. We must submit to him when we have differences instead of dogmatically insisting (out of either a sense of insecurity or a need for control) that we see all things correctly and others don't i.e. we are right and others are wrong. At a minimum, we can recognize that if our understanding of who God is and how he operates is clearer today than it was "yesterday" it is only because of humility and recognizing we were once off the mark on certain things as well and must always listen and learn and recognize we have much yet to see and understand. 


Tension...the result of the fall

I propose however the tension is within us, not the truths themselves. First, it is part of our being finite creatures. Only God knows and sees all. We do not. We don't like this, however. The more we know the more we feel in control. Feeling "out of control" requires trust, i.e. trusting the One who is in control - which isn't us. 

Second, it also goes contrary to our rebellious commitment to independence i.e. to being our own god, trusting ourselves instead of Him who alone is all-seeing and all-knowing. 

Tension is part of being broken and living in a broken world. It is the fruit of death -- separation from God, the source of love and life -- that God warned Adam of. Tension is a kind of pain/suffering. 

When we rebelled, everything came unglued - fragmented. Not just our relationship with God, but with others and even with ourselves. We no longer truly know our own hearts and why we do what we do. As Jeremiah said, the heart is desperately wicked, who can know it?

Trust, not infinite knowledge

When we trust what we can't fully understand - because we are finite - the tension subsides or goes away altogether; though not necessarily the paradox causing the tension. The inability to reconcile the paradox may never go away on this side of eternity, if only because we see through a "glass darkly" (or depending on the translation, a mirror dimly) in this present existence.

Tension is the fruit of our refusal to recognize our limits and ultimately the result of our mistrust in God; in his goodness, wisdom, and power. It is the fruit of placing our trust in ourselves and our ability to make sense out of life unaided, i.e. an attempt to operate independently of God. If we think we can, when we can't, we experience tension. 

However, there is no tension, confusion, mystery, or lack of clarity within God. Everything makes perfect sense to him. In fact, if we believe the claims within scripture, we know he sees and knows all -- is all-wise, is infinitely good and loving, and does everything accordingly; especially the things we don't understand. 

The way God is bringing things about is exactly the perfect way for them to be brought about. It is this reality we are ultimately called to believe/rest in. We are called to believe God is who He claims to be. When we do, the tension subsides or at least doesn't distract us as much or cause as much turmoil. 

Some examples of truths in tension

·      You're totally and perfectly righteous before God in Christ. We are still totally broken and rebellious in our trust of God, and increasingly more aware of both as we mature in our faith. Yet still fully loved and embraced in our lingering rebellious distrust. 

·      To live you must die, 

·      To find your life you must lose your life

·      To be exalted (lifted high) you must be humbled (go low). 

·      "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." True wealth -- not necessarily material wealth -- comes through poverty.

·      "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." The greatest comfort often comes through the greatest sadness.

·      "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" -- conquering comes through surrendering.

·      "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied -- fullness comes through hunger.

·      God is the Sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things yet he brings about the advancement of his kingdom only through his people/the church. 

·      God hates evil yet fully incorporates evil in bringing about his perfect plans. 

·      God is perfectly sovereign in our salvation yet we alone are totally responsible for rejecting God's offer of that salvation.

·      Jesus was and is fully God while also fully man  

·      God is one in essence but also three distinct persons.

In wrestling with these and many other truths in tension, we come closest to truly knowing God and his ways -- though not necessarily fully. 

There is always mystery. If there were not, God would cease to be the infinite, "bottomless," all-knowing God, and we would cease to look to him and trust him for greater understanding. We would depend on our reason alone, the same lie Adam and Eve bought into in Eden.

And it is only in our looking to Him -- not just to our logic, and resting in him we find our greatest joy, contentment, rest, and peace -- lack of turmoil/confusion. If we seek these through perfect clarity of all mysteries, we will never have them because we are finite and broken, living in a broken world. To use a biblical description, we now "see through a glass darkly..." That will not change this side of eternity. We won't know as we are known until we see him face to face. So we must trust God and Christ are everything they claim to be.

That we are feeling tension in any given area, be it in our understanding of truth or our challenging circumstances -- and not being able to understand them and why we are experiencing them, is because there is an underlying reality yet to be discovered in or through the tension, and a place of trust we have not yet reached. 

It is this reality we must ask God to help us learn well. The tension requires us to do so.


Pain, tension, and spiritual advancement

It is in wrestling with the balance/tension between vital truths that we grow most.

CS Lewis alluded to this when he said truths (and lies) come in pairs and we must be careful to not back away in reaction to one error and fall off the cliff on the other side into another.

Our points of greatest pain, tension, and/or confusion are often our greatest times of epiphany and spiritual advancement.

This doesn't mean we should seek pain found in tension, but neither should we avoid it through some diversion when we can't. Some tensions we cannot eliminate and should not. Rather, we need to delve in and wrestle with them to discover the great truths God has for us within them. When tension comes, embrace it and learn from it. It always has something to tell us about God and ourselves that is important, if we are listening.


Beauty is greatest when found in the harmony of diversity and tension

The beauty of God is not physical but has to do with his nature; with harmony in diversity - a key aspect of the Trinity - and how God makes the apparent contradictions of his being work and harmonize together; how there is no conflict within God; everything fits perfectly together.

And the greater the contrast (tension) and variation of the parts, the more unique, amazing, and beautiful it is when they harmonize.

This is true of God's being, purposes, and plans. 

Who among us doesn't think "how beautiful" when we see things we wouldn't normally think would work together, harmonizing? The greater the contrast, the more harmony is required and the more beautiful it is. 


An example: the tension and the interplay of choice and the sovereignty of God.

Are we "free" to choose? 

God respects our ability to choose, so much that he lets us make poor decisions so we will figure out how bad they are and not make them again but turn away from them and make excellent ones next time. 

That way, when we do, it is our choice and no one else's. And not only are they our choices but we made them because we have come to love and trust God's direction and choose him by our "free" choice not because we were programmed to choose him. For true love to happen it must happen freely. 

However, this "figuring out" the right choice only occurs by God's Spirit. Our ability to choose is only because God sustains us and gives us this ability. If not, we would never see or figure this out i.e. God is sovereign in our choices. 

Because we tend towards control versus trust, we avoid tension and try to relegate the mysteries of life into nice, neat, logical boxes and miss the full value of truths in Scripture that are in tension. 

The challenge is we like things -- including and maybe particularly God -- to fit in neat packages. This gives us a sense of control and requires less trust/faith. 

Tension, paradox, and apparent contradiction always require trust. We don't like trust, we like control. This was the essence of the serpent's appeal in the garden...you shall be like god -- in total charge of your life by -- knowing good and evil... i.e. you will no longer need to depend on God. He will no longer be necessary to help you figure out what is right or wrong, good or bad etc. That will be up to you now. You can make life work without him. 

How wrong we were and how right God was in his warning. We truly died i.e. broke away from the source of love and life...God himself, resulting in spiritual death which eventually led to physical death and ultimately to all the brokenness in the world we now see. 

So we tend to fall on one side or the other of truths held in tension. In so doing we miss the deeper truths and riches that lie within that tension.

The irony is the more we trust God, the more he reveals to us and gives us a fuller understanding of those mysteries, even if not a complete understanding. 

Faith is about relationship, not faith

   

God is after growing our faith because he's after strengthening our relationship with him. All relationships require trust. This in large part is why I believe truths are in tension. Learning is found in the tension. Humility -- a key aspect of faith -- precedes learning. 

The fact that we are feeling tension in any given area, be it in our understanding of truth or our challenging circumstances, is because there is an underlying reality yet to be discovered in or through the tension and an opportunity to increase our trust in and strengthen our relationship with God. 

It is this reality we must find and ask God to help us learn well. When we do, the tension -- but not necessarily that which is causing the tension -- will subside or go away, possibly even altogether on occasion -- or at least more frequently. The degree to which we trust God is the degree to which we will have peace amid struggle/tension and also the degree to which God will give us a fuller understanding into those mysteries; a peace that "passes" - goes beyond or outside of understanding i.e. that is beyond logic and reasoning. 

·        For a discussion on the necessity of choice for love to be real, click here

·        For some posts on the freedom of choice, click here

·        For a discussion of the Calvinist/Arminian debate, click here

·        For a discussion on the necessity of humility in seeing truth, click here