Logic Puzzle: Try It, See What You Think

Many just accept the providence of God. But in some respect, they limit it by their own weak understanding of God's power and authority. They will say, God is in control of all things, but in some respect doesn't cause evil. He allows men, of free-agency, to make choices and then approves them.

This is called Middle Knowledge. In response to such a though that I wrestled with for most of my life I thought up a logic puzzle. There are four possible entries given God's omniscience and omnipotence.

Concerning the events of man;

• God plans to do something
• God plans to do nothing
• God plans to not make a plan
• The unkowable knowing

In so far as we understand information and can decode language, it seems reasonable to believe that if there is a fourth possibility, it's entirely mystical and not approachable through knowledge, logic or scripture. While it may be possible, it would contend that it is not possible to know for certain that any event was causally linked to this fourth occurence. For what would be the evidence of such a thing except to appeal to the unknowability of a thing. While I'm content such a thing is possible, again, I appeal to the unkowability of unkowability. If it's true, you would not know in anyway that it is the reason for such a thing to have occurred. Because the scripture makes plain God's eternal purposes in his actions. Not that all purposes are known or knowable, but simply for the revealed things, how can we know how God has chosen to bring them about? That is what the point of this writing is.

Consider the definitions:

God plans to do something - God in his foreknowledge and by his omnipotence, irrespective of mans actions or respective of mans actions, thoughts and decisions, plans to execute his plan to do something. Then, in so planning, exectutes the plan of his plan to bring about some event, so as to be the first cause of a thing to occur.

God plans to do nothing - God, in his foreknowledge and by active restraint of his omnipotence, foresees the actions of men, thoughts and decisions and does knowingly approve them to come to pass by actively restraining his right and power to thwart them

God plans to not make a plan - God in his foreknowledge only, knowing the actions thoughts and decision of man, does knowling abdicate and responsibility of a thing to occur. While it is said that he created the earth and all that is in it, concerning the event, God does simply ignore it to the affect that man is entirely free from his purpose and effect, since God neither upholds him, approves him, or restrains him from any and all that his heart has desired.

But, can it be said that in any way that God has not made a plan? No. In all three causes of action, God must plan to not plan. So then, it is unreasonable to believe that God can plan to not make a plan, because this is circular logic. The planning of not making a plan is in effect itself a plan to do nothing. But, can God plan to do nothing? If God plans to do nothing, it's to approve the something that would occur by doing nothing. In effect, he's planning the negative, by not affirming the affirmative. So planning to do nothing, is actually planning to do something by nature of the affect that nothing becomes something as soon as it's planned to do.

Then, God plans to do something concerning all events. The simple question is, is this based merely on foreknowledge or because he is in fact the creator of all things?

They've Turned The Reality of Salvation Into a Utility

In the quiet early morning hours, as my dream of a wild provocative engagement with evil begins to conclude, and just as my eyes are to be opened by the sovereign light of both God and the sun, I hear a small whisper.

"They've turned the reality of salvation into a utility..."

Just at that moment, my eyes popped open, disengaged from the battle of my dream and now chewing on this truth. Both affirming and debating it's veracity in my own mind. Yes! I say, instantly, that's right. This is a good work picture for false christianity. Before I can share what this means, even though it will have obvious meanings to many, I need to lay out to you something that is depserately profound to me. It's not new, it's in no way, new. But, it's a reality that becomes more and more resolute with each passing breath. It is, my worldview.

Compatibilist, with no knowledge of incompatibility

In my Christian experience, which extends from total ignorance in apostasy to now, an elementary student and child of God I've examined my world-view. And while you can only process information relative to the truth that's been exposed to you, I can easily see how I and others are so easily deceived in just this simple element. Your worldview.

A week ago, Japan endured a 9.0 earthquake, followed by a Tsunami that will, in the end, have been a factor in the death of more than 10 thousand people. If I ask, many might agree that God caused that, or 'allowed' that to happen. Since, they can not forseeably recognize any man-centered cause of the thing. And what of the nuclear reactors that are very close to melt-down? If that happens, will this also be the cause of God, or simply the irresponsibility of man? And what of despotic dictators that, over the centuries have killed millions of their own people? God, or man? God himself says that he's the cause of good and evil that occurs on man. In Isaiah.

I had a view that God got the credit for everything good and I got the credit for everything bad, unless the bad thing actually turned out to be a good thing, then it was back to God again. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of thinking going on. I did not have a teacher who was willing to change my self-contained, untested logic. Frankly, I had bought what I was sold. That God is at best an ambivalent, deity, who really desires man to do well and he's constantly there, like a good natured wife, simply reminding you to do good, but ever so disappointed when you don't. He's certainly able to make all these things, but he restrains himself, because (as I was taught) he doesn't want forced love. He wants real love and he's going to pine, until he can have it. 

So you begin to see, how this performance paradigm, makes God feckless. He's desirous of the goodness of man to show his compassion towards his other creation, and he's desirous of man to worship him, but unable or unwilling to guide man into all truth. No, he's simply depending on the proclivity of man to advance and engage the argument, come to a point of higher learning and apprehend God. But, as I said in my total anger, at a point where I'd had lived this theology out, to the point at which I was angry with God. "Wait, isn't HE GOD?, why is it that I need to over come? Why is it that we're in a situation where I literally cannot comprehend a higher point of belief in him so as to give me peace and ability to contend with my reality?" 

The question is simple; why, if God is God, does man need to contend with life like he is God, in order that creation should be at peace with the one true God? If He is truly God, then he should, compel those who are unable, either through means, will or necessity to the point of worship of Him. For who are we to know better? For, if I fail, does not God also fail in His ability to reconcile me to Himself, if in fact I am saved?

NEVER!

But this is where performance doctrine leads. This is what it looks like. At least it did for me. What's worse, is that I had no real sense of scripture, not even academic knowledge. I knew enough to be dangerous, and ever I was! To myself and those around me.

Christian World View Only

I once asked myself, when reading Mathew, what does it mean to be strong and to live in the Spirit?

God certainly answered this question, irrevocably. The world is not a compilation of independent, free agent human choices. No, because if it were then God deserves little to no credit for the good things that occur. How can God simply be responsible for the good, but not also the bad? Job says, we've received good from the and of the Lord, shall we not also receive evil? Our world, is entirely spiritually dominated. As I've grown in the Spirit, I've learned to see things more for what they are rather than what they look like in the flesh. I've come to the concept that the only right, accurate and reliable way to interpret the world is a Christian-Biblical-Only worldview. Otherwise, history is a mess, a confusing mess or deception, greed, lust, murder and too many other things to list, all approved by God, because he was unwilling to do anything about it. Or it couldu be stated, that in that view, he wanted something more than he wanted to stop all those things. That's the conclusion that free-will leads you to. Some will say he doesn't want forced love, but that would also mean that he doesn't want people to not murder other people, because he doesn't stop that either. So, he has a law, that he allows you to violate, knowing you will, for the expressed purpose of holding you accountable to it? This is confusing.

In my worldview, my Christian-Biblical-Only worldview, God does not dignify man with a seat at his table of authority. God is truly God. Man is truly not. Evil exists, at least in part to demonstrate the good intention God has toward his people. The frank reality is that without dark, you would not know light. This obviously makes God the author of evil, which he himself says that he is. But this gives me comfort. Why?

Without Him I Could Do No Other

Gods purposes are his own, but what he has revealed is that he's purifying a people for his own posession. It seems spurious at best to try to list out why he's allowed to do whatever he wants to do in order to make that happen. Suffice it to say that I hold to the simply belief that God is God and he's under no jurisdiction and that whatever he does is right. Man should not seek to interpret him through his weak moralistic, emotionally charged worldview. Let's look at some word plays to see if we can make the case.

• God can take your wealth because - God gave you your wealth
• God can take your family because - God gave you your family
• God can take your health because - God gave you your health
• God can cause you to stumble because - God was the one who holds you up
• God can take your life and that of everyone's because - God is the giver of life

Does this cause me to lose hope? No! If I'm called, and I know that I am by studying the scriptures and finding proofs of regeneration, then, I know that all things happen have more than just an unknowable higher purpose. They are the working out of my salvation! The reproval and scourging of my Father in Heaven, the purifying of me for service to HIM! How could I know any of that, or believe if, if I thought that I was some in control of all my choices and therefore responsible for all the consequences? That's a snare that keeps me focused on how to live THIS life better and not a pardon to live in order that my next life is better!

They've Turned The Reality of Salvation Into A Utility

So then, in light of my opening statement, how does this relate? It's simple, if I can demonstrate to you that you're a bad person (not hard to do these days), and show you that there's a person who died so you don't have to feel bad about that any more, and ask you to believe that I'm telling the truth, you too can be saved. But that is not at all what the gospel says. So, you have the reality of salvation, I believe that I'm bad, wrong and evil, and I do believe that a person died so I can be free from that, and I believe that is the truth, traded for the utility; now you're saved. WRONG. That is not to imply that an immature faith is an unsaving one. Salvation is of the Lord. It's simply to make explicit, that we're to go out into the world and make disciples, not converts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Am God and There Is No Other!

In my Christian experience, I've begun to have the chance to slow things down and really analyze my life and world in which I live. In fact, I've really had to consider what is useful and expedient as Paul refers to, all things being lawful but not all things are expedient. One of the elements of my life that is hardest to contend with is the analytical and corrective monologue that seems to run non-stop in my head. The nature can be frustrating because it's like an alarm clock that never stops warning you it's time to get up. Yet, I feel slightly nervous to turn it off....because what if, always seems to enter my mind.

This is where I come to the point of preaching to myself what I've already learned. Let's start there.

1. I'm Totally depraved.

In every possible way. I'm against, hate, dispassionate towards, irreverent of, lack knowledge, defy calls to obedience, outwright ignore and blaspheme the One True Living God, YHWH.

On my best day, my most righteous act is a menstral rag. So, then, if I'm that unclean, how can I be saved?

2. I'm Unconditionally elected.

I don't make rent payments to God. I can't make rent payments to God. My money doesn't spend. Nothing about me is good, nor could it ever be without the totally sanctifying work of God himself. I can't save myself, I can't even make myself better and if I lived in the fulness of truth, I SHOULD reject me as well. Blessing to God Almighty that in His wisdom and by His authority, according to the secret counsel of His will, I am elect. How can I know that?

3. I believe in Christ's Limited atonement. The Holy Scriptures teach that we're all born into bondage of sin and depravity. We are transferred out of Satan's kingdom and dominion, into the the dominion of God. And he works both as the author and finisher of our Faith, which itself, is a gift from him. Some will say that we have free-will, but I say we're saved through;

4. Irresistable grace. This is not hard for most people to accept, for once the necessity of grace is realized, it's certainly accepted. I tell you that anyone can do that. Anyone can be made to feel bad enough about themselves to believe that they require grace. But this is NOT salvation. For what profit is it to us to give goodness to those who are nice to us? Anyone can do that! But we might say, if I'm totally depraved, and Christ did not die for all, how can I know that I'm unconditionally elected and that the grace I've recieved is irresistable? Don't I resist in sin?

5. Perseverance of the Saints, is both overwhelming and comforting at the same time. The proof of these things is that you run the race to the END! You finish the race. You push on, you don't give up, you never lose the faith in God that saves. It's overwhelming because, if you think like me, in your small trials you may well think that, 'there is yet a lifetime ahead of me!'. But it's comforting to those who have ears to understand because you know that your perseverance does NOT depend on you!

I'm both thankful and overwhelmed at the idea that God, would in anywise save me. I'm both unworthy and unable in anyway to restore the deficit of faith. God does not have faith in me. God does not hope. These are things that are left to man to work through, experientially, but all through the divine providence of God! The King, YHWH.

Let none profane the name of God. For he is certainly the King. If you do not believe, that is fine, it would be better for you if you did, but if you do not, at minimum know that He is God and is to be respected!