"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Covetousness is a denial of God's character as provider. It is an attitude which states that God has in fact not given you everything you need in the present moment. It is a failure to be content with what God has given you in His grace and mercy. This lust for "more" leads to misery because you can never get everything you want and even when you have it, you will be left wanting more.
Truth be told, God has given you everything you need to be happy. This is why those in abject poverty can rejoice, despite having nothing. It's what causes rich people to be miserable while their servants live content lives. God gave us his only Son to fulfill our every need and covetousness is a denial that Jesus Christ's sacrifice is all sufficient.
Not only that, but it causes us to sin against our neighbor, as David did to Uriah the Hittite in killing him in order to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba, his wife. We see covetousness leading to adultery, deception, and ultimately murder. We can see how breaking one commandment quickly leads to breaking more and more because sin begets sin and multiplies like an infection. Just remember that all things are grace and undeserved and you will be content with everything.
Showing posts with label Deuteronomy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deuteronomy. Show all posts
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Deuteronomy 5:20
"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor."
Every commandment (except for 4 and 5) were in the form of prohibitions (You shall not...), and each of them have their equal but opposite counterparts. In general, the counterpart of all the commandments is "Love God" and "Love your neighbor". The ten commandments are specifics on how not to love. Because loving someone is a discipline and varies greatly from situation to situation and person to person, God has chosen for the most part to not list instructions on how to love. However, certain actions are in no way loving and should be avoided if the commandment is to be kept. These are not necessarily an all encompassing instruction on how to love, but rather how to not break the commandment to love.
That being said, bearing false testimony against your neighbor certainly isn't loving them. When the Pharisees brought false testimony against Jesus in order to convict and kill him, they certainly weren't loving him. Actually, they hated him. And who is your neighbor? Those who have mercy on others (Luke 10:36-37) and imitate God. So do not slander your fellow servants in Christ nor treat them with contempt to try and tear them down out of jealousy or hatred like the Pharisees who hated their fellow Jew, Jesus Christ. Rather build one another up (1Cor 14:26), speaking in psalms, hymns and Spiritual songs (Eph 5:19). This is loving your neighbor.
Every commandment (except for 4 and 5) were in the form of prohibitions (You shall not...), and each of them have their equal but opposite counterparts. In general, the counterpart of all the commandments is "Love God" and "Love your neighbor". The ten commandments are specifics on how not to love. Because loving someone is a discipline and varies greatly from situation to situation and person to person, God has chosen for the most part to not list instructions on how to love. However, certain actions are in no way loving and should be avoided if the commandment is to be kept. These are not necessarily an all encompassing instruction on how to love, but rather how to not break the commandment to love.
That being said, bearing false testimony against your neighbor certainly isn't loving them. When the Pharisees brought false testimony against Jesus in order to convict and kill him, they certainly weren't loving him. Actually, they hated him. And who is your neighbor? Those who have mercy on others (Luke 10:36-37) and imitate God. So do not slander your fellow servants in Christ nor treat them with contempt to try and tear them down out of jealousy or hatred like the Pharisees who hated their fellow Jew, Jesus Christ. Rather build one another up (1Cor 14:26), speaking in psalms, hymns and Spiritual songs (Eph 5:19). This is loving your neighbor.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Deuteronomy 5:19
"You shall not steal."
We all steal. Perhaps we call it borrowing without asking, or we have some other clever name for it, but regardless, taking something which we have no right to take is in fact, stealing. There are many excuses for stealing, such as "It was just going to waste anyway" or "No one is going to miss it" or even worse "I deserve it because of..."
Stealing is hardly considered a major offense today, but it is included with commandments prohibiting murder and adultery and carries the same consequences. What's the big deal? While the damage may be minimal to those you steal from, the self-destructiveness of stealing is catastrophic. Stealing and dishonesty go hand in hand and those who steal tend also to be liars (in order to cover up their thievery). Stealing is a gateway sin which leads to many others (covetousness, pride, deceit, greed, etc.)
But "He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need." (Eph 4:28) The opposite of stealing is not "not stealing" but rather generosity. We are called to lives that give of themselves selflessly as a reflection of our generous Lord. Stealing is a denial of the image of God we were made in and an affront to his glory because we are not able to reflect Him properly.
We all steal. Perhaps we call it borrowing without asking, or we have some other clever name for it, but regardless, taking something which we have no right to take is in fact, stealing. There are many excuses for stealing, such as "It was just going to waste anyway" or "No one is going to miss it" or even worse "I deserve it because of..."
Stealing is hardly considered a major offense today, but it is included with commandments prohibiting murder and adultery and carries the same consequences. What's the big deal? While the damage may be minimal to those you steal from, the self-destructiveness of stealing is catastrophic. Stealing and dishonesty go hand in hand and those who steal tend also to be liars (in order to cover up their thievery). Stealing is a gateway sin which leads to many others (covetousness, pride, deceit, greed, etc.)
But "He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need." (Eph 4:28) The opposite of stealing is not "not stealing" but rather generosity. We are called to lives that give of themselves selflessly as a reflection of our generous Lord. Stealing is a denial of the image of God we were made in and an affront to his glory because we are not able to reflect Him properly.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Deuteronomy 5:18
"You shall not commit adultery."
When we remember that anyone who breaks any of these commandments is subject to death, we can begin to understand the seriousness of adultery. Why? Because adultery is a force so powerful and destructive that it can singlehandedly become grounds for divorce (Mt 5:31). Adultery destroys relationships. It takes two people who were bonded together and rips them apart, tearing at their hearts and souls and unleashed so much emotional pain and turmoil that it is an affront to God. No parent can stand to see their children heartbroken, and neither can God.
And yet, Jesus says that the one who looks at a woman lustfully commits adultery with her in his heart (same goes for women). Recognizing the destructive power of adultery, Jesus's solution is graphic: If your eyes look lustfully, cut them out. If your hand causes you to sin, (say by touching another person lustfully) cut it off and throw it away. You know why? Because it is easier to cut off one's own body parts than to correct a heart that lusts.
With man such correction is impossible. No matter how hard you try, you will never escape your sinfulness, but thank God he has sent us a savior! Now even when we sin, we have one who intercedes for us and defends us before the throne of God. It is Christ living in us that transforms us by the power of the Holy Spirit not to lust for only he can fulfill our every need. With Christ in us, what else is their to lust for?
When we remember that anyone who breaks any of these commandments is subject to death, we can begin to understand the seriousness of adultery. Why? Because adultery is a force so powerful and destructive that it can singlehandedly become grounds for divorce (Mt 5:31). Adultery destroys relationships. It takes two people who were bonded together and rips them apart, tearing at their hearts and souls and unleashed so much emotional pain and turmoil that it is an affront to God. No parent can stand to see their children heartbroken, and neither can God.
And yet, Jesus says that the one who looks at a woman lustfully commits adultery with her in his heart (same goes for women). Recognizing the destructive power of adultery, Jesus's solution is graphic: If your eyes look lustfully, cut them out. If your hand causes you to sin, (say by touching another person lustfully) cut it off and throw it away. You know why? Because it is easier to cut off one's own body parts than to correct a heart that lusts.
With man such correction is impossible. No matter how hard you try, you will never escape your sinfulness, but thank God he has sent us a savior! Now even when we sin, we have one who intercedes for us and defends us before the throne of God. It is Christ living in us that transforms us by the power of the Holy Spirit not to lust for only he can fulfill our every need. With Christ in us, what else is their to lust for?
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Deuteronomy 5:17
"You shall not murder."
Those who read the Bible without insight see this commandment as hypocrisy. God commands us not to murder, but does he not take life? Does he not also command others to kill? Such people do not understand the spirit of the commandment.
If a man is wicked and unrepentant and causes much suffering while he is alive, God's justice dictates this man be removed from the earth not to punish the wicked man but to protect the innocent. God is also the one who gave life in the first place to be used not for wickedness but for good. The life we own is a life borrowed from eternity, entrusted to our care by the creator God. We are not to do as we please with it, especially depriving another of their gift of life as well.
The spirit of this commandment is one that requires us not only to murder someone in our hands, but in our hearts as well. Life was not granted to be spent hating each other. Such hatred is not of God and has no place in God's creation. God cannot dwell in hearts that are filled with malice (not the same as anger). He cannot be worshiped by a heart filled with hate. This is why murder and hatred share the same judgment. (Mt 5:22)
Forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and love are from God. The command not to hate and murder is the same command to love God and your neighbor stated different ways. Do not hold onto bitterness, but learn to forgive and let go for in the end it will only destroy you.
Those who read the Bible without insight see this commandment as hypocrisy. God commands us not to murder, but does he not take life? Does he not also command others to kill? Such people do not understand the spirit of the commandment.
If a man is wicked and unrepentant and causes much suffering while he is alive, God's justice dictates this man be removed from the earth not to punish the wicked man but to protect the innocent. God is also the one who gave life in the first place to be used not for wickedness but for good. The life we own is a life borrowed from eternity, entrusted to our care by the creator God. We are not to do as we please with it, especially depriving another of their gift of life as well.
The spirit of this commandment is one that requires us not only to murder someone in our hands, but in our hearts as well. Life was not granted to be spent hating each other. Such hatred is not of God and has no place in God's creation. God cannot dwell in hearts that are filled with malice (not the same as anger). He cannot be worshiped by a heart filled with hate. This is why murder and hatred share the same judgment. (Mt 5:22)
Forgiveness, mercy, compassion, and love are from God. The command not to hate and murder is the same command to love God and your neighbor stated different ways. Do not hold onto bitterness, but learn to forgive and let go for in the end it will only destroy you.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Deuteronomy 5:16
"Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you."
Honor you mother and father not because they are worth honoring, but because the Lord has commanded it. Some of us have had great and God fearing parents, but many aren't so fortunate. Some parents do not deserve respect but we do not honor parents based on what they deserve for God does not honor us that way. We honor our parents based on God's command so that we might live long and that it might go well with us. We honor our parents for our sake, not for theirs.
Honor and obedience are neither the same. One can obey their parents without honoring them. Give your parents the proper respect and do not treat them with contempt or bitterness. Submit to them insofar as it is not destructive because Christ first submitted to you. When you honor your parents, you are not honoring them, but Christ and his words. Again it matters little what they deserve, but the spirit of submission is the spirit of freedom.
We are to be mutually subordinate out of reverence for Christ (Eph 5:21). When we submit to others, do not be surprised if they return the favor. Only in submission are we free at last to love unconditionally and to value others above ourselves.
Honor you mother and father not because they are worth honoring, but because the Lord has commanded it. Some of us have had great and God fearing parents, but many aren't so fortunate. Some parents do not deserve respect but we do not honor parents based on what they deserve for God does not honor us that way. We honor our parents based on God's command so that we might live long and that it might go well with us. We honor our parents for our sake, not for theirs.
Honor and obedience are neither the same. One can obey their parents without honoring them. Give your parents the proper respect and do not treat them with contempt or bitterness. Submit to them insofar as it is not destructive because Christ first submitted to you. When you honor your parents, you are not honoring them, but Christ and his words. Again it matters little what they deserve, but the spirit of submission is the spirit of freedom.
We are to be mutually subordinate out of reverence for Christ (Eph 5:21). When we submit to others, do not be surprised if they return the favor. Only in submission are we free at last to love unconditionally and to value others above ourselves.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Deuteronomy 5:12
"Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you."
The Sabbath is easily one of the most neglected gifts of God. Our bodies were made to work and to rest. It is commanded for proper maintenance of our bodily functions. But the most important reason to take a Sabbath is not that it is good for us to do (which obeying all of God's commandments are), but because God himself does it.
The LORD God, who is always working (Jn 5:17), and does not in anyway need rest since he does not grow tired, rested after 6 days of creation. God made that seventh day Holy by setting it apart from every other day. It is a day to sit back and reflect on the goodness of God and of his creation and to do nothing apart from beholding and worshiping God so that we may truly live in his presence. And believe me, God is so big that you are going to need all the time you can get to behold him!
An entire day written into the cosmos and ordained from the beginning of time for rest, relaxation, peace, joy, and celebration and here we sit thinking of how to get ahead with the extra time. You'd think people would not need convincing to enjoy the sabbath made for them, but it was so bad God actually had to command us to relax and enjoy life.
The Sabbath is easily one of the most neglected gifts of God. Our bodies were made to work and to rest. It is commanded for proper maintenance of our bodily functions. But the most important reason to take a Sabbath is not that it is good for us to do (which obeying all of God's commandments are), but because God himself does it.
The LORD God, who is always working (Jn 5:17), and does not in anyway need rest since he does not grow tired, rested after 6 days of creation. God made that seventh day Holy by setting it apart from every other day. It is a day to sit back and reflect on the goodness of God and of his creation and to do nothing apart from beholding and worshiping God so that we may truly live in his presence. And believe me, God is so big that you are going to need all the time you can get to behold him!
An entire day written into the cosmos and ordained from the beginning of time for rest, relaxation, peace, joy, and celebration and here we sit thinking of how to get ahead with the extra time. You'd think people would not need convincing to enjoy the sabbath made for them, but it was so bad God actually had to command us to relax and enjoy life.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Deuteronomy 5:11
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."
When things are done in the name of the Lord, they are done for his glory. If you read acts, you will see an account of miracles and demonstrations of the Spirit's power all done in the name of Jesus. To use the name of the LORD is to ascribe credit, honor, and glory to him for something done. His is a powerful name, but with great power comes great responsibility.
To misuse God's name is to slander it. If you call yourself by God's name and identify yourself as in Christ, but by your actions you prove yourself still captive to sin, you slander the name by which you call yourself. Do not claim to belong to Christ if you hate your neighbor or practice unforgiveness or judge others lest you attribute to Christ that which dirties his reputation. God's name is his character and reputation and many atrocities have been committed "in His name" both by the Church and misguided individuals.
Christ certainly has no need for those who will misrepresent Him and distort his name because it is by His name we are saved. If the world cannot see his name, how then can it be saved? Those who distort the name of God shut the doors of heaven for all who try to enter in including themselves. (Matthew 23)
When things are done in the name of the Lord, they are done for his glory. If you read acts, you will see an account of miracles and demonstrations of the Spirit's power all done in the name of Jesus. To use the name of the LORD is to ascribe credit, honor, and glory to him for something done. His is a powerful name, but with great power comes great responsibility.
To misuse God's name is to slander it. If you call yourself by God's name and identify yourself as in Christ, but by your actions you prove yourself still captive to sin, you slander the name by which you call yourself. Do not claim to belong to Christ if you hate your neighbor or practice unforgiveness or judge others lest you attribute to Christ that which dirties his reputation. God's name is his character and reputation and many atrocities have been committed "in His name" both by the Church and misguided individuals.
Christ certainly has no need for those who will misrepresent Him and distort his name because it is by His name we are saved. If the world cannot see his name, how then can it be saved? Those who distort the name of God shut the doors of heaven for all who try to enter in including themselves. (Matthew 23)
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Deuteronomy 5:8-10
“You shall not make for yourself an idol ... You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."
Although idolatry is one of the worst offenses to God because he will not share his glory with another (Is 42:8), what is interesting about this commandment is God's jealousy. He has chosen us for his own not so that we can give his praise over to lifeless statues. As a husband is jealous for his wife, and will not share her with another, so also is the Lord jealous for us.
At first glance, God seems mean and vengeful, punishing children for the mistakes of their fathers to the third and fourth generation. It seems excessive and cruel until you realize the extent of his love. He shows love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. Compare three and four generations to a thousand and you will see the abundance of God's mercy. His love goes a lot farther than his justice. For just one person who loves the LORD and obeys all he commands, God will love and bless his children to the thousandth generation!
That one person is Christ and we rejoice in Him.
Although idolatry is one of the worst offenses to God because he will not share his glory with another (Is 42:8), what is interesting about this commandment is God's jealousy. He has chosen us for his own not so that we can give his praise over to lifeless statues. As a husband is jealous for his wife, and will not share her with another, so also is the Lord jealous for us.
At first glance, God seems mean and vengeful, punishing children for the mistakes of their fathers to the third and fourth generation. It seems excessive and cruel until you realize the extent of his love. He shows love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. Compare three and four generations to a thousand and you will see the abundance of God's mercy. His love goes a lot farther than his justice. For just one person who loves the LORD and obeys all he commands, God will love and bless his children to the thousandth generation!
That one person is Christ and we rejoice in Him.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Deuteronomy 5:6-7
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me."
The divine existence of the Holy God requires the choosing of a people to be set apart, a holy people. God chose Israel to be his own and brought them up out of the land of Egypt and gave to them their own land. And what reason did he have for doing this? So that they might worship Him (Ex 4:23).
And so he is the LORD your God because he has chosen to be your God. He has chosen you and has rescued you out of the bondage of slavery (to sin and death) in order that you might worship Him and him alone. You were not saved by any other God nor is there any power or created thing that is able to save you in times of trouble. Call out to your friends, your family, your wealth, or your loved ones, but not a single one of them is able to save you from death.
But the LORD has defeated death and has risen from the grave! Just as he defeated Pharaoh's armies and cast them into the sea, so to does Satan now stand condemned and death powerless to hold us who are in Christ. Praise be to the Father for electing us unto eternal life!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
All that you are and all that you have are the LORD's. All that you earn he first created. All that you ascribe value to were first made by Him. What is valuable to man is rubbish to God. Would you bribe him with cash? Is he impressed by your technology? Can you match his strength or display such great feats as He?
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, the LORD did not kill them and start over. Rather he clothed them. Did they need clothes? Of course not for God made them naked not needing clothes. But he provided for them what they desired because he is good and provides good gifts for his children. The LORD does not value clothing or cash. He values us.
He gives us prosperity not because he values prosperity, but because he loves us and he knows we value it. He gives us the ability to produce wealth not because he wants us to be wealthy (and thus be in danger of becoming proud and forgetting him), but because he loves us and wants us to turn to him and depend on him, to acknowledge him as they sole provider for our every need.
All that you are and all that you have are the LORD's. All that you earn he first created. All that you ascribe value to were first made by Him. What is valuable to man is rubbish to God. Would you bribe him with cash? Is he impressed by your technology? Can you match his strength or display such great feats as He?
When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, the LORD did not kill them and start over. Rather he clothed them. Did they need clothes? Of course not for God made them naked not needing clothes. But he provided for them what they desired because he is good and provides good gifts for his children. The LORD does not value clothing or cash. He values us.
He gives us prosperity not because he values prosperity, but because he loves us and he knows we value it. He gives us the ability to produce wealth not because he wants us to be wealthy (and thus be in danger of becoming proud and forgetting him), but because he loves us and wants us to turn to him and depend on him, to acknowledge him as they sole provider for our every need.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Deuteronomy 5:29
"Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!"
This is the LORD's hope and prayer for us. His one desire here is to see it go well with us and our children forever. He has given us his divine precepts, the Ten Commandments, in order that we might live healthy and blessed lives. His intention is not to harm us or to condemn us, but so that we might prolong our days and live. The Law was meant for our good, but because of sin in us, it has brought about our destruction (cf. Rom 7).
We break the rules and cast aside the law which was put in place for our own protection and benefit. We believed the lie that it is a restriction on our freedom when it was the very thing that allowed us to enjoy it without fear. We have thrown ourselves into bondage as slaves to unrighteousness and have brought about our own destruction. Who will save us?
But God's prayer is not frustrated. He is the Almighty, able to do anything he sets his will to. By his strength he has rescued us from sin and caused us to live. By his grace through faith in His Son Jesus it will go well for us who fear the LORD. Where the law made us willing, the Spirit now makes us able. No longer do we live according to our own sinful desire, but we live by God and God alone.
This is the LORD's hope and prayer for us. His one desire here is to see it go well with us and our children forever. He has given us his divine precepts, the Ten Commandments, in order that we might live healthy and blessed lives. His intention is not to harm us or to condemn us, but so that we might prolong our days and live. The Law was meant for our good, but because of sin in us, it has brought about our destruction (cf. Rom 7).
We break the rules and cast aside the law which was put in place for our own protection and benefit. We believed the lie that it is a restriction on our freedom when it was the very thing that allowed us to enjoy it without fear. We have thrown ourselves into bondage as slaves to unrighteousness and have brought about our own destruction. Who will save us?
But God's prayer is not frustrated. He is the Almighty, able to do anything he sets his will to. By his strength he has rescued us from sin and caused us to live. By his grace through faith in His Son Jesus it will go well for us who fear the LORD. Where the law made us willing, the Spirit now makes us able. No longer do we live according to our own sinful desire, but we live by God and God alone.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Deuteronomy 15:9
"Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin."
In the world we live in today, debt is a common occurrence. Everyone has been in debt at some point. So pervasive is this debt that even the entire nation is in debt. Corporations had needed to borrow trillions in loans to stay afloat. Even now America has had to raise its debt ceiling to avoid economic catastrophe by our defaulting on our bills.
America is caught in a never ending cycle of debt, having to borrow money just to pay back money they already borrowed. This is nothing new to the LORD. He foresaw the slavery and captivity being in debt causes and has chosen to set his people free even from debt. He declared on every 7th year all debts would be canceled, breaking the debt cycle and setting the captives free
But men, in our selfishness, refused to lend money to those who could not pay us back by the time of the 7th year. So the poor are left to be poorer and the rich become richer at the expense of the poor. Our economy is sin and based on greed. Is there any wonder why it is failing?
In the world we live in today, debt is a common occurrence. Everyone has been in debt at some point. So pervasive is this debt that even the entire nation is in debt. Corporations had needed to borrow trillions in loans to stay afloat. Even now America has had to raise its debt ceiling to avoid economic catastrophe by our defaulting on our bills.
America is caught in a never ending cycle of debt, having to borrow money just to pay back money they already borrowed. This is nothing new to the LORD. He foresaw the slavery and captivity being in debt causes and has chosen to set his people free even from debt. He declared on every 7th year all debts would be canceled, breaking the debt cycle and setting the captives free
But men, in our selfishness, refused to lend money to those who could not pay us back by the time of the 7th year. So the poor are left to be poorer and the rich become richer at the expense of the poor. Our economy is sin and based on greed. Is there any wonder why it is failing?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Deuteronomy 29:29
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."
Our very knowledge of God is bounded by only the extent to which he has revealed himself to us. There are many great mysteries far too great for above our comprehension. What he has revealed is all we needed to know for our salvation and benefit. More importantly, God's truth as it is revealed through God's Word (both the Incarnate Christ and the Scriptures) belongs to us and our children.
God in the fullness of his revelation is a God for us purposed in Jesus Christ. Theology, therefore, is just a restatement of what God has already said of himself. We know nothing unless God reveals it, for the secret things are his. Theology is synonymous with "Christianity" because Christ is the image of the invisible God and the fullness of God in Man. So every Christian is a theologian for Christ is revealed to each one.
Truly, because of the illumination of the Holy Spirit, we can know God in the same way God knows himself, if only in miniature. And yet, even with all this revelation, it is but the tip of an infinite God for we still say with all sincerity, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out!" (Rom 11:33)
Our very knowledge of God is bounded by only the extent to which he has revealed himself to us. There are many great mysteries far too great for above our comprehension. What he has revealed is all we needed to know for our salvation and benefit. More importantly, God's truth as it is revealed through God's Word (both the Incarnate Christ and the Scriptures) belongs to us and our children.
God in the fullness of his revelation is a God for us purposed in Jesus Christ. Theology, therefore, is just a restatement of what God has already said of himself. We know nothing unless God reveals it, for the secret things are his. Theology is synonymous with "Christianity" because Christ is the image of the invisible God and the fullness of God in Man. So every Christian is a theologian for Christ is revealed to each one.
Truly, because of the illumination of the Holy Spirit, we can know God in the same way God knows himself, if only in miniature. And yet, even with all this revelation, it is but the tip of an infinite God for we still say with all sincerity, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out!" (Rom 11:33)
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