Getting Job-ed
Remember what happened long ago,
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and no one is like me.
I declare the end from the beginning,
and from long ago what is not yet done,
saying: my plan will take place,
and I will do all my will. Isaiah 46:9-10 CSB
In the first part, I wanted to state that there are 10 truths that I think are pretty universal amongst everyone. At the very least, I feel that these truths point us to something more, something that is outside of ourselves: an external source of truth, justice, power, and love. I would say, for each of us, this is a concept that we could say is ‘god’ in some sense. Let’s take a look at the 10 truths once again. After that, I want us to take a look and see why I truly feel the God of the Bible fulfills or answers the issues that each of the ten truths presents.
- I Exist.
- I am finite.
- I have parts of me that are good and right.
- I have parts of me that are bad and wrong.
- I want to see truth.
- I want to see justice for injustice.
- I have desires, wants, cravings, and longings.
- I see a real concept of love.
- I exist in a world that doesn’t depend on me.
- There is something bigger outside of me- something more.
Would you say these would be true of you and how most people perceive the world? I believe it is applicable to all.
“…the God of the Bible fulfills or answers the issues that each of the ten truths presents…”
1. and 2. are very interconnected. The Bible states that mankind had a beginning (Genesis 1:26) and that there is a reason we have an end (Romans 5:12). The complexity of the human emotion is a reflection of how we were created in the “image of God (Gen. 1:26).” We see this in God throughout Scripture in that He can both love and hate something at one time (for instance, the murder of Jesus- See Exodus 20:13, Acts 2:23 and 4:27-28, Isaiah 53:10, amongst many others in regards to other emotions of God). Mankind was meant to live forever, which I believe is one reason we have a longing for things to last forever in this life. Mankind was introduced to death when we rebelled against God (Genesis 3). However, God is not constrained to these limitations. God is: eternal with no beginning or end (Genesis 1:1, Exodus 3:14, amongst many others), omnipresent (Colossians 1:17, Jeremiah 23:24, amongst many others), transcendent (meaning high above all things- Isaiah 40:22, amongst many more), and immanent (intimately involved with us/creation- Colossians 1:17, Matthew 10: 28-31, amongst many others). God demonstrates what He is, and we can see that we fall short of this. God is the standard of perfection, beauty, and eternality. The Bible also states why we exist: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31 CSB).” This God is worthy of our worship and praise, and that this is why we were created and exist.
3., 4. and 5. are interconnected as well. The Bible defines itself (from God) as the concrete external and objective standard of truth. God is perfect, just, and holy (1 John 1:5, Isaiah 6:3 and 43:15, amongst many others). God is also all-powerful (Isaiah 46:9-10; Proverbs 16: 4, 9, 33; Job 32-41; amongst so many others) and because of this, He gets to call the shots on what is truth (Exodus 33:18-19). The Bible defines itself as from God (written by human authors under the inspiration of God) as the standard of truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17, John 17:17, John 1:1, amongst many others). We need truth, and we need a standard for truth. God has provided this for us from His Word (the Bible).
6. We all desire justice, especially when it affects us. We have all been in rebellion against a holy God which creates death (Genesis 1-3) and because of that rebellion we were considered “dead in our trespasses and sins… and we were by nature children under wrath (Ephesians 2:1,3 CSB).” This is the worst injustice of all: rebellion against a holy King. In a kingdom, what does rebellion and treason result in? Death. But God showed us mercy in His grace, which is a miracle that brings dead people to life (Ephesians 2:1-10). We don’t deserve that and never could. We will also see that all evil is punished in its due time (Romans 12:17-19, Revelation 20). We can rest assured that a perfect, just, and holy God will see to it that all wrongs are made right- the internal longing that we truly seek. This is also a warning to us: we need to be on the right side of the war when that day comes.
7. I can feel a real desire to be satisfied in myself. I also look at the patterns in my life, I’ve tried to find it in so many places that just never measured up. Look at yourself and the people around you. Look up the science behind how long high-dollar possessions make you happy when you get them- it’s actually been quantifiably studied! Think of the last time you: had a great steak dinner, bought a new car, bought a new gaming system, bought new clothes, had a new hobby, bought a new phone, bought a new watch, had a drink of ice water on a hot day. Did it completely satisfy what you were looking for? How long did the satisfaction last? Did it make you want more? We see it in addiction also: drugs, alcohol, TV subscriptions, porn, nicotine, sex, etc. None of it lasts. The satisfaction dwindles and then we’re on to the next high. But what if there is something that can completely satisfy? Something deep that we have really been longing for? Psalm 73:25-26 CSB:
Who do I have in heaven but you?
And I desire nothing on earth but you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart,
my portion forever.
What if that ‘thing’ we’ve been looking for had a Name? And that He’s real? Could you believe that?
8. We see that there is a concept of love that we feel and one that we even see in nature. Does that have an origin? 1 John 4:8 CSB defines love in that, “…God is love.” Because God is all-powerful and perfectly Holy, He can define what love is. We have a cultural definition of what love is, but this is not how the all-powerful Creator defines love. Love is God doing whatever He has to do for us to see the Glory of God in Jesus (John 11:1-7, really look at the verbiage used). With God’s love in us, it empowers us to love people and show them the true God. This is contrary to the view of nature (biology, Darwinian evolution, etc.) in that “might makes right” and “survival of the species.” Jesus shows us that our concept of love is flawed. He empowers us in a way to help other people see God for who He is, even if it means losing our life (John 15:13, Matthew 16:24-27). This looks crazy to the world, but this is true love, defined by Love Himself.
9. The world functions independently of me. This is true of me, but the world does function because of something. Secular science states that physics and energy are what is keeping the universe functioning (which I can agree with, in part), but is there more? We’ve seen that the Bible provides its own explanation of what truth is, what justice is, and what love is- now we’re looking at a force that is determining the entire universe. The Bible says that God determines how the universe and all existence functions (Proverbs 16: 4, 9, 33; Ephesians 1:11-12; Matthew 10: 29-30; amongst many others). The Bible gives the origins of all existence in Genesis 1, “In the beginning, God created… everything! (My translation, read it for yourself!)” Stephen Hawking says the universe has the power to spontaneously create, even out of nothing. Do you know what he is saying? He’s saying the universe can create something out of nothing. How is that possible? I’m sorry, but that’s a contradiction. If the universe can spontaneously create, the universe preceded creation. See the issue here? Hawking now really sounds eerily close to “In the beginning, SOMETHING created…” That sounds like he is saying there is a ‘god’ (he would call universe) that is creating all existence. Why is the concept of God (Yahweh) creating the universe any crazier than what Hawking proposes? He, and most of science, does not acknowledge God as the true foundation of existence. However, the Bible gives a clear explanation for this.
10. There is something bigger outside of us. Most of us have a desire or need to be a part of something bigger than just our day-to-day lives, something more. We need this, or life is purposeless. Secular comedies and culture have a term for this: the ‘God hole.’ I can agree with this actually. We all have a void in life that we are trying to fill with anything and everything: money, cars, retirement, food, experiences, degrees, family, knowledge, adventures, etc. We get something and the high of the thrill vanishes quickly. Why? That hole was meant for something more. An underlying movement throughout the entire bible is the Kingdom of God. There is this underlying current in the Bible that involves His people, in His place, under His rule, enjoying His blessings (Roberts, God’s Big Picture). Jesus jumps onto the scene in Mark 1:15 CSB saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” The time that was fulfilled was what all of the Old Testament promises were pointing to. What is the good news? The Kingdom of God is here! That’s the Good News! The King is here to rule. Now, we don’t see Jesus ruling right in front of us, per se. Jesus, in His earthly ministry, was initiating His kingdom rule on earth. But this wouldn’t be fully consummated until the final restoration of God being with His people (Revelation 20-21). That’s the bigger picture: God will rule everything in a way so,
…that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11 CSB)
Conclusion
What I wanted to do was take us through Part 1 and show us that we all can say that we have those 10 attributes in common. Those 10 attributes, I feel, point us to a longing for some sort of ‘god’ or at the very least, that there is a possibility of a god. In part 2, I wanted to take us through each part and show that the God of the Bible gives evidence that He is what each of those 10 subjects is truly pointing to. Those are internal, and deep subjects all of us have. God created us this way. He created us to be pointed, externally and internally, towards Him. We see it’s true in ourselves that there is something more to life, to existence. That something ‘more’ is God, and we see Him through His Word.
So, if you don’t know God and you feel a pull to something deep, something that is drawing you in. This is an invitation to you: “Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8 CSB).”
-Austin
Resources
Holden, Michael. “God Did Not Create the Universe, Says Hawking.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, September 2, 2010. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-hawking/god-did-not-create-the-universe-says-hawking-idUSTRE6811FN20100902.
