God’s Relationship with Adam

If God could not find a fulfilling relationship with the angels, did He find it in man?  The first man, Adam, it seems obvious, could not possibly appreciate his unique relationship with God.  There were no other humans competing with him for an intimate closeness with his Creator.  Adam had God all to himself.  Added to that privileged status was the fact that this relationship was not encumbered with sin.  There were no transgressions, no rebellions, no lies, no sickness or disease, no pain, no tears, nothing to cause hurt or sorrow, nothing to corrupt, distract or inject separation into this divine companionship.  The Garden of Eden was a paradise on earth. 

How long was Adam in the Garden between the time of creation and his later transgression?  The Genesis account of the relationship between Adam, Eve and the Lord gives us enough information to piece together a description of its quality and length.  “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’  And God said, ‘See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food’; and it was so.  Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” Genesis 1:28-31. 

From the above scriptures, it is reasonable to assume that dialogue between God and Adam must have been in progress, and that there was time enough for Adam to respond to God’s instructions.  Then, at some point, a further development took place.  “And the LORD God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’   Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.  So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.  Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.  And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.’” Genesis 2:18-23.

But, let’s start at the beginning.  I remember someone asking me once if Adam had a belly button.  A literal reading of Genesis makes me believe Adam started out as a full grown man, so no, he didn’t have an umbilical cord to sever because he didn’t emerge from a mother’s womb.  God fashioned an adult male from the dust of the earth.  “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 (NKJV). Adam skipped the early stages of life that all of his descendants have experienced.  No helpless infancy, no toddler’s tribulations, no childhood, no adolescence and no teenage years.  Beginning life as an adult, however, meant that all of the motor skills, cognitive abilities and maturation necessary to life had to either be miraculously created and, shall we say “uploaded” into his brain, or else God had to painstakingly teach these things to him.  However it happened, Adam had a huge learning curve to negotiate.  Imagine the rigorous educational program he needed to equip him for the jobs God gave him, and for that to happen, he had to have time to absorb it all. 

Although we do not have a clear time frame in which these things developed, we are told in the very next verse that, after his creation, God placed the man in the Garden of Eden.  “The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.” Genesis 2:8 (NKJV).  It is doubtful that God threw Adam into a confusing environment where he would be overwhelmed with the array of plants and animals.  God must have schooled him in his new surroundings.  “And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2:9 (NKJV).  This educational program may have taken quite a few years, but, considering the fact that Adam lived to be 930 years old, there was plenty of time to learn.  We do know that at the birth of Seth, Adam and Eve’s third child, Adam was 130 years old.  It is possible that he was in the Garden for a hundred years or longer.  One hundred years is ample time for a relationship to flourish.

Adam’s schooling involved more than biology lessons.  He also learned the practical side of living.  “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.” Genesis 2:15 (NKJV).  The Lord wasted no time in emphasizing the value of work by immediately appointing Adam as caretaker of the Garden.  God also assigned him the task of inventorying all the animals and giving them names.  That meant Adam needed language, he needed skills to observe the animals and know the difference between all of them.  This was no small order.  Carl Jung identified eight cognitive processes that humans use to perceive themselves, the world around them and their perception of truth: experiencing, reviewing, interpreting, foreseeing, ordering, analyzing, connecting and valuing.  Adam need all of these to complete the work God had given him to do. 

Some may classify these acquired skills as a rather mundane to-do list.  To the contrary, it indicates the high level of interaction that God must have had with Adam.  The relationship between God and Adam was sophisticated and intimate.  The Bible doesn’t elaborate on the details of this relationship, but as we reflect on its breadth and complexity, the many roles that God had to play made it much more advanced than any relationship He had with the angels.  He was Adam’s teacher, mentor, advisor, tutor, counselor, coach, consultant and friend.  Also, remember that Adam had neither an earthly father nor mother.  That meant that he looked to God as his parent, a position that made the relationship even closer than any of the above roles.  In terms of relationship building, however, the key word here is … time!  It takes time to teach, to mentor, to advise, and to do all the things necessary to train a person.  God had to spend time with Adam in a close, affectionate, focused way.  Time together allows bonding and intimate interaction.

We will discuss the details of the fall in the next chapter, but Genesis 3:8 reveals the nature of the relationship.  “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”  In all probability, this sound was very familiar to the ears of Adam and Eve.  Before their transgression, they would have had no reason to hide among the trees.  It is only logical to believe that they welcomed this sound and perhaps looked forward to it on a regular basis.  Indeed, given the enormous void in his knowledge of life and the world, Adam absolutely needed this companionship.  At the same time, we may reasonably conclude that this relationship was as fulfilling to God as it was to His created being.  We may even posit this concept:  The relationship God had with Adam before the fall models the relationship He wants to have with us after our regeneration! 

Our analysis of God’s relationship with Adam yields truths far beyond the mere historical facts of man’s beginnings.  It reveals the richness of the nature of God’s heart.  When Jesus taught His disciples, he said, “’Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.’”  Matthew 12:33-35.  We may interpret our Lord’s words as saying, “You can know what is in a man’s heart by listening to his words and watching his actions.  His words and deeds are the truest measure of his character!” If we observe God interacting with Adam with such tenderness and closeness, it tells us as much about God as it does about Adam.  Thus, God desires to relate to mankind in a more personal way than just a cosmic force or an impersonal power.  He wants to teach us, guide us, overshadow us and, most importantly, love us if we will let him.  Yes, we are to worship Him, but He wants worship from us that never forgets to be in awe of Him, and simultaneously, never allows the awesomeness to cause us run away from Him.   Far too few believers enter into this intimate kind of relationship with Christ.

Finally, God had created in man a unique feature that He did not give to the angels: the capacity for growth.  If God teaches, that means we can learn.  If God mentors, that means we can develop.  If God advises, that means we can be persuaded.  If God walks with us, that means we can walk with Him.  We can become something or someone we have never been before.  We can change into a character that brings us into alignment with the God’s ideal for mankind.  We can grow!  It is promised, predicted, commissioned and expected.  In fact, it has been said that if on word could be selected that would characterize Christianity, it would be the word GROW!  This may be the most critical aspect of our relationship with God.  Even as a teacher, coach or parent looks intently to gauge the impact that he or she has on a subject, so also God looks for a transformational effect on each of us.  This is precisely the effect that the Apostle John articulated in his letter to the church.

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:1-2. 

Next, as we contemplate the fallout from Adam and Eve’s disobedience, we will see the biggest difference between God’s treatment of the angels and His treatment of mankind.  When the angels sinned, He cast them out with no possibility of repentance.  “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.” Jude 1:6.  Also, Isaiah gives us the account of Satan’s plight when he rebelled against God in heaven.   ”’How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.’” Isaiah 14:12-15. 

But Adam’s sin showed us a far different aspect of God.  He now revealed his role of Savior.  In so doing, He transfigured the redemption of lost mankind. 

“O what a Savior, O hallelujah!  His heart was broken on Calvary; His hands were nail scarred
His side was riven; He gave His life-blood for even me.”  (Marvin P. Dalton)

God’s Relationship with the Angels

(The following article is a chapter in the upcoming book “Hand In Hand: Deepening Your Relationship with Jesus Christ,” hopefully to be published later this year.)

Nearly every tale of fantasy has beautiful, winged creatures that we call angels making sudden appearances, flitting about and turning the ordinary into the miraculous.   They have been featured in a host of books, movies and television shows, and many people vow they have had personal visitations from angels.  Angels mystify us.  We visualize them guarding cradles at night, showing up at the wheel of an out of control car and steering it back onto the roadway, or sitting at the foot of a dying person’s bed to bring a sense of tranquility.  We also have other notions, like how many angels can dance on a pinhead, or that all of them play harps, and every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings—or so we think.  Most of this cultural mythology about angels, however, is patently false.  Angels are not female; they most likely are genderless, although the scriptures refer to them in the masculine form.  All angels seem to fly, but the scriptures confirm that only the cherubim and seraphim have wings.  Angels are not material, but spiritual entities, and they are not subject to physical laws such as gravity.  They do not marry, do not reproduce, nor do they die (Hebrews 1:14; Mark 12:25; Luke 20:36).   

God created this class of beings before He made man, and possibly before the creation of the universe.  The word, angel means messenger, a general term for these celestial beings.  More specifically, they are categorized as seraphim, cherubim and ministering spirits.  There are also specialized angels commissioned to organize, fight or sing praises to God.  Although we may think of them as robot-like beings because they were created to do the bidding of their Creator God, they obviously have certain intellectual properties as well.  We read of angels conversing, serving as guardians, carrying out missions and delivering messages to humans.  They also have an appreciation of divinity because we see them filling the heavens with adoration and praise to God, and singing mightily of the greatness of God.  “All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’” Revelation 7:11-12.

The sheer number of times angels are mentioned in the Bible makes angiology an important aspect of theology.  The New American Standard Bible contains 196 reference to angels, almost equally divided between the two testaments, from Genesis to Revelation.  They are deeply involved in prophetical visions, and play major roles in the events at the end of time.  The Scriptures show them to be spiritual beings whose purpose for existence is to serve God (Matthew 4:11).  We can also discern from the Bible that there are both good and bad angels (2 Peter 2:4).  The good angels remained loyal to God; the bad angels became disobedient and fell from their holy estate to become emissaries of Satan.  

The focus question for our application here is this: what is the nature of God’s relationship with the angels?  Going further, if God has a relationship with the angels, why did He create humans?  Is there a fundamental difference between these two types of creatures beyond their physical attributes?  Did angels lack something in their nature that prohibited God from having a satisfying relationship with them?  Not only are these appropriate questions, their answers will help us to understand the purpose of humanity more clearly.  A closer look at the scriptures gives us these answers.  

Present-day scholars in a field known as “Second Temple Literature” analyze academic writings of the era in which the Bible was written.  One purpose of these studies is to determine the controversies that occupied the minds of academicians in that day, discourses to which the Bible writers respond.  In other words, while we know the answers to those areas of interest because we can read them in the Bible, we do not always know what the questions were which the writers were addressing.  One example is the great Christological debate that raged throughout the first three centuries which spawned numerous ideas about the nature of the Godhead.  Religious thinkers toiled over the identity, the nature and the person of Jesus Christ.  Scholars like Tertullian, Arius, Athanasius and others had much to say about this topic. 

So, what about the nature of Jesus?  There were contemporary scholars who must have theorized that Jesus was an angel, and not a real man. Responding to this charge, the writer to the Hebrews analyzed the difference between Jesus Christ and the angels.  “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”  Hebrews 1:1-4.  Clearly, Jesus was not cut from the fabric of angels; indeed, He was “much better than the angels.”   The writer presses on even further.

“For to which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You’? And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son’?  But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.’ And of the angels He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.’  But to the Son He says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.’  And: ‘You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.’  But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’?  Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:5-14.

This passage proves that Jesus was much different than the angels.  He was the Son of God, the fleshly incarnation of God Himself.  At His birth, angels worshipped Him.  They would not have worshipped another angel.  The angels were servants in the kingdom; Jesus had the scepter of the kingdom.  The angels were to minister to those who will inherit salvation; Jesus sits on the throne of the kingdom.  Jesus, therefore, belonged to a different class altogether than the angels.  That set of realities defined and limited the relationship between God and the angels.

This book will not exhaust the vast complexities of angels in the Bible.  The mere headlines of the books of Job, Psalms, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelation show us how deep we can go in this study.  In Daniel, there is war in the heavenlies between angels.  In Ezekiel, there are angelic beings that make up large accounts of angels in prophecy.  In Isaiah, there is the story of Lucifer, the fallen angel and the angelic minions who fell with him, and there are the warrior angels at work throughout the book of Revelation.  Any one of these passages could involve us in pages of analysis.  Let us return to the question at hand.  What is the relationship between God and the angels? We are not so much concerned with God’s comparison with the angels, nor even His position with regard to angels, but rather His meaningful interaction with them.  Did God love them?  Did He find companionship with them?  How deeply did He engage the angels in intimate conversation? 

Perhaps a human analogy will help.  Presidents, Prime Ministers, royalty and others in the wealthy class have people in their employ who are hired to do certain jobs.  They have chauffeurs, valets, butlers, groundskeepers, etc. who take care of certain areas of their estates.  The relationship between the principal and the hired help is limited to the job requirements.  Even so, angels were created to be one-dimensional and job-specific.  Almost all accounts of angels in the Bible show them to be instruments of the will of God.  An angel was stationed at the Garden of Eden to keep out trespassers; angels were sent to Sodom to rescue Lot and his daughters from destruction.  Angels were given charge over Israel to keep them from harm.  In Matthew, we see them sent to mete out judgment to evildoers.  The point is that they were mediators between God and man.  They did not enter into the drama of man’s behavior; they were only the tools in the hands of God.  The one exception to this is the specific reference to “The Angel of the Lord.”  Most scholars agree that this term referred to a theophany, (some now say “Christophany”) or, God in a Body. 

Many more instances of God’s interaction with the angels could be explored, but all of them will only further illustrate our conclusion.  The angels, as powerful and gifted as they were, could not satisfy God’s need for a complete relationship with another being apart from Himself.  Evidently, God wanted more than mere obedience, more than pre-programmed submission, more than command-oriented creatures, more than extensions of His power into the cosmos.  That’s why He created mankind.  Let us now consider the fascinating world of humanity, the crown of God’s creation.

What Is A True Visionary?

You are a true visionary when you are willing to start something you cannot finish.  Either your vision is too big for you to finish it by yourself or it will take too long for you to complete it in your lifetime.  You need not harvest the glory of a completed task; indeed, it would be absurd to even think in terms of personal glory.  You are content with sowing the initial seed that puts it all into motion.  This is not condoning procrastination or laziness, but a testament to the magnificent dream.            

The founders of the American democracy knew they could not finish their task.  Abraham Lincoln did not know the full ramifications of the Emancipation Proclamation.  The Apostle Peter did not know where the open Gentile door would lead the church.  None of them allowed the enormity of their vision to stop them from lighting the fuse.  

You are a true visionary when you are willing to go places that are not on the map.  You don’t seek out the charted course.  You don’t look for a dream previously accomplished.  You do not need the security of the known way.  You see places that others think don’t exist; you envision successes that history has not yet recorded; you hear sounds that have never been produced.            

Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees not knowing where he was going.  Paul launched out on his missionary journeys not sure of his destination.  Christopher Columbus left “Ne Plus Ultra” behind on the basis of a dream. 

You are a true visionary when you are willing to build something you cannot control.  To see your success skyrocket far beyond that which you anticipated excites you.  You see something so big, so wildly successful that you actually become immaterial to the end result.  You realize that the thing you create may render you obsolete, but, you would rather be eclipsed by your own success than marinate in mediocrity.  It was said of Jesus, “Because zeal for your house has eaten me up.” (NKJV)  Robert Warburg, a Bay Area analyst jokes, “[Bill Gates] greatest fear is that some kid will brew up the next killer app in his garage in Kenosha and Microsoft won’t own it!”  You are willing to turn the control over to God.                       

You are a true visionary when you are willing to embrace something do not fully understand.  Wilbur and Orville Wright did not understand the profound impact that their flying machine would have on worldwide transportation when they became airborne at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.  Bill Gates did not understand all the implications that the nascent computer field would have for the world when he designed his Microsoft WindowsÔ in his garage.  Frank Ewart and R. E. McAlister did not fully understand everything there was to know about oneness theology when they began preaching it in the early twentieth century.  Yet, all of them took the leap because they were absolutely convinced it was the right thing to do. 

The visionary suspects that there are endless possibilities in his idea or dream.  He boldly lets that truth go wherever it wants to go.  To insist on understanding every minuscule detail of the truth would abort the birth before the baby ever has a chance to say hello to the world.  

You are a true visionary when you are willing to become who you have never been before.  Securely locked within our insular definitions, most of us shut down when life tries to transition us into a new calling.  When innovative ideas threaten to inflict too great a change on our status quo, our crusty old wineskins start to burst.  We would rather say no and be safe rather than say yes and be infinitely better or set off vast changes on the human landscape. 

Abe Lincoln started out as a farm boy, but he saw himself as a businessman, a surveyor, a postman, a lawyer, a congressman, and then as president of the United States.  Neil Armstrong, from his beginnings in the small town of Wapakoneta, Ohio, started out as a navy aviator, then a test pilot, then a backup astronaut, then the first man on the moon.  

John Nickerson, a UPCI missionary in Nigeria, believes that the African continent stands ready to be set ablaze with revival fires—-not only for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, but also to receive the revelation of the oneness of God and baptism in Jesus’ name.  He has shared his vision with his many partners in missions, and readily admits that the river of his vision may overflow its banks.  As the momentum builds, hundreds of pastors with roots outside of Apostolic circles have already been baptized.  His passion represents the earmarks of a true visionary.

Does God Need Mankind?

“LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” Psalm 90:1-2. 

Before there was a universe, there was God.  He is the Prime Mover, the Self-Existent One, the Eternal Spirit.  He is without beginning, uncaused and infinite.  The Scriptures do not try to explain His existence.  Genesis 1:1 boldly states, “In the beginning … God.”  Singular.  There is no plurality of Gods.  He has no equal, no rival, no partner.  He has no father, no mother, no siblings. 

Isaiah thunders out this truth so forcefully that none dare challenge it.  ”’You are My witnesses,’ says the LORD, ‘And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me.  I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior.  I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses,’ Says the LORD, ‘that I am God.’” Isaiah 43:10-12. 

Neither is the offspring of God, Jesus Christ, to be perceived as a different person, although some have resorted to incredible theological calisthenics to make it appear as though there is a divine duality or even a tritheistic Godhead.  Jesus is to be understood as the extension of God into the world of flesh, the invisible God made visible.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:1-3. ‘And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”  John 1:14.  Colossians 1:15-17 concisely expresses the Apostolic view of Jesus:  “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

But in the eons preceding Bethlehem, God dwelt as a solitary, spiritual entity.  While His existence is incomprehensible, He is still knowable.  Paul writes, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:20-21. God made us aware of his presence in a number of ways, through the Scriptures, through his creation, through theophanic appearances, through signs, wonders and miracles.  These manifestations imply that God desired a relationship with us.  Therefore, we must make an attempt to grasp an understanding of God. 

The question that is most relevant to us in this context is:  “Why did God create mankind?”  If He is all-sufficient and perfect, what need, what lack, what void in the depths of His personality prompted Him to create human beings?  In searching for an answer to this question, many resort to John’s statement in the book of Revelation:  “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11 (KJV).  While not denying the truth of this scripture, I observe something very different from pleasure.  If the only reason He created us was for His pleasure, that pleasure was very short-lived.  It turned to grief, sorrow, angst and outrage as soon as Adam and Eve fell into disobedience in the Garden of Eden.  It caused Him to place His own creation under a curse.  He saw the humans that He created plunge into violent crime, depravity of character and idol worship so much so that He wished He had not brought them into existence.  “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’” Genesis 6:5-7.

So, although I concede that God derives much pleasure from the creation of our species, it seems that he also reaped an abundance of displeasure from us as well.  There must be something more.  A little research unearths more speculation as answers to this question.  Some say man exists because God loved us with an everlasting love.  Some say He created us to fulfill His eternal plan.  Still others believe that God created man to serve Him.  There are even more ideas out there: that God wanted someone to obey Him; that God created us to give Him glory; that God wanted to share Himself with us; that God created us in order to reveal the fullness of his divine attributes.  Undoubtedly, there is an element of truth in each of these reasons.  Is there still something else?  I contend that there is:  God wanted a relationship with man!

I may be treading on dangerous ground here, but let’s explore this a little further.  When I say that God wanted a relationship with man, I recognize that this is not a divine need.  God did tell Adam that it was not good for man to be alone, but He did not include Himself in that statement.  Moreover, we find in Acts 17:24-25, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.”  So, we have to conclude that God doesn’t need anything.  He did not need to create man in order to find completion or fulfillment.  And yet, here we are.  We did not get here by ourselves.  If God created us, then there must have been a reason.  Herein lies the secret.  If we are created in His image and in his likeness, does that not mean that human emotion, human joy, and the human propensity for love must have been placed within our hearts by our Creator?  If so, then the fact that we gravitate strongly to relationships must be divinely inspired.  In other words, if we crave relationships as a vital part of the human experience, that desire must have originated in the mind of God and transferred to human beings. 

If a little more proof is needed, consider this.  If God created us to enter into a relationship with Him, we should be able to discern this from the Scriptures.  Isaiah 43:1 gives us a broad hint that this is the case.  “But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.’”  The phrase “You are Mine” is a clear reference to relationship.  The Psalmist also links creation with relationship.  “Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3.  The metaphor of “sheep of His pasture” often signifies belonging, intimate care and close relationship as portrayed in the 23^rd Psalm.  “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.”  Jesus’ parable about the one lost sheep, and the proclamation in John 10:14 that He is the Good Shepherd further substantiates the point. 

One thing we know for sure.  Before the creation, God dwelt as a solitary being—fully self-sufficient—but still alone.  He did not stay in his aloneness (I do not say loneliness); He created us.  By creating us, He showed His desire for relationship.  There may have been a host of other reasons why we were created, but relationship had to be one of them.  This profiles the heart of God.  We should always be aware that God wants to be in a relationship with us, with all of our flaws, all of our shortcomings and all of our problems.  We should never think that God ignores us or dismisses us as insignificant. 

Perhaps David says it best. “O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!  Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.   When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.  You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,  All sheep and oxen— Even the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas.  O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:1-9 (NKJV)

Hand in Hand: Going deeper in your relationship with Jesus Christ

(This is the foreword to a new book that is coming out in the next few months.  Look for it on Amazon.)

Hand in hand we walk each day
Hand in hand along the way
Walking thus I cannot stray
Hand in hand with Jesus.  -Oatman-Huffstutler

Foreword

Simply put, the whole world is a system of relationships.  Secularists and detractors have tried to convince us that it is merely a collection of random objects or events, lacking a transcendent purpose.  In so doing, they have stripped it of its true beauty and essence of meaning.  It is only when one pauses, steps back and drinks in all of its vast and complex interconnectivity, that the awe becomes apparent. 

This myriad of relationships consists of parts that complement each other; of each individual component adapting to something or someone that completes it; of the bold and subtle, the light and dark, the loud and soft and the large with the small.  Indeed, when our Divine Creator finished his work, symmetry and balance could be found perfectly woven into his entire universe.  The sun and the moon, the evening and the morning, the male and the female, plants and animals, and the mountains and the streams.  Each element derives its meaning from the polar opposite, and thus forever establishes the harmony found not in isolation, but in relationships.

The nature of relationship defines the essential Christ life.  If we are to understand the terminology of the scriptures i.e. fellowship, communion, walking with God, following after God, living in the Spirit, discipleship, friend, working together, Christ in you, and other descriptions, our new life must be seen in the context of relationship.  It cannot work in selfistic modes, independent-mindedness, cognitive dissonance or non-conformity.  While the structure of the relationship places Christ as dominant and his disciples as submissive, the mechanics of the relationship work the same as any other arrangement.  What one lacks, the other supplies.  The highs of one need the lows of the other.  In the contemplation of God, divinity needed humanity to fully appreciate divinity. 

This is not to say that it would be impossible for God to exist in solitariness; rather, it is to say that He chose not to.  One might speculate that God didn’t need man, and in the strictest sense of the question, that is true.  It begs the question, however, of man’s existence.  If God didn’t need man, why is mankind here?  He had the angels.  He had the seraphim and cherubim who recognize His divinity and praise Him continuously.  But they were created for this purpose; they could do nothing else.  He created man differently.  He made us free moral agents with the ability to assess, judge and decide who or what we would worship.  We would only praise him cognitively, with understanding and appreciation.  God did not have that in the angels. 

Thus, the need for a relationship with God becomes and inescapable conclusion in discerning mankind’s presence in the world.  As we seek Him, as we enter into a relationship with Him, as we define ourselves by His existence, we find fulfillment and significance.  It is this revelation that bridges the divide between temporal and eternal, between randomness and purposefulness, between nihilistic void and meaning.  The purpose of this book is to help the reader find, or refine, a relationship with God.  If the author can help even one person achieve that goal in some small measure, it will be a success.

Before You Preach That Sermon

The unrelenting pressure for fresh ideas, powerful thoughts and effective ways to communicate the gospel consumes the preacher’s life.  Only those in the creative professions understand how formidable the task of continually reinventing one’s self can be.  In delivering two or three sermons or Bible lessons every week, the outflow of information often exceeds the inflow of inspiration.  This quest becomes especially challenging when a preacher already suffers from a sense of ineffectiveness. 

At this point, a radical departure from the norm gets very tempting.  Something shocking or innovative seems like a great way to inject pizzazz into a potentially boring sermon.  Beware!  The result may be far different than anticipated.  It may be unwise, troubling, or even disastrous.  Before succumbing to preaching a troublesome message due to the pressure of a deadline, the desperate desire to break out of a rut, or an attempt to provoke, ask yourself these questions:

Are you undermining your own belief system?  At the risk of oversimplification, our Apostolic message is based on the broad outlines of the exposition of scriptural truth, the proclamation of the Gospel and the obedience of the faith.  If you preach a message that contradicts these general themes, you could find yourself in an untenable position.  Strict Calvinism, for example, profoundly affects the proclamation of the Gospel.  Generally speaking, that doctrine holds that each person is predestined to be saved or lost.  This eliminates personal choice and free moral agency, and thus has fundamental implications for missionary work and a passion for the lost.  Mormons believe that those who have died can still be saved if someone will be baptized for them by proxy, even hundreds of years after he or she has passed away.  Don’t preach a message so radical that it can be turned on its head to defeat the very purpose for preaching it in the first place. 

Can you defend it scripturally?  The Apostle Paul taught Timothy to “study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.  Many phrases or axioms found in human dialogue sound pleasing to the carnal mind, i.e. “To thine own self be true,” or “live and let live.”  Yet, a close study of the scriptures reveal such sayings to be diametrically opposed to the Bible.  Do not impose your ideas on the Scripture; rather, impose the Scriptures on your ideas.  A message that cannot be defended by the Scriptures will come back to haunt you.

Is it based on an apocryphal account or a specious story?  Recently, a young boy who spun a fantastic story about a near death experience later confessed that he made it all up.  It was probably too late for some who immediately jumped on the phony account to spice up a sermon.  If you use an illustration that turns out to be false, it makes your entire premise suspect, and makes you a liar in the minds of some.  When a story comes down the pike that sounds too good to be true…well, you know!  At the very least, it deserves to be vetted before it finds its way into your last minute sermon prep.

Is it offensive?  Too many preachers ignore their internal editing system and unleash statements or references that insult or offend the very people they are trying to reach.  Calling out denominations by name, referring to specific events that are sensitive or embarrassing to individuals or groups, or airing political views in a context that is inappropriate threatens to bring down unmitigated disaster on a preacher’s message, or, worse, his or her entire ministry.  If confrontation is necessary, do it in a way that causes the least amount of harm.  A sermon is not the place for such an action.

Does it require a dubious or illogical interpretation of a scripture?  In the four hundred years that have elapsed from the King James Bible to our times, the English language has undergone tremendous change.  Many words have passed out of usage, and many terms have new meanings that are nearly opposite of their 1611 version.  We must not confuse people by playing with the language because it sounds like a cool twist of phraseology.  If you are uncertain how a scripture should be interpreted, do further research or call up a knowledgeable theologian to get clarification.  Again, to go forward with a questionable interpretation of the text undermines your credibility.

Are you preaching it only for an emotional effect?  Jesus came to seek and to save that which is lost.  He also told Peter to “feed my sheep.”  These purposes remain the core motivation behind all sermons.   Any use of the pulpit that ventures outside of these basic parameters is ministerial malpractice.  Comic relief, melodramatic monologues, advancing a personal agenda or an attempt to influence an audience for political reasons actually corrupt the pulpit. 

Preacher, to mount the pulpit and expound on the sacred text of the Scriptures is laden with eternal consequences.  It is not in your purview to distort, take lightly, toy with or otherwise subvert the privilege you have to preach to human beings with souls that will live forever.  The Bible is not Wikipedia.  You cannot devise your own message—whether arbitrarily or in collaboration with others—that does not have the edification of souls as its sole reason for delivering it. 

The Apostle Paul’s concise statement is conclusive:  “Preach the Word!”

The New Ten Commandments

1. Thou shalt have as many gods as thou may desire. 
2. Thou shalt make unto thee many graven images.
3. Thou shalt take the name of Jesus in vain.
4. Remember Ramadan to keep it holy.
5. Ignore thy father and thy mother.
6. Thou shalt not kill whales or spotted owls; the unborn and elderly art disposable.
7. Thou shalt commit adultery if both significant others give consent—or not!
8. Thou shalt steal from those who have enough already.
9. Thou shalt bear false witness if thou art a news anchor.
10. Thou shalt covet whatever anyone else has if thou hast a need or a want.

Do We Have Repentance Wrong?

In recent months, I have heard rumblings from the ministry about the discipleship drought.  It seems that more and more emphasis has been placed on evangelism and initial conversions, and less and less mention of discipleship.  One elder, Stan Gleason, tweeted, “Jesus said of His disciples ‘I kept them because I was with them.’ If you stay with your disciples you won’t lose them.” (John 17:12).  He also wrote, “Converting one person per day over 30 years = 10,950, but making one disciple per year and those disciples making disciples = 1,000,000,000.”  A well-known Christian author, Frank Viola, recently wrote a book entitled, “Discipleship in Crisis: 9 Reasons Why Discipleship Isn’t Working Today.”  In my observation as a pastor and organization official, I have to agree with these assessments.  The front door to our churches is wide open; but the back door is open even wider.  It is time to take a sobering look at this state of affairs.

The deep crisis in discipleship that the church suffers today may be directly related to a profound misunderstanding about repentance.  Far too many people take the step of baptism before they truly repent.  I understand that much of the conversion experience is subjective; how can we know (and therefore, how can we judge) whether or not a person is sincere before submitting to baptism?  I have believed and preached for years that the deeper the repentance, the deeper the conversion.  And yet, this statement itself is suspect.  Can we have a moderate conversion?  Are there percentages or grading curves that can measure the depth of repentance?  Can one be saved halfway?  How about three-fourths born again and one-fourth lost?  There are those who are “almost persuaded,” but are there those who are almost saved? 

This brings us to a seminal issue regarding repentance, and it may hold the key to this discussion.  A false argument has been debated for centuries over a phrase in Jonah 3:10 that says God repented.  Some think that God must have done something wrong if He was forced to repent.  Others have said that God was at least guilty of making a mistake, if not a moral miscue, that required repentance.  This has led to some speculation that God might be wrong about other things as well, like abortion, same-sex marriage or other actions that have moral implications, and that God may repent over these pronouncements in the Scriptures.  In fact, some have abandoned almost all vestiges of discipleship, turning the church into a feel-good, no-rules collection of doctrinally diverse individuals. 

Let’s clear the premise up immediately.  God exists in moral perfection.  In Him, there is no sin.  He cannot lie.   If these statements are true, then it is impossible for God to do wrong.  The Psalmist said, “The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.  The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.  Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.  For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.”  Psalm 11:4-7. 

So, what do we make of the expression that God repented?  There is no question about the wording of the verse.  God did repent.  The confusion that enters into our thinking is that sin must precede repentance.  Not true, especially in this case.  God simply saw that Nineveh, at the behest of their king, showed great remorse over their wickedness and stopped it.  They fasted, prayed, sacrificed animals and turned from their evil and violence.  Therefore, it was no longer necessary that they be destroyed.  God simply retracted His threatened judgment in the light of the Ninevites response. 

“So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.  For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.  And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:  But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.  Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?  And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”  Jonah 3:5-10. 

Three paramount principles emerge from this verse.  1) We can change the mind of God through our actions; 2) God cannot be manipulated by our feelings and emotions; and, 3) true repentance is incomplete without the change of behavior.  Looking at this scripture from the standpoint of our initial encounter with God, the problem of the discipleship crisis comes clearly into focus.  Let me put it into “street language.”  In repentance, God doesn’t “mess around!”

First, we can change the mind of God through our actions.  I contend that God operates within the context of human behavior.  If we will, then He will.  “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  2 Chronicle 7:14.  If this is not possible—if God has pre-determined his plan of action toward us without regard to our behavior—then what is the purpose of prayer?  The fact is that God purposefully solicits and invites us to submit to his conditions.  This is a remarkable truth.  Although Jonah did not mention the possibility of repentance in his short, eight word sermon to Nineveh, the king must have understood what he should do.  Perhaps he had prior knowledge of the God of the Hebrews, or else he knew instinctively to repent. 

How does this work?  Because God is omniscient, He knows the sincerity of our hearts and designs his response accordingly. Jeremiah 17:10 says, “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”  When we do His will, he rewards us with blessing as promised in His Word.  If we cast His will aside in favor of our own will, He leaves us to our own devices. 

The second principle is that, unlike man, God will not be manipulated by our feelings and emotions.  This fact shatters the insidious attempts of people to make God conform to man’s decadent culture with all its attendant lusts, wicked acts and corrupt behavior.  Esau discovered this when he tried to subvert the mind of God.  “For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”  Hebrews 12:17.  Traditionally, the church has associated repentance with the mourners’ bench, prayers of remorse, and demonstrations of extreme sorrow at the altar.  When those who hear the gospel for the first time, or who succumb to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, or who are deeply moved by the preached Word of God exhibit their response with a display of emotion, we rejoice.  We equate their visible outburst with repentance.  A close look at the scriptures, however, reveals no such reaction of the part of God.  God is looking for actions, not words.  “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Galatians 6:7-8. This is a bedrock principle, and God follows it without variation, regardless of the circumstances involved. 

Jesus specifically speaks to this attempt to manipulate God.  “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”  Matthew 7:21-23.  Sometimes, people try to fool God by shedding tears.  Sometimes, they think up some good work and perform it to try to convince God of their sincerity.  But, whether it’s false humility, manufactured benevolence, flattery, hollow sacrifice or repetitive prayers, God sees through it all.  The qualifying criteria for repentance is the same as it was with John, the Baptist.  He said, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.”  Matthew 3:8. 

Finally, real repentance is incomplete without the change of behavior.  If this is not true, then the new birth experience has lost its meaning.  Conversion must entail an actual, visible, marked change in a person’s life.  There can be no doubt about this if we read the scriptures with intellectual integrity. 

We must adopt moral purity.  “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing ; and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:17. 

We must forsake sensual, carnal living.  “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

      We must deliberately, intentionally abandon our ways and adopt God’s ways.  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17.  If we were to list all the scriptures that illustrate this point, we would quote nearly half of the New Testament.  Let’s allow the Apostle Peter to have the last word.  “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.” 1 Peter 4:1-4.

We have repentance wrong if we think it is only to feel sorry for our sins.  We have repentance wrong if we see it only as a formality with little real meaning.  We have repentance wrong if we do not allow it to precipitate a radical change in our behavior, our life’s direction, our values and our decisions.  Without this emphatic first step towards conversion, we can never experience the full impact of living the Christ life.  Discipleship begins with complete repentance.