God Is All About . . .

A few years ago I embarked upon my first "Read Through The Bible In A Year" journey.

Prior to that I had errantly always viewed the Bible as sort of a history book about creation, man, and how God, through Christ, intervened to save us from ourselves by creating Christianity. It's a full and fascinating documentary of where we came from, where we wandered to, great physical and spiritual battles, and some fairly strange fish stories too. It's the stuff movies are made from.

Interesting take on it all I suppose . . . and a typically wrong "man-centered" view at that.

What I've discovered is the Bible isn't about man . . . It's all about God. And God . . . well, read carefully and you'll discover that He, God, is all about Himself, God. It's His book. And it's His story in which man doesn't even make a stage entry until Chapter 2 which he, ummmm I mean she, completely screws it up by Chapter 3. From there starts man's destined date with the struggle of sin and separation. And it's the contrast between our guilt ridden depravity and God's love for and graciousness towards mankind that radiates God's greatness and glory from the pages of the scriptures. God's book, the Bible, is all about God.

Nothing occurs in the Bible without Him knowing, being present, reaching down, speaking, rescuing, or worse yet, flooding, raining down fire and brimstone, bringing about plagues, and a host of other interventions meant to bring attention and focus onto Himself . . . the one and only, the great "I Am", God.

Moses doesn't lead Israel out of captivity until someone makes it known who's in charge. God. Noah suffers mockery and a staggering task so that someone can flood all of creation with 40 days of rain. God. Battles are won and lost, man suffers His wrath and His rescue, kingdoms and kings come and go, and all throughout God steps in and seemingly says "Stand back and watch this!"  That thought isn't so farfetched. We get just 25 verses into Genesis 1 and God looks at His creation and sees "that is was good." Well . . . did He expect anything less from Himself?

God is all about God. Sometimes I wonder how small our intellect and emotions are on occasion to somehow forget that. Our finite vision barely affords us a view down the street to the next stop sign, never mind a peak in to a vast eternity dominated by the eternal being, God. Our often faulty view leads us to fall into the errant belief that God is an actor in our story, our history, and our personal on call cure for our woes. We mold and shape our belief and dispositions about God around our careers, hobbies, family time, and vacations. He's there when we need Him for that extra boost of confidence, reassurance, and some "extra help" in getting that promotion and avoiding the flu . . . all "Lord willing" of course.

The more appropriate view, and one I often have to constantly remind myself of, is that we are all players in God's story. Sinners and Saints alike . . . we are all supporting cast members in the great play for our souls.

Christ himself put a proper perspective on earthly existence in John 17:1-5 "he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed." ~ Jesus (John 17:1-5 ESV)

Jesus makes these five points in that statement to God the Father:

• "The time in my life has come to glorify you, God."
• "Life eternal is all about knowing you, the one and only, God."
• "My life's work on earth has all been about you, God."
• "I've done what you have purposed me to do, God."
• "Rescue you me from this earth as only you can, God."

I'm no theologian by any means, but if you see it as I see it, even Christ, God in the flesh as Jesus, is all about God eternal. It's a mind bender, but God glorifies Himself through Himself.

God is all about God.

 

Comments

[David Whiting]

You are much more of a theologian than you give yourself credit for. Your theology is more pure and unbiased (and therefore, biblical) than many I went to seminary with.