We may have been faithful Christians
for decades, but what and how much do we know of God?
For instance, the Godhead of
Historic Christianity is a Trinitarian Godhead, one God who eternally exists as
three distinct persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We know this
fact. We do believe in the Trinity.
However, the extent of our knowledge
of the blessed Trinity would determine the clarity with which we can explain
this rather complicated concept to a friend who is honestly seeking God.
Knowing God is a fundamental, yet
the most significant pursuit of a Christian. Charles Spurgeon in his commentary
of Malachi said, “…the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest
science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever
engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person,
the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his
Father. There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation
of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its
immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity. Other subjects
we can compass and grapple with; in them we feel a kind of self-content, and go
our way with the thought, "Behold I am wise." But when we come to
this master-science, finding that our plumb-line cannot sound its depth, and
that our eagle eye cannot see its height, we turn away with the thought, that
vain man would be wise, but he is like a wild ass's colt; and with the solemn
exclamation, "I am but of yesterday, and know nothing." No subject of
contemplation will tend more to humble the mind, than thoughts of God. We shall
be obliged to feel—
"Great God,
how infinite art thou,
What worthless
worms are we!"
But while the subject humbles the mind it
also expands it. He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the
man who simply plods around this narrow globe.”1
A proper study of the Godhead is
essential to the holistic wellness of a sincere Christian.
Each and every Christian is called
to answer questions about our faith in God (cf. 1 Peter 3: 15). (No, this is
not a demand that all Christians be Christian apologists.)
Very minimally, we will have to
teach our children about our faith. If we teach with clarity, our children
would comprehend clearly. In order to teach with clarity, a good knowledge of
the subject is mandatory.
Knowing God properly is to
possess a correct view of God. This benefits our lives.
Such a Christian life is largely
peaceful. “There is no peace like the peace of those whose minds are possessed
with full assurance that they have known God, and God has known them, and that
this relationship guarantees God’s favor to them in life, through death and on
for ever,” said J.I Packer in Knowing God.
On the other hand, possessing an
incorrect view of God could be detrimental to our Christian life.
Is it possible to hold to an
incorrect view of God? Yes, many Christians
hold to an incorrect view of God.
For instance, Open Theists or
Neotheists are one such Christian group.
Norman Geisler exposes Open Theism,
“There is a new “kid” on the world view block called “neotheism.” While
claiming to be in the camp of theism, proponents of this view make several
significant changes in the nature of the theistic God in the direction of
process theology or panentheism. They claim, among other things, that God can
change His mind and that He does not have an infallible knowledge of the
future. Since a number of noted evangelical thinkers espouse neotheism, it
poses a significant threat to the orthodox understanding of God. For example,
if God does not know for sure what will happen in the future, then predictions
in the Bible can be wrong.”2
Geisler notes the points of
convergence and divergence between neotheism and classical theism, “Neotheism,
like classical theism, affirms many of the essential attributes of God,
including infinity, necessity, ontological independence, transcendence,
omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. Likewise, it shares with
traditional theism the belief in ex nihilo creation and direct divine supernatural
intervention in the world… On the other hand, since significant differences
exist between the new theism and classical theism, neither does neotheism fit
comfortably in the latter category. For example, neotheism denies God’s
foreknowledge of future free acts and, as a consequence, God’s complete
sovereignty over human events…One proponent, Clark Pinnock, correctly
positioned neotheism in titling his chapter in Process Theology “Between
Classical and Process Theism.” Whatever it is called, this view is a serious
challenge to classical theism and a serious threat to many important doctrines
and practices built on that view.”3
Geisler lists the following as the
theological consequences of neotheism:4
Predictive Prophecy Would Be Fallible
It Undermines the Test for False Prophecy
It Undermines the Infallibility of the Bible
It Logically Leads to Universalism
God Cannot Guarantee Ultimate Victory over Evil
It Is Contrary to God’s Unconditional Promises
It Undermines Confidence in God’s Promises
It Hinders Belief in God’s Ability to Answer
Prayer
It Implies That God Would Not Know Who the Elect
Are
It’s quite possible that you may belong
to a denomination that subscribes to Open Theism or Neotheism. Christian
denominations that subscribe to Open Theism are: (1) Assemblies of God (2)
Nazarenes (3) Mennonites (4) Free Will Baptists (5) Salvation Army (6)
Anglicans (7) Quakers (8) Grace Believers (9) Some Baptists (10) Some
independents (11) United Methodist Church (12) United Church of Christ (13)
Free Methodists (14) Church of God (15) Evangelical Covenant Church.5
(Although you may belong to one of
these denominations, it is not necessary for you to have an incorrect view of
God. Moreover, the controversial doctrines of Open Theism cannot be termed as
heretical.)
Open theism or Neotheism is a
classic example that portrays the negative effects of having an incorrect view of
God. If we hold to an incorrect view of God, our belief in the Bible may be
severely diluted or handicapped. Our prayers could either suspect God or we may
not pray at all.
It
is difficult for such Christians to live a true and a
successful Christian life.
The inability to live a true Christian
life could jeopardize our peace. A Christian life without the peace of God
could be overwhelmed with doubts about God.
Such a Christian life is pathetic,
says J.I Packer in Knowing God, “Disregard
the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life
blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of
what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.”
The Bible insists that a Christian should know his God, “This is
what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast
of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts
boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me…” (Jeremiah 9:
23-24, NIV).
Do you know the Triune God? Is your
view of the Triune God correct or incorrect?
Let’s pray that we learn more about God
this year and in the years to come.
Endnotes:
1https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/the-immutability-of-god#flipbook/
2http://normangeisler.com/category/open-theism/neo-theism/
3Ibid.
4Ibid.
5https://godisopen.com/2015/04/03/questions-answered-what-denominations-accept-open-theism/
Websites last
accessed on 29th January 2020.
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