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| ISBN-13: | 9781504969178 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 04/03/2018 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 448 |
| File size: | 564 KB |
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CHAPTER 1
GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE
To aid the understanding of the concept of Existence I will introduce that far-reaching method called anthropomorphic expression in order to conceptualize the functioning of the Almighty in his program of creation. The usage has to do with employing human terms and deliberations as they function in life, to illustrate divine operations in evolving the universe. Evolving, here, is used specifically to describe the process or processes that the creator employed in effecting creation, beginning at the very beginning of all beginnings, till his work is complete.
We often refer to the hand of God, although we are aware of the fact that God, being Spirit and invisible, has no hands. However, in human terms he accomplishes his feats as though with hands. Such term as 'the hand of God' is an anthropomorphic expression. Also we make references to the eye of God although we know he needs not to see, being omniscient, and is the intrinsic embodiment of all knowledge. He is absolute in the most infinite and extreme sense of the word.
As human beings we learn about things as we observe them, going from the known to the unknown; from the concrete to the abstract, etc. Before we become aware of anything, which thing may even already have existed in our subconscious or preconscious mind, not yet having risen to the level of consciousness, there has to be an association between a related consciously known element and that which still exists in the preconscious.
Awareness dawns on the conscious mind as association between both elements ensue. Awareness is made possible when we through the medium of sight or other senses are able somehow to associate whatsoever things we think we perceive mentally, with that which is already obvious. The concept, and hence the validity (conceptualization preceding validation), becomes real as we move from the known element to the unknown, the concrete to the abstract.
We may safely conclude that there has always been existence because there has always been God, and the inverse is also true. There has always been God because there has always been existence. God has always been in existence. Thus are we able to conceptualize (for want of a more adequate expression), both God and existence. However, God and existence are not one and the same, neither are they identical or synonymous. Each validates the other. One is viewed against the backdrop of the other.
I will use the following analogy of the United States of America to set forth a concept of the existence of the Almighty, being invisible, and how he reveals and manifests himself in the universe. It is both impractical and impossible for one to contain and encapsulate all that the United States of America is, into the local community in which one resides, except through representation. This representation basically may be in three different forms: word of mouth or traditions, documented words, and personally.
1. Traditionally, by word of mouth: words that are uttered or spoken: This is done by practice of American traditions built up and instituted during the period of the development of the American history over the years. They are handed down by word of mouth, beginning with the first people who regarded themselves to be Americans, and this was handed down from one generation to another. For all practical purposes, we could cite this development beginning with the Pilgrim Fathers who landed on the Mayflower in 1620. This point in time could also be regarded as the time of the emergence of America as a sovereign nation. However, it must be noted that America has been in existence in the same location since forever. The important point is the American tradition that has been put in place, handed down, and practiced since the beginning of America.
2. It became necessary years afterwards, that in order to enforce laws and governance, America should speak in another form that is more direct and binding than mere traditions. The written word of America was now documented and put in place in the form of the Constitution. It would be at hand as swift evidence to leaders against anyone who would willfully or otherwise violate the established laws. The Constitution of America now becomes America in documentation, and it is potently existent in every nook and cranny of the country. Every individual has an inexcusable obligation to observe it and abide by it. The various amendments are like points of grace designed to make the clauses more tolerable to human nature. So by representation, the vast United States of America is fully encapsulated in my community as much as in any other.
3. The third way in which America is represented in any locality is personally, in the living expression of the presidency. Regardless of who he is, for the simple reason that he is elected in a national general election, when the president appears, it is America that appears. When he speaks and deliberates, it is America that speaks. When he visits a foreign country, he is the personification of America. His primary duty is to defend and enforce the Constitution, the Written Word and documentation of America with his very life. Nationally, the country has a responsibility for his defense and protection. It is never left to him. To attack him in any way is to attack the country. The Constitution guarantees that disagreement with his policies are best dealt with at the appropriate time through the ballot box, and not in being disrespectful to him. It is sheer disrespect to the office when one verbally abuses the president of the United States, especially for political purposes. This amounts to treason.
13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:1-8 (KJV)
So it is with the Almighty. To be God of all the universe it is of necessity that he is everywhere present at all times. Then must he be invisible, else there would be no place for any other entity. And how could it be possible for such a God whose presence fills the entire universe to be encapsulated within time, space, or any other dimension, except by representation?
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
John 1:18 (KJV)
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Col. 2:9 (KJV)
1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 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 on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Hebrews 1:1-3 (KJV)
8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
John 14:8-11 (KJV)
Apart from his works that declare him, there is no other possible manifestation of the Godhead except in his Son, the Word of God that proceeds from him, through whom also the Christian Church, the mystical body of the Christ manifests him.
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Cor. 3:16-17 (KJV)
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
1 Cor. 6:17 (KJV)
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Cor. 6:19-20 (KJV)
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephes. 2:22 (KJV)
This brings us to the point in existence where, as we grasp it mentally, for whatever reason God becoming aware of his own existence and exclaimed, "I AM". This expression was validated by the very word spoken. This spoken word (Logos) only validates, but does not initiate God's existence. Because the word proceeded from him, when he heard it he endorsed it and declared it his Son, and the second person or expression of the Godhead. One validates the other, and such dictates the position of their relationship. The Father begets the Son, and thus are they related.
7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Psalm 2:7 (KJV)
What an electrifying ambiance pervaded the atmosphere when both the existence of God the eternal Father, and his Son, 'his spoken word', were validated and justified. The Spirit of the moment was majestic and awesome. Depicting the character and attributes of his nature, what majestic ambience that Spirit of his presence expressed! Thus the Father ordained the pervading Spirit the third person or expression of the Godhead.
In the beginning, being aware of his own existence, God made his impressive acclaim, "I AM!" It was such an awesome and electrifying moment when the atmosphere of dark, silent, nothingness was suddenly broken, and power was discharged by the reverberating expression, unsettling the stillness, the absence of other existence, and the abysmal nothingness and void that then engulfed the only element of conscious awareness, who had so triumphantly acclaimed his existence. Hearing his own voice, and knowing that the expression (LOGOS cf. Jn. 1:1-2) proceeded from him, he again uttered, this time addressing the voice, instituting the second person of the Godhead: "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee."
Recognizing himself as the only being in existence, and as such, supreme, he ordained his Word that proceeded from himself, his newly and only Begotten Son, the second person and expression of the Godhead. Creating the basis for validity, verification and confirmation of himself as God he further ordained that his word would forever be the instrument of his power (Jn. 1:3), and that there would never be any disparity or discrepancy between them. The atmosphere of overwhelming awe, the ambience of his mighty and majestic presence and performance would forever mark the manifestation of any act performed by the Word of his power. Thus God, being one, though manifestly three in expression, can never be in contradiction or in conflict of himself.
This awesome evidence of the presence of holiness which marked the occasion would be regarded as the presence of his Spirit - The Spirit of Holiness. Thus we identify three expressions: God the Eternal Father, the Word of his Power, and the Spirit of his divine Presence, the inseparable trinity, in demonstration of power, authority, and his absoluteness. This trinity was imperative in the institution of the concept of confirmation that every word must be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses.
In the beginning, all that then existed was God, who subsequently framed the worlds using the word of his power (Heb. 11:3), uttering, and it was done – calling things out of nowhere into existence as though they preexisted. That universe was filled with the knowledge of God and his divine power, as the waters presently cover the sea; and every flora as well as fauna he subsequently created, and for that matter, everything in creation, had real fellowship with him. He had personal relationship with everything he created, and he ascribed personality to each.
This beginning was the beginning of all beginnings, when a perfect universe was established. It was a beginning prior to the account described in Gen. 1:2. He had established a cosmos as of Gen. 1:1 and not a chaos as is encountered in the Gen. 1:2. However, portions that describe the refurbished creation in Genesis will be cited for the purpose of clarity as to the working of his Almighty power.
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:11-12 (KJV)
Everything lived in harmony with each other like loving children of one family, with God as father: they all came forth from him through the application of his spoken word. Everything was beautiful in its own way, and pleased him. This scenario will eventually be restored (Isa. 11: 1-9), when, like as it was in that dateless past, the Spirit of God rested upon all creation as also upon the Logos, the only express image of the Godhead, pervading the very atmosphere with eternally perfect peace and harmony. This express image, his only begotten Son, the Christ (Anointed One) of God will once again be set forth as the brightness of his glory, and he will stand the head of man, in the personality of his church (Heb. 1:2). Righteousness then, was the only standard, and all and sundry acquiesced as the Spirit of God and of Glory prevailed. Everything then reflected the Holiness of his Divine Spirit.
What a paradise that creation was! There were those elements of his creation that were endowed with special, particular and prestigious positions: principalities and powers, angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, etc. Among them was Lucifer (Ezek. 28: 13-19), whose name signifies 'Son of the morning', or 'a bright star'. Him, God lavishly clothed in splendorous beauty, bedecked with all the bright gems and precious stones, and Lucifer glittered and gleamed as his name did imply. Viewing himself with excessive pride, thinking of himself as the most spectacular being in creation, the competitive thought of rivalry against God arose in his heart, with the ambition of being like The Most High God. And the vain idea of winning a conflict with the invisible God became real to him; so he made his infamous declaration:
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Isaiah 14:13-14 (KJV)
Ingratitude seems to be the initial step for anyone who falls in disfavor with another, and so it was with this first transgressor in regards to God. He did not see God as someone to be feared, trusting so much in his own external beauty. He saw instead, an opportunity to rival The Almighty for power and control, and immediately he thought to stage a revolt. At long last there was an element within creation that willingly availed itself to be the medium of the negatives of all that God is. (Rom. 1:21-22).
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "What Is Man?"
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Copyright © 2018 Kenneth Anglin.
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