Christianity Clarified is an ongoing effort to accomplish what the name declares: to address the major issues of biblical Christianity that are often unknown or are misunderstood by the general public, sometimes including those who profess Christianity. If this goal is achieved, the result will not only be a greater understanding and appreciation for God’s truth, but a greater and more intelligent obedience to it. We now are engaging the subject of theology. “Theology” simply means “the study of God”. Who is He? What is He like? What does He provide for us? What does He require from us?
Having already completed, at least in a brief way, the subject of the triune nature of God and the names assigned to the Deity, including God or Elohim, LORD or Jehovah, Adonai, El Elyon and El Shaddai, we now turn our attention to the character and nature of the Creator God Himself. The term used to describe these aspects of God are referred to as God’s “attributes” in the main but, surely, not exhaustibly. These consist of God’s essence, which is spirit not physical…God’s omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, His eternity, infiniteness, holiness, immutability, and faithfulness, His justice, mercy, and righteousness, longsuffering, and, last but certainly not least, God’s love and grace. Have any aspects of God’s character and nature been omitted? Most assuredly, and why so? Well, who can include all the aspects or attributes of the eternal, infinite God? It is pure folly to even entertain the possibility. After all, we are speaking of the infinite God, but all we can do is use finite language from a finite mind to other finite minds. So, it is a foregone conclusion and admission that, however inclusive or broad our study of theology may appear to be, it will fall far short of who and what God is and what He deserves from our feeble efforts. Still, we believe it to be honorable and necessary to engage the study of God to the best of our ability, and, although far from complete, it will surely increase our knowledge of Him.
To know God is not only an enormous privilege that gives an entirely new and elevated meaning to life, it is also our responsibility. The very existence of all we see around cries out the questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? Where and how did the “something” originate? Why? What is the purpose or driving force behind what is? Is there a plan and, therefore, a planner? Is there an end game…objectives, goals, purposes? These provocative and naturally human questions are all wrapped up in the study of theology. There is no greater nor more important subject matter that can be engaged. We prepare to enter the portals of sublimity by examining what the Creator and Sustainer of the universe has been pleased to reveal about Himself, His plans and His purposes in all He has done and intends to do.
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