Greetings Brethren,
Many still come with hearts of spite and short-sighted responses
to age-old racism and lies. Peace to the Truth Seekers that come in peace,
seeking harmony among the world's people that only One God our Father created.
Beware that discrimination rests among all people Black or
White. White lies do not make Black blasphemy Right. Peace unto all of God's
children. The love of God is noted in the love of God's people and not the love
of pride.
Peace and Love,
Carl Patton writing for the FreedomJournal September 3, 2002 in
the year of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
RACE AND GOD
(BLACK NOR
WHITE)
Part 2: God
The Spirit: Non-Racial.
In the name of
Jehovah God, Master of the universe, Ruler of the earth.
As we pursue the questions regarding Race and God and more
especially the race or color of Jesus we would be remiss if we did not describe
God. God is the Father of Jesus and all of humankind. Also, God cannot be noted
as to race.
Therefore those that are not Bible readers that often come to
raise certain questions are confused. For the record many people are confused
about God and the Bible that are not students of the Bible. But the greatest
confusion exists when these same people attempt to note what "they think
the Bible says" about a particular question. For example the various
scriptures that note the ethnic or racial make-up of the Prophets or Apostles.
Also the scriptures that imply the ethnic origins of Jesus.
Any Bible reader should be aware that Jesus was a Hebrew and one
of the Jewish Faith that came to order the transition of Judaism to
Christianity. However the discussion about whether these Hebrews/Jews were
Black is not of God. For the record none of the people in the days of the Old
or New Testament prior to the Apostles taking the Gospel to Europe where
European. Therefore the geographical record that has a great impact on race or
color during this time is clearly noted.
Meanwhile, the Bible does not offer us an explicit or formal
definition of God. But we see the presence of God on every page of the Bible.
Then how is God described or defined? The most noted definitive quality and
statement that pertains to God is "God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and
unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and
truth."
The meaning of God as a Spirit means that God is a non-material
personal being, self-conscious and self-determining. Often in contemporary
non-Christian culture the Biblical personal meaning of "Spirit" is
commonly denied. This denial is seen in the Spirit of God and things of a
Spiritual nature. (See John 4:24 God is a Spirit).
God is infinite. Thus, God is without limits or bounds. He is
eternal. But the infinity of God is
not an independent attribute. We must be specific. If not we would then suggest
that God is everything like those that are Pantheistic. For the record
Pantheism is the belief that God and the universe are identical. The doctrine
that God does not exist as a personality but is rather the expression of the
physical forces of nature.
Hence when we note the infinite being of God, it is revealed
that God is everywhere. This omnipresence of God means that wherever we are,
God himself is there. Therefore, everything in the universe is immediately in
the presence of God.
God is infinite in His wisdom. This reveals that God is
omniscience. Omniscience means the
knowledge of everything as in complete or infinite knowledge. Logically then the
word omniscient means God knows all. In the Bible we see God's omniscience as
all-inclusive, and not dependent upon discursive processes.
God is infinite in his power. He controls all power that is or
can be. God is infinite in His holiness, justice and goodness. Holiness is
related and applied to God. Regarding the scriptures holiness is associated
with the ideas of purity and righteousness. Prior to the Prophetic and long
before the New Testament holiness was noted as of God. Meanwhile what was evident
in Old Testament writings became clearly explicit in the New Testament. We see
holiness, goodness and justice as the basic moral and ethical character of God.
Justice is seen in the rendering of rewards and punishments. While goodness
indicates His love, grace and His special grace in saving sinners.
God is infinite in His Truth. This is the attribute that all of
logic rests upon. The FreedomJournal is currently also posting a series on "The
Methodology For Obtaining Truth." This series of articles speak directly
to the omniscient presence of God as all knowing. In this all knowing being we
see that for humankind to be able to reach the ultimate Truth of the human mind
one must know God.
It is impossible for God to lie see: (Hebrews 6:18 and Titus
1:2). The inspired writers consistently appeal to Truth of God's character see:
(11 Timothy 2:13, "He cannot deny himself").
Infinite then apples to all of the specified attributes. So does
the words eternal and unchangeable. Eternal in the Bible means, without
temporal beginning or ending. In a
figurative sense, eternal may designate a quality of being suitable for
eternity. Unchangeable in Bible language, points to the perfect
self-consistency of God's character throughout eternity.
God is also known in His acts. His divine character and eternal
power are known and clearly seen by the things he has made. (See Romans 1:20).
"The heavens the glory of God (see Psalms 19 and Romans 10:18).
Cont. Part 3: God &
Fellowship: Godliness
carl@freedomjournalpress.comcastbiz.net