" Victors or Victims"
Part 1 - Our Maker
We are either victors or victims of our theology (knowledge and understanding of God).
"This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3).
How we think about God determines and influences everything in our lives. First, if we believe "it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves," we humbly acknowledge our very existence as Divinely ordained (Psalm 100:3). Believing ourselves to be the creations of a Creator enlightens our hearts with the realization that a Being of unspeakably marvelous artistic and technical capabilities designed and made us. "The Psalmist declared…
"I am fearfully and wonderfully made!" (Psalm 139:14).
"Fearfully" speaks to our Lord's wondrous design, engineering, and repair expertise . Pondering such brilliance and ability for even a few moments leads to awed and astonished fascination: "How can someone even exist who possesses such mind and prowess???" Then "Wonderfully" steps into the light. The Technician might have made a creation without color, or sound without melody, or fragrance without sweetness, or food without flavor, or objects without texture. The Artist, of course, would not allow for such a universe dispossessed of beauty. The worshipper overwhelmed by the Lord's ability thus finds himself sublimely enraptured by the art in God's heart. "He hath made everything beautiful in His time" (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
Of course, simply believing that God made us does not inevitably result in faith and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. It does, however, prepare us for the possibility of salvation and a subsequent life of being victors of our theology. Faith in being "fearfully and wonderfully made" bears great potential for us to also realize God's capacity to redeem us from the consequences of sin. We are damaged people living in a damaged creation due to devilish rebellion and human unbelief. Our Lord most certainly made us, but He did not make us as we are in our spiritual and moral imperfection. Our freedom to either respond or rebel resulted in the present condition wherein our wondrous humanity sadly flows with the current of decay and death. Believing that God made us paves a path in our hearts and minds to also trust that He can remake and redeem us from our sins. He can, and He does in all who trust the Lord Jesus as God's deliverance from sin, death, and judgment. Indeed, all who believe in God the Creator become victors of their theology when trusting in God the Redeemer…
"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ."
(II Corinthians 2:14)
Weekly Memory Verse
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"
(I Corinthians 3:16)
Next: The believer's theology
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