Part V: What structure or purpose does existence have?

We live in a structured universe. God is a God of order; He created a universe of order:

For God is not the author of confusion but of peace. 1 Co 14:33

Greek word for confusion: akatastasia {ak-at-as-tah-see'-ah}, also means disorder. So God is not a God of disorder or confusion. This means that reality is intelligible . We can make some sense of it. This is something that Naturalists merely presuppose without explanation, it is believed on faith alone. Their system presupposes our God, but will openly deny it.

Fundamentals of our structured universe Creator / creature distinction vs. the Great Chain of Being

Spiritual realm and physical realm, both are created realities, neither superior to the other. Good and evil fight in both realms. What happens in one realm has ramifications for the other.

We are fully conscience of the physical realm, thus this is our arena. What we do here has consequences in the heavenlies.

"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Mt 16:19

Because Christ has been given authority in heaven and on earth (Mt 28:18)

The righteousness we do in the physical defeats wickedness in heavenly places.

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Ja 4:7

Therefore, we defeat Satan's authority over our lives by not sinning.We must resist him.

Existence has purpose and meaning As the first question in the Westminster Larger Catechism states:

Quest. 1.
What is the chief and highest end of man? Ans. Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him for ever.

As the first question in the Heidelberg Catechism states:

Quest. 1.
What is thy only comfort in life and death? Ans. That I, with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful savior Jesus Christ . . .

God's commission to man gives us purpose :

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Ge 1:28

God renews His commission after the flood to Noah:

So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. Ge 9:1

And Christ reissues this commission to His disciples: "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Mt 28:19,20

Structure and Direction

*Need to distinguish between Structure and Direction.

Structure: Manner of building; form; make; construction; or organization

Direction: The act of governing; administration; management; guidance; superintendence

*Structure includes all that God created, and ordained (as in church or civil offices). Direction includes only two, one governs or behaves either righteously or unrighteously.

This is a fundamental distinction in our daily lives. For instance, civil government is a structure, not a direction. It is ordained by God (Rom 13) and is thus good. But one can corrupt government by use of bad direction (evil). We do not need to dispose of government, but redeem it. The same goes for work in general. Work is something that was "structured" for man in the creation; he was to tend and guard the garden. There is work done in evil, and work done in righteousness, but work is not bad in and of itself. It was ordained to be good, thus work can only find its true place if done in righteousness.

In redemption, we must again distinguish between structure and direction

Scripture teaches that we become a new creation in Christ (2 Co 5:17) This does not mean that we become different people, but rather changed people.

Unlike other salvation theories, Christianity insists that man become really and truly human, as opposed to sub-human or possessed. We are partakers of the divine, but not participants of the divine. Religiously speaking, Satan is possessive, but Christ gives us liberty.

by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption [that is] in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4 (NKJV)

Under Christ we are sober-minded, we don't fall under trances, or loose control of our bodies.

Whoever [has] no rule over his own spirit [Is like] a city broken down, without walls. Proverbs 25:28 (NKJV).

And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 33 For God is not [the author] of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints. 1 Corinthians 14:32-33 (NKJV)

Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself [to be] a pattern of good works; in doctrine [showing] integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Titus 2:6-8 (NKJV)

In salvation, we become dwelling places of God.

in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:22(NKJV)

He has given unto us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee.

who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:22 (NKJV)

KJV renders guarantee as earnest from the original greek word arrabon {ar-hrab-ohn'} 1) an earnest 1a) money which in purchases is given as a pledge or down-payment that the full amount will subsequently be paid NIV renders arrabon as deposit.

With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we do not then become swallowed up in the divine. Our natures are not elevated on the Great Chain of Being, but rather we remain in our humanity, more importantly, we become what it is to be really and truly human. Infallibility, and fallibility.

Infallible means the highest, unquestionable authority, without any possibility of error. Fallible means possibility of error, therefore not ultimately authoritative.

As Christians, we believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. God is the highest and most ultimate authority.

Man does not have ultimate authority, his authority is derivative. He is not infallible, but rather fallible . This is not because of man's fall, but rather because of his finitude. Man was created in finitude or limitedness, therefore fallible. Therefore fallibility does not mean "incomplete" or "not whole" just not authoritative . All sin is error, but not all error is sin. (For example see: Matthew 15:22-28)

Therefore, God infallibly acts upon us, but we respond fallibly. There is nothing wrong with this, but rather that it means that we remain totally human , though God dwells within us.

God did not come to change our structure, but to change our direction

This is an important point in all our dealings in our daily lives. Praying, giving alms to the poor, and reading Scripture is not any more holy than grocery shopping, fellowshipping with some one over a cup of coffee, etc.

He who observes the day, observes [it] to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe [it.] He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. Romans 14:6-8 (NKJV)

All of life is sacred , because it is all lived before the face of God. God has ordained that we work and steward His creation from the very beginning This was the structure of creation. We can only find satisfaction in our daily work. Redemption is not the ultimate theme in Scripture, granted it is one of the most important, but we cannot see all things in terms of redemption, because redemption effects direction, not structure.

Modern evangelicalism teaches that fallen man seeks for God, because he senses an emptiness inside. This is pure gnostic heresy, the Scriptures teach that no man seeks for God, but that fallen man hates God till God apprehends him. If there is any emptiness in fallen man that he senses and wishes to fill, it is his lack of purpose and meaning , and he desires to fill it with anything other than God's agenda. This is what makes fallen man fallen.

The main theme in all of Scripture is the Kingdom of God We see this as the central point that ties in all of Scripture. Note that we never find out if Adam and Eve ever received God's atonement for their original sin. We never are never pointed out if Solomon really did repent after his apostasy. These things may have been pertinent for these individual's sake, but not pertinent for God's kingdom in history . We see, instead, how the kingdom is passed on to different people who show themselves faithful toward God: From Adam to Seth, from Seth to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to Moses, from Moses to Joshua, from Joshua to various righteous judges, to King David, and finally to Jesus, the true heir of the kingdom who gives His life as a ransom to many. As Peter tells the church of all ages:

But you [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)

So, therefore . . .

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

And [whatever] you do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, Colossians 3:23