Free Will

Figuring out the Unknown Unknowns

Dan

It has been my observation while reading The Book of Job, Chapter 28 is a subtle but remarkable chapter about God’s wisdom. When I first reviewed the chapter, I was able to barely discern the message. It took several passes and a look at other writers who had already passed through the chapter to form an opinion. Before I start on chapter 28, we need to amass a few basic ideas on operations from God’s viewpoint.  John Piper said, — “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” The 9,997 are unknown unknowns. God works many unknown operations all around us.

Please indulge me to provide additional insight from my military heritage. Donald Rumsfeld was well known for teaching leaders the three basic categories of battlefield awareness: (A) Stuff we know for sure in detail (known knowns), (B) Stuff we need to learn about (Known unknowns), and (C) Stuff we do not know about and are not trying to discover. (unknown unknowns). With these two tidbits of intel from Piper and Rumsfeld, let us take a brief look at Job 28.

In the chapters that precede Job 28, Job and his friends are engaged in a debate, his friends don’t think anything is unknown. To them Job’s situation is all known knowns. They think they have it all figured out. They think it is a simple case of a personal sin causing his suffering. But from Job’s vantage point, he does not embrace the barrage from his friends, and he knows some righteous people suffer, and some unrighteous people do not seem to suffer. For Job, his situation is a known unknown. More importantly, we know from reading chapter 1 and 2 the actual problem is an unknown unknown; Job and his friends about the conversation were unaware of the conversation between God and Lucifer. But we know. That conversation is documented to help us gain insight into the operations of God, from God’s viewpoint.

Job 1:8 and 2:3 The Lord said to Lucifer, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” The truth was the opposite of what they were saying: Job was suffering because he was so righteous. He’s like the tree that rose above all the others and ended up being struck by lightning as a result. By the time we finish reading chapter 27, Job was weary of the friendly platitudes presented as wisdom. He wanted real wisdom. Look at Job 28:12 “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?  Job 28:20 “From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is this place of understanding?

I believe that God desires us to have knowledge (known knowns) of Elohim and what is expected of us. To be obedient, we first should know the author of the directives and know the directives. Without knowledge, what hope do we have to become willing servants? But there is trouble when we equate knowledge with wisdom. Knowing facts and platitudes is not the same as having wisdom. James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.” God blesses us with wisdom so we can glorify Him and deploy the knowledge we have of Him.

We gather Knowledge over time from Scriptures. Wisdom is knowing how to properly use knowledge to serve God. Proverbs 1:7 speaks of both knowledge and wisdom: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge … fools despise wisdom and instruction.” To fear (to respect) the Lord is to say — “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Knowledge identifies a snare in our path, wisdom determines how to disarm and avoid the snare.  In my next post we explore how to look for true wisdom.

I choose Jesus.

The Goodness of God.

Dan

It was my observation while creating this essay that I smiled a lot. The goodness of God is an amazing theme to consider. Yet it is difficult to find the language to define what it means for us.

In a world of troubles — learning God is kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will towards his creation — is remarkably peaceful. Elohim is extremely tenderhearted; he is full of sympathy. In his goodness he presents a strong cheerful outlook, which is frank (respectful) and friendly. Imagine a world leader taking the time to help you clean your backyard, cook dinner for you, and help your children with their homework – all without us asking for help. This is God’s nature. He is inclined to be helpful.

Blessings follow Elohim wherever he hangs out. If we accept the fact that Elohim is always in all places, blessings happen everywhere all the time. He takes extreme pleasure filling our life with blessings from him. His goodness is the force behind all our blessings. If God was not the definition of goodness, I doubt we would be able to see a distinction between kindness and cruelty, mercy and justice, or love and hate.

Psalms 100:5 says — For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations [NIV]. Goodness is for all people, God’s goodness is infinite, perfect, eternal, has always been present in God. His immutable nature means his goodness never varies. He will never be more good than he is now, he will never be less good than he is now. He does not have favorites; he brings the sun and the rain to all of us. The cause of his goodness is found in his essence. His goodness is offered to all without regard to compensation (reward for good behavior).

James 3:17 says — wisdom that comes from heaven is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere [NIV]. Goodness of God is not based upon human conduct, not even in the most pure or best conduct. Rather, goodness is based upon God’s actions, God’s wisdom offered freely to all.

Isaiah 41:13 says — For I am the Lord your God [who] takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you [NIV]. Goodness overcomes fear. Sin brings us to a timid and self-conscious state of mind. We have a history of rebellion against God that drives fear. We are conditioned to embrace the fear rather than the blessings from God. We find it difficult to trust the goodness and kindness of God; we are unsure that the past will not be held against us. What do we do?

Psalms 145:8-9 says – The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made [NIV]. God’s goodness is absolute. Jesus walked on earth that He might show us the true nature of God. He taught us about the Goodness of God. From Jesus we learn how God acts toward people. Our penitent hearts encounter God’s mercy and goodness; the crushed will find His kindness overwhelming. The frightened will find shelter and forgiveness; for the lonely, they will find companionship.

The goodness of God is infinite, an overflowing font, yet God will never force His hand upon us. When we arrive as the prodigal, the feast is put into motion. The legalists slink about, seeking to disable this goodness offered, but the Father — he smiles as we enter his gates. The greatness of God brings respect, the goodness of God brings peace. We feel accepted. We fear (respect) God but are not afraid of God because of his goodness – this paradox is one of the deep mysteries of our faith.

I choose Jesus.

Find your Deliberate Dance

Dan

It has been my observation when searching for how the Holy Spirit empowers us (as defined in scripture) that we owe everything to the superior strategy and planning of God the Father, including the amazing purchase of our soul by the Son (redemption), and the transformative power and implementation of God’s Plan in us by the Holy Spirit (infilling).

We read in Romans 8:9 — Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. All believers have the Holy Spirit. Continuing, we read in Ephesians 5:18 — Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. This suggests we are not continually filled, but we are filled for a purpose, a season, then there is rest. Consider the plight of a Gas engine with a nitro injection system. We do not always use the nitro system, just when power is required. We are told to seek the infilling; seek all the fullness we can garner; and, at the same, we are cautioned to avoid quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and to avoid grieving the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). This is a deliberate dance.

Let us look at four overlapping ideas that lead to the infilling of the Spirit. First, we are told to meditate on Scripture. There is a life-giving connection between the Spirit of God and his Word. Jesus said — It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. (John 6:63). Paul says — Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. (Ephesians 5:18–19). Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16).

Second, we are told to believe what we read in the Word. Paul asked (Galatians 3:5), “Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?” I think it is clear the Holy Spirit is supplied to us and works powerfully in us as we hear the word with faith — as we believe it – as we put it into practice. Stephen and Barnabas were men of faith and full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5, Acts 11:24). I think we are wise to not trivialize the relationship between faith and the infilling of the Spirit. It is by meditation and faith we experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. This leads to belief in what we read in scripture.

Third, we to be obedient to scripture. One of the disciples asked Jesus — Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world (John 14:22)? Jesus answered — “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). When you keep his word, he draws close – really close.

Fourth is the thirst, the desire to know God. The glue that brings together meditation, belief, and obedience is desire. We are told to thirst for Him. Our dance with God is to be Deliberate. Jesus says — If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink … Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive (John 7:37-39). The Psalms says — Drink from the river of [his] delights” (Psalms 36:8). As a deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God for the living God. (Psalms 42:1–2). O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalms 63:1).

Embrace meditation on scripture, believe what you read in scripture, become obedient to the guidelines in scripture, and thirst for God. You do this and the Spirit of glory will rest upon you (1 Peter 4:14). Do not hold back. Implement the plan. Seek his presence. Seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Find the ‘deliberate dance’ in your life.

I choose Jesus.