"God...who does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number." - Job 9:10
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:9
Scripture teaches very clearly that God's Word is entirely sufficient for us. God has chosen to make himself known and knowable by revealing himself to us in Jesus Christ. Through God's Word, we are provided with everything we need. "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence" - II Peter 1:3
But, nowhere in Scripture are we told that God has revealed everything there is to know about himself and His ways. What I mean is, we have not been told or shown everything there is to discover about God, nor have we yet been given a complete understanding of why and how God does what He does. We have been given sufficient knowledge of God, not exhaustive knowledge of God. What is more, when it comes to understanding God and His ways, you and I deal with the very real limitations of our own human minds and the very real perversions of our own sinful hearts.
The Apostle John, encouraging his readers to trust in God's eternal provision for them, says, "Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is." - I John 3:2. We shall be like Him. We shall see Him as He is. You see, there is a sight of God, an understanding of Him that we will not fully possess until we see Him face to face.
It is for these reasons that I am content with not entirely grasping or being able to fully articulate why and how God does what He does in certain areas of the Christian life. Now, we should not be careless or lazy in our efforts to comprehend Him. We have been instructed to know Him and to diligently seek Him. Anything less than this is sinful disobedience. But, I find it to be not an insignificant error when men, in a prideful effort to understand and to explain God, remove mystery that God has intentionally left in place.
In order to remove mystery that God has intended, one truth must be de-emphasized to the over-emphasis of another. When we do this, we have distorted the Word in order to make it fit our notion of what truth is or at the very least in an attempt to make it more comprehendible to our finite minds.
For example, when God says, "even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will," (Ephesians 1:4-5), He meant precisely that. We were predestined for adoption. We were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. What a sobering thought!
But when He says, "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live," (Deuteronomy 30:19), He also meant precisely that. God told His people that they themselves were responsible to choose life and blessing. Again, what a sobering thought!
These two truths (God chose us and we must choose life) seem irreconcilable to our minds (we think that either of these statements can be true, but not both). And I contend that they are irreconcilable, within our current limitations. In other words, I believe that God has purposefully made it impossible for our minds to grasp everything about Him. He does this for what are likely many reasons, one of which undoubtedly is to teach us faith. Though we cannot reconcile His statements in our finitude, we are to trust Him explicitly.
Here is what I am certain of - I have made a shambles of this life. The evil within my heart runs so deep that I cannot root it out. I am guilty before God. I, alone, am responsible for my sinful state.
Here is what else I am certain of - Jesus has provided the exact remedy that I require. He has cleansed me and sanctified me. I am righteous before God. Jesus, alone, is responsible for my righteous state.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up His bright designs,
And works His sovereign will.
- William Cowper "God Moves in a Mysterious Way" (1774)
Wholly trust Him!
Pastor Jeremy
