Published by Worldview Publications
November 2010 

“The Gift of God”1

To understand and accept the origin and destiny of everything and everyone, we should consider the One who “worketh all in all” (1 Corinthians 12:6, emphases supplied).

God and Creation

The One-and-Only God freely decided to create all things. At the same time, God necessarily employed command, possession and power to accomplish Creation.2

For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. — Psalm 33:9.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. — John 1:3 (emphasis supplied); cf. Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11.

God and Freedom

For the sake of freedom, God permitted all that Creation did under command, possession and power and through “free process.”3,4 For example, in the biblical story “the “sons of God” married “the daughters of men” (Genesis 6:2). Pharaoh of Egypt enslaved the Chosen People (Exodus 1:11ff). And Saul annihilated the Amalekites (1 Samuel 14:48ff).

God as Jesus

Then God became incarnate as Jesus Christ and willingly suffered and died to pay the price for all that he and Creation had done, were doing, and would yet do.5

. . . and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. — Colossians 1:20 (emphasis supplied); cf. Romans 5:18; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Philippians 2:10, 11; 1 Timothy 2:3-6.

God’s Silent Presence

Let us recognize, accept and celebrate his sacrificial accomplishments on behalf of all Creation — for he remains silently present.6

. . . [L]o, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. — Matthew 28:20.

God and Resurrection

In view of gospel developments, we can indeed be hopeful that God is soon to triumphantly appear, resurrect all who have died, and assemble them with all who are yet alive.7

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. — 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52 (emphasis supplied).

God as the Judgment

Then God as the Judgment (Elohim = Judgment), as well as the Judge, will explain that he has freely borne the negative consequences of all Creation.8,9

. . . [W]e shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. — Romans 14:10-12 (emphasis supplied); cf. Isaiah 45:22, 23; 52:10; Jeremiah 31:34; John 17:3; Hebrews 8:11.

God and Transformation

Finally, God will transform Creation into his own image for an eternity of reciprocal freedom, love and communal life.10,11

For . . . the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. — Romans 6:23.

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. — 2 Corinthians 9:15.

Endnotes

  1. Romans 6:23. (go back)
  2. See “The Gospel for the Postmodern World III: The ‘Other Side’ of God,” Outlook (January 2008); “The Divine Struggle for ‘I’ and ‘Thou’ III: Command,” Outlook (December 2009); “The Divine Struggle for ‘I’ and ‘Thou’ IV: Possession,” Outlook (January 2010); “The Divine Struggle for ‘I’ and ‘Thou’ VI: Empowerment,” Outlook (March 2010). (go back)
  3. See “‘Ye Shall Be Free Indeed,’” Outlook (October 2010). (go back)
  4. “ . . . [T]he ‘free-process defence’ . . . appeal[s] to the divine gift of freedom to all of the creation.” — John Polkinghorne, Reason and Reality: The Relationship between Science and Theology (Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1991), p. 84. (go back)
  5. See “The Divine Struggle for ‘I’ and ‘Thou’ VIII: The Incarnate God,” Outlook (May 2010). (go back)
  6. See “The Divine Struggle for ‘I’ and ‘Thou’ VII: Silent Presence,” Outlook (April 2010). (go back)
  7. See “The Divine Struggle for ‘I’ and ‘Thou’ X: The Second Coming,” Outlook (July 2010). (go back)
  8. See “‘For Judgment I AM . . . ,’” Outlook (September 2010). (go back)
  9. “A special significance was given by the rabbis . . . to Elohim . . . denoting the attribute . . . of judgment.” — Encyclopaedia Judaica, CD-ROM ed. (1997), s.v. Yehoshua M. Grintz, “God.” (go back)
  10. See “The Divine Struggle for ‘I’ and ‘Thou’ X: The Second Coming,” Outlook (July 2010). (go back)
  11. Only God himself knows what and whom he will transform upon his Parousaic (Second Coming) return. Will microorganisms, dinosaurs, prehuman beings, etc., be included? God alone can and will decide. (go back)

Last Revised September 2011

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