God and Nature

This is a summary Page of the main ideas of the four years of TODAY’S PAGE possible here, near the end of the third year, because the release of the manuscript in final editing is taken by me as the beginning of whatever ministry and meaning this project may have, first to my family, and then onward to the parents and students considering the meaning of Christian education for life and effective functioning for persons both in the natural/humanistic context (without consideration of deity) and in the natural/Christian context.

Nature and Super-nature: The world system is the same for both Christian and non-Christian. A value system is built into the context of life and is articulated in Scripture, but is unevenly managed by mankind. Christians include the concept of God in the management and experience for life. The factors gaining that spiritual/natural experience include Scripture (gaining wisdom, both for faith and life application), prayer (requesting resolutions and matters of faith), and the work of the Holy Spirit (Christ’s representative to earth to aid in the advancement of the redemptive plan of God that invites his Presence in Christians). The living out of the Christian context for life is taken as proof of faith when that faith is identified as Christian in the light of Scripture. The objective for the individual Christian is to follow righteousness to wisdom for faith (belief) and action (conduct) to wisdom. The atmosphere of faith hovers in humility, joy, and love.

Mankind: The inability of mankind to believe, practice and advance in the righteous context is identified variously as human depravity, fault, ignorance, sin, rebellion, or omission. It is variously interpreted by both Christians and non-Christians. So it is perceived on a continuum from 0% (no sin), through some sin (partial), to 100% (total depravity). The better approach might be for discussion that anything separating man from God in faith and practice is sin, and requires some redemptive course to gain God’s acceptance. Because mankind is unable to bridge the gap between human condition and divine expectations, the bridge to acceptance is faith in the redemptive plan of God through Jesus Christ. Scripture declares there is no other way to gain reconciliation for mankind with God, and the loss is separation described as eternal. The point made here is that anything that violates the nature (holiness) of God is sin that will be judged. The escape from negative evaluation (judgment) is found in the redemptive message of Christ. This concern, noted in the Great Commission of Christ in Matthew 28:19-20, is the primary human duty of Christians and perceived in the accents of the missionary movement of the centuries since the Apostles. It continues.

Understanding: Given the human condition, knowledge is only partial, leaving much (likely most) of the facts of the universe recognized by mankind as shrouded in mystery. Some evidence is available even for mysteries. Evidence of nature is unfolding for mankind daily in scientific studies that register on the human senses pointing to meaning (understanding) that further point to conclusions, or presumed conclusions. Everything is fraught with some tinge of doubt because we are unable to resolve the influence of complexity. When a different context (spiritual/divine) is imposed on the one (natural/human) best known to us, there is protest and unbelief from many who find only resolution for life in the natural context. The problem of the contest of contexts is ancient and continuing. Persons of good-will keep at the business of presenting their cases. From the side of human beings the matter will not be resolved to the satisfaction of mankind. From the side of God, who holds both the power and resources to resolve the matter of conflict, the redemptive message covers the mystery to resolution. We are left to accept the limited, but sufficiently effective, information of Scripture for the relief of the paradoxes/contradictions of life in both natural and spiritual perceptions. The Christian is called to love and faithfulness, first to God, and then in practice to mankind. When violated, and finding no way of escape from the uncertain system of mankind imposed on life, the Christian is supposed to accept the consequences of world citizenship in the awareness of the benefits of citizenship in the kingdom of God. The world was created of God for peace.