Of the countless doctrines that have caused me to stand in awe of God, one aspect of theology that absolutely fascinates me His eternality. Just this morning while preparing music for Sunday I was singing the Chris Tomlin song- How Great is Our God- oh how true! Through the years of sitting under the teaching of Dr. Couch on more than one occasion I recall him brushing the tears from his eyes as he contemplated the awesomeness and magnificence of God. As we take a moment to consider the eternality of God, I pray that you may also find yourself in awe of the splendor and power of God.
The eternality of God is one of the foundational beliefs of Christianity. If God is not eternal, then eternal life is not His to give to anyone. Also if God had a beginning He too would have to have a creator, at which point he is not the one true God. Without the eternality of God, Christianity is futile.
Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology says this is reference to God being eternal:
God is eternal ( Deut 33:27 ; Psalm 10:16 ; 48:14 ). Scripture does not provide philosophical reflection on this fact but assumes it. The Lord is the Rock eternal ( Isa 26:4 ) and the eternal King ( Jer 10:10 ). God's word, rooted in his being and will, is likewise eternal ( Psalm 119:89 ), as are his righteous laws (119:60), his ways ( Hab 3:6 ), and his kingdom or dominion ( Daniel 4:3 Daniel 4:34 ). Since God is eternal, so are his love ( 1 Kings 10:9 ), his blessings ( Psalm 21:6 ), and all his other attributes and benefits. They endure without end; as long as God exists, so do they.
The subject of the eternality of God requires that we understand that God is infinite in relation to time. He is without beginning, and He is without ending. Eternality means not only that God dwells in unending duration from eternity past to eternity future, it means that He dwells in another dimension outside of time. Consider with me that to God, all history appears as both past and present.
Notice with me an incredible passage: Revelation 13:8.
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
How incredible it is to consider that even before the foundation of the world, the names were written in the book of life. Clear evidence that God sees everything past, present and future.
Another passage we must consider is Romans 8:30.
and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
Notice the unbroken chain- and the fact that God sees the finished product when He looks at His children!
Why is this critical such a critical doctrine? Because as we understand the God who was, who is, and who will always be, we can draw strength and comfort in knowing that our Heavenly Father is completely sovereign and holds all things together yesterday, today and forever!
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
How wonderful it is that those who have trusted Christ will ALWAYS (eternally) be with the Lord!
All of us have sinned, all of us have fallen short of God’s perfect standard. Our sin completely and totally separates us from any chance of reaching God.
But God did for US what we could NEVER EVER do for ourselves! HE CAME TO US! John 1:14 says that “the Word (Christ) became flesh, and dwelt among us....” Jesus Christ left heaven, added to His deity humanity, lived a sinless life, and offered Himself as the ONLY acceptable sacrifice PAYING IN FULL the penalty for our sin. JESUS CHRIST became the BRIDGE that reached across that impassable canyon which separated us from God. THAT is the FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH upon which the church is built! Our sin is forgiven and we are redeemed and covered by the righteousness of Christ ONLY through FAITH ALONE in CHRIST ALONE.
But in the past thirty years there has been a proliferation of “new gospels” here in the United States. Some such as the “new age” belief system, and Hinduism, are rooted in eastern mysticism. Others are based more on pop-psychology than they are on the gospel. However the church is wandering away from the central message of the grace of Christ isn’t a NEW problem. The Apostle Paul had to address this very issue with the church in Galatia.
I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ." --Galatians 1:6-7
Paul’s astonishment is not that false teachers exist, but that the church was following them! He had expected false teachers and in fact had warned the Ephesians elders (Acts 20:28-30) that false teachers would come. Notice that these false teachers were not opening denying the gospel message. They only wanted to “improve” the message by adding to it: requirements, new ceremonies and new standards. It is as if they are saying, “We believe in Jesus Christ – but we have something wonderful to add to what you already believe!” What they viewed as a “new” gospel was actually a distorted gospel. The word translated “distort” means to transform into something of an opposite character.
Paul explains that this new gospel or “good news,” is in reality not the gospel or “good news” at all! It is a counterfeit!
As Christians in America we believe in the freedom of religion, but Christians need to realize that does not make all religions equally true. While we defend the right of each individual in this country to worship as they choose, in so doing we not defending that all religions are also “the” truth. Jesus could NOT HAVE BEEN MORE CLEAR! John 14:6,”I am the way, the truth, the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” May we be challenged to consider that ANY OTHER GOSPEL being presented other than FAITH ALONE in CHRIST ALONE is misdirecting men and women away from the only truth that can save us from our sin! May those of us who teach be diligent and unwavering in presenting the uncompromised truth of our redeemer and Lord Jesus Christ.
