There is a noise around here right now. I suspect it happens everywhere every now and then. A noise or a buzz starts and it will not go away. Everyone is talking about it. It could be about global warming, climate change, immigration, abortion, the economy or anything else. The noise starts and won't go away.
Right now the noise here is about God. A good thing you might think.
But there are those who claim that we should not refer to God as Father; and we should not use the pronouns "He" and "Him" when referring to God because He is not an old man with a beard sitting on a cloud. He is a Spirit.
On the last point at least, these voices are correct. God is a Spirit. An invisible Spirit inhabiting an invisible world around us. So too are Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As a Trinity they have always existed. Jesus did not start to exist when He was born on earth. He always existed as a Spirit. Other Spirits around us are the Angels created by God as well as the Saints. Saints are people who existed as humans just like us and they now continue to live eternally as Spirits. Just as we will when our souls depart our bodies.
However, having agreed that God is a Spirit, we must remember the important point that He chose to be referred to as a man; and we should respect His command in this respect.
Jesus, who Himself was/is God and was born a man, taught us to pray to God our "Father". Several times Jesus refers to God as "He"; not "she", "it" or "they" or by any other pronoun.
"If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth." John 14:15-17
Jesus also refers to the Holy Spirit in the masculine.
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." John 14:26
Yet the noise and the voices around here seem to wish to re-interpret Scripture for a more modern audience the purpose of which I'll leave you to surmise.
But of this I'm certain; try to re-write the Bible to suit your needs and it is no longer the Word of God; but merely the word of man, or woman or ... ... ...
Absolutely right Victor, the world has gone mad and are trying to get rid of gender. If they were able to get rid of gender they would not exist. If a so called 'church' says there is no gender, or that God was a woman, then they live by lies. I do not think my husband would want to be called an 'It', and if he was then we could not have had our son. No wonder it says in the Scriptures that many shall fall away in the end times. God does not live in a house made with walls. The true believers, wherever we live, are the body of Christ on Earth. God bless.
ReplyDeleteSadly, people are re-writing Scriptures to suit their own needs.
DeleteGod bless, Brenda.
Dearest Victor,
ReplyDeleteTrue but remember—change in a pocket also makes a lot of noise but it is the silent bills that contain value...!
Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours.
Hugs,
Mariette
Good point Mariette. Happy Saint Valentine's Day to you and family.
DeleteGod bless.
💕
DeleteWho or What is God? This can be as different as people can be different. God is mighty big!
ReplyDeleteGod is a living Creator Spirit, omnipotent and loving.
DeleteGod bless, Tom.
Thank you, Victor, for a timely scriptural instruction.
ReplyDeleteGender is biological and God doesn’t have biology. God is spirit (John 4:24). He doesn’t have a body—He doesn’t have chromosomes, or any of the physical markers of gender. Physical attributes like that can be found in the demigods of paganism, but are far from the images of God that are found in Scripture.
The Bible refers to God in masculine terms really only has one answer, and that’s because it’s how God chose to reveal Himself to us.
While God contains all the qualities of both male and female genders, He has chosen to present Himself with an emphasis on masculine qualities of fatherhood, protection, direction, strength, etc. Metaphors used to describe Him in the Bible include: King, Father, Judge, Husband, Master, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
However, what most don’t realize is that the Bible also employs feminine images for God, such as mother (Isaiah 49:14–15; 66:13) and midwife (Isaiah 66:9). Likewise, His judgment of Israel is likened to that of a mother bear robbed of her cubs (Hosea 13:8). Whether masculine or feminine, this choice of language is to show a personification of God that reveals Him to us in ways we can understand.
It is very dangerous to tamper with the way God has chosen to reveal Himself. He most certainly does not intend to minimize women, since men and women are revealed as being made in His image and are of equal value to Him.
One famous Christian scholar, C. S. Lewis, has suggested that gender is far deeper than our human distinctions reveal. He suggests that God is so masculine that we all are feminine in relation to Him. If this is true, it might explain why the church is referred to as the bride of Christ, though it is composed of both men and women.
A brief aside about saints:
Scripturally speaking, the “saints” are the body of Christ, Christians, the church. All Christians are considered saints. All Christians are saints—and at the same time are called to be saints. First Corinthians 1:2 states it clearly: “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy…” The words “sanctified” and “holy” come from the same Greek root as the word that is commonly translated “saints.” Christians are saints by virtue of their connection with Jesus Christ. Christians are called to be saints, to increasingly allow their daily life to more closely match their position in Christ. This is the biblical description and calling of the saints.
Thank you Anonymous for taking the time to comment so fully. I appreciate it and agree with what you say.
DeleteIt is so sad that today people have taken it upon themselves to classify God according to their terms. In doing so, they are diminishing God to their level and analysing Him under a microscope. This, to my mind, is the height of arrogance.
God bless.
Thank you again for underscoring that which I believe. When all the silly chatter is stilled, I'll continue to listen for one voice. HIS voice.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid it is more than silly chatter. Some of it is downright destructive and malicious. But it will be stilled by God in His time and way.
DeleteGod bless, Mevely.
Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteGod bless, Christine.
DeleteThe world has, indeed, gone mad, Victor. All the more reason to cling to God and His eternal promises.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Amen Martha. God bless always.
DeleteLots of people like to pick and choose the parts of the Bible that fits their narrative. It's sad indeed.
ReplyDeleteYes, they want to interpret the Bible to suit their selfish needs.
DeleteGod bless, Bill.
Amen!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Bible is God's holy word and people should not mess with it.
Amen Happyone. God bless.
DeleteYou and Anonymous have made excellent points.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mimi. God bless.
DeleteThat painting is a lovely Double Trinity. I posted a beautiful Triple Trinity on my blog about a month ago. Check this beautiful painting out:
ReplyDeletehttps://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/2023/01/art-double-trinity-with-saint-augustine.html
I will, Manny. God bless.
DeleteI agree with you about the sacredness of the Bible, but I wonder...maybe someone who starts out disagreeing with the masculine language might take the time to read and change their mind? Stranger things have happened.
ReplyDeleteIn this case, the people wanting the change are already priests in the Church. See article.
DeleteGod bless, Kathy.