GOD CAN NEVER BE STRANDED (Part 2)

DIVINE ONTOLOGY AS DEFINED BY THEOLOGY

“Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish. Isa 46:9-10 (NLT)

The ontological characteristic of God makes him indispensable to our lives. Exploring this concept within the theological context means considering concepts like God's perfection, self-existence, and the coherence of His attributes, which make Him sovereign over all creation. The ontological argument does not ask a person to assume that there is a deity; rather, it postulates that a being that exists in reality (outside of the mind) is greater than one that is just in the mind (imagination). Hence, Hebrews 11:6 says Heb 11:6 “anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him,” NLT.

Denying his presence in our world is acting foolishly because it is his world not ours. Not surrendering to his will is also a recipe for a confused life. The message version of Ps 100:3 articulates this concept explicitly. “Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn't make him. We're his people, his well-tended sheep”. Get this straight, anywhere you turn to in the scriptures, it is pointing to you that the earlier you carry your cross and follow Jesus, the better for you. God never promised that the road to the success of your life will be free of thorns, but he did promise victory. So, thinking and saying to yourself that you are what you are by your perception or some sweet-coated hypes from random people or acquaintances, aimed at caressing your ego or lubricating your self-worth, is nothing other than delusion. Spiritual delusion, or what is scholarly referred to as Prelest, is a spiritual illness caused by pride, garnished with demonic influences. Prelest or Spiritual delusion, Merrill F. Unger says, “It is another of man’s utopian dreams vainly envisioning full realisation of a desired destiny apart from his Creator and Redeemer”. This lifestyle will make you feel above the world, and you will not be able to properly integrate into the society, and most of all, you will become the number one enemy of God. This is because God so detest the proud and the arrogant with haughty looks and uncensored speeches. In a spiritual context, delusion is simply falsified self-righteousness laced with irrational belief about religious matters. It means invariably that you are toiling with fire if, after you have read and seen the handiwork of God, and still decide to turn your back on him.

In the scripture, the great prophet Elijah stepped on the wrong side of God, presenting himself as the only surviving true prophet. When God gave him the process and the candidates for the change of baton, God was quick to let him know that even if these players in his divine plan for the land fail, He still has 7,000 men undefiled by the idol of Baal. 1 Kings 19:13-18. Technically, one would have thought that Elijah would get a double reinforcement of power to continue the journey. Notice that it was not because of his age that he was retired; it was a forceful retirement. That was what led to the body language of sauciness with Elisha when he was to be taken up by the chariots of fire.

Whatever you think you are, whoever you think you are, whatever level of life you think you have attained, whatever social status you occupy, whatever title you bear, honorary or acquired, REMEMBER THAT IT IS ALL BY GOD’S GRACE. Remember also that you were given such grace for such a time like this. To be where you are at this particular time of your life and to fulfil heaven’s mandate in your life. Don’t forget, you have been tagged even before your conception. This is well elucidated in the concept of divine foreknowledge. It is the belief that God possesses all knowledge, including knowledge of future events, and that this knowledge is not based on a predictive process but on his inherent understanding of time and reality. This concept then produces Predestination for the human society. Predestination in the Christian context is when God effectively knows the future or, in some sense, knows ahead of time what will happen. This connotes that events in the universe are predetermined from this point of view. This means predestination is an offshoot of foreknowledge, which is a functionality of divine providence. By this understanding, therefore, God has actually determined in advance the destiny of all created beings. Arthur W. Pink says, “The man of faith brings in God, looks at everything from His standpoint, estimates values by spiritual standards, and views life in the light of the understanding of God”. So, predestination should not be downplayed in our midst as Christians, but should be wholesomely considered so as not to fall prey to the schemes of the enemy. The Lord’s creative will and wise purposes stand behind everything in creation. Therefore, his people should not be discouraged when the appearances of history seem contrary to his promises. Far from a problem to cope with, God’s sovereignty over all things is the only hope for the flowering of salvation and deliverance from our miseries. Putting God under suspicious scrutiny is a serious offence. Created beings CANNOT and should not demand explanations from the creator himself. Cosmic laws do not permit it. The cosmic wheel of life gives to everyone according to their designed purpose, and by so doing, actions are weighed and judged. That is why Divine providence in the human context should be seen as an act of God in ensuring all things work together for good and in compliance with his own will and purpose, whether it is convenient to the human society or not. It encompasses God's sovereign control and intervention in the universe, directing events toward His end goals. Therefore, if anyone feels too big to play his or her role in the scheme of the cosmic event as produced by God himself, such a person is considered a rebel to God and will pay heavily. Hence, the bible warns that obedience is better than sacrifice.