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The word was the same as GOD.
The word was the source of life,
and this life brought light to men ( John 1 : 1, 4 )
1 - God's specific characters
2 - Why to adore God ?
3 - Religion or Gospel
4 - The Trinity |
I, even I, am the Lord ! And apart from Me there is no saviour !
I am the first and I am the last ; apart from Me there is no God !
( Isaiah 43 : 11 & 44 : 6b )
Our knowledge & our conviction in God, without Jesus Christ, is vain & sterile
( Blaise Pascal )
God's redemption is more wonderful than God's creation ;
the creation of the world shows us God's power, but
the redemption proves us God's Love
( The Good Seed 2002 )
Sin was stronger than man & sin is always stronger than man, but
God is stronger than sin. So, He decided to help us by Christ
( The Good Seed 2002 )
God didn't come to suppress sufferance. He didn't come to explain it.
He came to show us that in each sufferance, He is near us & He helps us
( The Good Seed 2002 - July 06th )
We can know more on God and Love only if we increase contact with them
( Reginald E.O. White )
The Scripture is oriented to the Christ. The Christ, Son of the living God,
is the base of the Scripture ... So, when we read & interpret the Holy writing,
we can't isolate some verses, we can't try to understand these verses
without thinking on its centre : the Christ ( Martin Luther )
If God doesn't exist, everything is permitted
( Fiodor Dostoïevski )
TO KNOW GOD
We often want to do a topic on God, like doing a topic on art, or a topic on science, or like studying literature. And we forget that we are only creatures in front of the great Creator. We forget that we are only weak sinners in front of the God who can judge us & punnish us. Impossible to know God only with our intelligence : He will always be an hiding-God ... If we want to know Him, try first to know ourselves. That means : we are one of the guilty people that God wants to save. To know God is also to know His mercy which authorizes us to call Him : " Father ".
( The Good Seed 2002 - December 27th ) |
Why to adore GOD ?
In front of Those Who is really sublime, wonderful, grand, we have not enough words ; only silence is appropriate ... To adore is to honour, to accept & to admire God. So adoration is a deep respect in front of Those Who is infinitely big, in front of Those Who is completely right & good. Adoration is a duty to God, it's too a big privilege ... We begin to adore on earth, we will continue to do it in perfection in the eternal paradise.
Our world is like something in perfect order, and we know & understand it with our limited think ... Why the universe is in a perfect order ? And why can we understand this mechanism ? There is only one answer : because there is only one God Who creates the universe & Who gives us faculty to understand all. Another reason to adore God.
( The Good Seed 2004 - December 12th & 16th )
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Illustration : Rado Ratsimbazafy 1997 (with Paintbrush 3.1)
Difference between RELIGION and The GOSPEL
There are many religions, but only one Gospel
Religion is a human act,
the Gospel is a God's present
In religion, we search God ;
in the Gospel, God searches us |
Religion is what people do for God ;
the Gospel is what God does for people
Religion changes our external life,
the Gospel transforms our internal life
( The Good Seed 2002 - March 03rd ) |
Religion basis is wisdom, the Gospel basis is Love
( Ravo Madagascar )
Illustration de Harry Anderson - 1957
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The TRINITY
We can't understand the mystery of the Trinity, it's normal. It would be necessary to be like God to understand it fully. But thanks to the Holy Bible and to the Holy Spirit, to help us to know the only true God, and Those who He sent : Jesus Christ (1 Cor 2 : 10).
Trinity : a Latin word whose meaning is : one God in three Persons, equal between them, distinct and inseparable. In German, it's Tri-unit (Dreieinigkeit), which is even more expressive. The Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit are called God in the Bible (Gen 1 : 1 - Titus 2 : 13 - Acts 5 : 3, 4).
Most of times in the New Testament, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are mentioned together, sometimes in parallel, sometimes in their mutual relations. That means that in their unit, They are distinct one from the other. When the same man is husband, father, citizen, engaged in such or such profession, member of such or such church, he does several functions, while having only one personality. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have their own activities, They have each one a distinct personality. This is why They can be mentioned together, as in the baptismal formula : " In the name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Spirit " (Matthieu 28 : 19). If Jesus prayed and if He continues to do it now in glory, that proves that It does not merge with God the Father ; and Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is another Helper. That means there are differences between these three Persons.
(John 14 : 16 Words of Christ) :
" I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, who will stay with you for ever ".
Note the subordination of the Son compared to the Father : it is the Father who sent the Son in the world and not the reverse (John 8 : 18). Note too the subordination of the Holy Spirit : He is sent by the Father and the Son (John 14 : 26)
Extract from " PRECIS DE DOCTRINE CHRETIENNE " J.M. Nicole - 4th edition 1994. Thanks to Randriatsara Hajason (Ankadifotsy A.F.F.) to lend me the book |
Specific characters of divine nature :
a- His own characters :
1a- God is spirit (spirituality) :
No representation of Him is adequate ! He took all useful precautions to not show us his concrete looks. (John 4 : 24a) = " God is spirit ... ".
2a- God is eternal (eternity) :
God has neither beginning nor end. (Psalms 90: 2) = " Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth & the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God ". God is too immutable : immutability (character of those who does not change). (Hebrews 13: 8) = " Jesus-Christ is the same yesterday, today and for ever ".
3a- God is everywhere (ubiquity) :
He is the Master of the space and the Master of times. (Psalms 139 : 7 - 10) = " Where can I go from your Spirit ? Where can I flee from your presence ? If I go up to the heavens, You are there ; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast ". " ... I will be with you always, to the end of the age " = (Words of Christ in Matthew 28 : 20b). Ubiquity : character of God to be present everywhere at the same time.
4a - God knows everything :
" O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise ; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out & my lying down ; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in behind and before ; You have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain ".
(Words of David in Psalms 139 : 1 - 6)
5a - God is all-powerful : All is possible for Him !
" Jesus looked straight at them & answered : This is impossible for man, but for God everything is possible ". (Matthew 19 : 26) The supreme authority of God is absolute. Even the rebels, the irreligious people, the demons and satan do not escape His control. He can prevent the evil from appearing. But that does not mean that all events in the world is in conformity with His will. God is never in charge for the sin. If men are corrompus, it's not God, but them, which are to be blamed. The Lord leaves with his creatures a real freedom.
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b- His characters which we have to learn :
1b- God is Saint (holiness) :
Holy (or Saint) means put aside
" ... Be holy because I, the Lord
your God am holy ".
(Leviticus 19 : 2b)
2b- God is faithful (fidelity) :
Faithful means loyal, trusting. Without God's fidelity we would be in a perpetual state of worry. " The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving towards all He has made "
(David in Psalms 145 : 17).
3b- God is right :
(Genesis 19) - " For God will reward every person according to what he has done. Some people keep on doing good, & seek glory, honour & immortal life ; to them God will give eternal life. Other people are selfish and reject what is right, in order to follow what is wrong ; on them God will pour out his anger & fury " (Romans 2 : 6 - 8).
4b- God is Love :
" Now I give you a new commandment : love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another ! " (Words of Christ in John 13 : 34). God loves the sinner, but He hates the sin.
Extract from " PRECIS DE DOCTRINE CHRETIENNE " J.M. Nicole - 4th edition 1994 - Thanks to Randriatsara Hajason ( Ankadifotsy A.F.F. ) |
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