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CHAPTER FIVE
Truth Lasts
34 Singularities
Found in the Bible
Just as the more carefully formulated scientific laws tend to endure, before any more advances in realisation occur, so the word of God always endures, because when He speaks, it is one, whether to wait, date, bless or curse. In truth, as in various uniformities and patterns found in the objects of space (cf. Ch. 4 above), there are clusters; but these are verbal rather than physical.
Today, we look at clusters which singularise God, who in the day of creation, singularised man in His image. When you look at every other available and visible creature on this earth, or beyond it, it should become at once apparent that this is a difference in kind of the most major degree. While the bodily patterns have various relationships, at the microscopic level, sometimes startling and unexpected, for the work of God is very deep and intricate, for man too was made from the dust, a useful chemical source, like bricks for a house; yet his spirit was made in heaven.
To this kind of kind, this specificity of created visible objects, in this case, each also a subject, there is given an intellect, a scope for understanding (in ruinous circumstances, of course, a pathway for misunderstanding, just as a nib, if you want to use it, may be sharp as desire or for the time at least, blunted); and it is one that has no visible match. You see the jabbering simian situation, the pathetic littleness of mind, the intelligent dog, delighted to wait upon man and accept broader aims, using his own innate and instinctive flair, the bird with its terrific speed of action and reaction, its instincts, and wonder. Yet when it comes to man the flair for the abstract, the power in the realm of abstraction, the conceptual facility is matched by the organisation of his logical awareness such that he can even delve into and recognise, yes even formulate in words, some of the correlatives of the creation commands in much. In the case of the DNA, it is even written! Given power to work in the realm of God's creation with the divinely given mind, he can find some of the workings of the very mind of God: in this creation.
Such gifts are not limited to natural fields. They can be applied to the psychic, the literary, the personal and the sublime. Man can even manage to imagine a goddishness about himself at times, being such or becoming so, or some such romancing, though his birth and death only smile at him, before the inevitable rebuke from the God who IS all that godliness is, and the basis for any image-bearing object. You see the irony of this phase of man's self-exultant pathology in Psalm 2 and 82 as in Ezekiel 28:9. The last has this: "Will you still say before Him who slays you, I am a god!"
Rightly used, however, the mind given to man, and the spirit which as for his body, is its director and innate personal summit, builder of scenarios and maker of evaluation and decisions, can have a functionality of great blessing. It is gifted to find wonder and beauty in many things, and not least in the word of God. This is a divine space, the Bible, and from it we find today a number of unities, in fact 30 of them, which show something of the exquisite clarity and force of the word of God, the way in which He has made this penetrable and comprehensible to man, by His Spirit by whom He gave it (I Corinthians 2:9ff., Colossians 1:9, Ephesians 1:17 cf. I Thessalonians 2:13-14, I Peter 1:10ff., II Peter 1:19ff.).
These unities and more like them, attest just as they enable us the better to digest some of the groupings God gives us, set in kinds, this time in His word.
34 UNITIES IN ONE LISTING
Concerning God, His Being,
Program, Publication, Salvation, Gospel,
Toil and Triumph, there is a total singularity.
While the Trinity
is in infinite and Eternal Unity, Accord and Intimacy,
these functions are expressions drawn from
His amplitude, internal fellowship and Counsel.
In accord with this, there is one people chosen, first as a prelude, then as an encompassment, one place of worship, one interpretation to symbols, one Cross, one Conquest and there are two intimately personal results, with one pivot: Christ crucified, yes, rather risen (Romans 8:34).
One of these results is salvation, and the other eternal life. Being personal, these relate to persons, not machines, and so their means of acceptance become crucial (cf. John 3:16-19, 1:12, Matthew 23:37ff., Colossians 1:19ff.). For more on that topic, see for example Chs. 1 and Ch. 4 above. It may be pursued in some depth in the Heptad*1 on Predestination and Freewill.
Now let us peruse some of these unities, these kinds, these groupings under one head.
There
is one way in and one way out (John 10:9, 3:19) one by faith,
and the other by its re-assignment where it does not belong,
to what become idols effectually, whether seen or merely operative as
such.
In this way, some escape reconciliation, and achieve
separation, by great initiatives,
parallel to bombing a house made available to you, before occupancy.
Let's look at the items.
Thus there is:
1. One place for the more permanent structure of the temple
Deuteronomy 12:5, 14:23, 26:2, Joshua 9:27, Leviticus 7:7.
2. One Person to Procure for Man
Isaiah 41:28-42:4, 51:18, Matthew 20:28,
John 14:6.3. One Offeror
II Chronicles 26:16ff., I Samuel 13, Hebrews 9:23-28,
7:25-27, 9:11-13, 10:11ff., 2:3-4,10.4. One Period - for the race, the sacrifice, the depiction of atonement
a) by appointment in history Genesis 15:13-18
b) by special day of atonement (Leviticus 16 - note esp. vv. 17,29).5. One People - a racial remnant to be sustained to the end
Deuteronomy 4:5-8, 7:7-9, Romans 9;
Matthew 24:34, Romans 11, Micah 7, Isaiah 66, Ezekiel 39, Zechariah 12-14), before it joins the6. One Metaphorical Body of Christ, all believers and only those
Revelation 20:5:
to be resurrected when He comes,
in the bodily application of His own resurrectionRomans 11, 12, Ephesians 4, I Corinthians 12, Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12, Matthew 24, I Thessalonians 4, I Corinthians 15.
7. One Perfidious Person for the Program - rampancy to ruin - the acme of acne
John 6:70, Genesis 3:15, Psalm 109,
with one spiritual backing for ruin
John 13:2, 27.
8. One ultimate ground of judgment for man:
informed departure or its equivalent foreknown to God,
from the offer of Christ, as Lord, Saviour,
and Eternal Word made FleshJohn 3:19,36, 15:22ff..
9. One Program
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 12:29-32, Revelation 22:18-19.
10. One Law
Psalm 119, Matthew 5:17ff..
11. One Central Promise, container for all the rest
Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7, 11:1ff., 32:1ff.,
Romans 8:32, II Corinthians 1:2012. One Reconciliation
II Corinthians 5:12-21, one only for all the world,
Colossians 1:19ff., I Timothy 2.13. One Embrace
Colossians 1:19ff., Ephesians 1:6,13-14.
14. One Appointment of Name
Acts 4:11-12, John 14:6, John 5:19ff..
15. One Crucifixion and Resurrection
Psalm 22, 16, Hebrews 9, I Corinthians 15, II Corinthians 5,
on which the general resurrection depends,
II Timothy 1:7ff..
16. One Gospel,
Galatians 1.
17. One Procurement
I Corinthians 6:20, Matthew 20:28, John 14:6, 3:36.
18. One Result for Faith
I Corinthians 15, Romans 8:37.
19. One Mind - that of Deity Himself, source of all derivative mind,
and keeper of truthRomans 8:26-27, I Corinthians 2:16, Isaiah 40:12-31, James 1:17,
John 1:1, Hebrews 1:1-3.20. One Tree of Unity, those abiding in this, called His Church:
those merely masquerading cut out,
mere outgrowths from another kind,
dabbling with false doctrine, supplanters that meet divine secateurs.Romans 11, 16:17, I Corinthians 5-6, II Corinthians 11,
I Timothy 1:10, Matthew 7:15ff..21. One Restoration of the Excised Israel,
cut off from its own tree, and this return in Two Phases*2Romans 11, Ezekiel 36-37.
22. One God
Ephesians 4:4, Exodus 20, Isaiah 43-45.
23. One Faithfulness
Micah 7:18-20, Psalm 71:19-20.
24. One Rock
Psalm 18, 62, II Samuel 22:32, Isaiah 44:8
25. One Saving Grace -
work-free for man, but not for God
Ephesians 2:1-12, Romans 3:23ff., II Timothy 1, Romans11.
26. One Faith
Ephesians 4:4.
27. One Judgment of all,
His own people pardoned,
inscribed in the Book of Life,
foreknown, predestined and paid for,
the Gospel the criterion:
Romans 9:12-14, Revelation 20:11ff.,II Timothy 1, Ephesians 1:5-11
Acts 17:31, Daniel 12, II Corinthians 5:9-11.
28. One Pivot: Final Cause of and Cure for Judgment
Romans 6:23, John 3:16-17,19,30.
29. One Head
Romans 12:5
for the one body of faith, the believers.
Ephesians 4:15-16.
30. One Bible - sole authorised written word of God to mankind
Isaiah 34:16, 44:24-28, 45:18-19, Jeremiah 23:16-29,
Matthew 5:17-20, Revelation 22:18-19,
II Timothy 2:15, I Thessalonians 2:13.31. One Haven and One Heaven
Psalm 62:1, 18:1-2, John 14:1ff., I Thessalonians 4,
II Corinthians 4-5, I Corinthians 15, Revelation 20-22.32. One Triumph, 2 Savours
Romans 8:37ff., II Corinthians 2:14-15.29.
33*3. One Source, Centre and Sovereign
Romans 11:36, Revelation 4:11.
34. One Beginning and End
Revelation 2:8, 22:14, Isaiah 44:6, John 1 (The Bright Light and the Uncomprehending Darkness Ch. 9), Genesis 1:1.
At the first, Christ creates. Then He saves. Then He keeps (John 10:9,27-28). Here is unlimited love, limited attainment, limited atonement, but consummation of love.
The mnemonic is TOLLA LUIPCOL (pronounce vowels in luip as in cruise, think of col as in college to aid memory))
Interpreted, this is total depravity (T, as in TULIP, but here TO),
limitless love (L),
limited attainment (LA),
limited atonement (L),
unconditional election (U),
irressistible grace (I)
necessary perseverance (P as in TULIP),
consummation of love (COL).
The unconditional election (U) comes after the limitless love (L) in the acronym, since in sin man is unable to use his divinely given liberty (I Corinthians 2:14, John 1:12) to the point, though in the knowledge and foreknowledge of God, the nature of that liberty is known to the point. God in His love (John 3:16-18) thus acts with the principle of liberty interpreted by the reality of sovereignty, so fulfilling love with both sincerity and security.
Love in this presentation becomes neither simple sentiment nor otherwise-named aggression, but remains itself in complete consummation (COL). This terminates the acronym just as L, limitless love, initiatives it, so that the God who statedly IS love (I John 4:7 - not that alone, but that altogether, so that nothing in Him breaches its purity, whatever may result from its rejection); and however sovereignly He ensures its action and purity, it is in this love that He begins and ends the matter, in conformity to Ephesians 3:14-21 in spirit, and Romans 8:37-39 in fact.
NOTES
See:
SEVEN VOLUME SET
Predestination and Freewill Heptad, and its formal name:ON PREDESTINATION and FOREKNOWLEDGE,
LIBERTY and NECESSITY,
RESPONSIBILITY, DUTY and CREATIVITY
See -
It Bubbles ... Ch. 10.
This number 33 has been extended, and in full it appears as follows.
33 One Source, Centre and Sovereign
Romans 11:36, Revelation 4:11.
A) Absolute Creator of all things, except their misuse.
i) Hebrews 11:3 Framer of all things, the visible sourced in the invisible
ii) Colossians 1:15-17 Creator of all things. This is through the Trinity member (Isaiah 48:16, John 5:19ff., 8:58, II Corinthians 5:17ff.), exclusively incarnate once and for all, as Jesus Christ, the 'first-born' of all creation - Why first-born since He came long after Adam for example ? it is because of infinite primacy, for without qualification all things have been created by Him and for Him, whatever their misuse by man or devil. There is one category of one member, namely deity, whose trinity is infinitely intimate; and the other is all else.
iii) That One is the source, centre and sovereign of all. He has declared Himself in Christ Jesus who is not only before all things, but by Him all things consist. Creator, sustainer and focus, He is the word of God (Revelation 19:13, 2:8), first and last, and heir to all things (Hebrews 1:2), just as through Him the world was created.
iv) He is the singularity for salvation, of that God who is the only Saviour (Isaiah 43:10-11), so that doom is inescapable through any proposed alternative (Hebrews 2:1-3).
v) There is no other Word of God living and saviour; nor is there any other way to God (John 14:6), nor any other name (Acts 4:11-12) which has salvation (Zechariah 9:6), but that of Christ Jesus. In the sovereignty of God, this is the source and worker
both of creation, and salvation, the
creator of the old creation with its kinds,
as ground of the new creation, the old creation rekindled and redeemed, each person in Christ, being "renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created him" (Colossians 3:10). Thus each new Christian is, brought back to what was new at the beginning, but now saved as well for eternity (Ephesians 1:11).Hence God is not only source of all creation with its derived creativities, with the inhabitancy of the earth, as commanded, for it was not to be in vain; but also of all the divine dicta to man. These, God declares, were not given in secret, but publicly and notably, as is the salvation on which such fulsome focus is provided; for the absence of this very thing, ever since he fell, has been the chief defect and danger for man (Isaiah 45:18-25). Moreover, bent on restoring man to his image-bearing status, the Saviour brought redemption to replace the initial trial, and an eternal inheritance to consummate faith (Ephesians 1:11). Of all these things, God is the only source, sovereign and centre. Creation and salvation past in accomplishment,
it is only judgment which is to come, except for those among mankind who remain to be saved before the final bar is opened, and dispositions are made (Revelation 6:9-11). Let us essentialise this aspect.
B) Total Ground of Exclusion and Inclusion.
i) Not only is there no other Saviour, but nothing else was formed before the only God nor will be formed after Him: deity eternal, alone, source of sentence and salvation alike (Isaiah 43:10-11).
ii) Not only is there no other saviour, but there is a necessity of being saved or doomed: each person on earth MUST be saved or at war with God and subject to judgment and sentence (Acts 4:12). God is exclusively God and salvation is inclusively required through Him (Isaiah 45:19-25 with Acts 4, Luke 13:1-3, John 6:50-54), as shown in His living Word and written word (Revelation 22:18-19, Matthew 5:17-20, John 14:26, Isaiah 34:16, 59:21, II Timothy 3:16, I Peter 1:10ff., II Peter 1:19ff., I Corinthians 2:9-13 cf. SMR Appendix C and D), which He has made distinct and contradistinct for the performance of their purposes, His will and their salvation.
iii) As absolute Creator and Saviour, God is on record that it is His good pleasure to save all (Colossians 1:19ff., Luke 19:42ff., Isaiah 48:16ff.), having made peace through the blood of the Cross, but to save by faith only and by grace only (Ephesians 2, Romans 3), all foreknown to be bent from this, being hell-bent. In this, our saving and only sovereign (recognised or not), what has come ? The love of deity is neither forcing nor dissatisfied, but sublimely reaches its target without becoming something else (Romans 8:29ff., Ephesians 3:14-21). Thus there is no limit but purity in the power, love and perseverance of God. Nor is there any ultimate ground of judgment for man, but that of his sin and refusal, as known and foreknown to God, in truth to receive salvation (John 3:16-19,36, Romans 6:23, 5:1-11), by grace through faith without qualification, alteration or addition (Romans 3:23ff., 4:20-25, 5:12-21, 10:1-11, 11:1-7, Titus 3:5-7, Psalm 71:15-16, Ephesians 2:1-10). The act of salvation is gracious, gratuitous and entirely governed by God.
C) Total Eternal Effectual Wisdom of God Nullifying Contestants
This is seen in Isaiah 44:24-26, 14:27, II Chronicles 20:6, Psalm 33:10-11. Wisdom with which to stand and through which to withstand is imparted to His people, while empty engines of human effrontery , false prophets and vain strutters (cf. Psalm 2), by contrast are exposed in their fabrications and alterations, with a divine contempt.
All knowledge is His resource - not as if to obtain it, but as its source and basis, who adjusts events at will, in terms of abiding wisdom, unalterable principles and ineffaceable power (Proverbs 1, 8 incl. 12-14, Psalm 115, Colossians 2:3, Psalm 104:24, Job 28:20-28, Psalm 136:5, Proverbs 2:6, Isaiah 11:2, Daniel 2:21, I Corinthians 1:24, James 3:17, Matthew 5:17ff., Genesis 18:14, Luke 1:37, Jeremiah 32:17,27).In infinite wisdom (Psalm 147:5), God acts, destabilising pretence, establishing truth, and none can puncture His precision, power or pronouncements.