Summary
Christian faith entails several essentials: the study of God, His Word, and nature. Through systematic theology, it is possible to draw conclusions from the bible teachings and the truth about God and His universe. The universe was designed by God for every human being to witness His many invisible attributes. Therefore, nature is considered one of the means through which God almighty has revealed himself to humanity. Various theologians, through the study of systematic theology, have brought to light the expression of God’s love towards His creation.
Henry Clarence Thiessen: Lectures in Systematic Theology
Thiessen explains the importance of God through the concept of Essence and attributes. In connection to the Book of John 4:24 and Luke 24:39, the author explains the spiritual nature of God, as immaterial and incorporeal. Based on the Essence and attributes of God, Thiessen is using various natures of God to bring out His superiority that is above that of mankind.1 By making a comparison between the two kinds of spirits, that of God and of mankind, it is clear that God is supreme and always in control. The detailed analysis of the nature of God such as the living God implies that in His infinite spirit, He is alive and is the source and the support of every life form. According to the author, God has psychological characteristics of personality.2 God is intelligent, compassionate, and jealous and because of love, He sustains all things. Various biblical books have discussed God based on various forms of eternity.
Authors like Paul exalt God’s eternal essence because of the love that he knows God has for him. From the analysis of the various non-moral and moral attributes of God by Thiessen, it can be deduced that it is through these that God, expresses His love for His people. With the non-moral attributes of God, humanity is able to tell of God’s love, this is because, to human beings, the omnipresence of God is subduing and comforting. This attribute means that God is always available to His creatures and provides both comfort and warning. Additionally, some of the moral attributes such as goodness express the graceful, merciful, and love of God. Thiessen has utilized several biblical verses to prove the good nature of God. For instance, according to Ephesians 4:30, God grieves over His people’s sins because of the love that He has for them. God also recognized that, because of His good nature, He deals bountifully, tenderly, and kindly with all creatures.
Additionally, according to Thiessen’s analysis of God’s work, it can be concluded that God’s love exists. God did not only show His love to mankind through the forgiveness of their sins, bringing humankind into the oneness of His family is also recognized as an expression of love. This means that God qualified human beings to share in the inheritance of His saints. The author explains the accounts of the origin and existence of the universe which to date can only be explained through the scripture and be accepted by faith. In the creation story, it is clear that God provided the necessities to all creatures to aid in their existence. God’s love can be seen in the fact that after the works of His mighty hands, as an omnipotent being, He is in charge of providence. These are the necessity that he deemed fit for their survival.
Since its creation, God has been preserving all that he created in various ways to show His love to humanity. The preservation of His wonderful creation shows that He is the sovereign being and He is in charge. This means that to maintain all forms of matter that He brought into existence, He must express His ultimate love in various ways for their functionality. Therefore, through the various proofs of God’s creation, as analyzed by Thiessen, it can be concluded that God loves His creatures.
Norman Geisler-Systematic Theology in One Volume
According to Geisler, the defense of God’s love is seen in various detailed analyses. For instance, in his discussion of “God’s Truthfulness and Goodness (Love),” it is justified that God is love worthy out of His merciful and wonderful deeds.3 God’s goodness is defined or considered in two ways, the character and the actions of God. According to the book of Psalm 119:68, God’s goodness is described based on the two concepts, “You are good and You do what is good….” in the initial half part of the verse, it is evident that God’s nature is good. That means He is morally excellent, deeply glad, extraordinarily beautiful, and extravagantly bountiful. For human beings, goodness is an added quality but for the almighty God, it comes naturally. This is the reason why He is considered the definition of good. God is, therefore, not just the greatest, He is the best and according to Jesus, in the book of Mark 10: 18, “No one is good but one God.”4 All that is in existence in this world is imperfect and tainted and cannot be compared to God who is goodness itself.
The true characteristics of God can also be seen in His actions. In this definition of God, His good nature is concentrated on His deeds.5 God is therefore seen as kind, merciful, having steadfast love, and generous. God always shows his goodness through various ways that are evident, these deeds always show that He loves His creation and He does not abandon them. God is known to reveal His goodness and love through various ways that include kind interventions and natural blessings. From those, human beings also respond back to his love.
God’s mercy, as described by Geisler, is a show of God’s love for his people. This can be seen in the forgiveness of those who have gone against His will. When those individuals realize His love and repent, He is in a position to forgive them and accept them back. However, those individuals who have committed blasphemous acts and as well as those who have not repented, are to face God’s wrath on judgment day.
KJV Bible Psalm 19
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1-3).
The manifestation of God’s glory is proclaimed by David throughout Psalm 19. The theme of this chapter is God’s grandeur that is shown via the universe He made (19:1-6) and the Word He proclaimed (19:7-14), or through special and natural revelation.6 According to 1st Corinthians 10:31, this splendor is the unique excellence of God—the sum of His inner perfections on display. Humans cannot pursue the ultimate goal of life until they recognize that God created them to find and proclaim His greatness.
Nature is recognized as the main source of God’s knowledge and out of the detailed analysis of that concept, God’s love can be seen. From the surrounding nature that encompasses the home of humanity, mankind does appreciate God’s love for the sense of wonder that sparks from Nature. Humankind, in return, shows loves to their creature through nurturing of the fruits of the holy spirit that leads to the kind of living that emulate that of Christ.
According to KJV Bible Psalm 19, the existence of God and His precision are evident in nature. Apostle Paul supplements the words from Psalm 19 while addressing the people of Lystra, Paul is trying to point out from nature the reasons why they should glorify the love of God.7 The great God, according to Paul did not leave without witness after doing good to humankind. Instead, His greatness can be seen in the provision of fruitful seasons and rain from heaven.
Through King David’s word in the book of Psalm 19, human beings are able to recognize that God’s glory is his love and goodness revealed. Therefore, the glory of God is the revelation and manifestation of His love in the radiance of His splendor and power. God loves Himself suitably, and He loves the public exhibition of His greatness with a white-hot, never-ending passion that never stops, never decreases, and never dims. He made humanity for His own glory. For the sake of His name, He delivered his wayward people from Egypt (Ezekiel 20:8-9).8 Out of concern for His sacred name, he promised restoration in the advent of Jesus.
Additionally, God’s love of his glory frees humankind. The glory of God is big such that it cannot be contained easily. Provided that human motives are right, one of the significant insights of neo-Calvinism that can be witnessed in the daily activities of humankind is the idea that God is glorified when people go to church or when they plant trees. God’s glory manifests everywhere; it is inescapable; humanity is, therefore, free to pursue the greatness of the lord with their own abilities, gifts, weakness, and passion without the bondage of having to live up to anything or anyone else.
In addition, from the book of Psalm 19, it can be concluded that God’s love for his glory frees human beings existentially. Human beings can be free from themselves and heed the call of glorifying the Lord and savor him forever. This act of detachment expresses or shows a form of hidden freedom. The call to serve the Lord is a goal that is much grander, larger, and more satisfying. Human beings are, therefore, able to break out of the bonds that are boring and self-absorbed to do something that is worthwhile and with that, humanity is emotionally stuffed.
God’s Love is exhibited in Rom 1:20
“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”9
According to Paul, by looking at the creation of God, human beings can easily recognize some things about Him. Humans should look at the visible things around them and what God has made; through this, they are able to conclude what is not visible around them. In comparison, Romans 1:20 is similar to Psalm 19:1-6 in that they are convincing on the understanding of nature, that is God has divine nature and eternal power.10 In the verses, Paul seems to tell people what kind of power it can take to bring the universe into existence, that kind of power only requires endless, inexhaustible, and eternal power. God was therefore bringing into existence what He loved and had a passion for.
Moreover, humanity should therefore look at creation and decide on the fact that there exists a God whom they must answer on some level. Through this biblical chapter, several attributes, as detailed by Thiessen, can be used to describe the nature of God. It can then be concluded that through the great creature and the wonderful existing things in the universe, humans experience the outpouring of God’s love. This means that God does not provide humankind with the arguments of his love; instead, He grants them a real authentic experience of His love.
Defense of God’s Love in The Moddy Hand Book of Theology by Paul Enns
Considering systematic theology as discussed by Enns, it can be considered that systematic theology is concerned with the teachings of what is true about God almighty and the universe.11 Through systematic theology, it is possible to connect, upon analysis God’s love for humanity.12 Bible is recognized as the record of the existing relationship between Mankind and God. Through the biblical knowledge of humans, God needs humanity to join the fruits of his creative acts in order to fellowship with Him. Through systematic theology, it is possible to conclude that after a few of the highest creatures rebelled against Him to the extent that they rejected his love and lured human kind into following him, God still did not reject mankind. Instead, He showed his deep love for His people by sending His only begotten song to undergo crucifixion in order to save the fallen humankind.
As per the necessity of systematic theology, Christians can come up with a clear understanding of their faith in God. Since the bible was not written following a doctrinal outline, because of this, it is necessary to systematize its parts to come up with the emphasis of the entire bible. Once the Christians have believed in the love of God through its creation, through systematic theology, they can learn how to defend their beliefs. When addressing the unbelievers and opponents of the love of God that is expressed through his attributes and essence, it is convincing to use the systematized belief. Through systematized beliefs, believers are able to address how God loves and values his creation to the extent that he does not want them to perish or suffer eternally. Through systematized doctrines, Christians can tell of the wonders in God’s creation and through this, they are able to defend historic Christianity. Therefore, through systematic theology, Christians are able to provide adequate accounts that provide proof of the existence of God’s love that is indirectly depicted from the environment or surroundings.
Since systematic theology begins with revelation and ends with eschatology, humankind should therefore love and glorify the existence of the hidden nature of God. As time goes by and humans realize the existence essence of God, through the favor that they receive from Him, they should exalt His name.13 Out of the great things that God has put into existence for the benefit of mankind, in return for that love, human beings should devote their time to worship him. The same human beings should also express their love to God by cherishing one another as creatures of one being.
Bibliography
Enns, Paul P. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Moody Publishers, 2008.
Finney, Charles Grandison. Systematic Theology. Lulu. com, 2018.
Geisler, Norman L. Systematic Theology: In one volume. Bethany House, 2011.
King James Version (Kjv). 1604.
Regoli, Natalie. Romans 1:20 Meaning of For Since the Creation of the World. Connectus fund. 2019
Thiessen, Henry Clarence. Lectures in systematic theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1979.
Footnotes
- Thiessen, Henry Clarence. Lectures in systematic theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1979.
- Thiessen, Henry Clarence. Lectures in systematic theology.
- Geisler, Norman L. Systematic Theology: In one volume. Bethany House, 2011.
- King James Version (Kjv). 1604. Web.
- Geisler, Norman L. Systematic Theology: In one volume
- King James Version (Kjv). 1604. Web.
- King James Version (Kjv). 1604.
- King James Version (Kjv). 1604. Web.
- Regoli, Natalie. Romans 1:20 Meaning of For Since the Creation of the World. Connectus fund. 2019.
- Regoli, Natalie. Romans 1:20 Meaning of For Since the Creation of the World.
- Finney, Charles Grandison. Systematic Theology. Lulu. com, 2018.
- Enns, Paul P. The Moody handbook of theology. Moody Publishers, 2008.
- Enns, Paul P. The Moody Handbook of theology.