Who Will Be God?

As most of you know, I am a prison chaplain and have been for quite some time. Much of what I do involves helping inmates discover and develop their spiritual lives. Some of what I do relates to the big picture of the Department of Corrections which includes, but is obviously not exclusive to, chaplaincy. In that sense I’m only a part of the whole. Like all other agencies within this Department, we have to work backward from the ultimate goal to determine what works and what doesn’t work in getting us to where we want to be. The goal for Corrections is to lower recidivism. When that happens fewer released inmates commit crimes and consequently there are fewer victims in the real world. I think chaplaincy helps immensely with that, but I’m biased.

The principle of working backward is vital. Much of what confuses us as Christians is the seemingly bewildering means God is using to reach whatever His goal is. But I’ve discovered that the mystery of our lives and circumstances can become much clearer if God’s ultimate goal becomes clearer; not to mention the advantage of being able to enthusiastically and intelligently cooperate with the Lord in what He’s doing. In this writing I hope to help answer two primary questions: “What it the ultimate issue in God’s creation?” and “How do our lives fit into God’s final purpose?” No sweat, right? This is Christianity 101, so please bear with anything that’s overly familiar.

Let’s begin with applying the working backward principle to interpreting the Bible. As you know, Biblical revelation is progressive. Paul understood much more than Abraham (Ephesians 3:1-5). This doesn’t mean that God loved Paul more or that Abraham wasn’t as close to God in terms of intimacy. It just means that as the millennia of human history have unfolded, God has increasingly, progressively, revealed Himself and His purpose (also see Hebrews 1:1-2). For example, it was of immense help to the writers of the New Testament to finally understand the purpose of the Law. Jesus promised that when the Spirit came, He would “guide (them) into all truth” (John 16:13), which He did. But as we know from John 16:7, the Holy Spirit could not come in this way until after Christ was glorified. If you read Galatians, Hebrews and 2 Corinthians 3:6-18 you will see a wonderful fullness of understanding around the giving of the Law as well as a clear explanation of why (thankfully) we are no longer under the Law. Our understanding both of God Himself and of His eternal purpose in creation has been progressively revealed throughout history and painstakingly recorded and preserved in the Scriptures.

The revelation of God is now complete. The book of Revelation is both the final as well as the consummate book of the Bible (Revelation 22:18). God’s goal is revealed and reached. For Him as the eternally present “I am” it’s a done deal. Since we are still trapped in time, we see the continued unfolding of God’s purpose, but we know (because of Revelation) the ultimate issue and outcome of all God’s creative and redemptive acts. Once we know where all this is going, we can make sense of the ways God is using to get us there. Understanding His ways is vital (Hebrews 3:10) but they will always remain a mystery until we understand His ultimate purpose in all He has done.

Let’s begin to explore the final outcome of the ages by looking at what is at the very end of all God’s working.

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb . . . and there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face. . .” (Revelation 22:1-4a).

After all that must be accomplished is accomplished, at the center of the universe will be a throne out of which life flows. In Scripture thrones speak of kingship, authority, dominion (Matthew 25:31 cp. Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 3:20-21; 4:2-5 cp. 12:5). At the consummation of history as eternity begins that which will characterize all God has done is represented by a throne. Why is authority the final criteria of God’s work, of God’s victory? Hasn’t He always been on the throne of heaven?

We need to go back before the beginning of the creation of our universe and of humanity. At some point in eternity past the throne of God was challenged by an angel (please read through Ezekiel 28:12-19 and Isaiah 14:12-17). Lucifer (now Satan) challenged God’s right to reign supreme and stated his own intent to assume that position of ultimate authority, “I will ascend . . .”. From that time forward, all in God’s creation have decided for themselves who will be their God. Though there may be a multitude of gods and religions (including the humanistic god of self), ultimately there are only two possibilities – Satan or God. Jesus is the only way to the Father; there is a multitude of ways to worship Satan.

This is the one thing that runs through the spiritual history of this universe. It is the thing which is behind all that is taking place on this earth in our lives. There is no such thing as secular and sacred. There is only the hidden reality of spiritual conflict for the throne. Those who stand with God wrestle not against flesh and blood (that which is seen) but against principalities and powers (that which is unseen). The Lord has revealed the meaning of humanity’s history and in the end it will be shown to be a spiritual history. Everything in our lives has immense spiritual significance because everything touches on the issue of the throne. Who will be God?

Worship is not simply a matter of singing songs; it is a position of life – a position taken by our will to stand for or against the living God. “He that is not for Me, is against Me” (Matthew 12:30). There is no neutral ground, no alternative stand. The choice to give God His rightful place touches everything we do and everything we are.

This is why, during the time of the incarnation, Satan sought above everything else to receive the worship of Jesus; “If you will worship me I will give you the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them”. To which Jesus replied as representative of God’s ultimate purpose, “Begone, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:9-10). Whether we realize it or not, this is behind all that exists or ever will exist. Every decision by every intelligent, created being stands on one of these two foundations. It is a position of life. It is a determined stand for all that is of God and a stand against all that is not of Him. Our lives show forth our position, our stand, and this stand has a powerful impact on the unseen worlds in ways that will not be wholly evident until faith becomes sight. We are in an immense cosmic conflict that began before time and ends only when, “He (Jesus) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:24).

So, do we open our worship services by singing and expressing our adoration? In part, yes. But something more significant should be there in our understanding. Whether we sing, minister, or work at our jobs, our “worship” is meant to be a challenge to the enemy and a confirmation of our desire for the supreme rights of Christ in His people. “Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end” (Ephesians 3:21). At the end of time there is no temple, no place of worship. Instead, “And I saw no temple in it; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (Revelation 21:22). Since our Lord came in His incarnation, God is no longer to be worshipped in this place or that; “neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” but “in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-23). If we say we 'go to church to worship God' (and which of us has not used that phrase?) we understand neither what the church is nor how God is worshipped.

Again, this is very personal for us. This idea of our stand for God in all that we are is the conflict of all creation. Satan has great spiritual discernment. He doesn’t care how many people gather for “public worship”. But when even one individual moves toward the exaltation of Christ by his or her life, Satan takes note and moves into action against that person. Satan is at present “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and will do all in his power to retain that position. God has determined to have unquestioned authority at the end but in our age, as the coming of the final phase of history draws near, the enemy’s challenge against that outcome continues. The victory has been won at the cross where “the prince of this world is cast out” in terms of his legal position (John 12:31), but the final application of that victory is not yet applied; the final curtain is not yet drawn on him.

Everything, every detail in the Bible, everything in the history of Man and Angels, everything in our lives personally has to be seen in the light of God’s ultimate purpose to establish “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb” as the undisputed Sovereign of the universe. The centrality of the cross is imperative in this because the cross is the great renunciation and rejection of one race of humanity under Satan just as the resurrection introduces the “First born” of a new race in Christ (Romans 9:29). When anyone makes the decision to turn to Christ from the power (authority) of Satan, that person is entered into the new humanity (Acts 26:18).

All that we see written in the Scriptures and all we experience in our own lives can only be seen in their full value if they are seen in the context of this great cosmic reality. Who will be God? When we focus on the details to the exclusion of the big picture we experience limitation, weakness, confusion, denominational agendas, etc. Our vision is limited and the consequences are severe, “there are contentions among you . . . is Christ divided?” (1 Corinthians 1:11, 13). Where there is no vision the people disintegrate, they “cast off restraint” (Proverbs 29:18); they are weakened and scattered, flying in a million different directions. There is no unity. When unity is lost, power is lost, because unity of vision and purpose is the foundation of power with God (Acts 4:32-33).

When we explore the Bible to discover this great eternal purpose and conflict even seemingly disconnected teachings on a variety of subjects throughout the Scriptures begin to make more sense. For example, why not mix wool and linen? Why not have two kinds of animals working under one yoke? God does not have any desire for mixture or impurity or hypocrisy. There must be no contradiction or inconsistency. God will allow only for absolute, final, undivided, unreserved worship of Him alone. In the end no rivals will be allowed in any realm, whether human or angelic. This is what our lives can demonstrate now, in time. This is what they are meant to demonstrate. No rival to God in our affections or obedience or worship; nothing mixed or impure or contradictory.

It doesn’t matter where you open the Bible you will touch on this eternal conflict. King Saul “. . . spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen” (1 Samuel 15:9). But “David the son of Jesse, a man after (God’s) heart, who shall do all (His) will" (Acts 13:22) replaces Saul as king. David is a king who will represent the sovereign right of God to be God. David’s life demonstrates inside history the final outcome of history. The principle of kingship under God is abandonment to the will of God over all other wills, including our own. With David and so many others it was “Not my will, but thine be done” in all things, regardless of personal cost. The stand taken by a child of God that expresses in time what will characterize the eternal state is “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” David had substantial weaknesses and failings but his heart was for God. The Lord looked at his heart and through the weakness of the flesh saw a heart that belonged to Him.

All of Satan’s activity, assault and deception have one object in view – to turn the heart of man away from the interests of God to himself, just as he did with one-third of the angelic host. He has been remarkably successful in his efforts.

“I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you . . . for I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s” (Philippians 2:19-20).

Our suffering and testing is our opportunity to declare our allegiance in spite of all the forces of hell which seek to steal away that allegiance through mistrust in our Lord: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15). In the book of Job we see both the seen and unseen cosmic battle in action. Job’s cry of faith impacted the unseen world in incredible ways, as the Lord was shown to be Job’s God and Satan was defeated in his attempt to turn Job away from Him. Satan’s ground was, once again, taken away in the history of a man from the ancient world.

As I wrote earlier, it doesn’t matter where you turn in the Scriptures, you will always, ultimately, find this challenge and conflict at the heart of everything you read. The real issue in any decision we make (including our decision for salvation) is not simply that we escape hell and are assured of heaven, but that God is established as Lord in us and Satan has lost his ground. As this continues with people being saved and the Christian growing in Christ, the Lord’s ground is enlarged and Satan’s ground shrinks. Eventually, Satan’s place will be forfeit and God will be “all in all”. May it be so in our lives now. Ultimately there will be no question as to Who is the final object of worship in this universe.

This is the great spiritual drama which God is working out in the unseen worlds. Worship is something that comes down to the very smallest details of life. Who is going to have the supreme place in us? Who will be God? When we live to the Lord, we enter into active intelligent cooperation with God in the primary thing for which we exist. We are part of something immense and vast and eternal. Everything that belongs to our Christian life has to be seen in that light, through that spiritual grid. We will struggle and lose against immorality; we will find nothing but limitation and imitation in our ministry (our “Christianity”); everything will be partial and incomplete until we live in the fullness of what God is doing. We have to be related in a living way to what He is accomplishing in the history of His creation. We are called to associate with Him in answering the prehistoric challenge to the throne of heaven. “I am come to do Thy will, O God” is the essence of worship and the mark of sonship (Hebrews 10:7). This is not just something to be considered or professed; this is a personal stand of life against all that would question the rights of God in His creation. Jesus has never been concerned with ritual or church services or human creativity; He is concerned with the immense principles which govern this universe, “Not My will, but Thy will be done” as both the foundation and increasing character of the life of God’s people.

There are two kingdoms watching us with great interest; watching every life on earth, especially those who claim Christ. Each kingdom vies for our allegiance. In the end all will have made their decision (and a million demonstrative decisions along the way). Everything we are and everything we do will ultimately be evaluated (it’s “value” determined) by how much it contributes or takes away from the ultimate purpose of God in creation. In everything we have to ask ourselves, “Where does this take me?” What does sin do but bring death? What does my version of Christianity do but bring imitation and emptiness? How can I be joined to the Lord in fullness of vision and life – in reality as over against theory? Ritual and tradition (even if contemporary in style) do not lead to fullness. Only spiritual knowledge leads to an increase of Christ in us (1 Corinthians 2:13-14). How much of His life is in this thing? Not how active or enthusiastic or busy or emotionally rewarding or entertaining is it, but how much of Christ is here? I know we like to think this is all about us, but it isn’t. It’s all about the throne and the Lamb Who will reign unrivaled for all eternity. The measure of Christ is the only measurement that heaven acknowledges. From a book entitled, “The School of Christ”,

“The mark of a life governed by the Holy Spirit is that such a life is continually and ever more and more occupied with Christ, that Christ is becoming greater and greater as time goes on. The effect of the Holy Spirit’s work in us is to bring us to the shore of a mighty ocean which reaches far, far beyond our range, and concerning which we (are overwhelmed with) the depths of Christ. If we live as long as ever man lived, we shall still be only on the fringes of this vast (wonder) that Christ is.”

“That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father.”

Philippians 2:10-11