Who Created God?

"Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything" (Hebrews 3:4, CEB). 
NOTE:  WE ARE ASSUMING EVERYTHING HAS BEEN CREATED!  

This is a trick question since God is the Creator Himself, and no one else can create ex nihilo (out of naught) but Him.  The question implies God can be created or that there is a Superior Being to God in the same universe!  If God were created then He would not be Creator but created, and would not be eternal but captive to time with a beginning like us. God exists independent of the time-space continuum and therefore has no beginning (being eternal) and therefore cannot be created.   But this is the one question that led to Bertrand Russell's faith collapsing--he couldn't reconcile this.

Nothing can create itself, or it would be a contradiction in terms--both a creator and created, both existing and not existing before itself!  We know from the rules of logic that nothing can create itself nor be its own cause.  Anything that has a cause is not eternal; God is eternal, and therefore uncaused. There can be causes without a cause but not an effect without a cause--God is no effect and not a creation but the original Cause and Creator.  If someone caused God or created Him, that person would be the Creator or First Cause, Causa Prima, or Primary Mover of the cosmos--we define God as the Uncaused Cause, Uncreated Creator, Prime Mover, or Unmoved Mover.  This is His self-existence or aseity.  God is independent of everything and everyone and needs no one or nothing, not even a cause.

This is all Cosmology-101 (or dealing with causality--nothing just happens by itself!) and it demonstrates that you cannot cross infinity or infinite regress is impossible.  That means that you cannot have an endless series of finite causes, but must have a first cause to start the chain of events.  Every event has a cause (if an explosion happened, you would want to know what caused it).  According to the kalam cosmological argument for God, "everything that begins to exist has a cause"--the universe began to exist and therefore had a cause or Beginner, while God didn't begin to exist and has no cause (creator)!  But God is no event and a living Being that doesn't change, while being created implies being changed.  God is the perfect One who needs no improvement, who cannot change for the better since He's already perfect and cannot change for the worse since He is perfect and needs no change or improvement and is immutable, according to Arthur Pink.

None of us will ever have a grasp on the creative act of God and the know-how of it, but we must accept God as our Creator by faith since faith pleases God.  It is not too difficult to imagine something uncreated:  where did love come from? where did justice and righteousness come from?  what about fairness and mercy?  God is love and without love, there would be no God--that's His essence.  God needs no one and is a Law unto Himself with no one to be accountable to but Himself; i.e., He is also self-sufficient and meets all His own needs without us. He is complete in and of Himself.   If He wants something He creates it.  In this sense, God is the only free Being in the universe who can act freely and without restraint on His wants.  We are fortunate that God wants us by His grace!

By contrast, men like to say they are self-made men, but this means they worship their creator, which is themselves!  We need God--He doesn't need us!  He is our judge; we are not His judge or critic. God shares of Himself and blesses us with gifts to be used as gifts back to Him; i.e., He gives us faith as a gift to us, and what we do with it is our gift to Him!  In closing let me state that God is the Supreme Good and the standard and measure of goodness--the ultimate plumb-line.  Without God, we would not know good--where would the idea come from if not God?  And so goodness just exists as part of God's nature and it wasn't created either.          Soli Deo Gloria!

The Endless Pursuit Of Pleasure As A Goal

"If I want to know how to live in reality, I must know what God is really like." --Plato
"The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." --The Westminster Shorter Catechism, 1646  "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Tim. 1:5, NIV, emphasis added).

The Epicureans (cf. Acts 17) were known as pleasure seekers (today known as hedonism), who were essentially atheists who lived for the here and now: "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!"  (Those on this pursuit are really searching for happiness without God's input.)  This saying is actually from the Bible too (cf. Isa. 22:13; 1 Cor. 15:32; Luke 12:19).  In the worldview of Secular Humanism, one does just that without living in light of eternity as the Christian.  When you remove God from religion or the equation and live for self as the dynamic of one's life, all that's left to relate to is man as "the measure of all things" and this life to think about: no hell to shun, no divine Law to obey, no heaven to prepare for nor to expect and hope for.  They don't take any responsibility for their actions, good or evil since they deny Judgment Day and any divine accountability.

This is where Christianity breaks with Secularism and Hedonism:  they want believers to get out of their pants and stop interfering with their own mores and values, which they see as relative or unknowable, even nonexistent.  The Bible clearly states we are mere stewards of all the resources God has granted us in this life and will be rewarded or judged accordingly; i.e., vis-a-vis our works and that which is done in the flesh.  The Epicureans weren't seekers of maximum physical pleasure though, but what they deemed optimum pleasure--a point of contentment and balance, even of intellectual pleasure to boot. NB:  Didn't Solomon experience the vanity of intellectual pursuits, obsession with possessions or materialism, and sensual or sexual pleasure-seeking for fulfillment? If you seek pleasure, you'll never find it--seeking God it's part of the package.

The mature Christian (and when Paul "became a man he put away childish things") doesn't live for pleasure-seeking, but for a purpose, meaning, and fulfillment in Christ as he brings glory to Christ through a life of good deeds that are foreordained.  He doesn't dwell on just "having fun" as some people are focused on and feel their day is wasted if they got none!  Specifically, he would rather be doing the Lord's work than spending the day at Disney World!  Don't get me wrong: there is a degree of pleasure watching one's children grow up and enjoy themselves and there is vicarious fun. 

But how many parents would go there by themselves without the kids?  Most vacations are heavy on relaxation, withdrawal, and recreation, not having fun in a conventional way. The Christian defines fun in a lot different manner than do children and may think it's fun to have a fruitful conversation.  The Bible says in Ecclesiastes that man is meant to find enjoyment in his labor and in his eating.  The believer's so-called fun is much more sophisticated and is basically R & R so that he is up to getting back to doing the Lord's work or fulfilling his calling.

But the believer doesn't make pleasure-seeking the goal or purpose of his life and doesn't feel left out if he didn't have all the fun he felt entitled to--felt needs are often ignored by God.   The whole Christian walk is to be one of abundance and fulfillment in Christ and we are complete in Him.  In contrast, it's the job of kids to play and have fun, they are not mature enough to know the fulfillment of finding the image of Christ in work and doing God's will. 

The more we understand who we are in Christ, the more focused we who know our God can "be strong and do exploits" (cf. Dan. 11:32).  In a way, all play of childhood is merely a foreshadow of what the work-world is like when one has found his higher calling.  One may wonder where some believers get their drive, and the only answer is that they know the Lord and are purpose-driven, not fun-driven for our emotions and feelings can be deceptive and mislead us.

This is where the Protestant work ethic enters the equation and one actualizes his potential in Christ to the full.  Luther restored dignity to all labor, not just the noble pursuits and we must realize we are a creature not made or hard-wired for idleness, but meant to walk with Christ in a joy-filled life; i.e., "rejoice in the Lord always" (cf. Phil. 4:4).   On the other hand, the believer must beware not to be all work and no play, so to speak, and to be no fun, neither the party-pooper nor necessarily the life of the party either; however, things go better with Christ!  Our pleasure ought to be in God!

CAVEAT:  SATAN WILL ENTICE US WITH HIS DELICACIES AND IF WE FALL IN LOVE WITH THE WORLD AND WHAT IT HAS TO OFFER, IT DIMINISHES OUR APPETITE FOR THE SPIRITUAL AND DIVINE AND WE BECOME SPIRITUALLY HANDICAPPED.  

In sum, when one seeks pleasure it eludes him, but when one seeks God pleasure is a byproduct and blessing.  In the final analysis, we all must take stock of what drives us, what our pleasure is, what motivates us, and what inspires us and gives us a reason to live--taking a spiritual inventory or checkup; can man survive without God in the picture?      Soli Deo Gloria!  

The Prototype Sin...

"But sin took advantage of this law and aroused all kinds of forbidden desires with me!  If there were no law, sin would not have that power [to foment what it prohibits]" (Rom. 8:8, NLT).  

"... [S]in is crouching at the door.  Its desire is for you, but you must not let it" (Gen. 4:7, HCSB). 
[sin is ready to destroy you, but don't' let it!]  

The New England Primer begins:  "In Adam's fall, we sinned all."  This references original sin in the Garden of Eden--the result of this first sin.  We are all subsequently "in Adam" and live out our solidarity in Adam experientially; it's the only doctrine that can be proved, said G. K. Chesterton in a tongue-in-cheek manner.  Yes, Adam and Eve jointly connived and plotted to take of the forbidden fruit, otherwise known as the proverbial apple, which was the only rule and off-limits.  I'm not saying they had aforethought or it was a premeditated act, but the sin had been hatching and this only incubated it.  They were indeed vulnerable and Satan took advantage of their weaknesses.

All sin has its root in this prototype sin that prefigures all our rebellion in one notorious and infamous act.  Adam acted as the head of the human race and that is why we are accountable and culpable as being represented by our race in Adam.  Likewise, in Christ, we are saved as the head of the new man.  It is worth noting in passing that Eve was deceived and Adam joined her revolt against God's authority knowingly and willingly.

In being in Adam, we are only capable of sin and not righteousness in God's eyes and are not as bad as we can be, but merely as bad off as we can be; we are as far from the kingdom of God as possible and need to repent and believe the gospel to be restored.  Salvation is a reconciliation with God or brings back ourselves into the right relationship with God that we should enjoy with Him.  The fellowship had been severed and broken as Adam broke faith with God in the covenant of works in the Garden of Eden.  Ever since man has had an alienation from God, being estranged from communion and a slave to his sinful nature. Jesus acts as the intercessor and mediator of a New Covenant of grace.   This depravity is the result of the original sin and is God's estimation of man, not man's own estimation of himself--for he may think he's all right.  The problem with man is that he doesn't see his own sin!

To be good we must see how bad we are (this is the catch-22) and to see how bad we are we must try to be good.  We all have feet of clay (sin not so readily apparent). But salvation is a work of grace transforming the heart of man from stone to flesh, making him willing to do God's will.  God can make the unwilling willing and causes us to believe.  We are not elected because God foresees faith (which would be meritorious), but elected unto faith as a gift.   We are all a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; i.e., we all have a dark side no one sees, but God.  God may expose us for what we are to make us have a spiritual wake-up call.

The first sin in a perfect environment prefigured all sins and we all would've done the same and dittoed Adam and followed suit.  It has been delineated:  He spurned God's grace; contradicted His truth; rejected His authority; disputed His wisdom; repudiated His justice; and resisted His grace.  Adam was not choosing evil over good even though the tree was called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, he was choosing his way over God's way and to find fulfillment outside of God's plan for him.  He became selfish and saw things as they relate to him, not God's glory.

What is so sad is that we all confirm ourselves in Adam's sin and do the same thing--eating our forbidden fruit and apple of wisdom.  We all can say that there are things we wish we hadn't seen or heard.  We have lost the innocence of our own volition and it cannot be retrieved.  Consequently, we are all born in sin, and the slave to our "old sin nature" and can only be set free by the Son of God who is Jesus Christ.   In the meantime, Christians are justified sinners (cf. Gal. 2:17) or possessing a dual nature--in the nature of the old man Adam and the new man Christ. We are declared righteous, not made righteous! 

Ever since Adam, we have a legacy and virus of sin--our birthright!  Adam declared independence from God's sovereign plan.  Defying God's plan, we have all broken faith in the Designer.  We are not inherently good, but evil and not ever good enough to be saved, but bad enough to need salvation.  Jesus sees through the veneer of our guise or semblance of righteousness (even hypocrisy and sanctimoniousness) and knows we all have feet of clay or flaws not readily apparent.  We all see the good and don't do it because of this slavery to sin--"Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" (Cf. Rom. 7:24).  It's no use just giving us rules to keep; we cannot keep them! We never ceased to be human but ceased to be good, inclined to please God.

In fact, every part of our nature and essence is tainted with sin:  our wills are stubborn, our thoughts are evil, and our conscience is corrupt, our minds are defective, and feelings selfish--every part of us needs salvation (intellect, emotion, will or heart, soul and mind).  We went from creation to corruption!  We all even stand self-condemned and in need of grace and mercy from God--and since we are great sinners, He is a great Savior.   In sum, we are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners; i.e., we're born in sin enslaved, not free to become set free in Christ.  Only Christ can set us free!     Soli Deo Gloria! 

Lust At Ninety-Percent Containment

"'I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully [with desire] at a young woman'" (Job 31:1, NIV).

Wildfires may be considered under control when 90-percent contained (this fails the plumb line of God and we must not be weighed in the balance and found wanting--NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOD!) but we must have absolutely pure minds that are 100-percent contained from the fires of immorality to be pleasing in God's eyes not ever guilty of playing with fire.  We must never let up and think we've got it under control once tempted--we'll always overestimate our self-control or virtue. 

By definition, lust is an unnatural or excessive desire and it can be manifested in multiple ways.  We need fire per se, by analogy, but it must be fully contained and harnessed for good.  The best proactive procedure is to flee all immorality and don't even test your limits or even go there thinking you may be able to control yourself.  We're all in the same boat and have our breaking point, much more, the devil knows our weaknesses.

In other words, don't play with fire or even matches!  There's no such thing as a small wildfire that poses no threat--they're all potential hazards to public safety:  When the damage of lost innocence is done and is permanent.  The only hope is to rebuild or let Christ transform your life with a new beginning, who can WIPE the slate clean and help us rebuild and begin anew from the inside out--the principle that we are not punished for our sins, but by them, resonates and RINGS SO TRUE.

People tend to think that God's so-called rules on sexuality are too binding and not up to date or even obsolete by modern standards.  But God made these rules for our own good and what was wrong at the time of Moses is still wrong!  Morality is not relative to culture and situation but is absolute and universal, applying to everyone all the time. Is it any wonder a woman feels violated by male, predatory, sexual advances against her will and unsolicited?  Sexual assault destroys innocence that leaves a permanent stain on one's psyche and soul.

 Sometimes it all begins with a fling or affair that seems so innocent or even platonic, and then the compromising position or situation presents itself and the rest spins out of control, beyond the point of no return.  The best inoculation is to be prepared, but knowing right from wrong and not letting yourself be put in such situations in the first place.  Don't think that your affair is innocent because you are wiser or more experienced than others or you know your limits and boundaries!

The world will tell you, "Turn on, tune in, drop out!" like Dr. Timothy Leary propagated in the 60s.  And "The Summer of Love" (1967) with the "sexual revolution" has not changed God's litmus test of purity--unstained from the world--these are mandated not suggestions!  The thing about purity and innocence is that you don't lose it by accident or fortuitously, but by one's own volition.  It's an overt act of the will succumbing to Satan's agenda and program.  The world will tell you that we are nothing but animals in heat, seeking pleasure, and avoiding pain!  But the Bible gives a bigger picture with God in the equation. If we are taught we are animals; is it any wonder we act like them?  But we are in God's image and the only creature responsible to God for our actions: we will stand judgment meeting our Maker one on one.

We must never play with fire or test our limits, for we are not strong enough to fight the onslaught of Satan ourselves once we've given in to temptation.  We all tend to overestimate ourselves and think we are strong enough, but we are testing God too, who always provides a way out to escape it so that we have no excuse (cf. 1 Cor. 10:13).  The best defense is a good offense, which is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.   We must always maintain a divine point of view and see it as God would, through His eyes, not the world's.  We need to approach the fire of the world with the fire of the Spirit!  Fight fire with fire!  If we do get exposed even we may not walk away without a first-degree burn or temporary setback.   But God is able to heal and we must not lose focus on our Creator who knows us and didn't design us for immorality or promiscuity for our own good.

"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life," according to Proverbs 4:23, KJV.    God has given us a message to proclaim to the world as salt and light and we must not jeopardize our testimony by sinning against the body, which sexual immorality is.  We have to choose purity to get it; the choice isn't automatic or made for us.  We must avoid any destructive lifestyle by allowing ourselves to be in compromising positions.   In other words, we must "walk worthy of our Lord" (cf. Eph. 4:1) for our bodies are not our own but have been bought (cf. 1 Cor. 6:20).   We are to seek "holiness, without which no one will see the Lord"(cf. Heb. 12:14). Moral laxity is always wrong.

The problem with immortality is that people don't know their own weaknesses and how to protect themselves.  The end result is never just bittersweet, an understatement because there are always consequences; the end result is reaping what we sow, for God always disciplines His children.  In other words, the best policy is zero tolerance with yourself--don't even experiment to see what you can get away with! Don't get too close to the "fire" because you're curious either--you will get burned--or too close for comfort!   Finally, going against God's perfect design for mankind breaks faith the Designer Himself.  FINAL CAVEAT AND WORD TO THE WISE:  "...But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door.  Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it" (Gen. 4:7, HCSB).   Soli Deo Gloria!