Oct 30 2007
Paradox
When Moses was speaking with the Lord in the story of the burning bush Moses asked God a question. “Whom shall I say sent me?”, to which God replied “Tell them I AM sent you” (my paraphrase) Most scholars believe this response was given because there is nothing like God, he is completely holy or separate. He cannot be compared to any other being or creature. His otherness is simply too much for our minds to grasp. In essence He is unknowable.
It may seem paradoxical then that God’s end purpose for this world is to make Himself known among His creation. He desires for every tongue, tribe and nation to know Him. He even gives specific commands in the scriptures for us that are impossible if we don’t know Him, ie “love the Lord thy God….”etc. The Bible even says that we can know Him in His fullness. We can fellowship with Him, worship Him and experience him. Therefore, there is a God whom you can know and yet who is completely unknowable. Sound like a paradox to you?
If our relationship with God rests in what we view as a paradox then the situation itself proclaims the holiness of God and further proves that God is completely other. We, as humans, see a paradox as something that is not resolvable. However, God sees it as an opportunity to display His Glory. We are restrained by the bounds of a paradox. Therefore the act of making Himself known proves God’s otherness simply because He is not restrained by the situation like we are.
In making Himself known God displays His Holiness. Do you wanna know why I get so mad when I hear people say things like “Jesus is my homeboy” or “Jesus is pimptastic” or “I think Jesus was Hot” Because they do not understand the holiness of God. Yes, it is true that Jesus is our friend and we do have a personal relationship with Him, but the fact that we are even able to have a relationship with Him is proof enough that He is not bound by human parameters.
Furtheremore, it proves He is HOLY and thus we should not treat Him as common. We should honor Him, cherish Him, love Him, and esteem Him highly simply because he is worthy of it. The question then arises how is God able to accomplish this. How has greatest being in the universe who is seemingly unknowable made himself accessible to humanity. The answer, He became like us in the person of Jesus Christ not only to make propitiation for sin but to also display the attributes of His Nature, Character, Being, and Glory. He has even conveyed in His Son the fullness of the Godhead. Everything is summed up in the person of Christ. He is our mediator and ultimately our paradox breaker.
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