I have been stuck on paradoxes lately. Contrary to what people's assumptions are about the definition of a paradox, the correct understanding of what a paradox is:
A seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement that is or may be true.
-or-
An assertion that is appears self-contradictory, though based on a valid deduction from acceptable premises, is or may be true.
They are not contradictions as is often the assumption.
I wrote this in an earlier blog and it bears repeating because of its importance. People just assume God created man because He was lonely. The Bible tells us that God is self-sufficient and self-existent. It is called "aseity" which is Latin for "from Himself". God does not need us or anything in the creation. The three Persons of the Trinity have existed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit eternally and are fully content and equal and each Person is fully God. There is one God. If He created us because He "needed" us, then we cannot say that God is self-existent or self-sufficient can we? It would imply God could not be happy without man. It would make Him dependant on something outside the Trinity. This idea of God is nonsense and borders on absurdity.
God created the creation and man for His glory. Glorification which had also been taking place between the Persons of the Trinity for eternity past to eternity future. ~John 17:5
Some other things that come to mind about the Trinity is the paradoxical complexity in the nature of their being: Three that are One. To a human being this is counter intuitive. How can God be three separate persons but one God? It isn’t as if this was a creation of man. In man’s logic and mind this seems impossible but there are many things that seem impossible and they only seem that way because humans are not capable of that type of thought. For things to make sense to us we need them totally quantifiable and finite. God is neither in absolute. He is knowable but not to His full extent. As long as God does not act contradictory to His nature (which He cannot) and it is His will to do so…
“…nothing will be impossible with God." ~ Luke 1:37
Since it’s true that God exists as a Trinity; Father, Son, Holy Spirit and there is a high probability that no human mind could’ve perceived this on its own…it suggests that this concept was only knowable through revelation or God revealing to man.
Additionally, when we try to apply loneliness as an attribute to God we are trying to apply a human trait to and omnipotent and omniscient God. It is applying a human shortcoming of loneliness to God. Conversely, I believe one of the main reasons man suffers from loneliness is because he was created to have a relationship with God but in our sinful nature we have been removed from this relationship until we seek justification through Jesus Christ.
There is a profound paradox in that God is self-sufficient but He created a being (man) that is not. This fact exposes itself in stark contrast when a man (like me) tries to discuss a topic about God like this. Because we are not self-sufficient we can only “depend” on God for this truth revealed in His Holy Word otherwise we could never know this for certain about Him.
The end result of our assessment of God is, as soon as we think we figured Him out, we’re wrong. We cannot figure Him out. As soon as we get there…we’re really not there at all. Words, thoughts and ideas fail in this area. What we can be certain of is the terms, words and ideas the Lord himself has revealed to us. On the other hand, God needs no knowledge from us because He is the source of knowledge. He is the source of love, goodness, and even beauty. He doesn’t need the physical universe because he is outside the creation and is a spiritual being. God is the origin of all and being so should be the focus of all that are able to focus on Him which means those that have freewill. When we turn away we are less than we could’ve been. If He turns away from us He is still fully God and always will be (and we would be condemned). One of the greatest things about God being self-sufficient is that ultimately, He is totally dependable. He is guaranteed security and we can rest comfortably in Him.
…for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. ~Phil 2:13
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