“Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Revelation 1:18
It has been well, and simply said that we should never “…put God in a box.” What does this mean? It means that which God was seeking to communicate to Job, to make him understand, when He asked Job this question: “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.” (Job 38:4) Here we have the great and eternal Potter, speaking to the little, finite piece of clay. His purpose in asking the question is to save Job from the prison of his littleness, and his unique capacity to “put God in a box,” limiting Him by a very small understanding of HIs nature and ways. Such has always been an issue with small man, especially sinful man. He possesses the remarkable ability to think he is something when he is nothing in comparison with God. He thinks he can understand the Almighty, and the greatness of His works. And yet, the whole of Scripture declares every day, and in an infinite manner, that God is God, and man is man. The Creator and Redeemer IS the Almighty God who revealed Himself to Abraham, and the very One who would later unveil His nature to the nation of Israel by declaring to them that His name was: I AM THAT I AM. If the knowledge of a part of this mystery of Christ, the hidden truth of the greatness and holiness of God were not enough, the Lord Jesus, during His ministry on earth would declare: “…before Abraham was I AM.” (Jn. 8:58) The Lord confirms and summarizes the revelation of Himself in the book of Revelation by declaring, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.” (1:8) How can mortal man, a creation of God, a sinner by nature, who defies God and in whom is nothing good, except that which God gives, pretend to understand the great mysteries of God, and especially those things hidden from the foundation of the world? His understanding of spiritual things that are true, and which God will bless, comes not from the depths of his intellect, but from the revelation of God by the Spirit to his heart and mind. This is why man must not put God in box of his own imagination, leaning unto his own understanding, but be utterly dependent upon the Spirit of God to reveal the truth of God according to the Scriptures to his own heart. If we would understand and follow Christ, then we must all come to the foot of His cross to look up and see how different is the Son of God from fallen man, even the believing, saved soul.
There is revealed in that scene of the cross both God’s judgement upon all that is not of God, and the revelation of the way by which God provides for lost man, an access into heaven itself, to know God. In the blessed realm of the kingdom of God, where Christ reigns supreme, there is the liberty of the Spirit to reveal the things of God to man, lifting him up from the depths of his depravity, and elevating him to become what he is, a new creation in Christ, a temple of the living God, in whom, and through whom, the beauty and glory of God is to be revealed on earth, as it is in heaven. Why then speak of God being the great Original? In His works He never begins with “man,” and his limitations, when it comes to the unveiling of His glory. God caters not to the whims and fantasies of men, nor to their petty wishes and desires. Christ comes to bring Life and Power, lowliness and meekness, goodness and faithfulness, true love, joy, and peace. God is original in that He does His unique, wonderful work, His way, in His time, for His glory.
Dear Father, Grant us Thy originality. In Jesus’ name, Amen.