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Creation Bears God’s Signature: The True God Exposed Among False Gods | John Calvin · Reformed Thinking

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Reform thinking. Welcome to this deep dive.
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We've been handed a stack of sources, some key excerpts from
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John Calvin's systematic discussion, and they require a
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pretty thorough look at how we understand creation, the
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physical world, and, well, the invisible spiritual realm too.
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That's right. And for you, the learner, the
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mission today is pretty critical.
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We're trying to get some intellectual clarity of a God,
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the maker. We have to move past these, you
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know, abstract and kind of vague descriptions of the divine.
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The kind you hear all the time. Oh yeah, generalized spiritual
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concepts like calling God the mind of the universe or some, I
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don't know, philosophical source of being.
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It's too fuzzy. We're looking for substance, the
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specific guy, the one who's actually revealed himself.
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We want that that intimate understanding of him as this
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specific maker and founder of the universe.
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The sources are really focused on distinguishing this true
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creator from all the the monstrous fables and false
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deities that have always tried to chip away at his unique
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sovereignty. And this systematic approach is
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really the only way to do it. It helps frame the existence of
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absolutely everything, whether it's visible to our eyes or
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invisible to our senses, all within the comprehensive control
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of the one true God. The faith of the Church has to
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rest on this definite foundation, which is that we
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seek no other God than the 1 Moses puts forth in the history
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of creation. If we lose that historical
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grounding speculation just it immediately takes over.
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OK, let's establish that grounding then we'll begin at
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the very beginning with the creation account itself.
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Yeah. What's the initial overriding
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lesson that Calvin wants us to draw from God's act of creation?
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Why was this history, this, you know, the timeline laid out for
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us in such detail? The first lesson, and we see
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this right away in the first source, is that the history of
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creation was made manifest for one simple reason, really, so
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that the faith of the Church resting on it would seek no
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other God. It's a defensive measure in a
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way. It is.
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It's a direct firewall against the chaos of false religion.
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When the specific act of creation is detailed like that,
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it automatically pushes back against those monstrous fables
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like the ones that were popular in Egypt, which you know, they
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tended to either turn created things into gods or just deny
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the origin of matter entirely. So the creation count is less
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about giving us a scientific textbook and more about
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providing a solid theological distinction.
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It shows God's eternity and his specific action in time.
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Precisely. We need that clear image of the
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eternal Creator set before for us, because without it, our
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human wit and the Source calls it our slowness and dullness.
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We'll just immediately start to wander.
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We're given the narrative of creation to fix our minds on a
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God who acts in time even though he exists outside of it.
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But Speaking of time, this brings us right to one of the
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oldest and I think most persistent challenges to faith.
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The sources call it the envious scoff.
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This is the question about God's timing.
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Why did God wait so long? Why let you know almost 6000
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years pass before founding heaven and earth?
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If he's eternal, why would he allow an immeasurable time to
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just pass away idly? And this specific question is
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identified as the root of wantonness.
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We should probably define that word for our listeners.
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It's not just playing around. It means a kind of reckless,
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unbridled self indulgence, an intellectual license.
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A refusal to accept limits. Exactly.
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And that license is what drives people to wicked and hurtful
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speculations. They start to assume that God
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has to operate on the same kind of timetable that we do.
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So when we asked what was God doing before creation, we're
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basically criticizing divine efficiency based on our own
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human measurements of time. You've got it.
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The source is exceptionally clear on the boundary we have to
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respect. It says it is neither lawful nor
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expedient for us to ask why God delayed.
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The moment the human mind tries to push that far, it's just
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guaranteed to fail 100 times over.
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It's a road to nowhere. It's a road to intellectual ruin
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because we're trying to force God's self revelation into
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categories that he has deliberately left empty for us.
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And this is where we find that, well, that very severe but maybe
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necessary counterexample, the one that acts as an immediate
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check on that intellectual arrogance, the pious old man
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who, when asked what God had done before creation, said God
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had been building hell for the curious.
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It's a grave warning for sure, and it serves A definite
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theological purpose. It teaches us that God in His
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wisdom purposely willed for His secret purposes to be hidden on
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this matter. It's a test of our moderation of
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faith, our. Faith is supposed to be
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restrained. It is.
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It's not helpful for us to know those secrets, and the pursuit
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of that answer, which is driven by that wantonness, can lead to
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some really dreadful spiritual ruin.
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We're being warned here, and if we choose to indulge our own
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intellectual license instead, we're ignoring that warning.
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So this entire discussion is really about recognizing and
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respecting divine limits. And we see this limitation not
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just with time, the infinite duration before the world, but
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also with space. Augustine warned against this
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too. He did.
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Augustine correctly warns against raising questions about
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immeasurable stretches of time or space.
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You can try to imagine a void that exceeds the heavens A
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hundredfold, but trying to imagine the limits of space or
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what's beyond them is just as futile and frankly detestable to
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the godly mind. And people who complain about
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God's perceived idleness are just leaping into that same kind
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of speculative madness. They.
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Are the advice is pretty simple. Willingly accept the boundary
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that God has willed to, as the Source puts it, pen up our
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minds. Why is staying inside those
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bounds so critical for our spiritual health?
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Because the world itself already provides sufficient evidence for
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us, we have to remember that in this vast circle of heaven and
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earth there are already enough things that present themselves
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to just to engross all our senses with this
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incomprehensible brightness. We don't need more data.
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We don't. Within the world's duration, the
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6000 years, or however long God is appointed, He's already shown
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enough evidence to exercise our minds in earnest meditation.
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We don't need to know the unrevealed past or future limits
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of the cosmos to find Him trustworthy today.
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Our gaze has to be fixed on what is revealed.
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That reframing helps us move from the moment of creation to
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the process. It's not about ignoring
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complexity. It's about acknowledging that we
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have enough. So if God is so powerful, what's
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the theological meaning of the six days?
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Why didn't he just speak it all into existence in a single
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moment? The source explains this was
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done with a very definite intent.
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The work was completed not in a moment, but was spread over six
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days for a couple of reasons, and both are aimed at the
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believer. First, God distributed the works
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that we wouldn't find it irksome to occupy our whole life in
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contemplating His work. So if it was just a single
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overwhelming flash, you'd be too much for our minds to even
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process. Way too much.
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The six days serve as an intellectual and spiritual
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structure. It paces the revelation of
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creation so we can meditate on it our whole lives.
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It makes the world a kind of living, unfolding book, a
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systematic contemplation. It's a Lesson plan.
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It is, and the second part is just as vital.
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It reveals God's fatherly love. The sheer goodness of God toward
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mankind is shown in the deliberate order of creation.
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This is where the systematic approach becomes intensely
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personal. God did not create Adam until
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after He had lavishly prepared the entire universe for him.
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Right. The key is that he waited.
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He waited until the house was fully furnished before moving in
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the air. A diligent architect, he set up
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the sun and stars for human uses, filled the earth and
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waters and air with living things, and brought forth an
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abundance of fruits to be our food.
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By doing this, by taking on the responsibility of a foreseeing
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and diligent father of the family, God shows His wonderful
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goodness toward us. Let's stick with that metaphor
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for a second. The foreseeing and diligent
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father. What would it have implied if
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God had created Adam on day one? You know, before light, before
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food, before there was any order.
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Well, if God had placed Adam in an earth that was still sterile
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and empty, or given him life before he had even brought forth
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the light, the creation story would have seemed to show God
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providing insufficiently for the welfare of his chief creature.
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The six days make sure that we understand that God is not only
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the potent Creator who could have done it all at once, but
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that He's also the loving, preparatory Father who acts with
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deliberate prior kindness. So it sets the stage for trust
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and it kind of undermines our anxiety.
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If the father prepared everything, even the stars, in
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the seasons when we were still unborn, then surely He'll
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provide for our daily needs now that we're his children.
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Absolutely. This entire narrative, as Moses
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presents it, is meant to give us a clear, definite image of God's
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eternal wisdom and spirit. It ensures we don't conjure up
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some other, you know, distant or indifferent God, but the
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specific Provident one who was revealed in that image.
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And since we're talking about the full scope of God's creative
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work, both seen and unseen, we have to turn to the spiritual
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realm. This means we need to look at
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angels. We discussed them for very
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practical theological reasons. OK, what are those reasons?
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Well, both to refute common errors about their status and to
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fully appreciate God's scope of works, which, you know, it
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extends far beyond what our own eyes can see.
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I can see why that's necessary. The doctrine of angels seems to
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be an area where human reason, when it's left unchecked, just
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immediately slips into error. What are the major theological
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pitfalls we need to guard against when it comes to their
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status as created beings? There are two main perils.
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The first one is the elevation of angels.
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Angels have this natural preeminence and magnificence.
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Their brilliance can easily overwhelm the human mind, and
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that leads people to falsely attribute divinity to them.
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They start to think of them as more than just messengers.
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Right. They think these glorious
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creatures are somehow wronged if they're subjected only to the
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authority of the one God. And so they transfer honor
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that's owed to God alone. Worship prayer to these
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creatures instead. And we've seen that error creep
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into the church historically, blurring the line between
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worship and veneration. We have and.
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The second error is more ancient and cosmological, and it's tied
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to the problem of evil Manichaeism.
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The source calls this a madness, this idea of fashioning 2
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eternal principles. God who is the author of good
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and the devil, who is given self existence and is the author of
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all evil natures and evil matter.
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That's a critical distinction. If we give self existence or Co
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eternity to the devil, we're basically crowning him with the
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title of divinity. We're making him an uncreated
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power opposing God. And that's the danger.
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If we allowed that kind of dualism, God's singular glory in
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the creation of the universe would be fragmented because
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eternity and self existence belong to God alone.
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The true reputation is found in the Orthodox faith, which says,
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which says evil does not spring from creation.
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God made all things good. Instead, evil springs entirely
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from the corruption of nature. It arises from the revolt and
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fall of creatures, whether we're talking about man or angels.
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So from the beginning, everything that existed was an
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example of God's wisdom and righteousness.
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When the Nicene Creed calls God the creator of all things, it
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makes a specific point of mentioning invisible things.
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Was that mentioned put in there specifically to counter these
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kinds of errors? It was It forces us to lift our
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minds higher than our eyes can reach to acknowledge God's full,
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comprehensive, sovereign creation.
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It forces us to admit that angels, devils, and all
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spiritual entities are creatures and therefore subordinate, and
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that God is the Author of light, not of darkness.
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That theological groundwork brings us right to the rule for
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studying angels. It's a rule of sobriety.
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Since they are created beings, we can't just speculate freely
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about them. What exactly does this rule of
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modesty require from us? It requires absolute discipline.
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We have to hold to one rule of modesty and sobriety not to
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speak or guess about obscure matters.
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Anything except what God's Word has actually given to us, the
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Spirit only talks about what is true and profitable for our
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edification. That is what strengthens our
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faith and guides our practice. Anything beyond that is just a
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distraction. And this rule immediately
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dismisses a huge amount of what's been written about angels
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over the centuries. We have to reject these empty
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speculations about their nature, their precise orders, their
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number, even if those topics are, as the source says,
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greedily seized upon by curious people who love complexity.
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This is where we see a theological judgment delivered
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against figures like Dionysius, the writer of the Celestial
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Hierarchy. The source admits he was subtle
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and skilled, but his work is judged to be nothing but talk
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and foolish wisdom. Why foolish?
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Because Dionysius categorized angels into these 9 elaborate
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orders, Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, dominions and so on
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based on highly philosophical extra biblical speculation and.
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Why is that kind of detailed philosophical list so dangerous?
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Because it shifts the focus from Christ to his dazzling, complex
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hierarchy. The theologians real job is to
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strengthen consciences by teaching things that are true,
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sure and profitable, things that anchor our hope.
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When you divert people's ears with that kind of complex
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chatter, this endless philosophical taxonomy, you
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distract the believer from the simple, useful truth.
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It's a waste of time and a source of error.
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And the ultimate example of restraint, as the source notes,
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is Paul himself. Even after being caught up to
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the 3rd heaven, he said nothing about what he saw.
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He testified that it was unlawful to speak of those
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secrets. That is the highest standard of
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sobriety. If Paul, who witnessed the
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secrets of the heavenly place, stayed silent, who are we to
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indulge in endless guessing games about the nature of a
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spirit? We're called to bid farewell to
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that foolish wisdom and rely only on the simple, practical
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teaching of Scripture about the angels service to us.
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OK, so if we rely only on scripture, then what do the
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names given to angels, the names that are revealed for our
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edification? What do they actually teach us
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about their function and role? Scripture focuses entirely on
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their function as it relates to two things, God's decrees and
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the welfare of his people. They're called celestial
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spirits, whose service God uses to carry out all the things he
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has decreed. They are the Lord's messengers
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and administrators. So they are agents of his will.
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Right. They're also called hosts
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because they surround the divine Majesty like bodyguards surround
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a Prince. They're ready and able to carry
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out commands. Ever intend on their leaders
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standard? This adorns God's majesty.
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So hosts implies readiness and a kind of military structure under
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a single commander. What about the various specific
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titles like Virtues, Principalities and Dominions?
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Those terms point to the power that God delegates through them.
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They're called virtues because the Lord sets forth his
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miraculous strength and efficiency through their work in
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the world. The terms principalities,
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powers, and dominions signify that God exercises and
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administers His authority in the world through their ministry.
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They are, in a sense, God's appointed governmental agents
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over the affairs of the earth. And the sources even mentioned
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that they were called gods in some passages.
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That sounds like a a dangerous level of honor given what we
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said earlier about elevation. It is an honor, but it's
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entirely derived and delegated. They're not divine.
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They're called gods because they are vice gerants of God.
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We can translate that as delegated authorities or
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representatives. It just means that the
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brightness of the divine glory shines forth much more richly in
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them than it does in earthly Princess.
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But it's a reflection, not the source of the light.
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Not the source. The purpose is still to direct
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our minds to the original source of all authority.
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The overwhelming sense I'm getting is that the function of
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angels is directed entirely outward.
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They are the means by which God administers His decrees in the
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world and specifically deals with His children.
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And that leads directly to the primary doctrine Scripture
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insists upon for our consolation and the strengthening of our
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faith. Angels as protectors and helpers
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of believers. They are the dispensers and
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administrators of God's beneficence toward us.
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This doctrine is given to comfort us and our
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vulnerability. The sources cite some really
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strong assurances about our safety.
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Scripture doesn't treat this as just an occasional thing, but as
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a settled truth. That's right, it insists that
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they keep vigil for our safety, directing our ways and making
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sure no harm befalls US. Psalm 91 says that God has
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commanded his angels to guard us in all our ways.
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And Psalm 34 says the Angel of Lord rescues those who fear him.
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God delegates His protection to these organized servants to make
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His care tangible even when it's invisible.
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And we see this delegation happening throughout the
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scriptures. Many, many examples confirm
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this. An Angel consoled Hagar in the
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wilderness. An Angel guided Abraham's
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servant to find a bride for Isaac.
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An Angel protected the camps of Israel in Exodus.
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And most dramatically, when Jerusalem was under siege, a
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single Angel slew 195,000 in the Assyrian camp in one night.
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This ministry even extends to Christ himself, who is served by
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angels in his temptations. This historical evidence
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confirms their active, powerful and physical involvement in
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human affairs. This abundance of protection
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brings up a really common belief, the idea of a single
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individual guardian Angel assigned to each person.
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What is the systematic treatment in our sources say about this
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popular doctrine? It advises caution.
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The author says he dares not affirm this with confidence.
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While Christ's words about children's angels always
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beholding the Father's face might hint that the safety of
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the Church's youngest members has been committed to certain
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angels, we can't definitively infer from that that each
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individual has the perpetual, dedicated protection of his own
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Angel. Why is the distinction so
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important? I mean, does it matter if it's
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one Angel or many? It matters a great deal
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actually, because the care if each believer is not the task of
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1 Angel only. If we limit God's care to a
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single Angel, we are minimizing the scope of His Providence.
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The sources assert that all the heavenly hosts, with one
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consent, watch over our salvation.
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All of them, all of them. They all rejoice over the
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repentance of 1 Sinner. Angels collectively bore
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Lazarus's soul to Abraham's bosom.
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When Elisha showed his servant the mountain, it was filled with
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fiery Chariots and horses. A whole host, not a single
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horseman. But the example from Acts 12,
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when Peter Knox and the people inside say it is his Angel
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that's often used as the key proof text for the individual
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guardian. It is, but the systematic view
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offers a more careful interpretation.
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That phrase may simply refer to any Angel the Lord had assigned
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for that temporary task of deliverance and care, not
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necessarily Peter's perpetual personal guardian.
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So of special assignment, not a permanent post.
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Exactly. The sources conclude that those
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who insist on confining God's care to 1 Angel are doing a
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great injustice both to themselves and to all the other
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members of the church. They reduce the promise of the
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entire host supporting and protecting us, and they render
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that broader promise idle. The scope of the promise should
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be maximized for our comfort, not minimized by speculation.
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OK, let's go back to the problem of existence for a moment.
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Earlier we noted the Sadducees error of denying that angels had
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a literal, distinct reality. They saw them as just good
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impulses or abstract manifestations of God's power.
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How do we confirm that they are real, distinct beings?
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We have to hold it as a fixed certainty that angels are
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ministering spirits with a real existence.
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They're not just ideas or emotions.
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The sources compile a lot of evidence for their reality.
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I mean, if they were just impulses, how could scripture
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mention them? Indefinite numbers like
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thousands and legions, right? How could joy be attributed to
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them and Luke? Joy requires consciousness and
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personality. How could they physically carry
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Lazarus's soul to rest or be physically present at the final
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judgement as Matthew confirms it?
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Sounds like more than enough proof, but the clearest
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theological statement seems to come from that comparison in the
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letters of the Hebrews. It does.
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The author of Hebrews argue strongly that Christ was made
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more excellent than the angels, and assume the nature not of
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them, but of men. That comparison is logically
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meaningless unless angels are distinct, objective, blessed
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spirits. If they were just impulses, the
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whole argument falls apart. It would be absurd.
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It would mean Christ just assumed a stronger emotion.
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Paul's charge to Timothy before Christ and his chosen angels
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also requires that the angels be true, distinct spirits, not just
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qualities without substance. Ignoring their actual existence
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leaves people vulnerable because they fail to prepare for real
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spiritual intervention, both good and bad.
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So we've established their reality and their purpose, which
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is to serve God's decrees and protect us.
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But this brings us back to the greatest peril.
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We talked about the danger of superstition.
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How do we make sure our devotion to their ministry doesn't slide
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into outright worship, which is idolatry?
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We have to constantly resist the impulse of superstition, which,
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you know, it creeps in the moment human reason is given
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free rein. This impulse leads people to
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attribute things that are owed to God and Christ alone to the
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angels. The moment we start thinking
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they're owed honor beyond their status as creatures, we are in
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deep theological trouble. And this was the theological
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fight Paul had with the Colossians, right?
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Correcting their tendency toward Angel worship.
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Paul urged with great solicitude that Christ is not only to be
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preferred above angels, but he's the author of all the good
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things the angels themselves have.
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They are not self-sufficient sources of grace.
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They draw from the same stream that we do.
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And the danger is so real that even the apostle John.
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Even John, in his revelation he confessed that he fell down in
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adoration before an Angel, but was immediately told, you must
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not do that. I am a fellow servant with you.
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Worship God. The restraint is absolute, even
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for the most spiritually advanced among us.
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If the Lord doesn't need angels to declare his might, and he
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could just act instantly with his own will, why does he use
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them? Is it just a matter of divine
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organizational structure? The source clarifies that God
21:47
uses them not out of necessity. He can and often does carry out
21:51
His work with His will alone, but to comfort our weakness and
21:53
confirm our security. Because we are so frail, so
21:57
beset by perils, and so prone to anxiety, we would easily yield
22:01
to fear or despair if God didn't provide this visible, though
22:04
spiritual realization of His grace according to our capacity.
22:08
So it's a gracious, necessary accommodation to our human
22:11
frailty. It is the vision of a Lasha's
22:14
servant seeing the mountain filled with fiery Chariots, that
22:17
host of angels, that's the perfect illustration of this
22:19
comfort. It's meant to raise our minds to
22:21
Good Hope, ensuring we aren't frightened by the multitude of
22:24
the enemy because we have a tangible testimony that God's
22:27
help is so much closer to us than we realize.
22:30
So the application of this entire ministry must be
22:32
singular. It has to always lead back to
22:35
the Creator. Yes, whatever is said about the
22:38
ministry of angels must be directed to the end that our
22:40
hope and God may be more firmly established.
22:42
Having banished all lack of trust, they are given to lead us
22:46
by the hand straight to God, to call on Him and proclaim Him as
22:50
our sole helper. They keep us fixed on the one
22:53
mediator, Christ, because it's only through Christ's
22:56
intercession that their ministrations come to.
22:58
Us like Jacob's Ladder. Exactly like Jacob's ladder,
23:00
where the Lord of hosts stands upon the ladder itself.
23:03
So we have to therefore bid farewell to any kind of
23:06
philosophical search for access to God through the angels.
23:09
We have to now turn our attention from the faithful
23:12
servants to the destructive adversary, and the sources make
23:16
it clear that the purpose of discussing the devil is not
23:19
academic curiosity but urgent practical preparation for
23:23
spiritual combat. That is the whole motivation all
23:26
the teaching and scripture about devils aims at arousing us to
23:29
take precaution against their strategies and to equip
23:32
ourselves with those weapons strong enough to Vanquish these
23:34
powerful foes. To ignore the existence of the
23:37
foe is to guarantee your own defeat.
23:40
The sources list off these terrible descriptions of Satan,
23:43
the God of this world, the Prince of this world, a strong
23:46
armed man or roaring lion. These are intensely frightening
23:50
descriptions. What's a theological purpose of
23:52
presenting the enemy in such a terrifying way?
23:55
These descriptions are functional.
23:56
They serve only to make us more cautious and watchful, and
23:59
therefore more prepared to take up the struggle.
24:01
Knowing we struggle against the Princess of the Air and
24:04
spiritual wickedness immediately tells us to put on the armor
24:07
capable of sustaining such a great and dangerous contest.
24:10
And it's a lifelong battle. This military service ends only
24:14
at death, so we are urged to perseverance and to call upon
24:17
God's help, relying on Him alone for counsel and strength.
24:21
The scale of the threat is vast. It sounds like we're facing a
24:24
highly organized spiritual war machine.
24:27
The sources do stress the vastness of the threat.
24:30
Not one, not 2, but great armies wage war against us.
24:34
Christ spoke of Mary Magdalene being freed from 7 demons and a
24:38
whole legion assailing one man. We wage war against an infinite
24:42
number of enemies. They are highly numerous.
24:44
But the frequent mention of Satan or the devil in the
24:47
singular, that did something bigger than just a single being
24:50
correct. It denotes the empire of
24:52
wickedness that is opposed to the Kingdom of righteousness.
24:55
Just as Christ is the head of the church, Satan is the Prince
24:58
who holds supreme sway over the faction of the impious.
25:02
The singular name encompasses the collective nature of evil
25:04
rebellion against God. This is why Christ spoke of the
25:08
eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
25:10
It's an organized realm. The nature of this struggle is
25:13
defined as irreconcilable war, which means we have to be active
25:17
participants. If we care about God's glory, we
25:20
have to contend with him who tries to extinguish it.
25:22
If we affirm Christ's Kingdom, we must wage war with him who
25:25
plots its ruin. Satan is defined by John as a
25:28
murderer and a liar. He opposes the truth with
25:31
falsehoods, he obscures light with darkness, and he stirs up
25:35
contention to overturn God's Kingdom and plunge men into
25:39
eternal death. This persistent devotion to
25:41
assailing God's glory proves his nature is fundamentally
25:44
depraved, evil and malicious. And since his nature is
25:48
fundamentally evil, we have to once again push back against
25:51
that Manichaean error to reinforce God's sovereignty.
25:54
We have to be really clear about the devil's origin.
25:56
He is not a self existent eternal principle of evil.
25:59
This is absolutely critical, especially in Reformed theology.
26:02
Satan is a degenerate creation. His malice came from his revolt
26:06
and fall, not from God. He was once in the truth, but
26:08
abode not in it. By making him the Father of
26:11
lies, Christ clearly deprives him of any ground for imputing
26:14
the fault of his malice to God his Creator.
26:17
The original fault lies entirely with the creatures free choice
26:20
to rebel. The sources admit that Scripture
26:22
doesn't give us a clear systemic history of the Devil's fall.
26:26
It's 'cause it's manner the precise time.
26:29
Why is that silence acceptable within this kind of systematic
26:33
discussion? Because it does nothing for
26:35
edification. The Holy Spirit sticking to that
26:38
rule of sobriety does not feed our curiosity with empty
26:40
histories that have no effect. It was better to just touch on
26:43
the rebellion lightly. The essential summary, which is
26:47
what's profitable for us to know is this.
26:49
Devils were when first created angels of God, but by
26:53
degeneration they ruin themselves and became
26:55
instruments of ruin for others. Anything more than that is just
26:58
speculation. This brings us to the absolute
27:00
lynchpin of our theology regarding the adversary, the
27:03
concept that provides all our comfort in this spiritual
27:06
combat, the idea that the devil is completely subordinated to
27:10
God's will. This has to be accepted as a
27:12
fixed certainty. Satan can do nothing unless God
27:15
wills in a sense to it. He is not some independent actor
27:19
who triumphs against God's resistance.
27:21
If he were, God's sovereignty would be constantly under threat
27:25
and our assurance would be lost. The source of our comfort is not
27:28
in our own strength against the devil, but in the chain and the
27:31
restraint God has placed upon him.
27:33
And Scripture offers overwhelming, undeniable proof
27:37
of this subordination. It treats Satan as a powerful
27:41
but ultimately controllable servant of divine Providence.
27:44
It does. We read in the history of Job
27:46
that Satan presented himself before God to receive commands
27:49
and did not dare undertake any evil act, even touching Job's
27:53
possessions without first getting explicit permission.
27:57
Likewise, when King Ahab was to be deceived, Satan took it upon
28:00
himself to become a spirit of falsehood, and the text says
28:03
commissioned by God, he carried out his task.
28:05
Even the evil spirit, the troubled Saul.
28:07
Is called evil because it was used as a lash to punish the
28:09
sins of the impious king. So when Scripture talks about
28:13
Satan's destructive activity, it is often at the same time God's
28:16
work of testing or judgement. How do we reconcile the devil's
28:20
evil will with God's righteous commissioning of that will?
28:24
This is the mystery of divine Providence over evil.
28:27
Paul testifies that the blinding of unbelievers is God's work,
28:31
even though he had earlier called it the activity of Satan.
28:35
The critical point is that Satan's will is evil.
28:37
The source calls it contemacy, which means stubborn defiance,
28:42
but his effect is dependent upon divine sufferance.
28:45
God holds him bound and restrained, compelling him to
28:47
render service wherever God impels him, whether he wants to
28:50
or not. He never breaks the chain of
28:52
God's will. That distinction, evil will but
28:56
constrained action, is everything for the believer,
28:59
since God governs their activity and places these strict
29:01
restraints on them. What assurance do believers have
29:04
in combat? We know we are ambushed, wearied
29:06
and sometimes wounded. And though believers are
29:09
exercised in combat, ambushed by cunning, wearied by temptation,
29:13
and sometimes wounded by their own failures, the crucial
29:16
promise is that they never Vanquish or crush them.
29:19
The wicked who lack Christ, their protection, are subdued as
29:23
slaves for every shameful act, but believers are spared that
29:27
ultimate subjugation and slavery to sin.
29:29
And that ultimate promise of victory has to apply directly to
29:32
Christ and all of his members. It does.
29:34
The promise to crush Satan's head in Genesis pertains to
29:37
Christ and all his members. Believers may fall under violent
29:40
blows, but they recover. They are wounded, but their
29:43
wounds are not fatal. They may toil throughout their
29:45
lives, but they obtain the victory because their leader has
29:48
already secured it. Confirm that the victory isn't
29:50
just future, but it's already in process when he wrote that the
29:54
God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
29:57
Christ, by dying, conquered Satan who had the power of
30:00
death. We have to rely completely on
30:02
the victory of our leader. The devil is only allowed to
30:05
rule over the souls of the impious and unbelievers whom God
30:08
does not deign to regard as members of His own flock.
30:12
As Christ's Kingdom is built up through the faithful preaching
30:14
of the Gospel. Satan falls just as the Lord
30:17
said. I saw Satan fall like lightning
30:19
from heaven. Finally, we have to circle back
30:22
one more time to the error of denying their literal existence.
30:26
Some today, maybe like the ancient Sadducees, claim the
30:29
devils are just evil emotions or disturbances that come from our
30:32
own flesh. Why is this denial so dangerous?
30:36
It's dangerous because it completely masks the true nature
30:39
of the battle. The sources clearly affirm that
30:42
devils are unclean spirits and apostate angels.
30:45
They are minds or spirits endowed with sense, perception
30:47
and understanding. If they were just evil emotions,
30:50
why would they be destined for eternal judgment that proves
30:53
their reality as distinct conscious beings?
30:56
And why would Michael the Archangel contend with the devil
30:58
over the body of Moses if the devil was just a bad feeling?
31:01
Exactly. This confirms their actual
31:03
objective existence. The most damaging consequence of
31:07
ignoring this reality is that people become slack and heedless
31:10
about resisting. If you believe you are only
31:12
fighting your own bad moods, you want to quick yourself with the
31:15
full armor of God necessary to fight the Princess of the air.
31:19
We have to recognize the reality of the foe to equip ourselves
31:23
properly. OK, so having reviewed the seen
31:25
realm creation and the unseen realm, angels and devils all
31:29
constrained by God's complete sovereignty, what is the proper
31:32
perspective we should adopt toward God's works?
31:35
What's the practical daily spiritual application of this
31:39
systematic study? The first rule of application is
31:42
that we should take pious delight in God's works that are
31:44
open and manifest in this most beautiful theater.
31:47
The creation is the first evidence of God's existence and
31:50
glory, though we should note it is not the chief evidence for
31:53
saving faith that comes through the Word.
31:55
But the main purpose of that contemplation isn't just
31:58
aesthetic appreciation, it is a moral and theological goal.
32:01
Right. The purpose is to ponder with
32:03
pious meditation to what end God created them.
32:07
We are to gaze upon the immense riches of His wisdom, justice,
32:11
goodness, and power. We shouldn't just run over these
32:14
things cursorily, admiring the beauty alone, but turn them over
32:18
in our minds, seriously and faithfully to recognize the
32:21
artificer behind the art. Can you give us some concrete
32:24
examples of what this artificer greatness looks like in
32:26
practice? The kind of things that should
32:27
really grab our attention when we contemplate creation.
32:30
We see it in the wonderful Order of the Starry Host.
32:33
It's stationed, arranged and fitted together so that nothing
32:36
more beautiful can be imagined. Think about how God set and
32:39
fixed some stars, preventing them from moving while granting
32:42
others a for your course. Without ever allowing them to
32:45
wander outside their appointed path.
32:47
He adjusted the motion of all of them to measure days, months,
32:50
and seasons. We observed His power in
32:53
standing such a great mass and governing the swiftly revolving
32:57
heavenly system. The contemplation of creation
32:59
confirms the immense care and foresight involved in even the
33:02
most distant silent objects. And this leads right to the
33:06
second, more personal rule of contemplation, which is more
33:09
closely related to faith. It connects that cosmic order to
33:12
our personal lives and our security.
33:14
This is the key recognition for the worried believer.
33:17
God has destined all things for our good and salvation.
33:22
This is where contemplation becomes application.
33:24
We have to feel God's creative work, His power and His grace in
33:29
ourselves and in the great benefits He has conferred upon
33:32
us, so that we bestir ourselves to trust, invoke, praise and
33:36
love Him. So the structure of the six
33:38
days, that deliberate preparation we discussed early
33:40
on, serves as a constant physical reminder of this truth
33:43
against our daily anxiety. Absolutely.
33:46
The six day structure was used not because God needed the time,
33:49
but because He willed to commend His Providence and fatherly
33:52
solicitude toward us. He prepared everything useful
33:55
and salutary for man before He fashioned man.
33:58
He was concerned for us and making arrangements for our
34:00
welfare even before we were born.
34:02
The implication for our daily faith is tremendously powerful.
34:05
Then, if He demonstrated this abundance when we were unborn,
34:10
why would we fear His kindness would suddenly fail us now that
34:13
we are His children? It's deemed impious, wickedly
34:17
irreverent, to tremble for fear that God's kindness might fail
34:20
us in our need when we see it was shown with the greatest
34:23
abundance of every good thing when we were yet unborn.
34:26
Furthermore, all things on earth are subject to us through God's
34:29
liberality. Since God did not do this to
34:32
mock us with an empty title, the necessary conclusion is that
34:34
nothing that is needful for our welfare will ever be lacking to
34:37
us, provided we maintain our relationship with the Father.
34:40
So what does the profession calling God the creator of
34:42
heaven and earth? What does that require of us in
34:45
the final summary? It requires 3 definite things.
34:48
First, we have to bear in mind that the dispensation and
34:50
management of all things is in His hand and power.
34:53
Second, we must remember that we are His children, received into
34:57
His faithful protection to be nourished and educated.
35:00
And the required response is to await the fullness of all good
35:03
things from Him alone and trust completely that He will not
35:06
leave us destitute. We are to petition Him for
35:08
whatever we desire, thankfully acknowledge every benefit and
35:12
invited by the great sweetness of His beneficence and goodness,
35:15
study to love and serve Him with all our heart.
35:17
That brings structure and a lot of comfort to what could
35:20
otherwise be overwhelming or frightening knowledge.
35:23
A systematic perspective really demands structure,
35:25
distinguishing God's self revelation, whether through the
35:28
history of creation or the reality of invisible things,
35:32
from human fancy. It's a complete and closed
35:34
system of thought. God's sovereignty governs not
35:37
only the sun's course, but also the speed and scope of the
35:40
angels and the binding restraint placed on the devil's.
35:43
The purpose of studying the unseen world is always to
35:45
confirm our hope in God alone, making sure our gaze remains
35:49
fixed on Christ as the single intercessor through whom all
35:52
help comes to us. Here's a final thought for you
35:54
to consider as you wrap up this deep dive.
35:57
Calvin cautions against measuring God's actions by human
36:00
spans of time. He called those who asked why
36:03
God waited 6000 years curious and wanton.
36:06
What does it mean for our faith today to be so confined to
36:09
biblical time, the spiritual bounds, when we are constantly
36:12
exposed to astronomical scales that push the perceived bounds
36:15
of time and space further than Calvin ever could have
36:18
conceived? Yet despite those expanding
36:20
physical horizons, the spiritual bounds, the warnings against
36:24
speculation about angels and the necessary subordination of the
36:27
devil remain exactly where Scripture placed them, is the
36:30
greatest test of modern faith, accepting boundaries not of time
36:33
or space, but of revelation. We'll leave you with that
36:35
thought until our next deep dive.