by Don Hatfield
something. Even the air is something. It is air though we do not see it. He took nothing and gave it a beginning and called it the heaven the sky above us. He then again took nothing and gave it a beginning and called it the earth that I stand on. This is beyond me Gabe. I cannot not even begin to comprehend it and yet I know it to be true.” Gabe look and me and said, “What is that called Don? That which you just described. What is it called?” I answered with these words, “It is called faith. I believe that He is who He says He is and it is wonderful to believe it.” Gabe smiled and said turn to Hebrews Chapter 11 and verse 3. I turned to Hebrews a book that I had seldom looked at before. I found the verse and read these words out loud to Gabe. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” As usual Gabe made me stretch myself by asking me what I thought this verse meant. I began to answer and to say the following, “The first word I see is faith.” Gabe said, “A moment ago we talked about the word faith and you gave a good explanation of it. Let me explain it in a little different way. First, faith is the belief that God exists. Second, faith believes that God created all things. Third, faith believes that God rules all things. Fourth and foremost it is the belief that God is the provider and the one who bestows eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.” I stood there in awe and finally ask Gabe where he came up with a definition like that. He said that there was a book called Strong’s Concordance. He told me that it took all the words in the Bible and explain them and gave definition to them from the Greek and Hebrew. In my mind I decided that was one of the first study tools I was going to purchase for myself. Gabe said, “Now that we have that definition of faith continue on with what that verse says to you.” The next word that stood out to me was the word understand. I said to Gabe, “Because of that word faith I can begin to understand and consider that the worlds or universe were completed or made by Gods word.” Again, I stood there in awe just to think that all that I could see had come into existence just because God spoke the words that brought them into being. Or as the verse says that things that I see were made from things that I do not see. They were made from the Creator of it all and He only had to speak and it was done. I forgot that Gabe was there and in a loud voice said to myself and the universe, “Glory to God the Creator of it all, Glory to Jesus the redeemer of us all and Glory to the Holy Spirit the one who lives in us.”
I heard Gabe also praising God and my attention came back to Him. Gabe then said, “God is eternal. We know that because of what we have already learned. But let’s look at a few verses that proves that to be true. Turn to Psalm 90 and verse 2 and read it to me if you would.” I read the following to Gabe, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou has formed the earth, and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God.” I had begun to know what Gabe wanted me to do and as I looked at the verse the words everlasting stuck out to me. I then said, “Those words everlasting seem to leap out at me. To me they mean without end. There is no beginning or ending with God. He is continuous and perpetual. For lack of a better word He is always. Gabe, if I try to wrap my mind around that it just overwhelms me. I have a beginning and an ending but He has none. I guess because I do have a beginning and ending I cannot fully comprehend what everlasting really means. “Gabe said, “I understand what you are saying and you do know your beginning but do you have an ending?” What he said struck me like a bolt of lightning. For I realized that now that I had Christ I had no end. I had no end for I had found what the beginning and the ending consist of. It is Jesus. Gabe seemed to read my mind for he said turn to Hebrews Chapter 1 and verse 2. I did and read the following, “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son whom He hath appointed heir of all things by whom also He made the worlds.” I looked at Gabe and said, “Jesus is also eternal. He was there when the worlds were formed. He is God just the same as God is God and I also know that the Holy Spirit is God. I know that they are called the Trinity but it confuses me when I try to think about three in one.” Gabe said, “I know that the trinity confuses a lot a people but it does not need too. Are you not three in one?’ What do you mean I asked? Gabe said,” turn to First Thessalonians Chapter 5 and verse 23.” I turned and read the following, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I said to Gabe, “you’re right. I am three in one. I am spirit, soul and body and it does not confused me and I just accept it. So why should I not accept what God says about Himself. God is eternal, Jesus is eternal and the Holy Spirit is eternal. Praise God, I am also eternal. Gabe, I was made in His image even down to the three in one. He is a glorious creator and father.” Gabe smiled and said, “Don, here is another way to think about it. God created you and He created you so that He could dwell with you. But if you think of Him as you think of a Father then a Father He is to be honored and looked up as a Father. In this trinity there is another and that is Jesus who came in the image of man to show us what the Father is like. But because He came as a man He could only be in one place at a time. So, it was needful for Him to go to the cross not only to save us but it also allowed His Holy Spirit to come and dwell in us. Because God as a Spirit can be in every place at one time. It has been planned this way for all of eternity.” This thought that God wanted to dwell with me and did dwell with me was overwhelming. To think that God would want to dwell with someone so lacking in faith. Someone so sinful. Someone so prone to wander off the path of righteousness and follow his own inclinations instead of following the one who made the path was overwhelming. I realized in that moment that I had nothing to offer God. I had no works with which to bargain with Him. Even if I wanted to follow Him my motives were stained with the flesh. All I could do was stand there and pray in the shadow of His grace. I felt a hand on my shoulder and Gabe said, “He is eternal but He is also morally perfect.”
I looked and Gabe and said, “What do you mean by morally perfect.” Of course Gabe begin to direct to the Book of Life for the answer to my question. He first had me to turn to Romans chapter 8 and verse 28. Here is what it proclaimed about His moral perfection. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose.” As usual Gabe waited for me to say what I thought about this verse. I thought about it for a few minutes and then responded this way. “I think that God uses all things for good. God does only good. He does nothing that is not good even if we do not understand we can be sure because of His character that what He is doing is good.” Gabe then said, “That is right Don. The rest of the verse says that everything He does is working for good to them that love Him and are called according to His purpose. What is His purpose Don? Is it just to save us? Is that Gods purpose?” I looked down at the verse again and in doing so the next verse drew my attention. I began to read it out loud to Gabe, “For whom He did foreknow He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the first born of many brethren.” Gabe said, “So what was God’s purpose in saving us other than His great love for us?” I stood there for a minute and a shame like I had never known began to overwhelm me. Tears filled my eyes as I said to Gabe, “All these years my only concern has been for myself. My only concern was that God saved me. I only was concerned with this free escape from Hell and the free ticket to Heaven. How little have I thought of the fact that God also had a purpose? How little have I thought of the fact that God also had a desire in this salvation? I am ashamed that I only considered my side of it. But now I see that He wants to make me like Jesus. Gabe when I look at my life I realize how little consideration I have given to His purpose and desire.” Gabe looked and me and then smiled and said, “Don, it is so good that you see that because so many believers never realize that God does have a purpose for them besides His free gift of salvation. So, yes feel shame but also rejoice for He has opened your eyes to t
hat fact.”
Let’s look at another thing about our Father. Not only is He good but He is morally transcendent. I asked Gabe, “What do you mean when you say He is morally transcendent?” Gabe answered, “I mean that He is perfectly Holy and separated from all evil. Turn to Isaiah 6:3.” I did so and read the following, “And one cried unto another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of His glory.” Gabe asked me the following. “Don what does that word Holy mean to you?” I said, “I guess I would say without sin, perfect and pure.” Gabe shook his head in the affirmative and said, “The ones who were making this announcement were seraphim’s. They are majestic beings with six wings, human hands and voice that continually surround the throne of God proclaiming His holiness. That word Lord in that verse means Jehovah or the Existing One. He is the Lord of hosts or all of creation and the whole of creation speaks of His glory if one will
