We Confess What We Do Not Know

Yesterday I shared in church about the failure of our confession of Who God is and the glory that is due Him and then today when I checked my email I found a wonderful article by John Armstrong about the limitations of our knowledge and explanation of God.  Whatever it is that we affirm concerning God must include what we deny.  Gregory Nazianzen rightly proclaimed, "how do you describe the Essence of God? Not by declaring what it is, but by rejecting what it is not."  St. Basil echoes the same sentiment when he writes, “We confess that we know what is knowable of God and yet what we know reaches beyond our comprehension.”

Particularly when we speak of the very essence of God, we must also recognize that all our descriptions fall far short of His Glory.  Sometimes I fear that we in the church have created such neat and tidy theologies that we forget that the God of Whom we speak is indescribable and beyond comprehension.  The LORD does not fit into a nice little dogmatic statement (though we rightly confess the historic creeds with all the Church), we must never fail to recognize that every confession must entail a confession of falling short of His Glory.  It is such a wonderful thing that the LORD of all should condescend to make Himself known through the record of His covenantal relation to and with humanity (and particularly Israel) and not only that...He took on flesh and became one of us...Immanuel.  Praise His Name!

The Hidden God Made Known

St. Basil the Great (one of the Cappadocian Fathers in his wonderful little book "On the Holy Spirit - 'De Spiritu Sancto') wisely wrote, "We confess that we know what is knowable of God and yet what we know reaches beyond our comprehension." These are wise words to be remembered by those of us professing to speak as if we know God. Indeed we know God, but this is by the Scriptures -- through the Spirit -- through Christ. But we only know in part (as Paul says).

We would do well to do theological and pastoral work in light of this with all humility. God has truly revealed Himself and given Himself to us and for us in Christ, but yet we must never forget that we are still broken and awaiting our final redemption. Our knowledge is only in part. May we know Him as He is in Himself -- Our Father in Christ by the Holy Spirit, but may we never think that we have fully understood this Great God who is hidden even in His revelation (think of Moses who was graciously permitted to "see" God, but only in passing), until He returns. Someday we will know Him as He is and that Day will be glorious...oh, for the Day of His Coming again when we will know Him in all his ineffabel Glory and Majesty! Come quickly Lord Jesus!