The Fundamentals – The Meaning of "God"

It may seem rather obvious to regard the denial of God Himself as a departure from the fundamentals of the faith. But the enemies of truth are exceedingly clever and the chief enemy of all is more subtle than all. One of his most successful means of undermining the Christian faith is through the gradual redefinition of words. This is what is behind much of postmodern influence in the church and is what is at the core of one of the latest attacks upon Christianity – Open Theism.

What does the word “God” mean to Christians? Is He the omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, holy, just, loving creator and sustainer of all His hands have made, working all these things and events according to His Own will from a plan formed before the foundation of the world, bringing everything towards His preordained ends? That is the God of the Bible. It is the God revealed in scripture to all believing Jews and Gentiles. It is the God Who spoke through the prophets, Who made promises He has kept down through the ages – the most important of which is realized in the Incarnation of His Son - the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

From this it becomes clear that what is believed about the very nature of God - both His amoral and His moral attributes - is absolutely fundamental to the Christian faith. An improper understanding leads to an improper practice. To be off course by one degree at the start of a journey is to be hundreds of miles adrift towards its end, unless a correction is made.

To deny God’s omnipotence is to deny the meaning of the word “God". It is to deny His Godhead itself by limiting His power. To deny His omnipresence limits His reach. To deny His omniscience limits His knowledge. To deny His holiness undermines His moral perfection. To deny His justice undermines His perfect judgments. To deny His love undermines His sacrifice. Is there a true Christian anywhere who can deny any of the following?

God is omnipotent
God is omnipresent
God is omniscient
God is holy
God is just
God is love

I feel quite comfortable in stating that any professor who denies any of these things denies the God of the Bible. To do that is to deny Christ and to deny Christ is to be condemned. It’s tough, I know – but remember that I am not speaking of ignorance here. I am speaking of denial. Willful, informed, considered denial in the face of loving correction. It is an active thing. “I do not accept this as truth.” If you do not accept these things then you do not accept the Christ Who came to declare and to show them, and without Whom there is no salvation.

It goes without saying that any pastor, teacher, elder, seminarian, apologist or other leader who openly and actively denies, undermines, or publicly questions these things has departed from the faith - or never had it to begin with. As such they cannot help but harm the flock, lead others astray and undermine the cause of Christ. Again, it's not very complicated. We make it complicated by misunderstanding the differences between discernment and judgment and between saints and serpents. Or perhaps we do so by a simple failure to stand on our hind legs, acquit ouselves as men and show that we believe God.

It is only as long as these false teachers abide in the church that they are to be judged, disciplined and if necessary expelled. It is the loving thing to do. When they are outside the church where they belong, then they can be evangelized and loved as we would any other pagan - without judgment or discipline and with a call to repentance and faith.