"...In the day that God
created man,
He made him
in the likeness
of God.
He created them
male and female,
and blessed them
and called them
Mankind
in the day
they were created."
Genesis 5:1b,2
In refutation of the idea that there be a God, especially a God that is Sovereign and Providential, man has devised many theories in regards to life. It is this quest to understand life that man seeks to find some consolation as to their being, and to, if any, purpose there might be for man to exist, and for the world at large to exist. I have outlined some of the theories presented and will do so again for there are those men and women who refer the intelligence that may be found in vital processes to God. They do not refer that this intelligence, that they say is from God and to be found in vital processes to be something of immediacy rather that it is something remote. Is it not true that man can construct machines, i.e., computers, smart phones, manufacturing plants with all their machinery, to do intellectual work? Yes! It seems that even the small phones in our hands do the work of intelligence, the work of a mind. Well, then, if man can do such things, why not God? Why could not God make machines to have the power of reproduction? This is a poor argument for the analogy between God and man is imperfect, for no art or product from the imagination of man can think or choose. There are no machines or products produced by man that can do anything of its own, only can it do what has been programmed by the mind of man, it cannot select for itself what has not been given to it by a mind, that is from man. It cannot do the work of a mind. Therefore, to refer to God that He is the cause of all things is not correct, for man can by his own mind create and make products that can think as they were made or programmed to do and the power to do such things is from God, but the doing of this work is by the product of man thinking for Himself. God may and does Providentially influence, control that which He made, and this is reasonable as it was He who willed all things to be in existence and for the purpose for which He willed it. Then, this being so, it is He who will Providentially carry out His purpose within the creation without usurping the creation itself. He uses whatever is and turns that something to work out His plan. Man designs and God uses that design according to His Will. Man is free to choose within his nature, but God in allowing man that choice carries out His purpose. It is true that there is nothing that God cannot do, except that which He has not willed, nor can He lie, or make a round hole square, etc, but to say that He is the object of the power demonstrated by the free will of man is contradictory to that free will and the purpose for which man is allowed to use his free will. To admit that the extended should be unextended or that the irrational should be ratioanal is of itself contradictory and God is not contradictory. It is inconceivable that matter, even within its blind forces, especially matter that is inert, could in any way exhibit or perform processes of organization and growth.
We must admit that the intelligence required to account for the processes that can be seen in both vegetable and animal life is due to the omnipresence of God and His intelligence that is active everywhere from the active mind of God. This being said is not to admit that there are no second causes or that second causes have no efficiency, that all causes or efficiency should be merged into the mind of God. How do we then account for the Laws of Nature, or vital forces that are activating both vegetable and animal? God does use all the means that He has empowered to be, that which He has created, such as the chemical reactions, electricity, and other forces of nature to carry out by means of their nature their own vital forces. Those vital forces are due to God's creation and due to the power He exerts to give them such forces, such Laws of Nature. There are two forces that are different and are specific: physical and mental. The physical are in the matter and the mental in God who uses the matter and its forces. This thought is not foreign to us as we easily can see that all voluntary motion, and all the works of man, are due to such combination; the nature that has been created in matter and man, and the power of God that they are so empowered. An example of both forces at work are in man's walking. We walk by the action of thought causes a physical movement in the limbs, therefore, mind controls the material. Further, when we write, there are vital functions going on in the mind and numerous muscular action takes place so that the fingers can form letters, the fingers do not involuntary, or voluntary of themselves make those letters. The power to do so is guided by the mind and this is true both in matter and in animal. It would then be unreasonable to admit that the power to cause physical activity to be the intelligence in what may be said or written to matter.
The power exhibited in matter and in animals, man is due to the mind and not to be just due to physical causes. Seeing that there are two forces at work does not eliminate that there is a greater or guiding force. Man is empowered, matter has vital functions, all created and constituted in such a way according to the will of God. God does not cease to be Sovereign as He Providentially uses all that He has created and decreed to carry out His purpose for creation. We cannot say that God made me do such and such, that He is the One making all the decisions. Furthermore, it is not admitted that Satan is the cause of each and every action: "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God;' for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and and enticed" (James 1:13-14). We can make machines, develop processes such as certain chemical reactions, all due to the mental processes of our minds. We can choose to do evil, as well as to do good things. But, due to our fallen nature, total depravity means that there is one thing that man cannot choose for himself: "So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:8). The Greek word translated "cannot" is in the third person, present, active, and indicative, meaning that this statement is active in the "now" and of itself cannot be changed unless acted upon by a greater source. That Greater Source is God Himself. Only by Him, and His election to some, the giving of His mercy and grace, faith itself, a gift not earned, rather given by the Sovereignty of God according to His Will, His purpose. This is the work that God performs Himself, and we that are chosen by Him then live according to His Will, His Law: "For He says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.' So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy" (Romans 9:17-18). Let us then use the power of our minds, controlled by His Word and by the Holy Spirit given to each believer to bring good tidings of salvation, the gospel that Jesus Christ came and paid the debt of sin and those called by God, whoever they may be, will respond to the gospel pronounced by our mouths, the working of our mind that is established through His Word and Spirit.
How beautiful are the feet
of those who preach the
gospel of peace,
who bring glad tidings
of good things.
Romans 10: 15b
May the Power of God Enable You
Richard L. Crumb
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