'Explain to our children: God is...'
By rolandjs

One of many theological and real life issues is the explanation
to our children the nature or "definition" of God. Let's quickly
examine four possible explanations before getting to the one
I've been thinking about over the years and presently.

"God is a Happy Meal!" One simply goes to McChurch, sits down, and
receives the special food for thought for the day. Children of all ages
receive itty bitty toys of wisdom to go with the supersized activities
of the day, guaranteed to satisfy any customer or visitor.

I trow not.

"God is Have Him Your Way!" One simply goes to 'King, sits down,
orders a special set of food and activities current of the times and
tailored to please every particular customer or visitor.

I trow not.

According to John H. Hick's 4th Edition of "Philosophy of Religion"
(Prentice Hall, New Jersey, copyright 1990) - God is:
theos (Greek), deus (Latin), Ism of the highest order including but not
limited to monotheistic, polytheistic, henotheistic, and pantheistic.
Infinite, self-existent, creator, personal (as different from Person),
loving and good, and Holy.
[I'm paraphrasing pages 5 through 14, much like an F-16 zooming
just 1000 feet above ground. A very fast review.]

Teach this to our children? Only to college+ kids.

Dr. Ravi Zacharias, of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries,
is heard saying on some of his audio cassettes:
"...[God is] a unity of diversity in a community of the Trinity,
right from the beginning...."
This fourth concept is much better than the first two. This is on
par with example three (Hick/PHL-REL). Ravi's sentence can serve as a
beginning of a thorough explanation of the Trinity of God.
This material, college and university level for sure, can be given to
most junior and senior high schools students in a Christian school,
beginning with the second semester, following Intro to God in the
first semester. Elementary? Maybe, with modifications.

This brings us to my fifth and final example. Wholeheartedly, I
believe our children need to know God as a HOLY GOD. Bringing back
John Hick/Philosophy of Religion, pages 13 and 14 has a long quote
of Isaiah 40: 18-23, 25-26 along with excerpts from Isaiah 57:15,
55:8-9 and 64:6 - King James Version. Due to space constraint,
I will not reprint Hick's 'Holy' section here; let me say that Hick
presents God as being Holy in a very respectful and thoughtful way!

Allow me to present my visualizations of two Bible verse blocs
which amply explain the concept that GOD IS HOLY.

I will use The New Chain-Reference Bible, Third Improved Edition,
Containing Thompson's Original and Complete System of Bible Study;
Frank Charles Thompson, D.D., Ph.D.; B.B. Kirkbride Bible Company,
Indiana, 1934. I intend to use only the Bible text, not his studies.

In a future class, I will read both KJV and a modern translation,
Then give the students my reflections using concise, plain English.

Exodus 3:2-6 will be the first spiritual pond visited.
From within an unharmed bush, brightly "afire," THE most HOLY
'I AM' voiced to Moses for Moses to take his shoes off his feet
before drawing upon Holy ground. Where the most Holy, majestic
God places a special presence - such is a Holy place. I see utmost
awe and respect from Moses towards the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Israel (Jacob). I should more often mentally hide my face, mentally
take my shoes off my feet, when I spiritually come before God.
GOD IS HOLY, and where He specially places His presence is Holy.
An attitude of awe and respect works wonders for our hearing and
harkening to the most HOLY GOD; for GOD IS HOLY.

Revelation 4:2-11 will be the second spiritual pond visited.
From within apostle John's vision, I see four massive beings with
great respect, honor, worship, round-the-clock exclaiming:
"Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come!"
I see twentyfour elders, angels for sure, counselling beings probably,
with great respect, honor, worship, casting their crowns before God,
falling down before God, exclaiming without ceasing:

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power:
for thou hast created all things, and
for thy pleasure they are and were created!"
I should more often join these four beings and twentyfour elders
in giving respect, honor and worship to our HOLY ALMIGHTY GOD.

Amongst many great and wonderful places to begin, to teach children
that GOD IS HOLY certainly is one place to begin!

God grant me, by His Holy Spirit, what I need in the way of attitude,
aptitude, and knowledge to be able to teach children: GOD IS HOLY!

rolandjs
08/31/2001; revised 09/05/2001


[Originally posted 08 Apr 2007 07:27 am in College Library.
22 views in College Library before being moved to College Cafe.]