SWOT ASSESSMENT 2
Personal SWOT Assessment
The most powerful true statement ever written is made up of four words, “In the
beginning God.” Genesis 1:1 (NIV). Tripp says, "The most important thing for your mind to
contemplate is his [God's] existence.” (Tripp, 2021, p. 74). God the Creator is involved in every
single particle of humanity, nature, and the universe. God the Creator fills every inch of space
and has no time or limitations. God the Creator is and there is no one else besides Him. Nature
declares His Glory. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his
hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV). Kingdoms and kings bowed down before Him. May all kings bow
down to him, and all nations serve him. Psalm 72:11 (NIV). Indeed, In the beginning, God.
The main focus of this paper will be to learn how to build stronger leadership foundations
from what we learn about God’s nature. God’s Sovereignty, relational Nature (as seen through
the Trinity), and God’s Transcendence and Immanence will be studied in this paper.
God’s Sovereignty
One sees God’s sovereign power and authority from the first four words that begin God’s
Scripture to His children. “In the beginning God.” Gen. 1:1. A very clear and precise statement
to establish the absolute truth that God is the One who preceded everyone and everything. “God
is the only leader, not simply because He is Creator, because of His creating power, but more
importantly because He is the One who preceded everything and everyone else.” (Doukhan,
2028, p.29)
God is the Creator of all things, God “upholds, directs, and governs all creatures, actions,
and things, from the greatest to the least, by his wise and holy providence, according to his
infallible foreknowledge and the free and unchangeable counsel of his own will, to the praise of
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the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.” (Tripp, 2021, p. 129). God is in
complete control of His Creation and everything and everyone who lives in it. Not even one leaf
would ever fall off a tree without God knowing when it would happen. God is in complete
control, and everything moves at His command. In Exodus 3, Scripture reveals God’s name
Yahweh, which means God’s Lordship. Through this revelation, Moses learned that it was God,
not Pharaoh who ruled not only over the affairs of the Hebrews but also over the affairs of Egypt.
Exodus 3:19-20 (NIV) But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty
hand compels him So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians will all the wonders that
I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.
This doctrinal truth assures the believer that it is possible to build strong leadership
foundations as God’s sovereign power over everything the believer does is led by God’s purpose.
Psalm 135:6 (NIV) The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the
seas and all their depths. As the believer understands that God is in total control and understands
that nothing happens outside God’s purpose and that as long as the believer walks in obedience
to God’s Scripture, the foundation of true Christian leadership will develop and grow to edify the
body of Christ.
Tripp talks of two dimensions to God’s sovereignty. One is God’s decrees in which one
finds God's complete and everlasting plan. "God has decided what will come to pass, according
to his own will and for his glory, he has ordained everything that will come to pass." (Tripp,
2021, p. 129). This is one important dimension to understand because it helps the believer
understand that the more, he gets into God’s Word the more he will understand what God’s
decree for his life is.
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The second dimension of God’s sovereignty is God’s providence. God is always involved
and present in every single decree that He has called into existence. God is actively ruling “The
process by which [His decrees] will be completed”. (Tripp, 2021, p. 129).
God’s Relational Nature (The Holy Trinity)
The concept of the Holy Trinity represents God's relational nature. God is personal,
period. God relates to people through his creation. The wind that hits people’s faces reminds
them that God created oxygen so that people can live. Looking at the stars at night and realizing
how small man is God created him to enjoy and be in complete awe of God’s Creation.
God is relational. God is personal in that He sent His Son to us so that we could be set
free from death and sin and come back into God’s arms once again. Indeed, God is so personal
that after sending His Son to save us, He sent His Holy Spirit to guide us away from the chains
of sin and the road that leads to eternal death.
Scripture does not explicitly teach the Holy Trinity, but God is represented multiple times
in One Essence in three persons. One text that has been appealed to as documenting the triunity
is 1 John 5:7 (KJV) For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost: and these three are one. As good as this passage is to demonstrate a three-in-
oneness, sadly, “the textual basis is so weak that some recent translations only include an
italicized footnote” (Erickson, 2015, p. 111). This writer will hold on to what Scripture says
about the three persons being united as one as it regards the baptismal instructions given by Jesus
Christ in the Great Commission. Matthew 28:19 (NIV) Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. “Note that
‘name’ is singular although three persons are included.” (Erickson, 2015, p. 111).
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For the believer to build strong leadership foundations is important to understand that
God is active in His Creation in One Essence but in three persons. "The doctrine of the Trinity
teaches that the one true God eternally exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." (Treier,
& Elwell, 2017, p. 898).
God’s Transcendence and Immanence
But will God dwell on the earth? The heavens, even the highest heaves, cannot contain
you. How much less this temple I have built! 1 Kings 8:27 (NIV). To build a strong foundation
of leadership, the believer must do his best to understand God's Transcendence. This is to say,
"On one hand, God warns his people against imagining that he could be circumscribed by any
place; on the other hand, he promises to present with us in particular places he has chosen, such
as the Tabernacle and the temple.” (Treier, & Elwell, 2017, p. 346).
God is in control of His Creation, (Transcendence) and God is very present in His
Creation, especially with His people. (Immanence). Divine transcendence has to do with God’s
ultimate authority. Chronicles 29:11-12 (NIV). Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and
the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth, is yours. Yours,
Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head overall. Wealth and honor come from you; you are
the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.
Whereas divine immanence means that God is always close to His people. Even when the
ministry is not going according to plan, even when the doctor has said, there is nothing else to
do, when there are money needs and it feels like God is nowhere near, the truth is God is with us
all the time and in every situation God is present. Isaiah 42:10 (NIV) So do not fear, for I am
with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will
uphold you with my righteous right hand.
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Transcendence can only be understood, as Scripture presents it. "In Scripture we see God
giving us His self-revelation, he portrays himself both as transcendent, as existing in the fullness
of his infinitely glorious tri-Person unity, and apart from the finite spatiotemporal created reality
he freely brought into existence, and also as one who chooses to relate immanently as he freely
enters into the realm of the creaturely existence that he designed and made. (Ware, 2008, p. 61).
As a Christian leader, one must believe and think of God correctly. God is in control of all
Creation and God is near and involved in His Creation.
Conclusion
God the Creator is involved in every single particle of humanity, nature, and the universe.
God the Creator fills every inch of space and has no time or limitations. God the Creator is and
there is no one else besides Him. Nature declares His Glory. The heavens declare the glory of
God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 (NIV). God’s sovereign decrees and
His Word never return void. God’s sovereignty is the “grand theme of Scripture and cause for
the highest praise of which the human heart is capable and for which the human heart was
created.” (McCormack, 2008, p. 168).
God continues to manifest who He is through His Son Jesus and His Holy Spirit so that
every believer can rest assured that God is present in every situation through the Trinity. This is
to say, “The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are equal in nature, separate in person, and
submissive in duties.” (Town, 2008, pp. 144-50).
God’s transcendence and Immanence teach the Christian leader that God the Creator of
all is the sole Giver of everything that is needed to grow in every area of life including in
developing strong Christian leadership formation.
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References
Doukhan, J.. (2018). Leadership in the Creation Narrative. Journal of Applied Christian
Leadership, 12(1). https//digitalcommons.andrews.edu/jacl/vol12/iss1/1
Erickson, Millard J.. (2015). Introducing Christian doctrine. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker
Academic.
McCormack, Bruce L.. Engaging the doctrine of God: Contemporary protestant perspectives.
Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Towns, Elmer.. (2008). Theology for today. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Treier, Daniel J. & Elwell, Walter A.. (2017). Evangelical dictionary of theology. Grand Rapids,
MI: Baker Publishing Group.
Tripp, Paul D.. (2021). Do you believe?: 12 Historic doctrines to change your everyday life.
Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway.
Ware, Bruce. (2008).. Perspective on the doctrine of God. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group.
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