Discussion Board 1: Goals
In the bookThe Doctrine of God, Gerald Bray starts the chapter
off with a question, “Is it possible to know God?”[1]And I must admit that
for a long time, I believed the only possible way to know God is through
the worldview of the Pentecostal church. I was raised in a Christian home
that mainly taught “the Authoritative God.” The Authoritative God is
believed to be “both engaged in the world and judgmental”[2]This
knowledge of God taught me that God is engaged in the world, but only to
judge it. As I grew older, it was my belief if one did not obey God's
commandments, he or she would face damnation both here on earth and
in the afterlife. My theology of the Christian God was that He is the
boogeyman.
It was not until God himself pursued a personal relationship with
me that I realized my knowledge of God had been distorted by the
teachings of the Pentecostal doctrines and the worldview in which my
parents taught the authoritative God. Everything I taught I knew about
God had to be renounced in order for him to reveal his true character and
attributes to me. Therefore, it is my personal goal to continue to seek God
so that I may come to know him as the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. I also want to know God as my dad and my friend. I would like to
understand what does it actually means to suffer for Christ. Is it true that
suffering for Christ leads to a closer relationship with God? Knowing that
humans have a limited ability to understand an infinite God due to our
finite mindsets, I would like to know if it is possible to know God in every
aspect of his being. Are there aspects of God that we as humans will
never understand? These are some of my personal goals and questions
that I hope to answer, but my ultimate goal is to continue spiritually
growing.
I am fully aware that while I am on this journey of getting to know
God, my theological beliefs may be challenged, and I might have to go
back to the drawing board. Going back to the drawing board could very
well mean I might have to renounce and relearn everything all over again.
But, for me, this is a solid foundation for spiritual growth because, as long
as I remained teachable and humble, I can continue to grow in God by
allowing myself to be open to the revelation God chooses to reveal himself
to me. All in all, by the end of this course, I hope to have a better
understanding of the existence, nature, and attributes of the triune God.
Bray, G.The Doctrine of God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
Froese, P. & Bader, C.America’s Four Gods.New York, NY: Oxford
University Press, 2015.
[1]G. Bray,The Doctrine of God(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
1993), 13.
