Discussion Board 1: Goals
i i i i i i i i i i i i i i In the book
The 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.
i i i i i i i i i i i i i 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 i i i i i i i i i i 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.
[2] P. Froese and C. Bader,
America’s Four Gods
(New York, NY: Oxford University
Press, 2015), 23.
