Learning about God through His works

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
-- Romans 1:20 (NASB)​


We are to know God’s qualities from what He has made. In earlier times, natural philosophy (e.g. Aristotle) observed nature and attempted to understand creation. As time went on, men organized and developed more systematic approaches, which have been a little inaccurately called collectively “the scientific method”, which echoes quite well Paul’s admonition in 1 Thess 5:21; with different fields of science having different methods of examining or proving knowledge of their subjects.

Today, we know much more than at prior times, although we still are barely scratching the surface. What we understand enough to apply in more than the grossest physical manner is much less, and our understanding of the eternal power and divine nature of the natural world through what has been made is minimal.

Many, who are believers in our Lord, mistrust anything coming out of the systematic analysis of creation (science). And there are many who labor in the sciences that do not understand nor credit what they are observing. I really believe that the enemy is at work promoting this schism between believers in our Lord, and those that study His creation. It is in this manner that the enemy seeks to short-circuit the understanding of God through His creation. If the enemy can keep us squabbling, he can divert attention away from believers learning what the Lord has laid out for them.

So, what are we to learn from this study of His creation? It is not salvation for which we should be searching here, nor even how to go about our lives, although there may be messages there. These are things that concern the relationship between the Lord and His people, and for that we have his word. The study of God’s universe is to know about Him because He loves us and we love Him.

One of the first things we should learn is that God wants us to know Him. Even apart from desiring our salvation, He wants us to understand much about Him. The very fact that we have both the urge and the limited capacity to perform this study is because this is instilled in us by God. Albert Einstein said “The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible”. We can learn these things because we are beloved and He wants us to know Him.

The truths that scientists are uncovering reveal His nature. The laws of Physics, if accurately and completely known, are a reflection of God’s nature. Much can be known about God from learning His nature.

Without ever meeting me, you know that I am a sinner. You know that this is a result of my choices in life, and I was never coerced into doing an unrighteous act, or thinking an unrighteous thought. It is the nature of man (Rom 3:23).

The Laws of the universe, being a reflection of their maker, and whose purpose is to glorify Him and show us His nature, allow us to know for certain that nothing he has ever done has violated those laws. This is not a matter of inability in a physical sense, but ontologically because of God’s very nature.

So what of miracles?

When I introduced the concept of physical laws, I included the caveat if accurately and completely known. There are many gaps and errors in our understanding. There are intriguing statements from those who are investigation the smallest components of matter. At the smallest, most fundamental level, we run into concepts that we cannot grasp in terms of everyday experiences. Things like the dual nature of particles (matter vs energy), quantum entanglement and a granularity of space and time at the Planck level. All these and more may be the tools used to produce the most unexpected results at our macro level. Under the control of an infinite God, a finite, but extremely large number of unlikely interactions can accomplish just about anything without the necessity of God violating His own nature.


So what is a miracle? In my view, it is largely a matter of how much knowledge and what kind of knowledge we have, not in the nature of God’s action. If you can see God’s hand, or understand what He did in everyday terms, you may term it providence. If He uses more subtle means, of which you are either unaware, or is beyond your understanding, you may term it a miracle. At no time did the Lord violate ‘natural’ laws.


At the very least, there are some new analogies that may teach come about the nature of God: The path of a subatomic particle (often electron or photon in experiments, but theoretically others as well) between two points of measurements cannot be specified. Compare this to John 3:8.


As for the majesty of God, the next time you are at the beach, consider the sand. How many grains of sand are there on the beach? How many grains on all the beaches on Earth? What about including the sand under the waves and in all the deserts? Now consider the sky. Estimates, and here the best science is only estimates, are that there are more stars in the universe (observable universe) than grains of sand on Earth. How majestic is that? (If you still want to boggle your head, consider that in 10 drops of water there are more atoms than stars in the universe).


Psalms 8:1-4
O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have  displayed Your splendor above the heavens!

From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established  strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

When I  consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;


What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
 
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
-- Romans 1:20 (NASB)​


We are to know God’s qualities from what He has made. In earlier times, natural philosophy (e.g. Aristotle) observed nature and attempted to understand creation. As time went on, men organized and developed more systematic approaches, which have been a little inaccurately called collectively “the scientific method”, which echoes quite well Paul’s admonition in 1 Thess 5:21; with different fields of science having different methods of examining or proving knowledge of their subjects.

Today, we know much more than at prior times, although we still are barely scratching the surface. What we understand enough to apply in more than the grossest physical manner is much less, and our understanding of the eternal power and divine nature of the natural world through what has been made is minimal.

Many, who are believers in our Lord, mistrust anything coming out of the systematic analysis of creation (science). And there are many who labor in the sciences that do not understand nor credit what they are observing. I really believe that the enemy is at work promoting this schism between believers in our Lord, and those that study His creation. It is in this manner that the enemy seeks to short-circuit the understanding of God through His creation. If the enemy can keep us squabbling, he can divert attention away from believers learning what the Lord has laid out for them.

So, what are we to learn from this study of His creation? It is not salvation for which we should be searching here, nor even how to go about our lives, although there may be messages there. These are things that concern the relationship between the Lord and His people, and for that we have his word. The study of God’s universe is to know about Him because He loves us and we love Him.

One of the first things we should learn is that God wants us to know Him. Even apart from desiring our salvation, He wants us to understand much about Him. The very fact that we have both the urge and the limited capacity to perform this study is because this is instilled in us by God. Albert Einstein said “The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible”. We can learn these things because we are beloved and He wants us to know Him.

The truths that scientists are uncovering reveal His nature. The laws of Physics, if accurately and completely known, are a reflection of God’s nature. Much can be known about God from learning His nature.

Without ever meeting me, you know that I am a sinner. You know that this is a result of my choices in life, and I was never coerced into doing an unrighteous act, or thinking an unrighteous thought. It is the nature of man (Rom 3:23).

The Laws of the universe, being a reflection of their maker, and whose purpose is to glorify Him and show us His nature, allow us to know for certain that nothing he has ever done has violated those laws. This is not a matter of inability in a physical sense, but ontologically because of God’s very nature.

So what of miracles?

When I introduced the concept of physical laws, I included the caveat if accurately and completely known. There are many gaps and errors in our understanding. There are intriguing statements from those who are investigation the smallest components of matter. At the smallest, most fundamental level, we run into concepts that we cannot grasp in terms of everyday experiences. Things like the dual nature of particles (matter vs energy), quantum entanglement and a granularity of space and time at the Planck level. All these and more may be the tools used to produce the most unexpected results at our macro level. Under the control of an infinite God, a finite, but extremely large number of unlikely interactions can accomplish just about anything without the necessity of God violating His own nature.


So what is a miracle? In my view, it is largely a matter of how much knowledge and what kind of knowledge we have, not in the nature of God’s action. If you can see God’s hand, or understand what He did in everyday terms, you may term it providence. If He uses more subtle means, of which you are either unaware, or is beyond your understanding, you may term it a miracle. At no time did the Lord violate ‘natural’ laws.


At the very least, there are some new analogies that may teach come about the nature of God: The path of a subatomic particle (often electron or photon in experiments, but theoretically others as well) between two points of measurements cannot be specified. Compare this to John 3:8.


As for the majesty of God, the next time you are at the beach, consider the sand. How many grains of sand are there on the beach? How many grains on all the beaches on Earth? What about including the sand under the waves and in all the deserts? Now consider the sky. Estimates, and here the best science is only estimates, are that there are more stars in the universe (observable universe) than grains of sand on Earth. How majestic is that? (If you still want to boggle your head, consider that in 10 drops of water there are more atoms than stars in the universe).


Psalms 8:1-4
O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have  displayed Your splendor above the heavens!

From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established  strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

When I  consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;


What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
I love it!! And that's my favorite Psalms. Every letter in the word of God has a meaning and everything written has multiple levels of understanding. While all can read it, only the Holy Spirit can reveal its needed meaning to the reader and in their current level of understanding. Too awesome to articulate! Glory to God! For those subatomic particles are all held together by Jesus Himself, Col 1:17.
 
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