28 - SOME REFLECTIONS

God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone,

but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.

                                                                      Martin Luther (1486-1546)

March 11, 2025                                                                

It is time to move on from Non-Contradiction.  That news may come as a relief…

As the “Welcome to this Blog” note on the home page notes, the focus of Elijah’s Cave is on Christian Apologetics.  In pursuing that goal, to this point we have been teasing out the meaning – and application – of Romans 1:20:  “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…”

Since God’s divine nature is not contradictory, we have explored several examples of now Non-Contradiction is built-in to what has been made, in ways both material and non-material. Admittedly, this has mainly been an intellectual exercise: we have reasoned our way into and through a number of Creation’s features to see the Principle Non-Contradiction applied. 

In doing this, we have shown that faith and reason are not opposed to each other, but are, in fact, complimentary and, beyond that, reinforcing.  No Christian need fall into the trap that faith and reason are opposed.  In making human beings in His image, God gave us reason, in part, that it might support our faith in Him and what He made.

This is tied to another statement Paul makes in Romans, this one being found in 12:2:  “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is…”  To understand the Principle of Non-Contradiction, and apply it thoroughly, is one way in which the Christian mind is renewed.

However, the “mind” that Paul has in mind – sorry – is different than the mind as it is commonly understood today.  We tend to think of “mind” as meaning intellect or thought, but the Biblical definition is broader.  When Paul speaks of “renewing your mind,” he is referring to our spiritual faculty which is “the seat of human reason, understanding, emotion and will.”*

For “emotion,” substitute “affections.”  Our affections are those things that we most desire.  So, yes, the Christian mind that is being renewed thinks more logically and more clearly, and its desires and affections also change. Thus, the transformation about which Paul speaks in 12.2 is much more than change in one’s thinking and understanding, it is a “re-forming” of the whole person, including our loves.

I think that a growing understanding of Non-Contradiction has impacted me in at least three ways:

1.        It has expanded my sense of awe and wonder, both at who God is and at the Universe.  To see that God has disclosed something central to his nature in everything and everywhere in Creation makes me be still and be reverently amazed.  Psalm 46:10 is more meaningful than ever!

2.        It has strengthened my comfort in God’s sovereignty and His presence. Recently, I have been reading Martin Luther’s The Bondage of the Will (2025 being the 500th anniversary of its publication) and I have been struck by how brilliantly Luther describes the fullness of God’s sovereign rule over Creation.  The quote that begins the article is NOT from the book, but expresses something profound about God’s self-disclosure in what He created.

3.        It has intensified my affection for Holy Scripture, and for its unity and its trustworthiness.  More than ever, the Bible is the solid foundation on which I rest my belief that God’s Word is without error and that His promises are trustworthy.

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised… (Ps. 48:1a)

Next time: Non-Contradiction and Limits

*	From Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Bible Words (©2005, Hendrickson Publishers) p. 638.