Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 20
July 11, 1968
NUMBER 10, PAGE 5-6a

The Perfection Of God

Harry E. Ozment

In studying about God, I'm sure that we all stand in awe. His existence is too infinite and His nature is too wonderful for us to comprehend properly His being. This, however, does not prevent us from meditating upon Him. One of the striking characteristics of God is His perfection — God cannot make a mistake. In fact, if He could, He would not be God. Perfection is one of the essential characteristics of God.

In the first place, God's will is perfect. Paul said in Rom. 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." God's will does not contain a single mistake. Now, there are many infidels today (even in the pulpits) who would have us to believe that God made many mistakes in writing the Bible. "The story of the creation is a mistake!" Bishop Pike (formerly of the Episcopal Church) has said that the Godhead is a mistake: "I understand why at the time of its formation (i.e., doctrine of the Godhead — HEO) it might be used but I cannot see any permanent value. I stand in the tradition that requires all doctrine be under the standard of the Bible, but I can see nothing in the Bible as critically viewed, which supports the weak and unintelligible and philosophical organization of the nature of God." And, Thomas Altizer, a professor of Bible and Religion at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, would have us to believe that is a mistake to believe in the living God: "We must recognize the death of God as a historical event. God has died in our time, in our history, in our existence." But the Bible calls a man a fool who denies God. And the man who denies God's will is just as much a fool. Many denominationalists deny God's plan of salvation. They either assert that there is no plan or they deny some of the parts of the plan. God, however, has a plan. Faith (Heb. 11:6), repentance (Lk. 13:3), confession (Rom. 10:10), and baptism (Acts 2:38) are all a part of that plan. And God's plan is perfect! Man has no business tampering with it. It cannot be improved upon: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (II Tim. 3:16-17)

Also, God's way is perfect. David said in Psa. 18:30: "As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him." Some people have the mistaken idea that God gave a law prohibiting certain things just to make us miserable. They seem to have the idea, "God robs us of all our good fun." But, not so! Every part of the law of Christ is given for the good of man. It is man who benefits when the obeys God's law. For example, fornication is a sin against the body: "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." (I Cor. 6:18) It is to the advantage of man to obey God's law and abstain from fornication. And we could say the same for all of God's commandments. Why is this? Because God's way is perfect! No one could choose a better way to live than God's.

And finally, God's work is perfect. Moses said, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." God's work of creation was perfect. After creation of the Smatter of the heavens and the earth, there were four incompletions:

1. Shape was needed. "And the earth was without form" (Gen. 1 :2a)

2. Inhabitants were needed. "And the earth was ... void" (Gen. 1:2a)

3. Light was needed. "And darkness was upon the face of the deep" (Gen. 1:2b)

4. Organization was needed. "And darkness was upon the face of the deep." ("Deep" implies a heaving mass of unorganized matter) (Gen. 1:2-14 Therefore, because God's work is perfect, God satisfied these four incompletions by the creation as told in Gen. 1:

1. Shape was provided when "the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Gen. 1:2c)

2. Inhabitants were provided when God created plant life (Gen. 1:11), fowl and fish (Gen. 1:20), animals (Gen. 1:24), and man (Gen. 1:26).

3. Light was provided when God created it in Gen. 1:3-5. On the fourth day God also created luminaries to give forth the light (Gen. 1:14)

4. Organization was provided when God created the firmament (Gen. 1:6) This same perfection in God's work is seen in the church. The church is a part of God's eternal purpose and it proclaims the wisdom of God. Notice what Paul said in Eph. 3:10-11: "To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." God's blueprint for the church is perfect. And man needs to stop tampering with its organization, worship and work.

— 423 Donelson Pike, Nashville, Tennessee