Good Q. Here's Ur A., Enjoy! John
DOCTRINE OF GOD CONSCIOUSNESS
A. Definition.
1. God consciousness is defined as the point at which a person becomes
aware of the existence of God. It may also be classified as the point of
accountability.
a. If any member of the human race, regardless of geographical or
linguistic barrier, desires relationship with God after reaching God
consciousness, then God will provide the necessary information (the gospel
message) through which that person can believe in Christ for eternal
salvation. Every unbeliever has equal opportunity. If any person at the
point of God consciousness does not desire to know God, then 2 Cor 4:3-4
applies. 2 Cor 4:3-4 says, "And even if your gospel is veiled, it is veiled
to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world [Satan] has
blinded the minds of the unbelieving." Rejection of the truth produces a
vacuum in the soul resulting in the infiltration of the satanic lie. This
does not prevent evangelization of the human race in every generation of
human history, even the most isolated places on earth and the most difficult
language barriers to overcome.
b. Scripture documents the fact that the gospel has been
presented throughout the world, Acts 17:6; Col 1:6; 1 Tim 3:16.
2. In a pristine culture, the point of accountability may not occur
until a person is twenty or twenty-five years old. In a civilized culture,
it can occur as early as three, four, or five years old.
3. God consciousness is the result of the internal function of reason
in at least five different categories. You become aware of the existence of
God through the function of your own thought in any of five categories.
B. The Mechanics of God Consciousness. There are five ways in which any
normal human being can attain an awareness of God. These five ways are
called in theology theistic arguments for the existence of God. Theism is a
science which depends on proven facts based on the assumption that human
thought is real and that rational conclusions of the mind are trustworthy.
The science of theism demands that the intellect of the finite man move out
of the sphere of material things and beyond the range of human experience to
contemplate the infinite creator. Therefore, theism is the only reasonable
and rational background for morality, government, philosophy, and science.
The five theistic arguments for the existence of God form the mechanics for
mankind attaining God consciousness.
1. The Religious Argument. The religious argument contends that God
exists because mankind universally believe in His existence. Creatures do
not crave what does not exist, and men seek after God. Even religious
instincts indicate the reality of a Supreme Being. The concept of man
seeking God is found in Jer 29:13, Jn 17:17, and Acts 17:27.
2. The Moral or Anthropological Argument. This argument says that to
a greater or lesser degree man's soul possesses both volition and conscience
with an urge to choose right over wrong. The structure of human society is
based on the recognition of virtue and truth. This phenomena has no
explanation apart from the existence and influence of a Supreme Being with
perfect and eternal holiness or integrity. A material, ungoverned universe
can know nothing of moral values apart from the absolute righteousness of a
Supreme Being. Acknowledging the existence of virtue and truth eventuates
in becoming aware of the source of virtue and truth. Jesus said, "I am the
truth...no man comes unto the Father but by Me."
3. The Ontological Argument. Ontological reasoning says that since
the human mind possesses the idea of a perfect and absolute being, such a
being must exist. Apart from the religious and moral tendencies, the
existence of God is a necessary idea to the human intellect, and beyond the
relative which mankind measures there is the absolute which gives value and
character to the relative.
4. The Teleological Argument. This argument is the fact that the
universe, by its telescopic and microscopic wonders, always form
arrangement, purpose, and adaptation, which connotes a designer. Structure
in the universe demands a designer. The more we discover about the perfect
structure of the universe in science, the more we recognize the need for a
designer. Rom 1:20. The order of the universe can no more be accidental
than the shuffling of twenty-six letters of the alphabet into a beautiful
poem. The chemical contents of the human body are never accidentally
combined to form man.
5. The Cosmological Argument. This reasoning states that the
intuitive law of cause and effect demands the existence of God as the
initial cause. Order in the universe demands both a creator and a
preserver. The universe presents an overwhelming demand for belief in the
existence of God. Jn 1:3, speaking of Jesus Christ as eternal God, says,
"All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came
into being that has come into being." Col 1:16-17 teaches that Jesus Christ
is not only the creator of the universe, but that He also holds it together
for the perpetuation of human history until the end of the Millennium, "For
by Him were all things created both in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or empires or rulers or authorities. All things
have been created through Him and for Him. He has existed prior to all
things and by Him all things hold together." Heb 1:10, "In the beginning, O
Lord [Jesus Christ], You laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens
are the workmanship of Your hands." Heb 1:3, "He upholds all things by the
word of His power."
C. Heathenism and Negative Volition.
1. Heathenism is the result of negative volition either at God
consciousness or Gospel hearing or sometimes both. People do not believe
the lie until they have rejected the truth. Just as every believer has
equal opportunity to fulfill the protocol plan for the Church, so every
unbeliever in history has equal opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ for
eternal life. To protect mankind from self-destruction, all the evil Satan
seeks to perpetuate on humanity, and equal opportunity for salvation God
provided both language separation and national boundaries. God also created
a new racial species (the Jew) to provide gospel information to the human
race.
2. Heathen are heathen not because the Gospel has never been presented
in their geographical area, but because they were negative at God
consciousness and again at Gospel hearing.
3. The unbeliever who is negative at either God consciousness or
Gospel hearing or both enters gate number two of cosmic two and all too
often remains under the influence of antagonistic negative volition toward
the truth. This is described in 2 Cor 4:3-4, "But if our Gospel is hidden
[veiled], it is hidden to those who are lost [unbelievers], in whose case
the god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers
[negative volition to the Gospel at God consciousness and Gospel hearing],
that they might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who
is the image of God."
4. Negative volition at God consciousness is described in some detail
in Rom 1:18-20. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
negative godliness [negative volition at God consciousness] and
unrighteousness of men who suppress truth through all unrighteousness.
Because that which may be known about God is evident within themselves [God
consciousness], for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of
the world, His invisible attributes [eternal power, divine nature] have been
clearly seen, being understood through that which has been made
[observation], so that they [unbelievers] are without excuse." The
unbeliever suppresses truth through his own negative volition, which causes
heathenism. This occurs in the cosmic system, especially at gate number two
of cosmic two.
5. When this same unbeliever with negative volition at God
consciousness is exposed to the Gospel, his negative volition recurs. When
this unbeliever is exposed to the Gospel through some form of evangelism, he
rejects Jesus Christ as Savior and again becomes entangled in the cosmic
system, including gate #2 of cosmic two where he is antagonistic toward the
Gospel and doctrine. So if an unbeliever who is already in the cosmic
system is exposed to the Gospel, his mind is blinded, and he rejects Jesus
Christ as Savior (2 Cor 4:3-4).
6. Involvement in the cosmic system and its consequences is the
subject of 2 Pet 2:20-22.
a. Verse 20, "For if, after they have escaped the defilement of
the cosmic system by knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are
again involved in them and are overcome [by the cosmic system], the latter
state [rejecting the Gospel resulting in blackout of the soul] has become
worse for them than the first."
(1) The decision to remain in the cosmic system causes the
blackout of the soul.
(2) At first, they had the chance to accept the Gospel. In
the latter state they had no chance because having already rejected the
Gospel, blackout of the soul has occurred.
b. Verse 21, "For it would have been better for them not to have
known the way of righteousness then, having known it, to turn away from the
holy mandate delivered to them. The holy mandate is: `This is the will of
God: that we believe on His Son, Jesus Christ.'"
(1) Negative volition at God consciousness results in the
entrance to gate #2 of cosmic two where the unbeliever suffers from blackout
of the soul.
(2) When you reject the Gospel, negative volition blinds you
through cosmic involvement.
(3) So negative volition at God consciousness results in
living in the cosmic system. Then if there is Gospel hearing, the way of
righteousness is now understood. Having understood it yet rejecting it
again, the unbeliever goes back into cosmic involvement, but this time with
blackout of the soul eventuating in scar tissue of the soul.
c. Verse 22, "It has happened to them according to the true
proverb [Prov 26:11], `A dog returns to his own vomit, and a sow after
washing returns to wallowing in the mire.'" In effect, the one who was
negative at God consciousness comes out of the cosmic system long enough to
hear the Gospel. But once he rejects it, he goes right back into the cosmic
system; i.e., the vomit or the mire. So this refers to the blackout of the
soul or the blindness of the mind caused by negative volition at God
consciousness returning to the mire when he has negative volition at Gospel
hearing.
d. When the unbeliever attains God consciousness and becomes
negative, he enters the cosmic system of Satan. When his mind is blinded
under the principle of the blackout of the soul, that's it; that's the
latter state being worse than the first.
e. When the unbeliever hears the presentation of the Gospel in
some form of evangelism, the Holy Spirit under common grace takes the
unbeliever out of the cosmic system so that he can hear and understand the
issue of the Gospel.
f. But once he says no to the Gospel and rejects Jesus Christ, he
returns to the cosmic system where he regards the Gospel under the principle
of 1 Cor 1:18, which says, "The doctrine of the cross is foolish to those
who are perishing, but unto us who are saved it is the power of God." Rom
1:16, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the
Gentile."
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