Throughout the Christmas season, we have been focusing on Emmanuel, God with us. But once again Christmas has come and gone, so where do we go from here? What I hope you have been reminded of over the past few weeks is that from the beginning of time, the story of creation has always been about God’s presence with us. And “When we’ve been there ten thousand years” our very existence will still revolve around God and His presence with us. But for now, Christmas is over, so what do we do with Emmanuel in January?
There are two lies which the enemy is constantly attacking us with, regardless of what time of year it is. The first lie is this, “If God is so close at hand, and so much like me, then He must not be all that big.” The second lie (which I find myself believing more often than I would like to admit) is, “If God is so big and so different from me, surely He cannot be all that concerned about me.” Throughout history, many philosophers and teachers have latched onto one of these two lines of thought, and have come up with lots of fancy arguments to support their views and influence us toward one of these two lies. While I doubt that many of us are in danger of becoming card carrying subscribers to Deism,
Dualism, or Pantheism, we can easily put these dangerous ideas into practice when we take our eyes off of what Scripture says about our relationship with God.
In response to the first lie, we must remind ourselves that God is indeed very, very big. The bible is clear that God has no beginning and no end (Ps. 90:2). It is also clear that God created everything out of nothing (Gen. 1:1, Heb. 11:3, Rev. 4:11), and that He alone is Lord over everything (Ps. 97). In splendor, in power, in majesty, in holiness, there is no one like Him. He is completely and utterly different from anyone or anything. Moses said it this way, “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”
(Ex. 15:11). There are no words to adequately describe the one, true, infinite, and living God, but one word that we often use to summarize these truths is the word “transcendent”. To say that God is transcendent means that He exists outside of the material universe, and is not subject to or dependent on it in any way. As I said, He is very, very big. King Solomon recognized this when he prayed these words upon completion of the Temple, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27). But if God is so big, and even King Solomon’s Temple in all of its splendor is wholly inadequate to be God’s dwelling place, what hope do you and I have of being recipients of God’s attention, let alone His favor?
This brings us to the second lie, which Jesus so gloriously obliterated when he spoke these words, “I tell you,
something greater than the temple is here” (Matt. 12:6). The answer to the second lie is in fact Emmanuel! God is indeed with us! And His presence with us is in no way at odds with His transcendence. John M. Frame writes, “God’s immanence [presence within creation] is not some kind of opposite to God’s transcendence, some paradoxical negation of transcendence. Rather it is a necessary implication of his transcendence.” And Ray Ortlund Jr. drives the point home when he says, “You’re not missing, You’re not far from His heart. His eye is upon you at all times. God is not too great to notice you. God is too great to overlook you.” Oh how my heart rejoices when I listen to those words!
As we leave the holiday season behind us and begin the new year, we must always remember Emmanuel, God is with us. The Lord reigns over His creation, and He has placed us here for a purpose. So as we enter 2021 may we be guided by the words of the Apostle Paul, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your one; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
