The Will and Word of God
by Jody L Apple

WILL THERE BE ANOTHER WAY ON JUDGEMENT DAY?


Key Passage: "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7, all references NKJV unless noted)

Proposition: The Scriptures teach that the will, word and work of God are consistent in such a way that none of the three ever deviates from the other. God's will, for example, is not something other than revealed in His word. His word reflects that divine will accurately. His work (action) is never out of harmony with His will (or word). All concur completely.

Objective: To help the reader/hearer understand the relationships that exist among the will, word and work of God, with special emphasis given to the interaction of His will and word.

Introduction

1. Principle: There exists a unique consistency between the will, word and work of God.

2. This consistency is such that it is absolutely perfect 100% of the time.

3. There is never a time, or an instance, in which the will of God is not in harmony with either the word of God or the work (action) of God.

4. To contend that such (i.e., an inconsistency among the will, word or work of God) is the case is to deny the existence of the infinite God of the Bible.

5. Problem: It has been suggested, implied and even directly stated by some that God's plan of salvation for man is such that, come judgement day, there might be another "way" for man to enter eternal heaven (salvation) than that which is revealed in the new testament.

6. This "suggestion" is usually offered under the rubric of God's mercy.

7. Sometimes an adjunct to this flexible "mercy" of God is offered. It is claimed that God is able (because He is infinite) to "set aside" His sovereign will and make decisions in the future that are not the same as (or consistent with) His decisions of the past. (Note: In other contexts this "Divine prerogative" is offered with regard to what God chooses to know or not know. Both concepts are distortions of Bible truths.)

8. "Mercy" becomes, then, God's "reason" for setting aside his sovereign will so that He is able to allow for souls to be saved under certain extenuating circumstances (all too often the circumstances need not be extenuating).

9. This matter of God's ultimate "mercy" is also (in some cases) pushed to the extent of allowing all souls to be saved regardless of circumstances.

10. These corollary concepts (God's "mercy" and His ability to "set aside" His sovereign will) affect not only eschatological truths - they affect all truths.

11. If God in His infinite "mercy" is able to "set aside" his sovereign and Divine will in order to allow any, or all, to be saved on the day of judgment, then perhaps He will (for He is certainly able) do so at any time (or at all times) prior to that.

12. What does this scenario say with regard to the general principles that we introduced above (cf #'s 1-4)?

13. To say the least, it goes completely counter to those principles, principles which, I am convinced, lie at the very heart of both the nature of God and His word.

14. Our purpose, therefore, will be to demonstrate the truthfulness of these inter-related principles by showing how the Scriptures (both old and new testaments) depict them in a variety of contexts. In so doing we will be making a case to show that the problem (#5ff) does not really exist. There will be no "other way" at judgment, nor "another way" at any other time.

I. The Principle Inherent in Amos 3:7 - "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets."(Amos 3:7 NKJV)

A. Like many old testament prophets, Amos pronounces judgment upon the nations.

• 1. judgment is coming upon Damascus/Syria (1:3)
  
• 2. judgment is coming upon Gaza/Philistia (1:6)
  
• 3. judgment is coming upon Edom (1:11)
  
• 4. judgment is coming upon Moab (2:1)
  
• 5. judgment is coming upon Judah (2:4)
  
• 6. judgment is coming upon Israel (2:6)

B. God's love for Judah/Israel has been demonstrated for them in that they "only have I known of all the families of the earth;..." (3:2a)

C. Because of the love God had for Judah/Israel, He determined "I will punish you for all your iniquities." (3:2b; cf Heb 12:3ff)

D. As proof that punishment was coming, Amos offers a series of statements, each demonstrating a definite cause-effect relationship. The last one asserts that God's punishment was sure because "the Lord God does nothing, unless he reveals His secret to His servants the prophets".

• 1. "can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"(3:3)
  
• 2. "Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey?" (3:4a)
  
• 3. "Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing?"(3:4b)
  
• 4. "Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it?" (3:5a)
  
• 5. "Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?" (3:5b)
  
• 6. "If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? (3:6a)
  
• 7. "If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done {it}?" (3:6b)
  
• 8. "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets." (3:7)

E. The force of the previous cause-effect relationships is that they attest to the certainty of God's impending judgement, as Amos states: "A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy?" (3:8) Because of the cause-effect relationship inherent in each of the examples previously given, Amos knew not only that God's judgment was sure...he also knew that he was, therefore, compelled to prophesy.

II. Explanation of The Principle Inherent in Amos 3:7 - "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets."(Amos 3:7)

A. As suggested in our introduction, the Scriptures teach that the will (or mind) of God (especially as it relates to the Biblical theme that involves God's plan to save man) is such that it is always revealed in, and harmonious with, the word of God. To state the principle in another way: The word of God always harmonizes with the will (mind) of God (cf. further discussion re 1 Cor 2:9ff; Eph 3:1ff).

B. Amos, by inspiration, states that God does nothing except that he reveals His secret (i.e., His will, mind or intention) to the prophets (3:7).

• 1. God's purpose for revealing to the prophets is not simply so that the prophets might know God's will.
  
• 2. God's purpose for revealing His will to the prophets is that they might know it for the purpose of proclaiming it to God's intended hearers/readers. (cf. discussion re 1 Cor 2 and Eph 3)
  
• 3. This statement is nothing if not an explicit statement of a principle that runs through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

C. This principles does not demand that God reveals all that He knows. Scripture plainly declares that there are things relative to the knowledge of God that we do not know (cf. Deut 29:29a; Rom 11:33). The principle entails that God reveals His will relative to all things necessary for the salvation of man (cf. 1 Tim 2:3-4; 2 Tim 3:16ff; 2 Pet 1:3). There are no specifics necessary for us to know, or do, except that God has revealed them to us. The principle simply affirms the all-sufficiency of the word of God relative to salvation; it does not affirm that the word of God is a complete revelation of the entirety of the mind of God (e.g., Scripture does not reveal all that God knows, or has done, relative to the creation of the physical universe). Again, it strictly demands the essentiality of the revelation of God's will as it relates to the salvation of man.

D. As it relates to God's plan to save man, not only has nothing been withheld concerning the performance of that will (cf. Rom 8:28ff), nothing has been withheld concerning the revelation of that will to mankind. Note the following brief examples:

1. The Garden of Eden - God revealed His will to Adam and Eve concerning:

• (a.) He warned not to eat fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17)
  
• (b.) the ultimate consequences of eating the forbidden fruit (Gen 2:17)
  
• (c.) the immediate consequences of this disobedience (Gen 3:14ff)
  
• (d.) In summary: There was nothing necessary for Adam and Eve to know or do to be right in God's sight except that God provided revelation concerning the required knowledge or action, and that such revelation was in advance of its being required.

 

2. Cain and Abel - God revealed His will to Cain and Abel concerning:

• (a.) what He expected them to offer (Heb 11:4, it must be by faith, i.e. in harmony with his word/will, cf. Rom 10:17)
  
• (b.) that God was pleased with Abel's offering (Gen 4:4)
  
• (c.) that God was not pleased with Cain's offering (Gen 4:5-7)
  
• (d.) that God would be pleased with Cain's offering, and "be accepted," if "you do well" (Gen 4:7)
  
• (e.) that Cain had the ability to "do well" and "rule over" sin (Gen 4:7)
  
• (f.) the consequences of Cain's refusal to "do well" ("sin lies at the door" - Gen 4:7)
  
• (g.) In summary: There was nothing necessary for either Cain or Abel to know or do to be right in God's sight except that God provided revelation concerning the required knowledge or action, and that such revelation was in advance of its being required.

3. Noah and the flood - God revealed His will about the destruction of the world:

• (a.) the reason for the flood (Gen 6:12-13)
  
• (b.) the method of escape from the flood (Gen 6:14ff)
  
• (c.) the message of righteousness God desired (2 Pet 2:5)
  
• (d.) In summary: There was nothing necessary for either Noah or his family (or the antediluvian world) to know or do to be right in God's sight except that God provided adequate revelation concerning the required knowledge or action, and that such revelation was in advance of its being required. [Note: God told Noah about the flood prior to its occurrence (Gen 6:13). We learn from 1 Pet 3:20 that God was patient/forbearing during the days of Noah, specifically while he (Noah) was building the ark.]

4. Abraham, Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah - God revealed His will about the destruction of the cities:

• (a.) God informed Abraham concerning the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:6ff)
  
• (b.) He revealed that the cities would be spared for ten righteous souls (Gen 18:24-32)
  
• (c.) He revealed why the cities would be destroyed (Gen 18:20)
  
• (d.) the angels informed Lot that the cities were doomed (Gen 19:13)
  
• (e.) they told him why the destruction was coming (Gen 19:13)
  
• (f.) they encouraged him to tell his family and others about the destruction to come (Gen 19:12)
  
• (g.) the angels warned of the danger of looking back (Gen 19:17)
  
• (h.) they warned of the danger of staying in the plain (Gen 19:17)
  
• (i.) God did all of these things because "he remembered Abraham" (Gen 19:29, cf. 18:17-19)
  
• (j.) In summary: There was nothing necessary for either Lot or Lot's family (or the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah) to know or do to be right in God's sight except that God provided adequate revelation concerning the required knowledge or action, and that such revelation was in advance of its being required.

E. The preceding four examples, all taken from Genesis, are but a sampling of the numerous accounts found throughout the Bible that reflect the general principle we are examining: God consistently reveals his mindset (His will) concerning the salvation of mankind through His word. There is no thought in the mind of God concerning His desire for man's salvation that we need to know that He has not revealed (cf. 1 Tim 2:-3-4; 2 Pet 3:9; Titus 2:11ff; et. al.) [Note: This is not to say that at any point in the process of unveiling the plan of redemption that God's fullest will was made known. His will was made known through the ages (as He prophesied He would make it known - cf. Jer 31:31). Isaiah said that God's will was revealed incrementally (Is 28:9ff), that is through the passage of time. At any point in history, and with regard to any specific set of circumstances (as the four examples in Genesis show), what God desired concerning mankind was always revealed for the purpose of informing souls relative to that will, and such revelation was always in advance of what God would require.]

III. Additional Passages That Reflect The Principle Inherent in Amos 3:7

A. John 15:15 "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

1. Among other things, Jesus, in the context of His last night with the apostles (Jn 13:1-18:1):

• (a.) prepared for and partook of the Passover feast (13:1ff)
  
• (b.) demonstrated the importance of service by washing the apostles' feet (13:4ff)
  
• (c.) informed the apostles of His betrayal (13:21ff)
  
• (d.) predicted Peter's denial (13:36ff)
  
• (e.) spoke of His Father's house (14:1ff)
  
• (f.) promised the coming of the Comforter (14:17, 25-26; 15:26; 16:13)
  
• (g.) spoke about the vine and the branches (15:1ff)

2. In the context of teaching the importance of abiding in Him (via the vine and the branches illustration), Jesus said that the apostles were more than servants, for servants did not know what their master did. Jesus addressed the apostles as friends because what he heard from the Father he revealed to the apostles.

3. Note the importance of this principle: What God had in mind for the apostles (and ultimately all mankind, cf. Jn 17:20ff, 2 Tim 2:2), He revealed to the Son. The Son, in turn, revealed it to the apostles. Concerning this note:

• (a.) God is a God of knowledge (1 Sam 2:3; Ps 147:4-5)

• (1.) God knows all that can be known (Job 28:10)
  
• (2.) He knows the future before it comes to pass (Is 42:9; 46:10; 48:4-6)
  
• (3.) He knows all that can be known about the activities and conditions of all men (Ex 3:3-20; 6:1; 11;1; Num 14:27; Job 24:24; Ps 33:13; 66:7; Prov 5:21)
  
• (4.) He knows the hearts and minds of men (1 Chr 28:9; 1 Kgs 8:39; Is 66:18; Lk 16:15; Acts 1:24; 12:8; et. al.)
  
• (5.) He knows every detail about us, even the very number of hairs upon our heads (Mt 10:29)
  
• (6.) In summary: there is nothing that God does not know...He knows all.

• (b.) God revealed all His will relative to the salvation of the souls of men to His Son (Jn 15:15; Jn 4:34; et. al.)

• (1.) Jesus came to this world for the express purpose of saving mankind from their sins (Mt 1:21; Mt 18:11; Lk 19:10)
  
• (2.) In order to accomplish that, Jesus came to "declare" (exegete) the Father (Jn 1:18; cf. Titus 2:11ff)
  
• (3.) The role Jesus occupied as the Son thus necessitated that Jesus know the mind of God (obvious; cf prior refs.)
  
• (4.) Jesus repeatedly claimed to have Divine authority, and thus the mind/will of God (e.g., Jn 5:16-30; Jn 6)

• [a.] the Son does what He sees the Father do (5:19)
  
• [b.] whatever the Father does, the Son does (5:19)
  
• [c.] the Father shows Him all things He does (5:20)
  
• [d.] the Father raises the dead, so does the Son (5:21)
  
• [e.] the Father commits judgment to the Son (5:22)
  
• [f.] the Son should be honored as is the Father (5:23)
  
• [g.] as the Father has life in Himself, so the Son (5:26)
  
• [h.] the Son seeks the will of the Father (5:30)
  
• [i.] seeing the Son is tantamount to seeing the Father (6:46)

• (5.) Jesus demonstrated that He was ordained/authorized of God repeatedly during His earthly existence (e.g., Jn 5:31-47)

• [a.] by the testimony of John the immerser (5:31ff)
  
• [b.] by His works (5:36ff)
  
• [c.] by His relationship to the Father (5:37ff)
  
• [d.] by the teaching of OT scripture (5:39ff)
  
• [e.] by the testimony of Moses (5:46-47)

 

• (6.) Jesus explicitly taught that the message he revealed to the apostles came from God (cf Jn 17:1ff)

• [a.] the Father and Son glorify each other (17:1, 5)
  
• [b.] the Son was given authority over all flesh (17:2)
  
• [c.] authority was given for the purpose of providing for eternal life for mankind (17:2)
  
• [d.] eternal life is attained by knowing both the true God and the Christ (17:3)
  
• [e.] Christ finished the work He was sent to do (i.e., God's work) (17:4)
  
• [f.] Christ made God known to the apostles (17:6)
  
• [g.] the apostles kept God's word (17:6)
  
• [h.] the apostles knew that all things taught them by Christ came from God (17:7)
  
• [i.] Christ gave the apostles the words (message) which He received from the Father (17:8, cf. vs 14, 17, 19)
  
• [j.] the apostles received the words, knew them, and thus believed that God sent Christ (17:8)

(c.) Jesus revealed "all things" from the Father to the apostles (Jn 15:15)

• (1.) God did not withhold any needed thing from His Son (see Jn 17:1-8 discussed above)
  
• (2.) the Son did not withhold any needed thing from His apostles (Jn 15:15)
  
• (3.) Jesus further promised that the apostles would be guided into "all truth" after he left by the coming of the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:15-17, 25-26; 15:26; 16:13-14; cf. Lk 24:44ff; Acts 1:7-9)
  
• (4.) The apostles, therefore, lacked nothing from the Son, who not only taught them all He had received from the Father, but also promised the coming of the Holy Spirit. (cf. Acts 1:2; 2:42; 2 Cor 11:5; 12:11; 2 Pet 3:2)

(d.) The apostles, therefore, revealed the totality of the will of the Father, Son and Spirit to the world and to the church in the Roman era (cf Acts 20:20, 27; et. al.).

 

(e.) The revelation of the new testament, by apostles and other inspired writers, is therefore the complete revelation of God relative to his plan of redemption for man (1 Tim 2:3-4; 2 Tim 3:14ff; 2 Pet 1:3; Jude 3; et. al.).

B. 1 Corinthians 2:9-13 "But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But God has revealed {them} to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

1. This passage teaches how the process of inspiration/revelation takes place.

• (a.) God knows all things (in context, relative to salvation) (2:9)
  
• (b.) the Spirit of God knows the mind of God (2:10-11)
  
• (c.) the Spirit thus knows all things relative to salvation (2:10-11)
  
• (d.) the Spirit has revealed these things to "us" (inspired speakers) (2:12)
  
• (e.) inspired speakers relayed these things to their audience (2:13)
  
• (f.) the audience, then, knew the mind of God concerning salvation (2:13, 16)

2. This passage also confirms the principle taught in Amos 3:7.

• (a.) 1 Cor 2:9 states that God "prepared" something for mankind. This simply means that God had something in mind in the past that he intended to reveal at a later time.
  
• (b.) That verse also affirms, that until a certain time, mankind had no knowledge of God's will in the matter under consideration ("eye has not seen, ..." etc.)
  
• (c.) God, however, while not having revealed them prior to the time under consideration in context, has now revealed them to "us" (2:10).

3. Thus, 1 Corinthians 2:9-13 reaffirms the principle of Amos 3:7. God always reveals His will to man in advance of his expectation for man to obey that will, or in advance of some judgment to come.

C. Ephesians 3:1-5 "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles; if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I wrote before in a few words, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: ..."

1. This passage also teaches how the process of inspiration/revelation takes place.<.ul>


• (a.) God knows all things (in context, relative to salvation) (3:3)
  
• (b.) the Spirit of God knows the mind of God (implied in 3:5)
  
• (c.) the Spirit thus knows all things relative to salvation (implied in 3:5)
  
• (d.) the Spirit has revealed these things to Paul (3:3)
  
• (e.) Paul wrote these things to his audience (3:3)
  
• (f.) Paul's audience, then, knew the mind of God concerning salvation (3:4)



2. This passage, like 1 Corinthians 2:9-13, also confirms the principle taught in Amos 3:7.



• (a.) The gospel of Christ used to be a mystery (3:3).
  
• (b.) The mystery of Christ was not revealed in "other ages" (3:5)
  
• (c.) The mystery, however, was "by revelation...made known" to Paul (3:3).
  
• (d.) "...it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:..." (3:5).
  
• (e.) The purpose of this revelation was "that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs," that is it was for the purpose of the salvation of all mankind (Jew and Gentile) (3:6).
  
• (f.) In this they (Jew and Gentile) became "partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel" (3:6). They came into fellowship with God, which is God's purpose (2 Pet 3:9; 1 Tim 2:3-4).
  
• (g.) Paul was a minister of this grace (3:2, 7), that is it was his duty to declare it



3. Thus, Ephesians 3:1-5, like 1 Corinthians 2:9-13, affirms the principle of Amos 3:7. God has always revealed His will to man in advance of his expectation for man to obey that will, or in advance of some judgment to come.


D. John 12:44-50 "Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 'And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come {as} a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him; the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken on My own {authority}; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.' "


1. In the general context of John 12:44-50 (see Jn 11-12), we see:



• (a.) the death of Lazarus (11:1-16)
  
• (b.) the resurrection of Lazarus (11:17-44)
  
• (c.) the Jewish leaders plan to kill Jesus because many Jews believed in Him due to His miracles (11:45-57, esp 51-53)
  
• (d.) Jesus came to Bethany six days prior to the Passover (12:1ff)
  
• (e.) Jesus was anointed by Mary in Bethany (12:3ff)
  
• (f.) the Jewish leaders planned to kill Lazarus (12:9ff)
  
• (g.) Jesus was praised as He entered Jerusalem (12:12ff)
  
• (h.) certain Greeks who came to the feast sought Jesus (12:20ff)
  
• (i.) Jesus spoke of his impending death (12:23ff)
  
• (j.) Jesus spoke of the nature of His death (12:30-34)
  
• (k.) though many witnessed miracles, they did not believe (12:37ff)
  
• (l.) some of the Pharisees believed, but refused to confess Christ (12:42ff)



2. Also, in this context, Jesus emphasized His relationship to the heavenly Father (cf. prior discussion of John 15:15 under III. A.):



• (a.) belief in Christ amounts to belief in the Father (12:44)
  
• (b.) seeing Christ is seeing the Father (12:45)
  
• (c.) Jesus did not speak on His own authority, but rather on the authority of God (12:49)
  
• (d.) the Father gave Jesus commands concerning what He should speak (12:49)
  
• (e.) Jesus thus spoke only what the Father told Him (12:50)



3. Again, in this context, Jesus emphasized His words (message):



• (a.) His message came from the authority of the Father (12:49)
  
• (b.) His message came at the command of the Father (12:49)
  
• (c.) His message was what the Father told Him to say (12:50)
  
• (d.) His message was given to instill faith (12:47)
  
• (e.) His message was designed to save the world (12:47)
  
• (f.) those who reject Christ and His message would be judged (12:48)
  
• (g.) those rejecting Christ would be judged by His words (12:48)
  
• (h.) those rejecting Christ and His message would be judged in the last day by Christ's words (12:48)



4. The theme inherent in Amos 3:7 is reinforced in this context:



• (a.) God revealed His message to the Son
  
• (b.) the Son delivered this message to man
  
• (c.) the message was delivered in advance of the judgment of God
  
• (d.) those who heard the message were going to be judged by that message



5. Amos declared that God does nothing except that He revealed His will to His servants, the prophets.



6. Jesus declared the message of God, and clearly stated that this message would be the standard by which we (all mankind) would be judged.



7. There is no indication in the context of the life and teachings of Christ that God failed to reveal anything to Christ that man needed to know.



8. There is every indication in the context of the life and teachings of Christ that God revealed everything to Christ that man needed to know.



9. There is no indication that either God or Christ anticipated some "change" in the will of God (and thus His word) on the day of judgment (or at any other time)



10. There is every indication that God and Christ both knew that the word of God was not going to change and that all judgment would be based upon this unalterable message.


Conclusion

1. The principle we've sought to affirm states: The will of God (God's mind) is such that it is always consistent with both the word of God (His revelation) and His work (actions) as all three relate to the redemption of man from sin.

2. This simply means that in any instance total compatibility exists between the word of God (His revelation) and the will of God (what God wants or intends).

3. There is never a time where God wants one thing, yet has revealed something else.

4. There is never a time when God has revealed something that is counter to what He desires.

5. This principle is consistently taught throughout the Bible.

6. It is clearly stated in Amos 3:7.

7. It is repeated in precept and practice throughout both the old and new testaments.

8. It is reflected in the life and teachings of Christ, especially (as we have noted) to His disciples.

9. It is definitely something that permeates the totality of scripture.

10. Concerning the "problem" that we discussed (as it is alleged by some):


A. It is without Biblical precedent to say that God will one day act other than He has.



B. The pattern of the scripture as it relates to God's will and word is consistent with our explanation of it here.



C. If God does change, as some allege, how do we know in what way he will change?



D. If we are not able to count on God's actions and revelations being consistent with His will, then how do we know whether He will change one way or another, or at all?



E. How can we presume that God will be "more merciful" in judgment than He has in the course of human history to the present?



F. Is this not an indictment of God's existing mercy? If His future "mercy" will be something "greater" than what we have witnessed, doesn't that devalue what scripture has already revealed mercy to be?



G. How do we know that God, rather than "changing" His will and "setting aside" His sovereignty and becoming "more merciful" in judgment, won't rather "change" and become "less merciful" and thus "more wrathful" in the day of judgment?



H. If God will change on the day of judgment (or at any other time), than how can we be expected to believe the scriptures' repeated affirmation that we will one day be judged based upon how our lives compare to the word of God (e.g., 2 Cor 5:10ff; Rev 20:11ff)? If He will change His will at the last moment, as some suggest, then what prevents Him from changing it concerning our present requirements?



I. What do these allegations say about the nature of the Godhead? Can God be considered truthful if He tells us to do one thing, then judges us by something else? Is Jesus really the way, the truth and the life (Jn 14:1-6) if there is some other way (cf. Jn 10:1ff)? Has the Spirit really been a Spirit of truth if the revelation which has come through Him is not the final standard it claims to be?


11. If we are to speak as the oracles of God (1 Pet 4:11), an expression that simply means we are to say only what God says, then on what ground do we "say" God will one day (specifically in judgment) be other than He has always been? Where are the "oracles of God" that declare such?

12. If Christ meticulously and consistently affirmed that He revealed nothing to the apostles that was not revealed to Him by His heavenly Father, then on what basis can we suppose to do other than Christ did?

13. The word of God will not pass away. So says Isaiah (Is 40:6ff). So says Peter (1 Pet 1:23ff). So says Christ (Mt 24:35; Mk 13:31; Lk 21:33). So says God (Ps 119:89, 160).

14. If God has established His definitive will in the new testament through the blood of Christ, and He has (cf. Mt 26:26ff; Heb 5-10; Jude 3), then we are without divine authority in any attempt to set aside that will, now or at any time in the future. Any effort that contends God will do what He has not by divine authority already established is a lie, and no lie, nor combination of lies, has the power to save. Only the truth can save us (Jn 8:32), and only what God has revealed is truth (Jn 17:17).

15. We can only say what Amos has already said: "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets."(Amos 3:7)