Classical Greek literature tells many tales of love, betrayal, war and peace, involving men and gods. These gods are usually super-human figures, in some ways not unlike modern Marvel comic 'superheroes'. They possess some 'superpowers' with many of the failings of mere humans. In these mythical figures human imagination has produced gods like ourselves.
Divine revelation is entirely different. We discover from the Bible that God is not like sinful men and women. He has none of our weaknesses or failings. He is pure, holy, just and good. Furthermore, He is all-powerful, all-knowing and present everywhere. He doesn’t share in the sins and faults of humanity. Martin Luther once wrote that people's thoughts of God were 'too human'.
God has perfectly displayed who He is in the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son. He stepped into human history and died on the cross after which He rose again from the dead. This must not be confused with the re-births or reincarnations taught by some world religions, ancient and modern.(3)This was a literal, bodily resurrection in which He was seen by many witnesses, touched and handled, before He returned to heaven. This is no man-made fiction but historical reality.(4)
Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead not only proves the reliability of His words, but also presents for everyone the person through whom God will execute judgement. He "has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17.31)
The day is set. The day of God's holy anger against sin is coming and it will not tarry.
Notes
- See Romans 2.14-15.
- See 1 John 2.2, the Lord Jesus as the propitiation has satisfied the righteous demands of God's throne against sin fully when He died on the cross.
- The mythological 'Baal Cycle' in ancient Canaanite religion is an example of this.
- Koukl, G. The Story of Reality, Zondervan, 2017.
