Apologetics! Reality not an Illusion!

There are many people who say that God is all, and all is God, which is simply false. There are others who believe that the Good God is all, and death, sin, sickness and disease are just illusions, because death, sin and sickness are 'bad'.

In this post I would like to examine with the Holy Scriptures whether the Bible teaches that the Good God is all, and whether death, sin, sickness and disease are just illusions. I will test this doctrine with the holy scriptures, and see whether it stands or falls.

I will use 'love, truth, and life' to make my argument, and then conclude. In the Bible, the Bible teaches that God is love (1Jn. 4:8), but does the Bible teach that 'love is God?' No. The Bible teaches that God is love—God is the source of true Love, but the Bible never says that 'love' is God, otherwise, you would make my love for God and for my brothers in the Lord, 'actually God'—the reason I love God and my brothers the way I do is because I have a relationship with the One who is the only source of true love, who is God; without God I could not love God nor my brothers in Christ like I do. This love comes from God through the Lord Jesus Christ. The three persons of the Triune God have loved each other perfectly from all eternity.

Next, The Bible teaches that God is truth. The Bible teaches that God is truth (John 14:6, Psalm 117:2 and Duet. 32:4), but again does that mean that 'Truth is God?'—No. The Bible never teaches that 'Truth is God', but God is truth. If you say that 'Truth is God', you would make the Bible, 'God'—the Bible is the 'Word of God' (2Tim. 3:16 and Eph. 6), and God and His Word are inseparable, but the Bible is not 'God.' God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Three Persons, The One true God, the Bible is the God-breathed Word of God that comes from God (2Tim. 3:16), and He used human pen men to write the Words down. God is the source of His Word (the Holy Scriptures). I receive truth from God through His Word by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lastly, There is no argument that God is Life—the Bible teaches that God is Life, He gives everlasting life in Christ (Rom. 6:23, John 17:3 and 1Jn. 5:20), but does that mean that 'Life is God?' No. The Bible never teaches that 'Life is God', but God is Life. If you were to say that 'Life is God' you make all the life in creation, 'actually God', and even the believer's eternal life, 'actually God'. The Bible again teaches that God is the source of Life,  the Creator of heaven and earth, and the source of eternal Life through the Lord Jesus Christ, by His death, burial and resurrection. Eternal Life comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.

So we can see that God is Love, Truth and Life, but Love, Truth and Life is not God, which clearly shows that the Good God is not All.

Now let me illustrate this further. There is a difference between the Creator (God) and the creation—The Creator and the creation are not the same. In the Book of Genesis, the Bible says 'God created the heavens and the earth' Gen. 1:1. They are not one and the same. God created creation (came into existence) by God, the God who has been in existence always. Creation came from God, not God came from creation. Even though man is a unique creation of God, he was only made in His image (Gen. 1:26), but not as God.

Now, what happened to man? Man was separated from God (man's relationship with God was broken) because man sinned against God. The Bible teaches this to be a reality. Some will teach you that sin is just an illusion because the Good God is All, but the Bible tells us the reality what man's sin in the Garden of Eden did, and put the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross to pay for the sins of them who put their faith in Him.

Adam's sin was not an illusion, but very real. Adam's sin infected the whole of creation. What entered into the world because of Adam's sin? Death, for the Bible says, For the wages of sin is death.  The Bible says in Romans 3:23, For all sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. Man is a sinner, but God is not a sinner, but holy and pure—He is the Rock, his work is perfect. For all his ways are just: a God of faithfulness, and without evil, just and upright is He. Deut. 32:4.

We see the reality of sin, which caused man's separation from God—sin is very real, and not an illusion, and because sin (which is evil and wicked) is a reality, we have the reality of death. The Lord God is Good, and because He is Good, He is not all. The Lord God is Good, but man is sinful and not good, and needs the perfect Saviour for salvation (that is the reality the Bible plainly says.)

In Isaiah 53:5, we can see how real sin is—the Bible says, But he was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with his wounds we ourselves are healed. In v.7, He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, but He did not open His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a ewe before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. In v.8, He was taken from prison and from justice; and who shall consider His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living; from the transgressions of My people, the stroke was to Him. This is a detailed account of the sufferings the Lord Jesus went through when He went to the cross and died for the sins of the world (John 3:16). 

Another scripture about the Lord's perfect sacrifice—In 1Corinthians 15:3-5, For I delivered to you first place what I also received, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised the third day, according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 

In Romans 5:12, the Bible says, Because of this, even as sin entered the world through one man, death through sin, so also death passed to all men, inasmuch as all sinned. All are born sinners—we inherit the sinful nature which has been passed down from Adam. This is a reality. The Bible teaches the reality of sin and the consequences of our sin, For the wages of sin is death.

Let us conclude. 

• First of all, the reality of sin is very real, which exposes the lie that God is all. The Bible teaches that God is Good, but does not teach that God is all. The Bible teaches that the God of the Bible is God and nothing else is God.

• Secondly, what does this heretical teaching about God do? They make God impersonal. They take away the Love of God shown on the cross at Calvary; The Father sent His own dear Son to suffer, shed His blood, and die upon the cross to pay for the sin debt in full for them who put their faith in Him for salvation.

Those who believe that the Good God is all, and death, sin, sickness and disease are just illusions, because death, sin, and sickness are 'bad', take away the love, grace and mercy of God shown on the cross toward sinners when He gave His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins if they repent and trust in Him. They take away the whole character of God.

When examined with scripture, this doctrine that God is all, and sin, death, sickness, and disease are an illusion simply falls, and is exposed for what it really is, heresy! Death, sickness, and disease are a reality, caused by the reality of man's sin against God, and whosoever does not repent and put their faith in the Lord Jesus for salvation, will spend eternity in a real place called the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:15 and Rev. 21:8).

*LITV Bible used for scripture verses

The Grace of God in Salvation

What did Abraham discover? Salvation respects the glory of God. The Bible speaks in Romans 4:2 LITV, For if Abraham was justified by works, he has a boast, but not with God.

If Abraham was saved by his works and not by the grace of God alone, Abraham could boast and glory in his own salvation. Abraham could say, I contributed to my salvation, or I did this or I did that, but Abraham did not receive righteousness by works, but the Bible says, And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness- God receives the glory. Abraham glorified God because he believed God. To believe God brings glory to God. The best thing we can do to glorify God is to believe God. Always remember, we only believe God because of the grace of God.

The Bible says in 1John 5:10 LITV, The one believing in the Son of God has the witness in himself. The one not believing God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has witnessed concerning His Son.

In simple terms, If a person believes not in the Lord Jesus Christ, that person is calling God a liar. No matter what the person does, if he or she does not believe in the true and living God, they cannot glorify God. The greatest thing a person can do to glorify God is to believe God. The Bible teaches that Biblical faith pleases God, because it glorifies God. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 LITV, But without faith it is impossible to please God. For it is right that the one drawing near to God should believe that He is, and that He becomes a rewarder to the ones seeking Him out. Again, to believe God, delights God, it glorifies God.

Understand that faith is not God authenticating it to me then I will believe, absolutely not, that is not faith. Faith reacts to the nature and the character of God. True faith believes in God because He is God. True faith believes God according to His Word (the Bible) and calls Him not a liar. 

If a person was saved by contributing by his own works, he would receive glory for that and take away glory from God, but when God saves by His grace in the Lord Jesus, that person receives no glory, and God receives all the glory as He should. We are not saved by our works, but by His work in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 LITV, For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, that not anyone should boast. When a person preaches a gospel of faith and works, they are preaching another gospel, they are doing the work of Satan. The apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:8 LITV, But even if we, or an angel out of Heaven, should announce a gospel to you beside what we preached to you, let him be accursed. Strong language used by Paul. To believe in any other gospel, is a wicked sin against Almighty God.

Why do so many people want to work their salvation? The answer is pride. They would rather work their way to heaven, than humbly come before the Lord and recognize that they are helpless without Him, and need the grace of God.

Imagine, if a person wanted to buy a new house for someone that was worth a lot of money, say, one million pound; Imagine before He gave the keys to him, the man said to him, I cannot allow you to pay for all this house, let me put something towards it. So, the man reached into his pocket and gave him 50 pence. The other man paid almost one million pound, and he paid 50 pence. Then one day, his friends came around the house and they said to him, You have a nice house, and he said to them, Yes, me and the another man bought it. Do you see how ridiculous that sounds? To add to the grace of God is to destroy the glory that God deserves.

A person goes to heaven with an empty hand, for Christ did it all; We pay nothing, He has paid it all. In my hand no price I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. When a person gets saved, God receives all the glory. There is nothing we can add to salvation. God will not share His glory with anyone else, and to bring our works into salvation, is an attempt to take away from God, which is a wicked sin.

Anyone who is depending on their works to play a part in their salvation, will not end up in heaven because they have not believed in Christ, the righteousness of God, where righteousness can only be found, and the forgiveness of sins. Christ said, It is finished. Christ has paid the sin debt in full for those who put their faith in Him, to save them by His perfect work. God said in Isaiah 64:6 LITV, But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloth. God will not accept our filthy rags. The justice of God is only satisfied in the Lord Jesus, and what He has done. There is no middle ground. The Lord Jesus said in John 8:24 LITV, Therefore, I said to you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.

There are many in this generation who are walking pompously to hell. There are people who think they are to good to be damned. There is no one too good to be damned, because there is no one good, but God. The Bible says in Romans 3:12 LITV, All turned away, they become worthless together, not one is doing goodness, not so much as one. The Lord Jesus said that No one is good except One, God! (Matthew 19:17b LITV). There is no one in heaven boasting about their part in salvation, they will not be there, they will be in hell, but only those boasting in the Lord Jesus Christ will be there, the One who paid for their sin for their salvation, when He laid down His Life on the Cross, and was buried, and raised for their justification. All glory goes to Him.

Abraham believed in God, and it was counted for righteousness, and the same for every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ- we have received the perfect righteousness of Christ. Praise the Lord! A believer in Christ does good works because they are saved, not to get saved.  A believer in Christ is saved unto (which means for) good works. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:10 LITV, for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them. The Bible says in Hebrews 10:38 LITV, But the just shall live by faith.

True Saving Faith in Christ

The Bible is very clear that a person is saved by the Grace of God alone through faith alone in Christ alone- The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-10 LITV For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works, that not anyone should boast; for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them,  nothing we do, not by our works of righteousness, for the Bible says our works of righteousness are like a menstruous cloth in the sight of the Holy God, for the Bible says in Isaiah 64:6 LITV But we are all as the unclean thing , and all our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloth. And we all fade as a leaf, and like the wind our iniquities take us away.  A believer is saved by the perfect Work of Christ, by His death, burial and resurrection - The Bible says in 1Corinthians 15:1-4 LITV But, brothers, I reveal to you the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received, in which you also stand, by which you also are being kept safe, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you in the first place what I also received, that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised the third day, according to the Scriptures, - When a person come to Christ, he/she receives Christ's perfect righteousness, which is imputed to their account, which is shown in Romans 3:22 LITV even the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ toward all and upon all those believing; for there is no difference, - A believer is declared righteous by God in the righteousness of Christ. The Bible says in Romans 4:8 LITV Blessed are those whose lawlessnesses are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed the man to whom the Lord will in no way charge sin."  Christ has paid the sin debt fully for every believer in Him.

The Bible also teaches that nobody would ever come to the Lord Jesus Christ unless born from above (which means a spiritual birth). The Bible says in John 3:3 LITV Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, if one does not receive birth from above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.  The Bible tells us in the same chapter, this is a work of the Holy Spirit- John 3:5-7 LITV Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, if one does not receive birth out of water and Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. That receiving birth from the flesh is flesh, and that receiving birth from the Spirit is spirit. Do not wonder because I told you, You must receive birth from above. If the Holy Spirit does not work in this way in an individual, a person will continue to hate God- continue to reject Christ- for the Bible says in Jeremiah 17:9 LITV The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is incurable; who can know it?  The Bible says in Romans 3:11 LITV There is none that understands, there is "not one that seeks after God. 

So, the Bible teaches a sinner is saved by Grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and not by any works we do, but the Bible also says that a person who has true saving faith, will produce good fruit- good fruit will come forth. The Bible says in Philippians 1:6 LITV being persuaded of this very thing, that the One having begun a good work in you will finish it until the day of Jesus Christ. 

The Bible says in 1John 3:9-10 LITV Everyone who has been begotten of God does not sin, because His seed abides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. When the Bible says, 'does not sin' and 'not able to sin', it means one who is born again does not habitually practice sin, and he/she is not able to habitually practice sin like they did before salvation- it does not mean sinless perfection, for the Bible says in 1John 1:8 LITV If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, but speaks of practice, which is seen in verse 10, By this the children of God and the children of the Devil are revealed: Everyone not practicing righteousness is not of God; also the one not loving his brother.  A person who is habitually practicing sin is not saved- they have never known the Lord Jesus Christ- never been saved. The Bible says that Christians are a new creation- 2Corinthians 5:17 LITV So that if anyone is in Christ, that one is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new! 

Obviously, when a person comes to Christ, they are a babe in Christ, and they need to mature in the faith- even matured Christians will continue to be sanctified through their Christian life, which will be completed at glorification- the Bible says in 1John 3:2 LITV Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it was not yet revealed what we shall be. But we know that if He is revealed, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is, but God continues to work in the lives of His people in Christ, like we have already seen in Philippians 1:6, through His Word 2Timothy 3:16-17 LITV Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be perfected, fully furnished for every good work, by the power of the Holy Spirit John 14:26 LITV but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and shall remind you of all things that I said to you. 

To conclude, a saved person does not look to their works for salvation, but to whom they have their faith in for salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ, but when a person comes to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and trust in Him alone to save them by His death, burial and resurrection, the good fruit will naturally come, not to get saved, but because they are saved, and be evident of a regenerate person in Christ, who has a true saving faith in God, who is now a spiritual man (having the Spirit), and not a natural man (without the Spirit of God).