Ultimately God is in control and determines the final outcome of all things. But he normally works *through, not outside of or apart from normal/natural means in bringing about his sovereign purposes (i.e. The supernatural will of the Creator is usually executed by means of or through the natural/created world).
Why is this? God values the natural (so much so he fully embraced it in the incarnation). After all he created it and said it was all very good (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31).
He also desires the full participation and interaction of the natural with the supernatural i.e. He values and enjoys our participation and interaction with him as Physical, not just spiritual beings.
He also desires the full participation and interaction of the natural with the supernatural i.e. He values and enjoys our participation and interaction with him as Physical, not just spiritual beings.
He actually created the natural/physical world with exactly this in mind...so we could participate in and enjoy the wonder, beauty and joy of who God is and enter into and discover the joy of who he is as Father, Son and Spirit. A major part (means) of him revealing himself and his beauty is through the natural i.e. His creation (Psa 19:1-6). So much so that he choose the natural (i.e. the incarnation of himself as a man) to reveal himself to us.
We don't fully recognize how much Neo-platonism has infiltrated the church. This notion says only the spiritual is good and the material/physical is not. In fact the physical world is often viewed as an anchor and hindrance by many within the church. However this is not the teaching of scripture.
The abuse (misuse) of the physical is our challenge, not the material world in itself.
This is why we will one day receive a Glorified body and not be some disembodied spirit in eternity. It is also way Christ exists today in a glorified physical state and has ever since his resurrection and will throughout eternity as well.
This is why we will one day receive a Glorified body and not be some disembodied spirit in eternity. It is also way Christ exists today in a glorified physical state and has ever since his resurrection and will throughout eternity as well.
Christ not only embraced our humanity so he could give his physical life as a sacrifice for sins but so he could be the God/man i.e. the mediator (go between) for God and man, not just in the past but now and into eternity. He understands both because he is both. To this day he lives in a physical (albeit glorified) human body.
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*Operating outside the natural would be the classic definition of a miracle. The fact that miracles are rare gives some indication of his value of creation and natural processes.
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*Operating outside the natural would be the classic definition of a miracle. The fact that miracles are rare gives some indication of his value of creation and natural processes.
