Grudem: Systematic Theology

INTRODUCTION

In my undergraduate studies at Biola University, I was exposed to a plethora of literary works. One work that broadened my understanding of theology was Dr. Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology. It is a work that is required reading in the Bible department at Biola and at The Cornerstone Seminary. If this is the case, then it deserves our attention here.

I suspect one of the reasons for this work's popularity is the "walls" of presumption it breaks down: boring, dry, and overall, not an exciting read. In this work, Grudem lays out these doctrines in a way that breaks down these "walls" and is understandable and clear. The headings are clear and the entirety of the book is in outline form, thereby making it very easy to follow. He also takes theological concepts and explains what they mean in lay person terms. In sum, this is a systematic theology I would recommend to anyone in the church.

I would like to focus on one part of this work; specifically, his treatment on the doctrine of God. This will not all be covered in one post, but over a period of time. The following will be a review of chapters nine through thirteen.

HOW DO WE KNOW GOD EXISTS?

The question that Grudem poses is a question that every believer (and unbeliever for that matter) has or will wrestle with. What I appreciate about Grudem's first point is that it is based in Scripture, not on any apologetic technique or philosophical argument. It is important to note that I am not against any of these approaches, for they all are appropriate in specific circumstances. Grudem specifically takes us to the first chapter of Romans. In this passage, the apostle Paul states that is instilled in the heart of every man the knowledge of the existence of God, but they choose to suppress it (Rom. 1:21). Grudem continues in the chapter to use Scripture, humanity, and nature as evidences for the existence of God.

Grudem then proceeds to cover the traditional "proofs" for the existence of God:

1. The Cosmological Argument. This view considers that all things have a cause, the ultimate cause being God.

2. The Teleological Argument. This view uses the order and design of nature as evidence for the existence of God. "There must be a designer!"

3. The Ontological Argument. This view begins with the concept of God and that the characteristic of existence must belong to such a being.

4. The Moral Argument. This view uses man's sense of right and wrong as an evidence for the existence of God. Furthermore, it can be used as evidence for the existence of objective truth (which seems to be under attack in modern society).

An important note is made by Grudem when considering these arguments with unbelievers:

"...it must be remembered that in this sinful world God must enable us to be persuaded or we would never believe in him." (p. 144)

CAN WE REALLY KNOW GOD? HOW MUCH CAN WE KNOW?

These questions too seem prevalent in secular circles, even more so with objective truth. Grudem points out that it is up to God to reveal himself; otherwise, we would not be seeking him. He continues that we will never know God fully, or even a single thing fully (how can one know an infinite being?), but we can understand him to the extent he reveals himself through Jesus Christ and the Scriptures. What is even more exciting is we can know God, not just things about God! God is not a being that cannot be known (incomprehensibility), but can be known and loves his creation. What a wonderful reality!

HOW IS GOD LIKE US AND NOT LIKE US IN HIS BEING?

Grudem went into much depth in this section. He first explains that God is spirit and what makes it like us is he placed a spirit in each person. However, our spirit is not completely like God's, for our spirit is created, God is not. Grudem continues to give other characteristics that God made us similar to him (the ability to know, wisdom, truthfulness, etc.).

However, there are some characteristics that man cannot share in. The first one that come to mind is eternity. God is the only being who existed in eternity past and future. This characteristic is very difficult to grasp, for man is a finite being and cannot comprehend eternity. However, believers will be with God for eternity. It is a concept that cannot be fully comprehended, but should cause believers to worship God for his great power and sovereignty over all things.

SUMMARY

I found this section very powerful and comforting. Powerful in the sense of God's greatness and man's weakness. Comforting in the sense that God is one who can be trusted and doesn't just have the desire to care for you, but has the ability and promises to care. Why would one want to depend on anything other than God? I suspect that we rely on ourselves when we fail to remember who God is. Let us continue to remember and worship the infinite God who created us, loves us, and disciplines us, so that we can give him all the worth.