Supreme, or Not?

(by Betty Baker Bailey)

In recent years it has become very popular to promote the idea that one can and should decide for oneself whether or not God is or isn't and, if so, exactly who He is. Furthermore, many have determined it just as appropriate to decide just how far each individual should allow God to go.

In other words, what we have said is that God is only God within the parameters we set for Him . . or her, if you can't abide a Him."

I know a self-proclaimed minister who teaches just this while carrying his Bible and "ministering in God's name." He claims he can minister to anyone who believes in anything. Of course, he also believes he is becoming god.

The result is, at least in his own mind, that in everything he is qualified as his own qualifier. He sees this logic, if it can be called that, to guide abortive parents in parting with their children without affixing any guilt. An act, he considers compassionate. My guess is once you've established your authority over all things "godly," encouraging parents to kill their children is relatively easy.

One dictionary gives this definition for the word God, "the creator and ruler of the universe"; another, "a supreme being." Logic should tell us that if a being is Supreme, then anyone else's thoughts or opinions about him/her would by definition be entirely and absolutely irrelevant. The same can be said of the term "creator and ruler of the universe." By definition, this being would be unquestionable in his/her ability and/or authority.

This would be never more true than in the case of someone in the process of "becoming" god. For while there is still a "supreme" being in possession of that position, then he/she would by virtue of who he/she is, overrule the usurper. Nor would the usurper be able to confine the reigning supreme being in order to establish his/her authority over him/her.

Rather, it's far more likely that the supreme being would remove the usurper due the obvious insult to his/her authority.

Yet, I know people who, like this minister, honestly think not only will they be allowed to try, but you should too. This is exactly what this "minister" attempted to encourage me to do. "Embrace my godhood."

I politely declined while assuring him it was absolutely the last position I would even be interested in applying for. He, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease with the idea. Frankly, just the thought struck fear in my heart.

Consider. Suppose you are this "supreme being." Just how offensive would you consider a being that you created who considered himself on par with you?

Remember, you not only created this person; you created their world; everything they need for life and everything far beyond what they can see or even imagine - around them. Yet, they look in the mirror and suddenly decide you have no authority or control over them and no right to even say who you are. In fact, they decide that you require them to tell you who you are even on points as intimate as your own gender!

I am blessed with a very precocious six year old son. He constantly endeavors to explain to me how things work. Generally, I take his guidance with a tongue in cheek attitude. However, on the occasion that he decides that I will abide by his ruling regardless of my opinion, I have absolutely no problem re-acquainting him with the "corner of shame." I could hang him by his toes and fail to inflict a more unpleasant directional correction.

The good news is he always returns from his banishment with a more humble attitude. As many realize, this is exactly where we stand with the Supreme Being of all time, God, our Creator. So, what do we say to someone who claims to be so great an authority as to usurp the authority and even the identity of God?

This is one of the things I pondered at length after my first conversation with this minister. While I did respond to him at the time, I must admit my internal reaction was one of stunned disbelief. Not that he had said it, but that he actually appeared to believe it.

So, I went to the One who understands every thing and asked. What He revealed to me is simplicity itself, yet absolutely true. The reality is that when we say that we can decide whom or what God is, what we really say is that we don't believe in Him in any shape or fashion.

That is literally to say that these people need to give their Bibles to someone who appreciates them, because to those becoming "god," they are little more than paperweights. In short, if the lessor being can govern the greater, then there is no "greater."

So what have I been saying to this minister, "Please don't tell these mothers you serve Jesus, since you don't even believe in Him." Or, "Leave your Bible with me. It's useless to you anyway." Granted, I say these things very nicely and have even put my arm around him, but as he likes to consider himself "compassionate," the fact that someone who obviously cares for him would say such things clearly disturbs him.

It is truly a classic case of the Lord saying, "Put the sword of truth here . . . "

What will become of this man? It is my hope and prayer that he will come to the realization that God is God; that he is man and that without God, man is entirely and completely useless. That is in reality what it is to be the created. Dependent. Superiority is a trait reserved for the Creator.

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P.S. I was impressed with this article right from the first when Betty shared it with me and gave me permission to use where I saw fit. I put it on my website, but when I ran across it again, recently I realized my RoseBouquet friends may not have seen this before. It is time to bring it out again.

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