John Piper says God is like Bill Clinton
- 16 years ago
John Piper from Desiring God says God is like Bill Clinton. In fact, he says all unbelievers are "like God".
How did Piper arrive at this awkward position? He assumes that all unbelievers have God's truth "deep down". Therefore, Piper must say that God is like unbelievers. Sadly, Piper fails to realise that natural man lost the image of God at the fall. Unbelievers are now as ignorant of God as oxen, birds and brute beasts are (Isa 1:3, Jer 8:7, Jude 1:10)
_____________________________
Response to Ray Shores
He wrote me, "Where does the Bible say that "natural man lost the image of God"?"
My Response...
G'day Ray!
Thanks for the message.
First things first, let's define what "the image of God" is.
Paul says, "man ... was created in righteousness and true holiness." (Eph 4:24).
Elsewhere, Scripture says man was created "in the image" or likeness "of God".
So, Paul in Ephesians 4 is equating the image of God with righteousness and true holiness. Think about it. If sometimes the Bible says that man was created in the image of God, and other times it says man was created in righteousness and true holiness - then it's clear that...
Image of God = righteousness + holiness.
And this is why Paul says that Christ is THE image of God (2 Cor 4:4). Because only Christ is perfectly righteous and holy - that is, "the express image" of the Father.
Now, unless we're to say that Bill Clinton is like Jesus Christ... surely, Clinton is NOT in the image of God. To say he is, is to imply that he is perfectly righteous and truly holy - something only Christ is.
And do I need to quote Scripture which declares unbelievers to be "unrighteous" and "unholy"? In other words, Scripture that declares them NOT to be in the image of God?
How did Piper arrive at this awkward position? He assumes that all unbelievers have God's truth "deep down". Therefore, Piper must say that God is like unbelievers. Sadly, Piper fails to realise that natural man lost the image of God at the fall. Unbelievers are now as ignorant of God as oxen, birds and brute beasts are (Isa 1:3, Jer 8:7, Jude 1:10)
_____________________________
Response to Ray Shores
He wrote me, "Where does the Bible say that "natural man lost the image of God"?"
My Response...
G'day Ray!
Thanks for the message.
First things first, let's define what "the image of God" is.
Paul says, "man ... was created in righteousness and true holiness." (Eph 4:24).
Elsewhere, Scripture says man was created "in the image" or likeness "of God".
So, Paul in Ephesians 4 is equating the image of God with righteousness and true holiness. Think about it. If sometimes the Bible says that man was created in the image of God, and other times it says man was created in righteousness and true holiness - then it's clear that...
Image of God = righteousness + holiness.
And this is why Paul says that Christ is THE image of God (2 Cor 4:4). Because only Christ is perfectly righteous and holy - that is, "the express image" of the Father.
Now, unless we're to say that Bill Clinton is like Jesus Christ... surely, Clinton is NOT in the image of God. To say he is, is to imply that he is perfectly righteous and truly holy - something only Christ is.
And do I need to quote Scripture which declares unbelievers to be "unrighteous" and "unholy"? In other words, Scripture that declares them NOT to be in the image of God?