Don't Put God In A Box

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
May 17, 2023
830
57
28
#21
Mat 13:52, Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,502
2,707
113
#22
yup and many times the Israelites limited God when he was in the ark of the covenant,

Maybe they thought they had God under there control at times
Not likely considering anyone who got near it without specific permission from God perished the Isralites enemies stole it from them but were plagued so badly from doing so they literally returned the ark fearing it.
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,502
2,707
113
#23
Well how you look at it.. maybe this helps "there is no spoon". haha. So one could also say its a lack of knowledge.

A false doctrine so many times is nothing more then a lack of understanding. More often then not we just have not grown enough to see that meat. But I have not heard that saying...for many many years now
I liked how he tilts his head as the spoon bends I don't know why but that always cracks me up.

And I agree that false doctrine at least for the most is due to a lack of understanding but we tend to lean on our understanding more often than not this is why the kingdom is divided the enmy knew what he was doing he has effectively divided and confused us and we exist in a system built by the enemy the denominations the many different inerpotrtations and truths that we hold all of it is a vast confusing mess ther eis one truth one way one path one church on body but we just keep doing things the way we always have and look at how much we inflence the world and not in a good way either.

So many unbelievers and so many Christians themselves even can see we are not what we claim and it is our fault we have forgotten who we are in Christ, where we stand with him what our purpose is in being here

I mean we might as well be in the matrix
 

Bruce_Leiter

Active member
Feb 17, 2023
427
193
43
#24
How many times have you heard this? When someone says don't put God in a box, aren't they really saying don't put God in the Bible? In other words, the box is the Bible.
No, they usually mean that we shouldn't narrow our thinking to a part of the Bible's teaching about him or only one of his characteristics like love and ignore the fact that he is the just Judge, for example.
 

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#25
Not likely considering anyone who got near it without specific permission from God perished the Isralites enemies stole it from them but were plagued so badly from doing so they literally returned the ark fearing it.
have you now decided to just disagree with me just for the sake of it.

Is this how it's going to between me and you from now on ?.

Yes the people would perish if they went near the tent and looked directly at the ark.

But God being in the ark did not stop the Israelites disobeying him.

Why was that even tho they knew they could perish ?

Was that because they thought oh well God's in a box he can't see us, or as they listened to the enemy saying as Long as God can't see you it's ok he's in a box.



Which you might say this verse isn't related to the ark but i think you find it is.

Psalm 78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. 41 They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. 41 Again and again they tested God's patience and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,149
30,297
113
#26
God has put Himself in a box because He's a good and loving father. A father who never
gives clearly defined boundaries and acts erratically and unpredictably is a tyrant.
That's a logical fallacy.
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
61,149
30,297
113
#27
God is not limited; we are limited by the heresies we believe and the sins we commit.
God cannot lie because He is in fact limited by His character.

People seem get confused about this as if it means He is not omnipotent.
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,502
2,707
113
#28
have you now decided to just disagree with me just for the sake of it.

Is this how it's going to between me and you from now on ?.

Yes the people would perish if they went near the tent and looked directly at the ark.

But God being in the ark did not stop the Israelites disobeying him.

Why was that even tho they knew they could perish ?

Was that because they thought oh well God's in a box he can't see us, or as they listened to the enemy saying as Long as God can't see you it's ok he's in a box.



Which you might say this verse isn't related to the ark but i think you find it is.

Psalm 78:41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. 41 They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. 41 Again and again they tested God's patience and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
Calm down I was just explaining to you why they didn't they could control him and how could they control something that can destory them.

The verse thing though read the whole Psalm he talksa bout what he means.
 

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#29
Calm down I was just explaining to you why they didn't they could control him and how could they control something that can destory them.

The verse thing though read the whole Psalm he talksa bout what he means.
didn't say they could control him, I said they probably assumed they could.

A bit like maybe some Israelites where believing all they had to do was carry God around in a box and he would automatically win there battles for them, despite there wrong doings of still disobeying him.
 

Karlon

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2023
2,701
1,235
113
#31
God cannot lie because He is in fact limited by His character.

People seem get confused about this as if it means He is not omnipotent.
God is omnipotent, omniscient & omnipresent!!!
 

Blain

The Word Weaver
Aug 28, 2012
19,502
2,707
113
#32
didn't say they could control him, I said they probably assumed they could.

A bit like maybe some Israelites where believing all they had to do was carry God around in a box and he would automatically win there battles for them, despite there wrong doings of still disobeying him.
Well no it explains why they did carried it aroundwhen they did and what the arks purpose was to begin with.

Yes they were a rebellious children God knows this more than any of us but he still calls them the apple of his eye.

Not ot mention you have to understand though they did indeed ignore and blatently disobey God time and time again they also feared him so the three itesm that was put into the ark each one commanded by God to putin. These items were very special and belonged to very special people to God and even the Jews held these people from their past history in very high esteem so they would not try to think they could do anything with it it was not about the power it held it was the holiness that it held


Oh also I needed to tell you after my last reply to you I felt God call me to take a shower this is usually where I hear him more clearly and he began talking about you.

I'm not allowed to say what it is but he told me he has a need of a specific gifting of yours and to tell you it is not one your thinking of apparently it is one you are unaware that you have and that when the appointed time comes when you take your first step into it it's going to feel more natural to you than anything you have walked in thus far.
 

Fundaamental

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2023
3,289
421
83
#33
Well no it explains why they did carried it aroundwhen they did and what the arks purpose was to begin with.

Yes they were a rebellious children God knows this more than any of us but he still calls them the apple of his eye.

Not ot mention you have to understand though they did indeed ignore and blatently disobey God time and time again they also feared him so the three itesm that was put into the ark each one commanded by God to putin. These items were very special and belonged to very special people to God and even the Jews held these people from their past history in very high esteem so they would not try to think they could do anything with it it was not about the power it held it was the holiness that it held


Oh also I needed to tell you after my last reply to you I felt God call me to take a shower this is usually where I hear him more clearly and he began talking about you.

I'm not allowed to say what it is but he told me he has a need of a specific gifting of yours and to tell you it is not one your thinking of apparently it is one you are unaware that you have and that when the appointed time comes when you take your first step into it it's going to feel more natural to you than anything you have walked in thus far.
okay bro thanks 😊 I'll look forward to it.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,778
113
#35
God is omnipotent, omniscient & omnipresent!!!
Did you know that there are some "Christians" who claim that God does not know all things? They call this heretical nonsense "Open Theism".

"Open Theism is the thesis that, because God loves us and desires that we freely choose to reciprocate His love, He has made His knowledge of, and plans for, the future conditional upon our actions. Though omniscient, God does not know what we will freely do in the future."
https://iep.utm.edu/o-theism/
 

wattie

Senior Member
Feb 24, 2009
3,258
1,150
113
New Zealand
#36
Did you know that there are some "Christians" who claim that God does not know all things? They call this heretical nonsense "Open Theism".

"Open Theism is the thesis that, because God loves us and desires that we freely choose to reciprocate His love, He has made His knowledge of, and plans for, the future conditional upon our actions. Though omniscient, God does not know what we will freely do in the future."
https://iep.utm.edu/o-theism/
I haven't heard of this open Theism before.. that's interesting. I don't know how that works with fulfilled prophecy through God speaking through His prophets!
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
26,074
13,778
113
#37
I haven't heard of this open Theism before.. that's interesting. I don't know how that works with fulfilled prophecy through God speaking through His prophets!
Check out this article.
https://www.challies.com/articles/challenges-to-the-church-open-theism/

This is what this writer says: "Needless to say, I find this doctrine wholly incompatible with our knowledge of God as presented in His Word. While open theism contradicts the understanding of God in every Judeo-Christian tradition, it is most completely at-odds with the Reformed understanding, which teaches the highest view of God’s foreknowledge and sovereignty. This doctrine undermines our confidence in God and erodes our trust in His promises that He always has our best interests in mind. It is a dangerous, pernicious doctrine."
 

blueluna5

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2018
669
401
63
#38
How many times have you heard this? When someone says don't put God in a box, aren't they really saying don't put God in the Bible? In other words, the box is the Bible.
Um...no. I've literally never thought of it that way. 😆

"Don't put it in a box. " is an expression, meaning God is bigger and can do more than we can imagine.

This was a poem that always stuck with me about little boxes. It helps to understand this expression more.

1684980175512.png
 
May 24, 2023
573
112
43
#39
If they wouldn't listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe in God even if one were to rise from the dead.
 

Bob-Carabbio

Well-known member
Jun 24, 2020
1,618
810
113
#40
How many times have you heard this? When someone says don't put God in a box, aren't they really saying don't put God in the Bible?
That's really silly. It means that God doesn't necessarily take our "Theologies" seriously, and isn't CONTAINED by them.

In other words, the box is the Bible.
Nope, it's OUR various "Precious THEOLOGIES" that are the Boxes. The Bible is God's WORD recorded for our reference, and the Holy Spirit is there for us to give wisdom.