As we move forward in this series, evaluating the beliefs of professed evangelicals, let us consider the response to the 2nd statement:
God learns and adapts to different circumstances.
48% of self described evangelicals agree with this statement but is it biblical? Remember, the definition of evangelical, for the purpose of this survey, was built on the foundational statement that respondents strongly agreed with:
The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.
We are going to hammer on this point in every post, regarding this survey, because it is of the utmost importance. So, with that being said, let's dive into this 2nd statement and bring the Scriptures to bear.
Let me begin by saying there is a theological ideology behind the idea that God learns and adapts...whether the people who hold that belief are aware of it or not. That ideology is called The Openness of God or, by another name, Open Theism. Those who hold to this theological framework will say that while God is omniscient, He does not have complete knowledge of the future because the future is still undecided and OPEN. The choices that human beings will make because of their free will leaves the future undetermined. Therefore, those who hold to this theology believe God knows ALL THAT CAN BE KNOWN but DOES NOT KNOW EVERYTHING THAT THERE IS TO KNOW. In other words, because of human free will, the choices humans will make cannot be known until they make them. Therefore, God is on the defensive, having to adapt His plans in response to these choices. Is this an idea that can be supported by the Scriptures?
There are a myriad of verses we can point to, but we will start with Isaiah 46:9-10. These verses, in my opinion, are some of the strongest words the Holy Spirit used in the entirety of the Scriptures. They declare the omniscient, all-powerful, all-knowing triune God of the universe. Isaiah 46:9-10:
Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things
which have not been done,
Saying, 'My counsel will be established,
And I will accomplish all
My good pleasure'
In verse 10, the Hebrew word that is translated as DECLARING means to tell or to make known. Here in this passage, God is letting Israel know that He is TELLING them and MAKING KNOWN to them the end from the beginning.
He is not wishing He knew.
He is not hoping He knows.
He is not pacing the floor, wringing His hands, worrying about having to adapt and overcome to unforeseen circumstances.
He is DECLARING, TELLING, MAKING KNOWN the end from the beginning because He is the sovereign, all knowing creator of the universe.
There are several other Scriptures upon which we can meditate that talk about these attributes of God. We will look at one more in this post. I will provide a list of Scriptures at the end that you can look at if you so desire.
Job 37 is a chapter recording Job's friend Elihu's words concerning the things that were happening to Job. In verse 16 he says this:
Do you know about the layers
of the thick clouds,
the wonders of one perfect
in knowledge,
The phrase "of one perfect" is a translation of a single Hebrew word that means "complete, whole, entire". That Hebrew word comes from a primitive Hebrew root word that means "to be complete, be finished, be at an end".
The phrase "in knowledge" is translated from a Hebrew word that means, oddly enough, "knowledge". It comes from a Hebrew root word meaning "to know".
Putting all of that together, the phrasing "one perfect in knowledge" means, if I may paraphrase, to know or have knowledge that is finished or at an end and is complete, whole and entire.
Taking these two examples from Scripture into account, does this sound like a God that learns and adapts to different situations? Does this describe a God that doesn't know the future?
No. This describes a God who is in total and utter control, having knowledge that is complete, entire and whole.
The idea that God learns and adapts on the fly to circumstances beyond His ability to know is not a concept that is supported by Scripture. Therefore, it is an idea that should be shunned by those who would call themselves Christian.
As promised, here is a list of Scriptures that speak to these attributes of God. This list is in no way exhaustive...but it is a start:
Numbers 23:19
Psalm 102:26-27
Malachi 3:6
Ephesians 1:11
Job 42:1-2
Proverbs 19:21
Isaiah 14:26-27
1 John 3:20
Psalm 33:11
