[Day 1] Our God is a God with Purpose, Laws and Orders
Parents must discipline their children, but they must first be disciplined by God so that they can shepherd and discipline their children according to God. Ephesians 6:4 says, “Nurture them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.” This is to discipline our children according to the Lord, to teach them according to the Lord, and raise them according to God. We need to manage and teach our children according to these three aspects. First, God is a God with a purpose; second, God is a God with the law; and third, God is a God with order.
The Bible reveals that our God is a God with a purpose and economy; God’s purpose is to gain a group of people who have His image and likeness as well as His life and nature to be His manifestation and representation; our discipline for our children is to prepare them to fulfill God’s purpose (Genesis 1:26, 2:9, Ephesians 3:8-11, Revelation 4:11).
From the entire Bible, especially the words that God said when He created man in Genesis 1:26, we can see that our God is a God with purpose and economy; He wants to gain a group of people who have His image and likeness outwardly, have His life and nature inwardly, and can be His manifestation and representation. Today, God came to build the church for this purpose. Furthermore, for this purpose, God perfects and disciplines us. Therefore, when we perfect and discipline our children, we must bring our children into the purpose of God.
The Bible also reveals that the God who created all things is a God of law. First of all, God created the material world and its laws. Many laws in nature today were set up by God the Creator. The purpose of scientific research is to discover the laws of the universe, and to master, apply, and obey these laws. This is the first kind of law — the law of nature outwardly.
Second, in the human nature created by God, there are moral laws in line with God’s nature. For the relationship between God and man and between men, God gave ten commandments, statues, and ordinances through Moses. These laws, and the moral laws in man, are consistent (Exodus 21–22:18, Romans 2:14-15). This means that in each of us, we are born with a moral law that matches God’s nature. This is the second law — the moral law.
Third, after man’s fall, sin entered the world through one man and death spread among men. Sin and death also became a law that dwells within man (Romans 7:20). Men live under the law of sin and of death. Although man wants to do good, they often work out evil (Romans 5:12, 7:18-25, 8:2). This is the third law–the law of sin and of death.
Fourth, God Himself has gone through various processes to become the consummated life-giving Spirit to enter into those who believe and receive and to be installed in man. This is the law of the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2). This is the highest law, which can overcome the law of sin and of death in us so that we can live out of God. This is the fourth law — the law of the Spirit of life.
We need to know that the God who governs everything in the universe is a God of order (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40). First, the universe created by God is beautiful and orderly (Genesis 1:1-25). When you read the first and second chapters of Genesis, it talks about God’s creation. He created everything step by step. First, there was light, and the light and darkness were separated. He created plant life, then animal life, and ultimately He created the life of a man. His creation is beautiful and orderly, and He is an orderly God.
Although the cosmic collapse and chaos has been caused by the betrayal of angels and man, God still establishes His authority to govern people, maintaining peace and tranquility in the world so that He has time and opportunity to preach the gospel, save sinners, and build the church to expand His kingdom (Romans 13:1). In the end, when God’s economy is fulfilled, God will unite all things, whether it is in the heavens or on the earth, under One head, who is the Christ (Ephesians 1:10). This is the economy that God wants to accomplish and complete in the fullness of time. This is also a vision that we should have when disciplining our children.
