SUPREME BEING, GOOD/EVIL, & THE LAW

I always knew that there was a God. I knew because I felt that creation itself (nature, animals, the human body, etc.), as well as the existence of spiritual things, would make ALL mankind aware of such an existence (of a Supreme Being). Having acknowledged the existence of a God and an Ultimate Designer, the next step was to figure out what the purpose of life is- why do we exist? One must take into consideration at this point, two of the most powerful forces in existence: good and evil. Right and wrong. Morality. These are laws that were created along with all other creations, and laws that I believe are inherently placed in the hearts (souls) of all mankind. To clarify: not that mankind KNOWS right and wrong, but rather, they know OF right and wrong, good and evil- albeit in their own standards. Then, when we can go beyond looking at the evil around us, and come to an understanding of the evil within us (our own sinfulness), we realize that there is no way we can have fellowship with a holy, perfect, and righteous God. Why would we need or want fellowship with God (two different questions)? We need fellowship with God because of sin and evil. When a person has come to terms with their own sinfulness, they will realize that sin came into this world through mankind’s disobedience- mankind’s choosing of selfish desires over God (“free will” will be discussed momentarily). The laws that exist via creation demand a penalty/payment/consequence for sin and evil, and that penalty is suffering and death (physical AND spiritual, wherein spiritual death means separation from God, for mankind's spirit can ONLY be alive if it is in fellowship with God). How do I know that (that the penalty for sin/evil is suffering and death)? Because all things eventually die, and there is nothing good in death except to end suffering. Suffering (as a result of sin) basically consists of 3 parts: (1) destroyed relationship between mankind and God, (2) destroyed relationship between mankind and mankind (with each other), and (3) destroyed relationship between mankind and creation (nature (including life, which in turn includes our own human bodies/souls) and things of the spirit).

JESUS & ATONEMENT

The only way we can have fellowship with God (and proper fellowship with each other and creation again) is if something or someone stood in the gap. Death (blood) and suffering must stand in the gap. Why death and suffering? Because if you remember, I said that death and suffering were the results of sin/evil. There must be death and suffering for reconciliation between God and sinful man. The death and suffering of man him/herself would defeat the purpose, for how could a man, being imperfect and with sin, be reconciled via suffering and a death consequence if he himself were to die before that reconciliation was made. Instead, the suffering and death of another living thing (an animal) would be required, but not just any animal- the best animal you could find. This is because God in His nature demands perfection for lasting reconciliation and newfound righteousness. But because an animal can never be perfect, animal sacrifices had to be done continuously. The only way mankind could be reconciled to God in a lasting fashion was if a perfect sacrifice was made. This is only possible, if perfection Himself (as God by definition is the only perfect thing/being) were to be sacrificed on behalf of man. But God cannot suffer, nor can He die, and so it was absolutely necessary for God to send a part of Himself to take on the form of one that could suffer and die- in other words, He sent a part of Himself to take the form of a man.

Jesus Christ was the only person to walk this earth Who not only claimed to be God, but proved it.  He is the only One who satisfied the need that this systematic breakdown calls for. He is the only person Who was able to make such a sacrifice of perfection that satisfied God/the law. Moreover, because He was still infinite/eternal/fully God (and still fully human at the same time), His perfect sacrifice is able to pay for ALL of mankind's sins, ie. able to pay the debt of more than one person. This would be the one and only possible way for mankind to be saved from paying their own sin debt with their own death- rather, the debt would be paid for with the death of a perfect sacrifice. This perfect sacrifice would be the one and only perfect death possible. Being the death of One Who is eternal (yet was still of our flesh), His sacrifice suffices as able to pay the penalty of sin for every single male and female, past, present, and future (on a side note, instead of thinking it to be unfair that there is only ONE way for man to be reconciled with God (through Jesus), we should be grateful (A) that there is even a way at all and (B) that God loved us enough to do what it took to make that way available to us). Yet because He was perfection personified, having died, death could not hold Him, and He resurrected. The law that was created in the very beginning (along with all other creations) could not keep Jesus dead (physically), for He broke no law and was without sin or evil. The FACT that He resurrected (necessitating the need for a resurrected, yet new and glorified physical body) is the PROOF that Jesus was INDEED God incarnate, that He INDEED kept (perfectly) AND fulfilled the law (for the entire law points to the coming and work of Jesus), and was likewise INDEED perfect and without sin (ie. He lived the life no other person could ever have lived- the only life that could ever ATONE for our sin/evil as a sacrifice)- having been sacrificed, He indeed completely satisfied the law consequence of sin/evil, on behalf of mankind, and this satisfaction of the law is indeed everlasting. Jesus’ suffering and death (blood) is what brings lasting reconciliation between God and mankind because Jesus takes upon Himself and experiences the consequences that were rightfully ours (the suffering and death themselves, as a result of our sin/evil), and again, satisfies the created law (of God). He takes upon Himself the penalty of, or atones for, our sin and evil, for Jesus was indeed separated from God (ie. not in fellowship with God) at the cross- in the time of sacrifice, God forsook Him, and this, I would argue, means that the Holy Spirit Himself left Jesus, rendering His spirit dead (for the spirit of mankind in that physical body can only be dead apart from God).

Upon His physical death, His existence/soul, because it was not tainted with sin/evil, was found in and of Himself to be righteous by the law, and He once more took on the fullness of who He is in God, the Supreme Being (for by definition, the ONLY one who could ever be found righteous is God Himself). Through His own power, He resurrected His physical body- again, making it brand new and glorified. As far as Jesus' spirit at that point, it could have either been alive by His own power with that new body, alive via the Holy Spirit, or not even necessary- the answer? I don't know, nor do I believe it is important at all at this point (I'm just trying to be thorough). Had Jesus died any other way, it would not have been a sacrificial death. But because it was sacrificial (and He willingly went because He loves us), the law understood He was a perfect sacrifice being made on behalf of mankind. The consequences of sin/evil do not (did not and will not) just disappear for anybody- but rather Jesus took it ALL upon Himself. This is the essence of forgiveness, mercy, and grace- sacrificial love that spares us, yet allows justice to come to pass (ie. allows the laws/penalties to be satisfied). Instead of putting the consequences upon us, it was put on Jesus.

In essence, He becomes our righteousness, holiness, and perfection, bridging the gap, so that we can actually have fellowship with a righteous, holy, and perfect God (solving the problem we stated in the beginning caused by evil/sin). This is why we need fellowship with God: so that we would not die alone in our sin (instead, we have the Holy Spirit, who serves as our advocate in light of a verdict (read on)), because once death occurs, there is a necessary judgment (because of the law, and subsequently a necessary verdict and a possible penalty- for those who choose fellowship with God, the law allows them to spend eternity with God (for these purposes we will define eternity as what exists after the physical death, including all changes in time, space, perception, and dimension (things we cannot know for certain with our physical minds at this point, with depths we may never know of)); for those who do not choose fellowship with God, they cannot spend eternity with Him, again, by law, and must therefore spend eternity apart from Him). A more detailed discussion on the judgment can be found later on under "Further Revelation."

But mankind cannot just know of the need, there must be a want of this fellowship, for the lack of free will makes all points discussed thus far mute. It is because of free will that good and evil actually do exist. Free will by definition potentiates the possibility of the entrance of evil into goodness. The same way mankind had to CHOOSE disobedience to be separated from God, mankind must CHOOSE obedience to be reconciled BACK to God. One can know of the need, but the free will to desire it, to want it, puts into motion the redemptive process. Now for the question, “Why would we want fellowship with God?” The answer? Because He loves us!!! How do we know that? Because all things good naturally, inherently, and instinctively reflect the love of God (the very DEFINITION of "good" in its truest and purest form) for His creation. Furthermore, why else would He go through the trouble to make a BEAUTIFUL plan for our redemption? Why else would He endure the unimaginable weight of every consequence of every soul's (past, present, and future) sin/evil? We cannot fathom how heavy it must have been!! What is man that God is even mindful of him??? We are His precious creations. And it is His love that draws us to Him. It is His love that created us, His love that provided a way for reconciliation, and His love that draws us nearer to Him. This is “WHY JESUS.” Our (mankind's) free will assures a genuine (unforced), loving relationship/fellowship between God and those who choose to have this relationship/fellowship with Him. A true understanding of the “need,” I would argue, will pave the way to a true understanding of the “want," and thus, ideally, lead to redemption.

SOUL, BODY, & SPIRIT

It makes sense that creation (nature/life) AND spirituality is what gives rise to our knowledge of a Supreme Being BECAUSE our existence (our souls), in essence, coexists with a physical AND a spiritual entity. I think I would equate a person's soul to their "heart," the core of who they are- feelings, emotions, intentions, etc., and also the part that inherently knows the laws of right and wrong. The soul is what controls the mind, which I take to be a part of the physical. On a similar note, the condition of the soul can affect the spirit. Now, we have to take note that the soul is our (mankind's, and I am referring to mankind only) very existence: through life, and through death, whether alive or whether dead- the soul simply "is" (on the other hand, nature and other life forms (animals) do not have souls which simply "are" to define their existences, but they DO have spirits (which are alive- for together their physical entities and their spirits are the only 2 things that allow them to exist), and their spirits allow them to praise, honor, and glorify God in their own right; but when they die, they have nothing that simply "is" (ie. a soul) to remain (thus right and wrong/the law cannot be inherently written in them- their entity combination makes them very unique and different from mankind), and their spirits, I would guess, are somehow dealt with in the spiritual realm).

Take a step back and consider the physical and the spiritual of mankind. The moment life is created (in the womb), the soul inhabits a body of flesh (the physical/mind/instincts) and possesses a spirit- once more, the very two things that give rise to our knowledge of a Supreme Being. The physical is alive and well, inhabited by the soul, but the spirit itself is dead- simply BECAUSE this soul is NOT in fellowship with God (due to sin/evil). To have fellowship with God, SOMETHING needs to connect with Him- it certainly isn't the physical (because it is already alive but in sin, and thus NOT connected with Him), so it must be the spiritual. But because we are NOT connected to Him in fellowship, that part exists, but is not alive, for if it were, we would have fellowship with God. On a side note, I believe OTHER spirits (demonic) are capable of possessing a soul (even every day spirits of anger, discontent, etc.), and, as previously stated, I believe the condition of the soul affects the spirit- capable of making it more susceptible to other spirits. THEN, the spirit the soul possesses is able to affect the soul itself, and in turn, the physical (mind). The soul may even possess multiple spirits, though it (the soul), in and of itself, only truly owns one spirit that is permanently a part of it, and that one spirit it owns is either dead, or alive via the Holy Spirit.

Again, a soul's spirit exists, in other words, is possessed by the soul, but it is dead. The Spirit of God outside that soul must speak to the soul and the mind in order to arouse the spirit. How does that happen? Because the soul knows of both good and evil, it is capable of also doing good (though it is inherently bent on evil). All things good that they may see in and of themselves or around them, exists simply because the Holy Spirit pursues all mankind, and also because God exists everywhere, for God is good in its truest and most pure form. He shows glimpses of Himself in all things good. These glimpses are meant to get our attention. When the mind can in the very least comprehend the need for fellowship with God/obedience (the need as it has been discussed, which includes the need for a perfect sacrifice), and create a marriage of that with the want (this marriage does not always happen), the “want” will in and of itself (as free will) bridge the gap between mankind and God via what is already dead and thus not only necessitating life, but having the ability to be given life (again, being already dead)- and that is the spirit (the human body in physical is still alive, and thus must die before being given a new physical body that is holy, perfect, and righteous). Because the atonement (satisfaction of the law with regard to sin) is already completed, the moment a person "wants" this fellowship with God (this would include wanting forgiveness), as a result of a true understanding of the "need" (by definition, again, wanting FORGIVENESS in light of understanding their own true sinfulness/evil) that person has already been forgiven (at that moment), and the law has already been satisfied.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

This life of the spirit, via Jesus and the Holy Spirit, is what makes one holy, righteous, and perfect before God. Yet the physical death has not yet happened, and thus, while we can spiritually face God and “boldly approach His throne of grace,” we cannot do so in the physical. The spirit I posses is God’s (the Holy Spirit), which means I possess every measure of power that God Himself possesses. BUT, my physical body cannot come to terms with that; I can’t even comprehend what I am able to do in the spirit. My physical mind can only know so much and progressively learn at a certain pace (in other words, the soul itself is limited by the physical body). Thus, the spirit of God (the Holy Spirit) is what teaches my soul, and helps me to apply Truth in the physical. The spirit of God is what teaches me to live holy, righteously, and perfectly. It is a process called sanctification. The Holy Spirit plays such a HUGE role in our own daily lives (if not the biggest!). It was the Holy Spirit that allowed Jesus to perform wonders and miracles, and to possess such knowledge and wisdom. It was the Holy Spirit that gave Moses the power and authority to part the Red Sea.

But continuing from the discussion of sanctification: while my existence (soul) grows towards perfection, it cannot reach perfection completely until I die physically. Only then can the acceptance of reconciliation with God through Jesus bring me brand new life physically. With the death of my physical, the part of my existence corrupted by sin and evil will be dead. My soul itself will still exist, and my spirit will continue living, but on top of that, I can reason that God Himself will give me a new/perfect physical body for my soul to inhabit, for in Jesus' own resurrection, His physical body was likewise renewed and glorified (again, because He Himself was without sin (ie. He is GOD), and thus by law, death could not hold Him- but because He DID suffer and die, His suffering and death satisfied the consequence needed for disobedience/sin/evil, by law, on mankind's behalf). We can have a physical resurrection because Jesus did, the One Who atoned for our sins/evil- His fulfillment of the sin consequence is ours, and thus His victory over death is also ours (ie. because our penalty with regard to the law has already been paid, we too are without sin, and death too, cannot hold us- thus our physical bodies will be resurrected, renewed, and gloried, for it will finally be free from sin/evil (will we have spirits that are alive, or will we still have the Holy Spirit in our new bodies? Again, I don't know, but again, I don't believe that that detail is important at all at this point))!

So, this is why the Holy Spirit HIMSELF is necessary. This is why Jesus gave Him to us- a gift, as He called it, to our souls and our physical lives here on earth. While redemption itself has already been completed for one who desires fellowship with God (again, having understood the need in the context explained previously), it is completed in the sense that it is final. No matter what happens from that point on, the person is redeemed (back in fellowship with God- a fellowship that can never be broken or lost (this is my opinion, though I would consider that a person might be able to lose fellowship with God if they have wholeheartedly denounced Him after having understood the need and after having had the desire)). But while completed, redemption is at the same time also a process that WILL come into completion, despite that completion being already certain. Again, this is the work of a redeemed person’s spirit, via the Holy Spirit, on the soul: the spirit carrying and leading the soul/mind (physical), in a process called sanctification.

THE PURPOSE OF LIFE

Death has already been dealt with at this point in the discussion. All of mankind will die, by law. We saw how Jesus took on death to give us victory over death. But Jesus also took on suffering, to give us victory over suffering. Remember how I said that suffering basically consisted of 3 parts: (1) destroyed relationship between mankind and God, (2) destroyed relationship between mankind and mankind (with each other), and (3) destroyed relationship between mankind and creation (nature (including life, which in turn includes our own human bodies/souls) and things of the spirit). Sanctification addresses all 3 of these parts. As we go on in our lives, our spiritual growth (or in other words, the more we are able to learn things of the spirit) teaches us to know and love God more, teaches us to live with and love other people, and teaches us how to relate to God’s creation (nature, life, etc.). Again, 3 things that came as a result of sin, and 3 things that God fixes, via a process, through His redemptive plan. THIS is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. THIS is the purpose of life. THIS is what is meant by the Kingdom. The Kingdom is the power of God, which has already broken into human history (through Jesus and the Holy Spirit), that FIXES all suffering (foundationally described in 3 parts) as a result of sin. Jesus ushered in the Kingdom (the power), both IN us and AROUND us, but because sanctification is a process and not just a finality, thus the Kingdom too must be a process and not just a finality (for it is both around us and IN us, and because it is inside a soul in a process, it too must be in a process): it is already here, but not yet here in its fullness. For example: IN US- “here” because we have the power to overcome sin, but “not yet here in its fullness” because we still fall into sin; AROUND US (in society)- “here” because we have the power to eradicate slavery in a particular society, but “not yet here in its fullness” because some societies may still have slavery, and those that don’t, still have ethnic discrimination. When the process of sanctification is complete, when the Kingdom finally arrives in its fullness, the entirety of creation (the redeemed and the entire world as we know it) will know perfect peace, wholeness, shalom- all things will be restored back to their original state, as the Creator first created them, all relations will be restored back to their original nature, as He had initially and always intended for them to be. This is what we have to look forward to, in His time, and what life today works towards, by His sovereign power and leading.

The process of sanctification is meant both to heal us and bring about healing to others. Why? Because God is the very definition of true and pure love. Remember, we asked “why would we want fellowship with God?”? And the answer was because He LOVES us. I have to realize that He doesn’t just love me, but that He loves every human soul (as I myself am a human soul- His creation), and it is His desire that no one perish but that all should come to choose obedience to Him (evident in His extensive plan and work towards mankind’s redemption). When we understand this, we realize that our own redemption cannot just cause all things to simply stop, but that we must, by the power of the Holy Spirit, use our lives to point others to fellowship with God (because His love is now IN us, and we learn to love the things He loves (namely “righteousness” and “other souls”- or in other words, love God, and love people: the two greatest commandments)). Remember we said that God uses good to point mankind to Himself? Well this most certainly applies to the true/pure good a person now has through the power of the Holy Spirit, being in fellowship with God. THIS good (in the form of things like virtue, the fruits of the Spirit, etc.) most certainly exists to point OTHERS to the understanding of the need and want/desire to have fellowship with God.

As the Holy Spirit works to fix things (namely the 3 aspects of suffering) in and around us, there will be both joys and pains. In God’s infinite wisdom (A Supreme Being necessitates omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence), He takes the good and the bad and works everything out to ultimately bring glory unto Himself (the sovereignty of God), THAT MANKIND MIGHT SEE. This glory is not an egotistical glory (the immediate sense our mind/flesh would have us receive upon hearing these words), but rather it is a loving (in its truest form), just, and sacrificial glory, a SAVING glory, as He has already proven it to be so. The glory of God is weighty (heavy), in the sense that it summarizes the seriousness, the perfection, and the infinite significance of God, all His attributes, and all that they entail. It is consuming. We can never truly understand His glory in its entirety, but throughout creation we are able to catch glimpses of it, enjoy it, and through the Holy Spirit we are able to continually learn of it and, subsequently, REFLECT it as best as we can in our own existence.

Why do we need to "give" God glory? Remember, I just said that we catch glimpses of God through His creation. We ourselves are created by God, and thus, our very being reflects God's glory. However, while all created things scream out the glory of God with their entire existence, this cannot be said of mankind, because free will has corrupted their existence with sin/evil. This sin/evil causes man to give glory to OTHER created things INSTEAD of God, the Creator (namely, they ultimately give glory to themselves). Thus, mankind must continually choose/desire (again, because they have free will) to conscientiously give God glory with their existence, over any and all created things. Doing so, by NATURE of His glory (for anything we can give to God, including glory, is already His in the first place), allows righteousness, goodness, love, and perfection to flow as we relate to God Himself, other people, and all of creation. This flow works to give Him even more of the glory that He is due. It's like a cycle: we give God His glory, He blesses us back with it (due to all that it entails), which in turn, provides the means for more glory to be given to Him, and so on, and so forth. The desire for His own glory first and foremost is the foundation of God's love for us, and this is so because of (again) the very NATURE of His glory. We too must desire God and His glory first and foremost in our lives, for none is, or can be, more worthy than He. The purpose of our existence, is to be sanctified (again, addressing all 3 parts of suffering) for His GLORY. The purpose for our existence is what I like to call “Kingdom living.”

FURTHER REVELATION

Though Jesus did give the suffering and death that was required in order to atone for our sin/evil, we must still suffer through life and die a physical death. Going through it does NOT mean that the sin and evil of the redeemed have not been atoned for, but because of (1) the dynamics of soul, spirit, and body (ie. the physical body must naturally go on living until its death), and (2) the sacrificial/God-glorifying nature of sanctification (ie. why all things can't just "simply stop"), mankind, even if having been redeemed, must carry out the full consequence of sin in his/her life, bearing both suffering and death. Living out the consequence is NOT the same as paying the penalty. When mankind dies, the laws will demand satisfying (the laws cannot demand satisfying during the first physical life, because it is in this lifetime that the soul has the "free will" to choose fellowship with God or not). Every soul after the physical death is still tainted with sin/evil. But when the redeemed die and face judgment, the Holy Spirit will stand in the gap as that person's advocate (via the work of Jesus), testifying that this soul has accepted the suffering and death of Jesus on his/her behalf, and that this very fact ought to satisfy the law and atone for that soul's sin/evil. This is possible because the soul of the redeemed still POSSESSES the Holy Spirit, and is in fact, alive and connected to God. Having been forgiven (having accepted God's free atoning payment on our behalf), Jesus' righteousness is counted as the redeemed soul's righteousness. Thus, the redeemed soul is able to continue on and spend the rest of eternity in fellowship with, and in the presence of, God. For those who did not choose fellowship with God while still physically alive, their spirit remains dead, and they will NOT have an advocate before God; the laws must be satisfied, and judgment takes place.

Why is it that free will only applies to someone who is physically alive? Why can't a person choose fellowship with God even after death, since they still have a spirit? The reason is because after death, the judgment of the soul comes, and that soul will come as it is: without the body, and with a spirit that is either dead or alive. How do I know judgment comes right after the physical death? Because the immediate consequences of sin (not the penalty) have been carried out, and the laws will demand satisfying (the penalty, if a soul does not have an advocate, for mankind without question will be found guilty of sin/evil before a Holy/perfect/righteous God). Why can't a soul have the free will to choose fellowship with God right then and there at the judgment itself? Well, remember I said that the soul was a person's very existence, including intentions? I believe that the Judge (God) knows the true intentions of a soul's heart, and I believe that every soul is given the opportunity to make THE decision (to have fellowship with God) during their lifetime (fetuses, babies, and children (only God knows the cut-off point for when a soul can be held accountable) do not, so I believe that their physical deaths result in their souls spending eternity with God because they did not have the opportunity to exercise free will). A change in heart (for an accountable soul) during judgment is, in reality, a soul choosing/desiring not to be accountable for their sin/evil, NOT that he or she is actually choosing/desiring fellowship with God at that point.

Worthy of noting: Why would God create mankind KNOWING that it would inevitably result in countless souls spending eternity apart from Him, suffering in a place called hell? Hell itself is a long and complicated subject that I don't think I ought to get into right now. All I will say right now is that (1) we can't claim to be more merciful or more just than the author of mercy and justice Himself, (2) on this side of death, we can't ever know what hell is really going to be like, and (3) my bottom line is to acknowledge my limitations, and trust and hope in all that God is (loving, merciful, and just- attributes that I am sure extend far beyond what I could see, explain, or fathom). Suffice it to say, for now, that CS Lewis' writings are very much worth taking a look at, and also, the following link is quite insightful: http://www.gotquestions.org/why-did-God-create-us.html.

THE TRINITY

This completes the necessity of God (the “Father” or Supreme Being), God the Son (necessary to come in a form that was able to experience suffering and death yet overcome it because He himself was perfect and not deserving of those things), and God the Holy Spirit (Who comes into us as our Helper in this life). This is the essence of the Trinity- all playing a distinct role, yet all being God Himself. Can mankind comprehend how 3 separate entities can be 1? Here’s what I propose: if we can accept that we, as at least 2 separate entities, can be 1, can we not accept the possibility that 3 separate entities can be 1 as well (admittedly not in the exact same way)? I say that mankind is at least 2 separate entities, because it all depends on how you view (or what "is," as I don't claim to know these things 100%) the dynamics of a person's soul, mind (physical entity), and spirit. When we can come to some kind of an understanding about these things, we may be able to accept more easily that God, the Supreme Being, does exist as 3 separate entities, yet all 3 are 1 and the same. After all, if it hasn't become evident by now, we can see that mankind was actually made in the "image" of God Himself.

CONCLUSION

So, ALL THIS is why I believe that Jesus is God, and why I subsequently believe His words in the Bible. One could easily not go through this entire exposition and just say that he or she believes that Jesus is the right way simply by faith, because the Bible says so, but many inquiring minds are not willing to accept that (for better or for worse). A topic of the divine and living nature of the Bible, being God’s actual Word, is an entirely different discussion, but suffice it for me to say in the very least at this moment that the Bible proves ITSELF. And if Jesus is indeed God, then the words of Jesus Christ bear much weight for us. If Jesus is indeed God, then all things exist and occur for God’s glory, with a hope that all mankind might freely choose fellowship with Him. If Jesus is indeed God, then the weight of His glory is upon us. But creation itself (for one last time: consisting of nature/life and things of the spirit) proves that Jesus is indeed God, as we have systematically seen in this exposition. Therefore, there are no more “ifs”- there is only Truth (which remains true whether one chooses to believe it or not; which remains true even if one might sincerely believe in something else), and man is without excuse.