SIMPLE TRUTH: No Ordinary God

By Shawn Parker
Executive Director-Treasurer, Mississippi Baptist Convention Board

Dr. Al Mohler, president of Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky., shared in his book, Words from the Fire, that several years ago in Britain researchers went door to door surveying residents about their belief in God. One of the questions they asked was, “Do you believe in a God who intervenes in human history, who changes the course of affairs, and who performs miracles?”

They received a wide range of responses as you might imagine, but one response became iconic in the study. When asked this question, one man responded, “No, I don’t believe in that God; I believe in the ordinary God.”

I’m afraid this anecdote is a far-too-accurate commentary on American culture today. We still have many people who affirm they believe in God, but they don’t believe in a sovereign God who is active in our world and in their lives. Instead, they believe in an ordinary God who doesn’t interact that much and consequently is largely irrelevant.

Christmas is a season when we’re forced to think about the nature of God! The birth of Christ in Bethlehem is a keen reminder that He is not a distant deity who is oblivious to His creation. In fact, Christmas is an affirmation that God is in touch with time and deeply concerned with all He has made.

His concern is so great that He sent the Son into the world to live as our example, die as our redeemer, resurrect as our Savior, and return to Heaven as our advocate.

The bottom line is that many who lived in and around Bethlehem when He was born had no idea of the eternal moment that was occurring in that quiet village. In the same way, many in our day flit about, unconscious of God’s holy hand that holds them in tenderness. We Americans like to think that we are independent and in control of our lives. In reality, we are small specks in need of a Savior and are helpless even to make our heart produce the next beat. 

The Christmas season is such a wonderful time to celebrate the story of God’s faithful oversight and interaction with our lives. The enemy knows this full well, which is why he works overtime to commercialize and trivialize the true reason for the season. May his efforts fall flat as we celebrate the wonder of God’s eternal purpose and work in history during this Christmas season.

No doubt, we could talk extensively about the nature of God without exhausting the topic. While we could affirm His divine attributes and His work in history in profound theological terms, Bethlehem is a healthy reminder that God is marvelously mysterious, supernaturally wonderful, and down to earth in His work. He is involved in our world and in our lives on the personal level.

There is simply no doubt about it — Christmas is a beautiful picture of God’s character. As I study the picture, the only conclusion I can come to is that He is no ordinary God!

The author may be contacted at sparker@mbcb.org.