James R. Lucas - Knowing the Unknowable God: How Faith Thrives on Divine Mystery

K NOWING THE U NKNOWABLE G OD
P UBLISHED BY W ATERBROOK P RESS
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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ( HCSB ) are taken from The Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked ( MSG ) are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Scripture excerpts marked (NAB) are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Psalms, copyright 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Italics in Scripture quotations reflect the authors added emphasis.

eISBN: 978-0-307-55255-6

Copyright 2003 by James R. Lucas

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

W ATER B ROOK and its deer design logo are registered trademarks of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lucas, J. R. (James Raymond), 1950
Knowing the unknowable God : how faith thrives on divine mystery / James R. Lucas.1st ed.
p. cm.
1. God. I. Title.
BT103.L83 2003
231dc22

2003015782

v3.1

Jim Lucas analyzes the mysterious paradoxes of God and shows us how we can trust and believe what God says, even if it seems contradictory. Knowing the Unknowable God challenges Christians to understand, appreciate, and celebrate our holy, mysterious Creator. This book shows how biblical paradoxes strengthen our faith.

D R . B OB and Y VONNE T URNBULL , conference speakers and coauthors of TeamMates: Building Your Marriage to Complete, Not Compete

With contagious passion, Jim Lucas leads us on a quest for God that is ruthlessly honest and deeply fulfilling. His thoughtful exploration of the paradoxes of faith will help you hear Gods voice with more clarity than you ever have before.

L ES P ARROTT , P H. D., Seattle Pacific University, coauthor of Love the Life You Live

God invites us to come and reason with him. In a world of intellectual confusion that presumes the fallacy of faith, Jim Lucas presents Gods self-revelation as it exists in powerful paradox. Pondering this collection of divine portraits, you will appreciate anew the wonder of the Almighty.

B OB S HANK , founder/CEO of The Masters Program

Writing in the language of the layman, Jim Lucas tackles the fascinating paradoxes of our amazing, mysterious, wondrous God, reminding us that with God its not a matter of either/or but a paradox of both/and. I highly recommend stretching your mind and your spirit with Knowing the Unknowable God.

G AYLE R OPER , author of Autumn Dreams, Summer Shadows, and Spring Rain

Paradox is a necessary expression for anything profound. Knowing the Unknowable God is a necessary expression of the profound.

P HIL H OTSENPILLER , teaching pastor at Jacksonville Chapel, Lincoln Park, New Jersey

Living in a culture characterized by ten-second sound bites and bumper-sticker philosophies, we often miss the fact that Truth according to the Creator of the universe is much, much bigger. Jim Lucass book teaches us how to embrace biblical paradoxes for a deeper, more accurate understanding of a mighty God. Knowing the Unknowable God is insightful and timely.

B RETT P OSTEN and R OBERT D. T EN E YCK , founders of Deo Vibe: The Pulse of Popular Culture

James Lucas carefully studies and explains difficulties in Scripture that thoughtful believers need to understand both for themselves and to be able to help others.

D R . P ATRICK O. C ATE , president of Christar

Mystery surrounds God, and it should come as no surprise to anyone who reads the Bible attentively to find mystery there wrapped in paradox. Paradox is intrinsic to the Bible because the Bible is of God. God does not speak to us in dumbed-down, obvious truisms, but in truths that will touch and awaken our imaginations. This book has made me aware of an illuminating principle to which one ought to pay closer attention when reading Scripture.

R EV . D R . J OHN M AXWELL K ERR , Oxford University, former warden of the Society of Ordained Scientists

P ERSONAL G ROWTH

Walking Through the Fire: Finding the Purpose of Pain in the Christian Life

F AMILY AND O THER R ELATIONSHIPS

Am I the One? Clues to Finding and Becoming a Person Worth Marrying

The Paradox Principle of Parenting: How to Parent Your Child Like God Parents You

1001 Ways to Connect with Your Kids

Proactive Parenting: The Only Approach That Really Works

The Parenting of Champions

F ICTION

A Perfect Persecution

Noah: Voyage to a New Earth

Weeping in Ramah

L EADERSHIP AND O RGANIZATIONAL D EVELOPMENT

The Passionate Organization: Igniting the Fire of Employee Commitment

Balance of Power: Fueling Employee Power Without Relinquishing Your Own

Fatal Illusions: Shredding a Dozen Unrealities That Can Keep Your Organization from Success

To the One God,
the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
the Living Lord of Paradox.

And to Laura,
who has cared for and enhanced this project
and made everything around her better.

And to David,
who has loved the life of paradox
and the paradox of life.