If God were not a Spirit . . .

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

If God were not a Spirit, He could not be Creator. All multitude begins in unity. Above mixed creatures there is first absolute simplicity. Number cannot be conceived without first conceiving a unit. The works of art created by a rational creature begin with models in their mind, a mind that the created work does not have. The wisdom which created the world must be from a Spirit, because a corporate being could not create that which is above it, with spiritual qualities that they cannot fully understand themselves. (Paraphrase from The Existence & Attributes of God by Stephen Charnock)

Charnock goes into a logic that really stretches my brain. I sense he is right, but am trying to wrap my head around it. To put his ideas into my words, I’d have to say that I can create characters in a story with human qualities, but it would be a stretch to create someone from another culture or a fictional creature from a made-up world. God created all things, with all qualities, human and otherwise, but particularly human beings with spirits. Unless He is spirit, He would not be able to create spiritual beings.

Charnock goes beyond that to remind me that all of creation points to a Being more perfect and eminent than can be put into bodily form. Our problem is that we can imagine a wizard with a wand, or a man with a beard on a throne, or even a self-generating evolution (which takes some faith!) but we cannot imagine pure Spirit. There is nothing too see, but even more, pure spirit is beyond what we are — which proves Charnock’s point. Created beings are less than what created them, and what created them must fully know and understand their properties.

Is there a point to this? Does it matter to my daily life that God is Spirit? Of course. First, He created all things so can also influence all things. I can pray knowing God has the ability, as Spirit, to not only hear and answer my call, but be wherever He needs to be to do it. I can pray for friends in Asia, or Scotland, or Pakistan, and He is here with me but also there with them.

Second, I can have confidence that He knows more about me than I know myself. What better person to ask for guidance through the challenges of each day? As my Creator, He knows what I am personally able to tackle and what is best for me. Further, as a Spirit, He can convey to my spirit that which I need to know for each daily chore and challenge. His ability far surpasses even the most wise mentor — and the quickest telephone call or e-mail service. All I have to do is cry out. He, by His Spirit, whispers back and, if necessary, rearranges His creation to meet my need. How excellent is that!