Duality is found in all of nature
Duality is also found throughout the Bible
Duality in the Bible means difference. Depending on context the difference may be mutually beneficial or completely at odds. In ancient kingdoms duality was believed to be mutually beneficial even though different; such as Yin and Yang. There is duality running throughout the Bible. There is God’s system and Satan’s or sin’s system.
The Bible opens with duality. There is Darkness and God immediately brings Light. There are waters which are separated into waters above and waters below. In addition, land comes out of the water. Even the Hebrew word for Heaven implies duality {šâmaiym; שָׁמַיִם}.
God’s System: Trinity Plus One
God’s System Includes Each Believer
God’s system is in place before Creation and is the pattern for Creation since it flows directly from God’s nature (He 11:3). Notice the schematic above. The Father surrounds all forming the basis for all things: visible and invisible. The Son and Spirit share the Father’s nature as specifically stated by Christ (Jo 17:22-23). The Bible clearly states what God’s System produces in each believer. Its essence is the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Ga 5:22-24). These generalities are further specified in the Beatitudes showing humility as the basis for Christ’s character and thus for our character also (Mt 5:2-12). God’s System unifies with the character of God but also allows individuality (Re 2:17). God’s System is immutable, unchangeable. Those who enter into a relationship with Christ, born from above, must become new creations (2Co 5:17). Thus, though we have bodies of flesh, we now have the mind of Christ which is being instructed in godliness and maturing in wisdom (Is 40:13; 1Co 2:16). Though I live with the flesh, I am crucified in Christ and He lives in me as I live in faith (Ga 2:20). God’s System is at work in this Creation and as a Christian I remain in His system never able to lose my salvation or have it taken away (Jo 10:28-30). We are in this current world system to be the vehicle of the Gospel so that others may also be saved in Christ (Jo 17:14-17). The epitome of God’s System is the Ten Words forming the moral core of each person as all are made in His image though marred by sin (Ex 20:1-17; Ps 51:5). But there is another system at work in this Creation; a system all of us had a part in its extension.
This is Satan’s System Based on
Satan, World and Self resulting in Death
Sin or Satan’s System is the antithesis but not the polar opposite of God’s System. Whereas God’s System is based squarely on truth, Satan’s System is based on lies, murder, degradation and division (Is 14:12-16; Ez 28:14-18; Jo 8:44; Ro 1:18-32). There is no unity in Satan’s System nor is there love for fear of judgment dogs the steps of all in that system (1Pe 5:8; Re 20:10-15). Those who remain in Satan’s System can look forward to a life based on the Works of the Flesh as well as those sins enumerated in Romans (Ro 1:18-32; Ga 5:19-21). Notice that the gamut of sins run from disobedient to parents to murder, depriving another person of life, of the opportunity to hear the Gospel and repent. Everyone is born into this system, loves this system and defends this system. Each person of Satan’s System also hates God’s System and those in that system (Mt 5:10-12; He 11:32-40). Unfortunately, everyone who dies in this system will spend eternity mired in its judgment (Lk 16:22-31). The irony; this system is based on fear of judgment (1Jo 4:18).
Man, made in God’s image, seeks to impose order. The saved live in the God’s eternal system; however, the lost live in Satan’s system which is at war with God’s System. The principles of the world Paul discusses in Galatians are not demons and Satan; no, these are those rules at work in this current physical Creation comfortable to the flesh (Ga 4:9). The Greek word, stoicheion {στοιχεῖον}, means order and the context informs the reader that this order is of the world, not of God. These two orders are mutually exclusive; that is, you are either of the world or of Christ but you are not in both nor are you in neither. Law of Non-Contradiction says you cannot be in both systems simultaneously and the Law of Excluded Middle says that there no third option; thus, you are either in God’s System, born from above, or in Satan’s System, those born but not born from above. The Bible should gives us examples of these two systems at work and their consequences. Thus, like Janus we will need to look back as well as look ahead.
Discernment Requires Looking Back and
Looking Ahead to Understand the Bible
“In the beginning…” God created everything out of nothing; there was darkness and chaos (Ge 1:1-5). God appoints Christ as the agent to bring order to this chaos (Jo 1:1-5). God made Man {aḏam; אָדָם} and Woman {isa; אִשָּׁה}. Man states that Woman and Himself were to multiply and fill the earth; as well as to not eat of tree of knowledge. Thus, when God pronounces that Creation is finished and good, He is not saying that He is finished with His Gospel plan (Ge 1:31). God has arranged Creation in accordance with His orderly system {stoicheion; στοιχεῖον}. Satan tested Woman and Man who rejected God’s System in lieu of Satan’s System because it appealed to the flesh (Ge 3:4-7; 1Jo 2:15-16).
Cain {Given of God} was raised by Eve to be their redeemer (Ge 3:15). However, he was not of God’s System but of Satan’s for he was conceived in sin (Ps 51:5). God told Cain directly that he had to control his sin; sin controlled him and he killed Abel {Weak one} (Ge 4:1-8-17). Abel died because he was of God’s System, received grace revealing the fear, anger and hatred of Cain. Cain wandered {Nod} to the land of Nod {Wanderers}, married and built cities. Cities require government making Cain the father of governments. Governments use force to control the dictates of sin; i.e., to keep sin from destroying lost society. In short order this government failed though it developed a military system that suppressed or absorbed those of God’s System who intermarried with those of Satan’s System. God used the Cataclysm to restart humanity on a reformed earth (Ge 6:1-8).
Noah’s Ark landed on Mt Ararat and he performed the first Ascending {Burnt} Sacrifice in the Bible (Ge 8:20-21). He also planted, harvested, fermented and became drunk on wine. Ham saw his father naked which may mean this is the first sodomy stated in the Bible (Ge 9:18-29). This explains why the coming curse was pronounced on Canaan, the land known for Sodom and Gomorrah. Shem and Japheth covered Noah who, when he awoke, knew what Ham had done. Noah prophesied that Shem’s {Name} God would bless the peoples of the earth, Japheth would come under the blessings of Shem while Ham would be the slaves of Shem and Japheth. Notice how easy it is for God’s people to continue sinning while growing in Christ-like maturity (1Jo 1:8-9). Several generations pass…
The people have multiplied but failed to fill the earth as God commanded Noah (Ge 9:1). They have migrated down into the plains and built several cities. Their leader, Nimrod {Rebellious} is chief profane one as well as a warrior and hunter; in other words, he through military force has made himself god-king over everyone. He built Babel as a worship-governmental center. He would ascend and offer his Ascending sacrifice so everyone could see and worship him. He has defied Noah’s, and thus God’s prophecy of slavery. As a part of Satan’s System, he has sought to dominate, then destroy, God’s System like Cain and others did before the Cataclysm. God comes down, gives them different languages and the people separate for Satan’s System hates differences; everyone must be the same even by force (Ge 10:8-10; 11:1-9).
Abram {Father} rejects the idolatry of his father and chooses the God of Shem. When his father dies, God tells Abram to go to Canaan for his descendants will possess it (Ge 12:1-9). In spite of Nimrod’s rebellion, Noah’s prophecy will come to pass, which remains future to us.
This is why the world hates God and His people for they are of a different system which by its very existence reveals the lies that God is sin and they should not be punished (Ja 1:13-15). Do you feel like you are an alien on earth? You have good company for you are looking for a heavenly city to come, New Jerusalem (He 11:13-16; Re 21:1-3).