Prof. Robert Cooper of the Helms School of Government faculty at Liberty University invited Charles Clough to present various aspects of the Biblical Framework to several classes and to an open forum on October 13, 2020 for student interaction. Liberty University is a remarkable school where faculty pray for and are concerned with the students. The curriculum, unlike that of too many contemporary universities, has the end goal of employability in a variety of callings. Students in the School of Government, for example, are often recruited by federal government agencies because of their character and training.

Charles was asked to show students how the big ideas of the Bible provided them with a framework for understanding the fundamental responsibilities and limitations of human government. His talk at the open forum and brief question-and-answer session that followed is presented here.

A Study of the Character of God as He has Revealed Himself vs. the Substitute Idols of our Neo-Pagan Culture

Seven-part Labor Day Conference series at North Stonington Bible Church on September 1-3, 2018

This seven-part Labor Day series focuses upon God’s character and our design as made in His image in order that we can view the core of our relationship with Him—whether we have a redeemed relationship at all, have an estranged one due to our carnality, or have an intimate one as we walk with Him in our daily life.

Nine of His clearly revealed attributes are set over nine corresponding deep needs we have as those made in His image.

Because we live in a fallen world, this series warns us about the two central lies of Satan that he has repeatedly injected into human thought ever since Eden. As each attribute is discussed, a portion is devoted to how he encourages us to create idolatrous counterfeits to the true nature of God—all of which repeatedly fail in history to fulfill our deepest needs individually and corporately.

Each of the 7 lessons in audio are accompanied on this site with the slides that were used and a detailed outline that indicates when and why each slide was used.

To listen to the Our Relationship with God in 2018: Estranged or Intimate? series as a podcast, copy and paste the following URL into your podcast software: https://www.bibleframework.org/podcasts/ourrelationshipwithgod.xml

Bonus:

Because the attributes of God lie at the core of the relationship between Him and all mankind made in His image, Charlie’s wife, Carol, during the early years of their four sons, would sing the following song to them each night before bed. We discovered that early on the boys clearly realized what each attribute meant even though they were of pre-kindergarten and early elementary school grade ages!

The well-known Christian children’s song, Praise Him, Praise Him, All ye Little Children can be found on the Internet. It focuses on only one of God’s attributes. So Carol added some others. The first stanza classic lyrics look like this: “Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children, God is love, God is love”.

Carol then substituted the following attributes for the last two clauses repeating before each one “Praise Him, praise him, all ye little children.”

• God is sovereign, He is king
• God is omnipotent, He can do all
• God is omniscient, He sees and knows all
• God is omnipresent, He is with you everywhere
• God is holy, He cannot sin
• God is righteous, He only does right
• God is just, He punishes sin
• God is immutable, He never changes
• God is eternal, He doesn’t have a beginning or end
• God is love, He loves you.

For example, the first stanza was “Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children, God is sovereign, He is king.” Granted that these attribute clauses don’t fit the rhythm of the classical hymn, but this rhythmic break draws attention to the attribute mentioned.

There is little doubt that God’s design for marriage and the family are under tremendous assault today from virtually every side. Modern marital and family life constitutes a great source of struggle for most. Many are even seeking to redefine these important institutions. Consequently, our culture finds itself in great confusion on these vital subjects. Yet, are these institutions really ours to redefine?

In such an environment, a fresh look at God’s blueprint for marriage and the family is desperately needed. Despite the contemporary moral chaos, we can observe that God’s eternal Word speaks directly to these very issues, just as it does to every area of life. Since God is the author of these institutions, they are not subject to mere human redefinition and manipulation. God has a plan and program for each of them. Consequently, this seminar is dedicated toward retrieving the original design for marriage and the family (Gen. 1–2), explaining how this original design was marred due to the Fall of Man (Gen. 3), and then outlining the Scriptural path toward living out the original design of God in a fallen world (Eph. 5:22–33).

Want More Information on Marriage and the Family?

Dr. Dean has taught extensively on marriage in his mini-series entitled Marriage & Family and a special series entitled Marriage and Freedom in America.

Dr. Woods also has several resources available on marriage:

• Ephesians 5:22-24 - The Christian Marriage, Part 1
• Ephesians 5:25-33 - The Christian Marriage, Part 2
• Ephesians 6:1-4 - God's Order in the Family