Issues & Evidence  

• Finiteness may be defined as limitations in capability.
• Do people have limitations which restrict their ultimate development?
• Birth, death, physical & mental capacity & handicaps evidence limitations.
• Medicine & genetic engineering seek to extend life & human capabilities.
• But can human limitations ever be truly removed?

• From the Biblical perspective, limitations are inherent in humanity & nature.
• The following table shows the support from Genesis & other texts in the Bible:

• This table distinguishes the Creator from His creation, humanity & nature.
• God is infinite & His creation is finite in every dimension.

• While limits are distinct from imperfection, there is also a close association.
• Life is limited by death as a consequence of human imperfection (Gen 3:19-24).
• God determines the length of life (Acts 17:26) as a reminder of our fallen state.
• In this sense, finiteness is tied with imperfection in life's termination with death.
• The question of death will be dealt with in greater depth in Chapter 10.
• Limits, however are often times erroneously viewed as a result of personal sin.
• For example, people feel guilty about their limits which they cannot overcome.
• In John 9:1-3, Jesus is questioned if personal wrongdoing caused a birth defect.
• Jesus states that this man's blindness is not a result of his sin or his parents'.
• As the case here, limitations do not necessarily reflect personal wrongdoing.
• With imperfection, there is personal wrongdoing & guilt.
• Limits, on the other hand, reflect finiteness &, in part, humanity's fallen state.

• While we are all fearfully & wonderfully made (Ps 139:13-16), we are limited.
• Each individual's limitations are unique & vary in degree from area to area.
• The degree of our limitations can be pictured on a continuum of longevity.
• Figure: "The Spectrum of Limitations & Longevity."

• While we are finite, we typically live well beneath our limitations.
• This occurs in three ways: awareness, learning & challenge.
• We are many times unaware of our weaknesses.
• Even if we are aware, we often times choose not to learn (Heb 5:11-14).
• If we choose to learn, we move from incompetence to competence.
• In general, as an area of skill increases, the more time it takes to improve:

 

• Often, we must balance our desire for increased skill with time investment.
• Regarding challenge, we operate between low risk & high risk (Mt 25:14-30).
• Our comfort zone is typically in the low risk area.
• Figure: "Limits & Potential."
• We continually need to become self aware, learn & accept greater challenges.
• While we limited in all dimensions, our greatest limitation is often ourselves.

• Who are we?
• We are relational, personal, imperfect & limited.
• All parts of identity are important & must be kept distinct.
• Figure: "Identity from God's Work of Creation."