The Attributes of God
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Introduction
Introduction
Theology = the study of God
Why do you think we should study theology? (See John 17:3)
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
1. In obedience to Christ (Matthew 28:19-20)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
2. For our spiritual growth (2 Corinthians 3:18)
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
What attitudes should we have as we study theology?
· Prayer (Psalm 119:18; Ephesians 1:17-19)
18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
· Humility (1 Corinthians 8:1; 1 Peter 5:5)
1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.
5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
· Diligence (2 Timothy 2:15)
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
· Delight (Psalm 1:2, 19:8-11)
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
The Existence of God
How do we know that God exists?
Introduction: Psalm 14:1 “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
1. Internal knowledge of God’s existence (Romans 1:18-25 , 2:14-15 )
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.
15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them
2. Natural evidence of God’s existence (Psalm 19:1-2 ; Acts 14:15-17 )
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.
16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”
3. Scriptural evidence of God’s existence (Genesis 1:1 ; John 1:1 )
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is [exists], and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
The Knowability of God
How can we know God? How much can we know of God?
1. IN ORDER FOR US TO KNOW GOD, HE MUST REVEAL HIMSELF TO US.
-this is true of almost any relationship; knowing another person requires that the person reveal or open up himself to be known.
Friendship or marriage: for there to be any friendly relationship of trust between people, they must open themselves up to be known. You cannot trust a person or have a close relationship with him if you don’t know at least something about them.
Keeping closed: it is possible for us to remain closed to other people and not reveal anything or reveal only a little about ourselves. We have the ability to keep our identity (who we are) hidden from others. God who created us in his image could do this as well, revealing little or nothing of himself to us so that we could not truly know him.
But God has revealed himself to us:
a. Natural revelation: God has revealed some things about himself in nature (Romans 1:19, Psalm 19:1)
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
b. Special revelation: Personal knowledge of God that leads to salvation comes by his Spirit through His Word (Matthew 11:27; 1 Corinthians 1:18, 21; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
-special revelation is necessary because in our sinfulness we naturally distort and suppress the natural revelation we have about God (Romans 1:18-25); only through God’s special revelation will we rightly understand his natural revelation.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
2. WE CAN NEVER FULLY UNDERSTAND GOD, BECAUSE HE IS INFINITE, AND WE ARE FINITE.
a. God is infinite in his greatness (Psalm 145:3)
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
b. God is infinite in his wisdom and understanding (Psalm 147:5; Psalm 139:6)
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
c. God is infinite in all his ways (Isaiah 55:8-9, Romans 11:33).
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
It is not because of our sinfulness but because of our finiteness that we can never fully comprehend God. He is the Creator, we are the creatures, and it will always be that way. Colossians 1:9-10 tells us that we should always be increasing in the knowledge of God.
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
3. WE CAN KNOW GOD IN A TRUE AND SAVING WAY
a. We can know true things about God, though we will never fully comprehend everything about him. The knowledge which he gives us through the Scriptures is true knowledge even though it is not complete knowledge (John 17:17). As we study the attributes of God (love, spirituality, righteousness, etc.), we can know for certain that what his Word says about him is true, though it is not exhaustive.
17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
b. Knowing about God vs. knowing God (Jeremiah 9:23-24; John 17:3; Hebrews 8:11) Knowing and believing certain facts about God is not the same as knowing him personally. The demons know about and believe in God—they have good theology (James 2:19), but they hate him. A saving knowledge of God is a knowledge that leads to a personal relationship of trust and love for God. And once this relationship starts, it grows for all eternity as we grow ever deeper in our personal knowledge of God.
23 Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,
24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
The Incommunicable Attributes of God
“How is God different from us?”
Incommunicable and Communicable Attributes: God’s incommunicable attributes are those we share less with him, while his communicable attributes are those we share more with him.
· What are some examples of incommunicable and communicable attributes?
Independence (Self-existence)
Definition: “God does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation can glorify him and bring him joy.”
1. God does not need anything for his existence and fulfillment
a. God does not need mankind (Acts 17:24-25; Job 41:11)
· we need God for our existence and fulfillment, but God does not need us for his existence and fulfillment
b. God does not need the rest of creation (Psalm 50:10-12)
c. God is sufficient in himself (John 17:5, John 17:24; Exodus 3:14)
d. All of creation depends on God for its existence (Revelation 4:11; Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:2-3)
2. God chose to create us and all things for his glory and enjoyment
“This must be stated in order to guard against any idea that God’s independence makes us meaningless. Someone might wonder, if God does not need us for anything, then are we important at all? Is there any significance to our existence or to the existence of the rest of creation? In response it must be said that we are in fact very meaningful because God has created us and has determined that we would be meaningful to him. That is the final definition of genuine significance.”
a. God made us and all things to demonstrate his glory—his supreme value (Isaiah 43:7; Romans 11:36; Ephesians 1:12; Revelation 4:11)
b. God made us and all things for his pleasure—to bring him joy and delight (Isaiah 62:3-5; Zephaniah 3:17-18)
“God does not need us for anything, yet it is the amazing fact of our existence that he chooses to delight in us and to allow us to bring joy to his heart. This is the basis for personal significance in the lives of all God’s people: to be significant to God is to be significant in the most ultimate sense. No greater personal significance can be imagined.”