THEOLOGY ( Study of GOD) Robert Sargent .

Noel Merrick

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The Existence and Attributes of God - Part 1

In the midst of life’s challenges, pain, and frustration - where do you go for comfort?

Christians are those who can and ought to without hesitation turn to God, not just because he exists, but because of what he is like.

I. Introduction

LLet us Note what marks God out from among all the other false gods is that he speaks.

He has graciously revealed himself through the written word - the Bible, and the word made flesh - Jesus Christ.

And this revelation is true (inerrant), trustworthy (infallible), sufficient and necessary.

It does not, it cannot lead us astray.

It is our final authority, the final arbiter in all matters of faith and practice - not the church, or reason, or our subjective impressions or experiences.

As we begin this third class, there are two questions that lie at the foundation of not only of religious knowledge, but also of every possible form of knowledge:

1) Is there a God? (Related to this, how can we know?)

2) What is God like? (What are his attributes?)

These are the questions that we will begin to answer during our time together today.

II. God’s Existence

A. Biblical Presupposition

[Job 11:7; 26:14; 30:26; Is 40:18]

Job 11:7 KJV 1900

Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

Job 26:14 KJV 1900

Lo, these are parts of his ways: But how little a portion is heard of him? But the thunder of his power who can understand?

Job 30:26 KJV 1900

When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: And when I waited for light, there came darkness.

Isaiah 40:18 KJV 1900

To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

We begin this morning by thinking about the existence of God.

In response to our first question, “Is there a God?”

we must note at the outset that the Bible doesn’t spend time arguing for God’s existence.

It simply presumes that He does. It’s a biblical given, in the same way the pre-existence of matter is a given for the materialist.

The Bible treats God’s existence like gravity. We can deny it, ignore it, or pretend it doesn't exist, but to our own peril.

Every worldview begins somewhere.

As we know , the Christian worldview begins with these two premises

- He is There (existence) And He Is Not Silent (speaks).

But if someone were to ask you how you know God exists, what would you say?

If we are Christians, we can say that we believe God is “really there” because He has revealed himself:

1.) generally to all men by creation and providence;

2.) propositionally in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments;

3.) personally in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; and

4.) savingly through the work of His Word and Spirit. (repeat)

Scripture testifies to this:

(John 17:3, )

John 17:3 KJV 1900

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

(1 John 5:20, )

1 John 5:20 KJV 1900

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

So in the first chapter of Romans, Paul tells us that God has made the fact of his existence plain to all humanity (Rom 1.19-20 ) .

Romans 1:19–20 KJV 1900

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

In verse twenty, he says that (not veiled, not hidden, but clearly seen), Creation cries out that there is a creator.

Who is it that sends the rain and sun?

Who is it that blankets the earth in darkness, and then unleashes the morning sun?

Who is it that separates the land from the sea?

From the order of the seasons to the intricacies of a flower to the innumerable stars at night - we see God’s hand as the intelligent Creator.

Who has seen BBC’s Planet Earth?

It’s been a favorite in our home for years.

In a visually arresting and stunning way, that production powerfully captures the grandeur, majesty, wonderful diversity and remarkable complexity of God’s creation.

Yet the producers say nothing about God. Why?

Because despite this revelation in creation, Paul goes on to say in Romans that man willfully suppresses the truth and exchanges it for a lie.

And so fallen man worships the natural world instead of the one that made it.

But there’s not just creation.

There is also conscience.

Because we are made in God’s image (Gen 1.26-27), something of his moral character remains in us.

Genesis 1:26–27 KJV 1900

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Though our consciences aren’t a perfect guide because they’ve been corrupted by the fall, our concerns for morality, justice, knowledge, truth - they too point us back to our creator.

While creation and conscience ought to be reason alone to convince us that God exists, the fact that we suppress the truth in our fallen state has led Christians to formulate “theistic proofs” (arguments) for the existence of God.

These “proofs” are simply attempts to demonstrate that it’s rational to believe in God’s existence.

God’s not our imaginary friend, and thus relegated to the realm of myth and superstition.

I mention these proofs because they often are included in systematic theology, but since they are also covered in the Apologetics core seminar, I will leave you with just a mention of them.

These proofs don’t lead us to the sovereign, personal God of Scripture.

They can help show how it’s not irrational to believe in God, but none of these proofs tell you much of what God is like.

None of them get you to the God of Scripture and saving faith in Christ.

C. General and Special Revelation

All knowledge of God rests on revelation.

Through we can never know God in the full richness of his being, he is known to all people though his revelation in creation, the theater of his glory.

The world is never godless.

In the end there is no atheists; there is only arguments about the nature of God.

This distinction between what is known about God to all generally, and what is only known about him specially is often referred to as the “general” versus “special” revelation.

General revelation is that unveiling of God, the knowledge of God’s being and will which is given to all people everywhere, at all times, through the ordinary experience of being alive in God’s world. [Ps. 19:1, 2; Rom. 1:19, 20; 2:14, 15]

Psalm 19:1 KJV 1900

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Psalm 19:2 KJV 1900

Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge.

Romans 1:19 KJV 1900

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

Romans 1:20 KJV 1900

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Romans 2:14 KJV 1900

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

Romans 2:15 KJV 1900

Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Special revelation is how God has made himself known by particular acts and words, especially the Word of the Lord (=Scripture), and the Lord of the Word (=Jesus Christ).

1. What Does General Revelation Teach Us?

Ps 19 and other texts, but I’m going to pick just two.

Rom 1.18-32; Acts 17.22-31.

As I read, what do these texts say general revelation teaches everyone who lives? READ.

What do these texts reveal to all mankind generally?

· God is one. (Acts 17.26; Rom 1.20)

Acts 17:26 KJV 1900

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

Romans 1:20 KJV 1900

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

· God is the creator (Ps 19; Acts 17.25)

Psalm 19 KJV 1900

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, Where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, And his circuit unto the ends of it: And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: And in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me: Then shall I be upright, And I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, And the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Acts 17:25 KJV 1900

Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

· God is eternal and independent (Rom 1.20; Acts 17.25)

Romans 1:20 KJV 1900

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Acts 17:25 KJV 1900

Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

· God is invisible and powerful (Rom 1.20)

Romans 1:20 KJV 1900

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

· God, though distinct from the universe, is active in it. (Acts 17.24; 26-27)

Acts 17:24 KJV 1900

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Acts 17:26–27 KJV 1900

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

· God sustains all things (Acts 17.24-28; 14:15-16)

Acts 17:24–28 KJV 1900

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Acts 14:15–16 KJV 1900

And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

· God is moral, the ultimate source of our values (Rom 1.32)

Romans 1:32 KJV 1900

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

The Bible says all these things we ought to know naturally, simply by fact that we are all made in God’s image and are live in this world he’s made.

{Some would argue, such as a Thomas Aquinas and many in the RC and Enlightenment tradition, that with the aid of reason and general revelation we can come to know who God is, and what he’s like.

So Natural Theology is the attempt to attain understanding of God and his relationship with the universe by means of natural reflection, without appealing to special revelation.}

And yet Paul stresses in Rom 1-2 that one of the effects of the fall is that we’ve rejected this knowledge of God and exchanged it for a lie.

Thus the Reformers and men like Martin Luther in The Bondage of the Will stressed the noetic (nous - mind in Latin) effects of sin.

Our minds are too warped as a result of the fall to get to God merely through reason applied to general revelation.

Though conscience and nature point to God, in our fallenness we need the spectacles of Scripture and the regenerating work of the Spirit in order to see properly what is there.

One clear implication of this is that general revelation renders human beings guilty.

We cannot escape God.

Outside of us the created order screams at us like the lead singer of a metal band.

Do you not see?

Do you not understand?

There is a God who created you, and you’re accountable to him.

We can close our eyes and plug our ears, but that won’t change reality.

And inside our own heads our consciences won’t give us any rest.

[I remember before I became a Christian, non-Christian friends would encourage me to do this and that - cheat on a test, randomly hook-up with someone at a party - yet I couldn’t escape the sense that there was something inherently wrong with such things.

And it’s not like I grew up in a religious family or ever heard the gospel.

Life becomes a constant attempt to explain away our conscience because we know what we ought to do, yet don't do.

To varying degrees we all reject the knowledge God has generally provided, and this alone is sufficient to condemn us.

So in this sense general revelation is fully authoritative, sufficient, and perspicuous (=clear), but it is not salvific. It alone can’t save.]

Comments, questions?

III. The Attributes of God

Because sin blinds and distorts our perceptions of God, if we are to know what God is really like, we must turn to His revelation of Himself in the Bible.

But I want to ask a question when you think of describing God from Scripture, what are some words that first come to mind? (e.g,, love, sovereign, good)

These words make up God’s attributes.

SIDE NOTE:

The incomprehensible God has made himself known by speaking to us and showing us who he is.

You will see in the sheet I gave you a segment filled with Scripture about how God himself uses human language to describe his actions and who he is.

This is the only way we could understand who he is and how he works.

Use this as a guide for prayer and for praising God.

When theologians speak of the attributes of God, they’re referring to those qualities that are essential to the nature of God, who he is, and what he’s like.

Most systematic theologians elect to classify God’s attributes by dividing them up into various classes: incommunicable attributes (those attributes God alone possess - omnipotence, omniscience, etc.) and communicable attributes (those attributes we share, albeit in a fallen and finite way, with God - love, justice, etc.).

Incommunicable Attributes

1. The Independence or Self-Existence of God [Aseity]

(Ex 3.14; Ps 50:8-15; See Also Ps. 33:11; 115:3; Isa. 40:18 ff.; Dan. 4:35; John 5:26; Rom. 11:33-36; Acts 17:25; Rev. 4:11.)

Exodus 3:14 KJV 1900

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Psalm 50:8–15 KJV 1900

I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices Or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, Nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: And the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving; And pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Psalm 33:11 KJV 1900

The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, The thoughts of his heart to all generations.

Psalm 115:3 KJV 1900

But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Isaiah 40:18ff KJV 1900

To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman melteth a graven image, And the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, And casteth silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; He seeketh unto him a cunning workman To prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved. Have ye not known? have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, And the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; That stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, And spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: That bringeth the princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; Yea, they shall not be sown: Yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: And he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, And the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, And behold who hath created these things, That bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names By the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; Not one faileth. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, And my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, That the everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; And to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles; They shall run, and not be weary; And they shall walk, and not faint.

Daniel 4:35 KJV 1900

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

John 5:26 KJV 1900

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

Romans 11:33–36 KJV 1900

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Acts 17:25 (KJV 1900)

Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

Revelation 4:11 KJV 1900

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

God’s existence and character are determined by Himself alone and are not dependent on anyone or anything else.

This is sometimes referred to as aseity (a se = having life from oneself).

He owns all things, he has no needs outside himself.

God didn’t create us because he was lonely and needed some company, or he needed us to complete him.

In the trinity God is self-existent, self-sufficient, and self-contained.

“I am who I am” (Ex 3.14) [“] He needs nothing.

Exodus 3:14 KJV 1900

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

We need hours and hours of sleep in order to keep our eyes open, water to keep us alive, food for energy, shelters for protection, doctors for our health, teachers to teach us all the things we don’t know and then promptly forget… and I could go on and on. [Pagan gods needing things…]

God?

He needs… nothing! [2 Sam 7:14]

2 Samuel 7:14 KJV 1900

I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

Life, strength, protection, health, knowledge - he has it completely in himself!

… which is exactlywhy we can go to him and depend upon him at all times.

He is the king.

His word, rules.

Literally.

But he’s not the kind of king who’s constrained by budget deficits, a divided congress, NATO, or the weakness of age.

He is entirely free of all such constraints.

Because he’s dependent on nothing and no one, he is always able to be there for his people.

His independence and self-existence ought to be a huge encouragement to us.

Any comments or questions?

2. The Immutability of God

Secondly, God is immutable.

Namely, God in his nature, character, and purposes, does not change.

We have to change our plans all the time, either because we lack the necessary foresight and knowledge to anticipate all contingencies, or because we lack the power and ability to effect what we plan.

But not so with God. God has all power and knowledge.

Floods, snow, fire, government shutdowns - nothing like this thwarts his purposes.

Nothing ever catches God by surprise.

God never has to resort to Plan B, or C.

He needs no contingency plan, no fallback option, no emergency escape route.

Practically, this means we can always trust him and rely on his word. He will always act in conformity with what he has promised.

And so we have confidence in him.

We live as if on the surface of a restless ocean, everything shifting and changing about us.

We’re always trying to catch our balance in this world.

But God… is a rockamidst those fluctuating waters.

And so with unshakeable confidence we can stand firmly upon him.

Some reject this teaching.

They’ll say God cannot know our future decision in order for those decisions to be fully free.

For if he knows them in advance, that means they will necessarily happen, which means that decision can’t be truly free for we only could have done what God already foreknew, and nothing else (eg. what have for lunch).

So they’ll say God is a great guesser, but since he doesn’t finally know, we can’t say he’s immutable. Like us, he’ll have to change his mind.

Now related to this is the notion of impassibility (literally means without emotion).

If God cannot be ruled by another and is dependent on no one, is there any way in which God legitimately has feelings, emotions?

It’s a natural question, for how can emotions be appropriate to one who is utterly independent and self-sufficient?

Biblically, God has emotions.

He’s not the unmoved mover of Greek thought.

It’s just that they’re not like ours.

We’re surprised, caught off guard, confused, hurt, thus we cry. In our anger we lash out.

God too may grieve, but not in the same way.

When he suffers, he chooses to.

His passions are real, but he’s not ruled by them.

Anger rules us, but God rules over anger.

That’s the fundamental difference.

[So when the WSC says that God is “without parts or passions,” it is not denying God’s responsiveness to creaturely action, rather it is denying

(a) that God is “made up” of various faculties or emotions and

(b) that God is taken captive by anything other then his own nature.

The constituent biblical testimony is that while God may be opposed and provoked, God cannot be overcome by surprise or distress, anger, compassion, or opposition.

Good news for those who deserve God’s wrath [Hosea 11:9].

Hosea 11:9 KJV 1900

I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: For I am God, and not man; The Holy One in the midst of thee: And I will not enter into the city.

There’s a lot we could say, but Scripture is clear.

Num. 23.19

Numbers 23:19 KJV 1900

God is not a man, that he should lie; Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Or 1 Sam 15.29“

1 Samuel 15:29 KJV 1900

And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

(1Sam 15.29)

1 Samuel 15:29 KJV 1900

And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

God is perfectly immutable, and thus perfectly dependable.

Any questions?

3. God is Infinite

Thirdly, the Bible also teaches God is infinite.

This means that there is no limitation to God’s perfections.

His infinity is expressed in a number of ways, such as in space, in power, and in time.

First, God is infinite in space or omnipresent.

This means that God transcends spatial limitations, is without size, and is present at every point of space with his whole being.

When people refer to God as being “a big God”, they are referring to his greatness rather than a quantitative measurement.

Psalm 139 conveys this clearly when it says,

Psalm 139 KJV 1900

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; Even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: Depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, And thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

A corollary to this is that God is spirit (Jn 4.24).

John 4:24 KJV 1900

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

He’s incorporeal.

He’s not made of matter, he has no parts or dimensions.

Though God is wholly present throughout all things, he is yet distinct from all things.

Pantheism asserts that God minus the world = 0.

They are perfectly identified.

The Bible asserts that God minus the world = God.

He is distinct from all he is created.

So for God to move into my house doesn’t mean I have to move out.

We think of presence in terms of physicality, not so with God.

So when we read that the Spirit is “indwelling” or “abiding” in a Christian, or we read that God is “in heaven,” it’s not referring so much to location as to relationship.

The Spirit indwells in that he’s is present with us in a saving way.

We can “enter into his presence” not that we’ve spatially become closer to God,but that we access through Christ to a new relationship with God where we can bring everything before the throne of his grace.

So hell is not the absence of God, but the absence of God in a saving way. Hell is the presence of God in the fullness of his wrath.

Practically speaking, God’s omnipresence means we can always be certain of God’s undivided attention.

We don’t need to stand in line, or make an appointment, or take a religious pilgrimage.

We are in his presence!

But it’s also a warning.

We have no place to hide.

There is no corner of the universe where God is not.

He sees it all.

Jean Paul Sartre calls God the “cosmic voyeur” because he hates this idea that God is everywhere. It means we’re accountable. Hide and seek is not a game we can play with God in our sins. We shouldn’t deceive ourselves. So if you’re trying to hide, just come out and confess it. You’re not fooling God. So be reconciled to him.

But God’s not just omnipresent, he’s also infinite in power, or omnipotent.

God is able to do all that He decides to do.

Jesus tells us in Matt 19:26 that

Matthew 19:26 (KJV 1900)

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Jeremiah in Jer 32.17 declares that there is nothing too hard for the Sovereign Lord.

Jeremiah 32:17 (KJV 1900)

Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

Did you hear that?

Nothing is too hard for God.

So does this mean that God can do everything?

Classic freshman year of college question, “can God make a rock so big that he cannot move it?”

You’re trapped.

But that question presents a false dilemma based off a false assumption, that God can do anything.

It’s better to say “God can do everything” by saying that “God can do everything that He wills to do and is consistent with his character.”

For example, according to Hebrews, God cannot lie (Heb. 6:18).

Hebrews 6:18 KJV 1900

That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

In II Timothy 2:13, we find that God cannot disown Himself.

2 Timothy 2:13 KJV 1900

If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

God cannot cease to be God or act in a way inconsistent with any of his other attributes.

This too is great encouragement.

A god who can feel but not help is of little use.

It’s a comfort in our persecution. (Ps 27.1)

Psalm 27:1 KJV 1900

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

It’s a comfort in our prayers. (Eph 3.20)

Ephesians 3:20 KJV 1900

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

It gives us confidence in the future. (Jude 24-25)

Jude 24–25 KJV 1900

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

So if God does not answer our prayers, or respond a particular way, we trust his wisdom, which we’ll think about next week.

But God is also infinite in time - eternal.

Psalm 90:2 reads, In Revelations the Lord God says, This doesn’t mean God is everywhere in time, but that he transcends the very limitations of time.

Psalm 90:2 KJV 1900

Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

He has no beginning or end.

Some have likened time to a long parade.

We’re in the parade, marching alone, experiencing only one section of it.

Whereas God stands on top of a mountain, sees it all at once.

It’s not passing him by, so to speak.

Practically, this means God will always be there for us.

He won’t be that friend who ever moves away, or worse yet, dies on us.

He always was and will be, and thus he always is there for us.

We can make all our plans around him, trust him, know he’ll be there, for he’s eternal.

Comments or Questions?

Brothers and sisters, God’s not like us.

He’s majestic, glorious.

Perfectly self-sufficient, with perfect plans, perfect power, covering everything, all the time.

Before you leave, ask yourself this one question.

In light of all this, why would you be tempted to place your affections, your security, your well-being in anybody else?

PRAYER

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgements,and his paths beyond tracing out!

Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?

Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

To Him be the glory forever! Amen.

- Romans 11:33-36

Romans 11:33–36 KJV 1900

Attributes of God Part 2

I. Introduction

Is there a God?

And if so, what his he like?

These are perhaps the two most important questions a person ever asks.

So last week we considered God’s existence.

The Bible doesn’t argue for God’s existence, it assumes it.

God has revealed himself generally in creation and history; propositionally in his inspired Word; personally in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh; and savingly through the work of his Holy Spirit.

And because he’s revealed himself, we can know what he’s like.

This gets to the question of God’s attributes.

First, Justin said that God is independent.

fully self-sufficient and self-existent.

Next, we saw that God is immutable.

He doesn’t change.

He’s perfectly consistent, reliable, and faithful.

And we learned that God is infinite.

That means he has unlimited power over all things.

His presence is everywhere.

And he is eternal, not bound by time, with no beginning or end.

God is infinitely great.

We could spend years, decades and centuries trying to plumb the depths of his wonder – and one day we will.

But this morning we want to use our time to explore several more attributes of God that he reveals in his Word.

Why?

Because knowing God is the greatest joy of our life.

This isn’t merely an “abstract” exercise.

Theology is practical, it’s devotional, it teaches us who is the God that we trust in all of life’s trials, and it should stir our hearts to love, adore and praise God.

So, we’ll look at several more attributes of God today, though the first two topics we’ll explore aren’t as much attributes as descriptions of God’s essential nature.

After all, the attributes of God aren’t different hats he wears at different times.

God isn’t divided. He is, forever and always, ALL of these attributes.

Each attribute is merely a biblical category that provides us with language to describe various inter-related and united aspects of God’s character and greatness.

On that note, it’s appropriate to start with:

1. The Unity of God

God is the only Divine Being.

He has a total unity of character.

In other words, everything he does is fully consistent with all of his attributes; there are no contradictions in his character.

He doesn’t have a “good side” or a “bad side” – he’s all good.

He’s notdifferent in the Old Testament and the New.

He is one in essence, He is indivisible.

This is often referred to as the simplicity of God, which basically means that God’s attributes aren’t little bits that you add up together and get God, like parts of a car.

Instead, each attribute is completely true of God and all of His character.

We see this in Exodus 34:6-7, “

Exodus 34:6–7 KJV 1900

And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

God is both merciful and just, and though those traits may seem at odds, they are resolved in Jesus who mercifully dies in the place of sinners, thus vindicating the claims of God’s justice.

So God is one, and he’s not a schizophrenic God.

He always is, and always acts, according to his united character.

But that’s not all.

God has clearly revealed himself in three distinct persons:

2. God is Triune

I’m aware that when we discuss the doctrine of the Trinity, it feels like our brains are turning to mush and many conclude that this is an abstract idea, best left to philosophers in cluttered libraries.

It feels unrelated to day-by-day Christian life.

But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Yes, God’s triune nature stretches our understanding.

It’s mysterious.

But the Triune God is beautiful, delightful, and worthy of our awe.

It makes all the difference in the world that God is not a lonely, solitary being but rather a trinity in unity, existing in eternal love and fellowship and extending that harmonious love to us.

I’m not overstating when I say that the trinity makes all the difference between true Christianity and false understandings of God.

Our time is brief, and many great books have been written on this central doctrine.

Let me point out just one – Michael Reeves’ Delighting in the Trinity.

He doesn’t just explain the trinity, he stirs our hearts to see God’s triune nature as beautiful, wonderful news. WHO would like a copy?

Let’s look at the Trinity, appropriately, by answering three questions:

A. What does the doctrine of the Trinity mean?

Wayne Grudem’s definition is excellent:

“God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God.”

[1] This means that God is one in essence.

Theologians in the 4th century argued from scripture that the Son and Spirit are equal in substance to the Father.

That is, there is only one being known as God. Scripture consistently affirms this. Deut 6:4 says

Isaiah 45:5, verse 21, “There is no other god besides me.”

But this God is a unity of three distinct “persons.”

The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.

But the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and the Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son.

Each person plays a distinct role in the harmonious work of redemption.

The Belgic Confession of 1561 put it this way: “The Father is the cause, origin, and source of all things, visible as well as invisible.

The Son is the Word, the Wisdom, and the image of the Father.

The Holy Spirit is the eternal power and might,proceeding from the Father and the Son.

Nevertheless, this distinction does not divide God into three, since Scripture teaches us that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

each has a distinct subsistence [which means personhood] distinguished by characteristics—yet in such a way that these three persons are only one God….

These persons, thus distinct, are neither divided nor fused or mixed together.”

So, the three persons of the Trinity are distinct – eternally so.

They’re not just flavors or modes that God has adopted at different stages in history.

They have existed together as one God forever in total love, unity and delight.

So much for a definition; is it true?

Question B, How does Scripture teach the doctrine of the Trinity?

Good question!

You won’t find the word, “trinity,” anywhere in Scripture.

It was actually first coined by Tertullian after the generation of the Apostles.

But it’s a helpful word.

It summarizes all that Scripture speaks regarding the relationship of the Godhead.

The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God, as we’ve already seen in the verses I’ve mentioned earlier.

And yet it also teaches that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God.

There isn’t much controversy that the Father is God: Jesus prays “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

But scripture teaches that the Son and Spirit are God too.

We’ll explore all those verses in coming weeks when we look at the person of Christ and the person of the Holy Spirit.

But here’s a brief preview:

Jesus is the Word of God who “is God” according to John 1:1-4,

John 1:1–4 KJV 1900

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

who is called “Mighty God” according to Isaiah 9:6,

Isaiah 9:6 KJV 1900

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

and who is called “Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” in Titus 2:13.

Titus 2:13 KJV 1900

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

The Son forgives sins and accepts worship, both of which only God could do.

On the other hand, the Holy Spirit is present everywhere according to Psalm 139,

Psalm 139 KJV 1900

comprehends and reveals God’s thoughts according to 1 Cor 2,

1 Corinthians 2 KJV 1900

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

creates life and new life according to Genesis 1 and John 3, and throughout scripture such things are only true of God.

Genesis 1 KJV 1900

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

John 3 KJV 1900

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison. Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Isaiah 9:6 (KJV 1900)

John 1:1–4 (KJV 1900)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Finally, there are several key passages where we see the three persons of the Trinity mentioned together and distinguished from one another.

Matt 3:16: And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:16 KJV 1900

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

Here the three persons of the Godhead play distinct roles. God th

e Father speaks from heaven, God the Son is baptized to fulfill the Father’s will, and God the Spirit anoints the Son to empower his ministry.

Think also of Matt 28:19 – Jesus says, “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.”

Matthew 28:19 KJV 1900

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Notice that Jesus doesn’t instruct his disciples to baptize new believers in the “names” of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, as if we were dealing with three different beings, but in the “name,” which is singular.

Perhaps the most wondrous place to see the Trinity in scripture is John 14-17.

John 14–17 KJV 1900

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye inquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

The climax is chapter 17, where we see the love that has characterized the Trinity for all time: Jesus prays in verse 24, “Father, I desire that they also [believers], whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

So, the Trinity is a biblical doctrine through and through.

It’s not something we could figure out on our own, and it has no analogy in nature.

All the silly illustrations you hear about the three phases of water, or the three parts of an egg, they all break down eventually.

The Trinity is beyond our ability to grasp fully, and yet it’s been revealed as clearly true.

And the fact that it has should be great comfort for us, which leads to one final question,

C. Why does the Trinity Matter?

Simply put, the Triune nature of God shouldn’t make us run away from God scratching our heads, but run to him as our loving Creator, Redeemer, and Life-Giver.

The Trinity helps us understand that God isn’t lonely.

He didn’t create the universe because he needed friendship.

The Father, Son and Spirit already enjoyed perfect fellowship.

Crucially, God didn’t need to make us in order to be a loving God.

A single-person God, like Allah in Islam, could never be eternally loving, for he would have no one else to love.

He would, strangely, need his creation in order to be loving.

God as Trinity, however, has always been a fountain of love, and it is only appropriate for the three persons of the Godhead to overflow in self-giving love toward us.

As the Trinity, he saves us from our own self-love.

That’s what we see in Eph 1:3-14,

Ephesians 1:3–14 KJV 1900

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

easily one of the most glorious passages of scripture: the Father predestines us to be adopted as sons, the Son sheds his blood to redeem us, and the Spirit seals our inheritance. So, we should praise and love our triune God.

ANY QUESTIONS?

The last two topics have been focused on God’s being or essence – let’s turn now to a few attributes that deal more with God’s knowledge.

3. God’s Omniscience – His Perfect Knowledge

Omniscient means “all knowing.” In 1John 3.20 we read that, “[God] knows everything,” the past, present, and future.

1 John 3:20 KJV 1900

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

But God not only knows what will happen, but what would happen if we were to have left for church an hour later and not come to core seminar.

He knows the actual and the possible.

Matthew 11.21 Jesus says, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” It’s one thing to know everything.

Matthew 11:21 KJV 1900

Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

But to know the actual and the possible outcomes of billions of people who make thousands of decisions each day - mind boggling.

God’s knowledge isn’t like ours.

It’s not obtained from experience or observation.

God knows our every thought before we think it.

He knows our every act before we do it.

God knows when you were born because He knit you together in your mother’s womb.

And he knows when you’re going to die because He has numbered your days.

This means nothing surprises him.

Surprises shake us to the core, but not God.

We don’t know our future, but God does, which should motivate us to prayerful trust.

Jesus says in Matt 6.31ff “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knowsthat you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Matthew 6:31ff KJV 1900

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

God answers prayer, but our prayers don’t provide God with new information.

God knows what we need, which means we don’t need to panic as if God is unaware.

Rather our prayers are the humble petitions of weak and needy people to the all wise, all powerful, all knowing God who delights to hear the needs of his children.

4. Truthfulness

God is true, and all of his knowledge and words are the final standard of truth.

This means not only that everything God tells us is accurate, but that he will be faithful to all his promises.

Thus Proverbs 30:5 reminds us, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

Proverbs 30:5 KJV 1900

Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

So my brothers and sisters, God is infinitely dependable.

Satan will lie to you whenever he can to get you to distrust God.

That’s been his way since the garden.

But God will never lie to you.

Hebrews 6:18, it is impossible for God to lie.

Hebrews 6:18 KJV 1900

That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

Politicians, employers, and family members make promises all the time, and then break those promises.

God never breaks a promise.

When he promises to never leave you nor forsake you, he never will! When he says, “I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14: 3-4 ), that’s exactly what he’s doing even now.

John 14:3–4 KJV 1900

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5. Wisdom

But God is also wise.

Wisdom is the practical use of knowledge.

It’s knowledge applied.

Thus God’s wisdom means that God always chooses the best goals, and the best means to those goals.

We’ll talk about this in coming weeks when we study God’s providence.

Scripture affirms this wisdom of God.

Job says that God’s wisdom is profound (Job 9:4)

Job 9:4 KJV 1900

He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: Who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

and that counsel and understanding are His (Job 12:13).

Job 12:13 KJV 1900

With him is wisdom and strength, He hath counsel and understanding.

We can see this wisdom shown in creation.

In Jeremiah 10:12-13 we read that,

Jeremiah 10:12–13 KJV 1900

He hath made the earth by his power, He hath established the world by his wisdom, And hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, And he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings with rain, And bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.

We also see God’s wisdom in the plan of redemption.

God’s wisdom and power are perfectly shown in the gospel where we see that

(1 Cor. 1:18).”

1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV 1900

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1-3 is all about the wisdom of God in the gospel.

1 Corinthians 1–3 KJV 1900

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

We thus are to reflect God in being wise.

Wisdom isn’t just something elders should have, or the super-spiritual should aspire to.

The whole book of Proverbs commends wisdom, for God is wise and calls us to the joy and delight that we can know when we walk according to his wisdom.

Any comments, questions?

Let’s now look at several attributes that speak to God’s character and moral standards.

6. Holiness

First, holiness.

Holiness refers to God’s “otherness,” or his majesty.

The fact that he’s not like us.

He’s transcendent.

It’s the amazing vision of Isaiah 6, where seraphim cover their faces and exclaim

Isaiah 6 KJV 1900

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; And see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, And make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, And the houses without man, And the land be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed men far away, And there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: As a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: So the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

Holiness also refers to God’s “purity.”

He’s ethically distinct from us, separate from sin

Which is why Isaiah will go on in that vision: “‘woe to me,’ I cried, ‘for I am a man of unclean lips.

’” God is wholly unlike us, totally clean and radiant, without spot or blemish, pure and blameless.

And yet, though God in his holiness is totally unapproachable, he is also irresistibly beautiful.

He is unstained by sin.

He is the fountain of light.

Jonathan Edwards said that holiness “is as it were the beauty and sweetness of the divine nature.”

God’s holiness is awe-inspiring, like standing before the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls.

It’s overwhelming, but you can’t look away!

And why is his holiness so beautiful?

Edwards brings us back to the Trinity – “The holiness of God consist[s] in his love, especially in the perfect and intimate union and love there is between the Father and the Son.”

That’s what’s so irresistible and distinct about God: his perfect love.

As he is holy, so we are to be holy.

Now the Pharisees saw holiness as what one doesn’tdo.

Sadly, that’s how a lot of people think about holiness.

But when we look at the burning bush from Exodus 3, what makes that ground holy is God’s presence.

Exodus 3 KJV 1900

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

It’s that he’s entered into a relationship with his people.

So holiness isn’t first defined by what we do or don’t do, but to whom we belong.

It’s not just being separate from something, but devoted to somebody (God).

Fundamentally, pursuing holiness – which we do because the Holy Spirit lives in us – is how we get to reveal every day that heaven is our hope.

That we live for better desires, because we have a better savior.

7. Justice/Righteousness

But God isn’t only holy, but just and righteous. In common English we think of justice as “public,” and righteousness as “private.”

But not so when it comes to God.

Justice and righteousness stem from similar root words in Greek.

They refer to strict adherence to a law or standard.

God always is right and he always acts according to what is good, right, and just.

God’s justice and righteousness are also our assurance that sins and wrongs will one day be dealt with. [Mention most prominent crimes and acts of terrorism recently…] But God is righteous.

He will judge. So we need not finally despair. Romans 12:19, “‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Romans 12:19 KJV 1900

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Of course, God’s justice applies to all without favoritism – including us.

He will deal with us according to our adherence or lack of conformity to his laws.

And that is why he sent Christ to be a sacrifice for sinners.

God’s Son himself received the sentence of justice that we deserved.

Romans 3.25: “God put [Christ Jesus] forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Romans 3:25 KJV 1900

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

8. Goodness/Love

Finally, God is a God of goodness and love.

He is perfectly good. He always does what is best, and is the source of all that is good.

In James 1.17 we read that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.”

James 1:17 KJV 1900

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

God’s goodness manifests itself in several ways.

He is benevolent and cares for his creation in his common grace, as we see in Psalm 147.

Psalm 147 KJV 1900

Praise ye the Lord: For it is good to sing praises unto our God; For it is pleasant; and praise is comely. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, And bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifteth up the meek: He casteth the wicked down to the ground. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; Sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Who covereth the heaven with clouds, Who prepareth rain for the earth, Who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. He giveth to the beast his food, And to the young ravens which cry. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, In those that hope in his mercy. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; Praise thy God, O Zion. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; He hath blessed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders, And filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: His word runneth very swiftly. He giveth snow like wool: He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels: Who can stand before his cold? He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: He causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, His statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: And as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.

God’s goodness is also demonstrated in his love and grace towards the undeserving.

It’s shown in his long-suffering; He is slow to anger (Exod. 34:6).

Exodus 34:6 KJV 1900

And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

By way of application, what does God’s goodness mean for us?

Think of all the ways that we doubt God’s goodness

. When we sin.

When we fear for the future.

When we fear men more than God.

When we worry.

God’s goodness invites us to cast our cares on him because he cares for us.

It reminds us that he will always do what is best. He is a good God.

When it comes to love, we have a difficult time thinking biblically.

Today people aren’t surprised when you tell them “God loves you.”

But they’re furious when you tell them God is a holy and righteous judge.

That’s because we’ve separated divine love from the other complementary truths about God.

Yes, he is loving, but he always loves in harmony with his righteousness.

When Scripture speaks to God’s love, it refers to it in at least four different ways.

This comes from Don Carson’s extremely helpful book, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God, which is short and easy to read.

1. First, there’s the unique intra-trinitarian love between the Father, Son and Spirit.

2. Second, God’s providential love over all he has made. Genesis 1, he made all of creation good. Matthew 6, he feeds even the sparrows.

Genesis 1 KJV 1900

Matthew 6 KJV 1900

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

3. Third is God’s salvific stance toward a fallen world. John 3:16 – He showed his love for the world by sending Christ, and he lovingly invites all to repent.

John 3:16 (KJV 1900)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

4. But fourth, scripture also highlights God’s particular, effective, selecting love toward his elect – in passages like Deuteronomy 7, Ephesians 1, 1 John 4:10, and many more.

Deuteronomy 7 (KJV 1900)

When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou;

And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.

For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle.

And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

And thou shalt consume all the people which the Lord thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.

If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?

Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the Lord thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;

The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the Lord thy God brought thee out: so shall the Lord thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.

Moreover the Lord thy God will send the hornet among them, until they that are left, and hide themselves from thee, be destroyed.

Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

But the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.

And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.

The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God.

Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.

Ephesians 1 (KJV 1900)

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

1 John 4:10 (KJV 1900)

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

So we don’t want to absolutize any one of these ways of talking about God’s love.

God’s love isn’t sentimental and warm feelings.

God’s love refers to how he tenderly seeks the good of his creatures.

And where can that good be found? Only in God himself.

In his love, he gives himself. In his love, he draws us away from ourselves and to himself. And as he makes us like himself, we find that we love him and love others, just as Jesus taught: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13.35

John 13:35 KJV 1900

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Conclusion

God’s attributes reveal his transcendence and immanence.

To a first century Jew transcendence was a given: meaning, God is holy, set apart, totally distinct from us.

Today, God is largely thought of as exclusively immanent: He is here, present, comforting us.

It’s casual.

God’s our buddy, our friend, someone we hang with.

These attributes help us understand that God is both immanent and transcendent.

He is immanent in Christ, in the indwelling and loving presence of the Holy Spirit.

But God is still God, there is no one like him, pure and righteous and powerful.

He invokes awe and wonder.

So we must respect God, and yet God invites us into relationship with him as well.

So before you leave, ask yourself this one question.

In light of all this, why would you be tempted to place your affections, your security, your well-being in anyone else than our glorious God?

Allow us to PRAY

[1] Systematic Theology (Zondervan, 1994), 226.

[2] Religious Affections, in Works, 2:201, 347.

[3]“Writings on the Trinity, Grace, and Faith,” in Works, 21:186.

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THEOLOGY ( Study of GOD) Robert Sargent .

The Existence and Attributes of God - Part 1

In the midst of life’s challenges, pain, and frustration - where do you go for comfort?

Christians are those who can and ought to without hesitation turn to God, not just because he exists, but because of what he is like.

I. Introduction

LLet us Note what marks God out from among all the other false gods is that he speaks.

He has graciously revealed himself through the written word - the Bible, and the word made flesh - Jesus Christ.

And this revelation is true (inerrant), trustworthy (infallible), sufficient and necessary.

It does not, it cannot lead us astray.

It is our final authority, the final arbiter in all matters of faith and practice - not the church, or reason, or our subjective impressions or experiences.

As we begin this third class, there are two questions that lie at the foundation of not only of religious knowledge, but also of every possible form of knowledge:

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1) Is there a God? (Related to this, how can we know?)

2) What is God like? (What are his attributes?)

These are the questions that we will begin to answer during our time together today.

II. God’s Existence

A. Biblical Presupposition

[Job 11:7; 26:14; 30:26; Is 40:18]

We begin this morning by thinking about the existence of God.

In response to our first question, “Is there a God?”

we must note at the outset that the Bible doesn’t spend time arguing for God’s existence.

It simply presumes that He does. It’s a biblical given, in the same way the pre-existence of matter is a given for the materialist.

The Bible treats God’s existence like gravity. We can deny it, ignore it, or pretend it doesn't exist, but to our own peril.

Every worldview begins somewhere.

As we know , the Christian worldview begins with these two premises

- He is There (existence) And He Is Not Silent (speaks).

But if someone were to ask you how you know God exists, what would you say?

If we are Christians, we can say that we believe God is “really there” because He has revealed himself:

1.) generally to all men by creation and providence;

2.) propositionally in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments;

3.) personally in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; and

4.) savingly through the work of His Word and Spirit. (repeat)

Scripture testifies to this:

(John 17:3, )

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(1 John 5:20, )

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So in the first chapter of Romans, Paul tells us that God has made the fact of his existence plain to all humanity (Rom 1.19-20 ) .

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In verse twenty, he says that (not veiled, not hidden, but clearly seen), Creation cries out that there is a creator.

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Who is it that sends the rain and sun?

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Who is it that blankets the earth in darkness, and then unleashes the morning sun?

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Who is it that separates the land from the sea?

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From the order of the seasons to the intricacies of a flower to the innumerable stars at night - we see God’s hand as the intelligent Creator.

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Who has seen BBC’s Planet Earth?

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It’s been a favorite in our home for years.

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In a visually arresting and stunning way, that production powerfully captures the grandeur, majesty, wonderful diversity and remarkable complexity of God’s creation.

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Yet the producers say nothing about God. Why?

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Because despite this revelation in creation, Paul goes on to say in Romans that man willfully suppresses the truth and exchanges it for a lie.

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And so fallen man worships the natural world instead of the one that made it.

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But there’s not just creation.

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There is also conscience.

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Because we are made in God’s image (Gen 1.26-27), something of his moral character remains in us.

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Though our consciences aren’t a perfect guide because they’ve been corrupted by the fall, our concerns for morality, justice, knowledge, truth - they too point us back to our creator.

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While creation and conscience ought to be reason alone to convince us that God exists, the fact that we suppress the truth in our fallen state has led Christians to formulate “theistic proofs” (arguments) for the existence of God.

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These “proofs” are simply attempts to demonstrate that it’s rational to believe in God’s existence.

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God’s not our imaginary friend, and thus relegated to the realm of myth and superstition.

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I mention these proofs because they often are included in systematic theology, but since they are also covered in the Apologetics core seminar, I will leave you with just a mention of them.

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These proofs don’t lead us to the sovereign, personal God of Scripture.

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They can help show how it’s not irrational to believe in God, but none of these proofs tell you much of what God is like.