Concrete - What We Believe and Why (2)

The Doctrine of God the Father (Theology)

Everyone believes something about God, so therefore everyone has some sort of Theology.

Theology is the study or doctrine of God the Father. He is the First Person of the Trinity, the Creator, The God of the Universe, the God of Israel, the God of the Bible

Someone once said “the most important thoughts you ever think are the thoughts you think about God”. The reason we study Theology and the reason it is important to know Theology is because what you think and believe about God shapes how you think about everything else.

There are so many wrong thoughts and beliefs about God in our world today - from wrong ideas about Who God is to the straight up rejection of the existence of God - but God never seeks to prove His own existence in Scripture, He simply declares it to be so. “In the beginning God...”

In all honesty, God is so big and infinite that there is no way that our human minds could ever fully comprehend Him. That is why it will take all of eternity to truly appreciate His glory. If we could fully understand God, He wouldnt be God! But while we cant know everything about Him, we can certainly know more...

I. How Can God Be Known?

Intuitively

Creation - Psalm 19:1-5

Creation speaks a universal language. Everyone can see the beauty of creation and know that there is a Creator. Almost every culture in the world has some variation of a creation account by some god or great being.

Conscience - Romans 1:18–21.

People are without excuse because our conscience testifies that there is a God.

How did your conscience get there? Someone had to put it there

The Work of the Holy Spirit - John 16:7-11.

“reprove” means to convince through presenting evidence

Creation and Conscience are enough to tell us there IS a God, but not enough to tell us Who He is or how we can know Him

Intellectually

Cosmological Argument - Nature and the World around us speaks of a designer

fibonacci sequence in nature

such beauty cannot come from chaos

Teleological Argument - Design and Order speaks of a Creator

Seasons, sunrise and sunset, etc.

Watch and the watchmaker

Ontological Argument - Logic and Reason speaks of a Creator

The ability to use logic and reason come from God

Intimately - knowing God personally

Through faith in His Son - John 14:6-11.

You will know God as much as you want to

Through the Scriptures - John 5:39.

Through the Spirit - 1 Corinthians 2:9-10.

Through the Stillness and Silence - Psalm 46:10.

Through Submission to His Will - John 7:17.

Through Suffering - Job 42:1-5.

II. Scriptural Proof of the Trinity

“God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are co-equal, co-existent, and eternally-existent” – Clarence Sexton

The Scriptures directly declare that the Father is God (John 6:27), Jesus Christ the Son is God (John 20:28), and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:1-4)

Triple Expressions that are repeated (Revelation 4; Isaiah 6; Matthew 28:19)

Apostolic Benedictions (2 Corinthians 13:14)

Plurality of the Name of God

The Hebrew word for God is “Elohim” which has a stem that makes it a plural noun. In Hebrew, plural actually means 3 or more (there is a different stem that is used when speaking of 2)

Although His name is Plural, He acts individually because He is One God

Genesis 1:26-27.

The Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:13-17)

1 John 5:7.

III. The Names of God

His many names give us insight into Who He Is!

The Official Name of God - Elohim (God)

it means “The Strong One; The One Who puts forth power”

The Personal Name of God - Jehovah (LORD/GOD)

Exodus 6:1-6 (first mention of this name)

speaks about the covenant God of Israel Who is their Redeemer

The Name of Master and Owner - Adonai (Lord)

speaks of God as our Master and Lord

Eloistic Combination Names

El Elyon (Genesis 14:8) - The Most High God

El Shaddai (Genesis 17:1) - The Almighty God

El Olam (Psalm 90:2) - The Everlasting God

Jehovistic Combination Names

Jehovah-Jireh (Genesis 22:14) - The Lord will Provide

Jehovah-Shalom (Judges 6:24) - The Lord Our Peace

Jehovah-Sabaoth (Joshua 5:14) - The Lord of Hosts

Jehovah-Tsidkenu (Jeremiah 23:6) - The Lord Our Righteousness

Numerous “Metaphorical” Names for God

Almighty, Father, Rock, Banner, Etc

IV. The Attributes of God

An attribute is something God has revealed as being true about Himself

God is not more of one attribute than another, He possesses all of His attributes in perfection and in harmony with one another

He is Self-Existent (John 5:18-19, 26)

He depends upon no one and nothing

He is the source of all life

He is Self-Sufficient (John 8:56-58)

He can sustain Himself

God doesnt need us

He is Immutable (James 1:17)

He is unchanging

Hebrews 13:8 - notice there is no verb in the sentence

God is Eternal (Psalm 90:2)

He is from everlasting to everlasting

God is not inside of Time, Time is inside of God

God exists in an eternal present

God is immense (Isaiah 40:12)(Colossians 1:16)

God is not in space, all of existence is in God

God is Omnipotent (Revelation 19:6)(Matthew 19:26)(Mark 2:3-11)(Genesis 18:14)(Jeremiah 32:17)

He is all powerful, He can do anything

His omnipotence is always under the control of His wise and holy will

God would not create a “rock He cannot move” because that would not be within His will to do so

God is Omniscient (Psalm 139:1-2)(1 John 3:19-20)

He is all knowing. There is nothing that God does not know

“God knows of all things without having to learn of those things through experience”

God is Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-12)

He is present everywhere all at the same time

He is everywhere without multiplication and without division

God is Holy (1 Peter 1:16)(1 John 1:5)

Holy means “to be set apart”

God’s holiness qualifies all of His other attributes

He is Just and Righteous (Deuteronomy 32:4; Romans 3:25-26)

His righteousness requires justice

Everything God does is right, and everything God does is Just. He is the perfect Judge

God is Good and Merciful (Psalm 23:6)(Psalm 136)

Mercy is keeping us from something we deserve, which in this case is the judgment and condemnation for our sin

God is good all the time and all the time God is good

God is Faithful (1 Corinthians 10:13)

We are not always faithful to Him, but He is always faithful to us. He is faithful when we dont deserve it

God is Love (Romans 5:8)

Everything that has ever come into your life spell out “God is Love”

Everything God does stems from His love, whether directly or indirectly

Conclusion