Theology Proper
Notes
Transcript
ILLUST: Who are you? - How do you describe you?
Start with your name, maybe what it means; then what defines you?
Write down 2-3 words to describe you
We studied man, we today study God - Yahweh
The Nature of God/Yahweh
The Nature of God/Yahweh
The nature of man - the “bad” news
READ Ephesians 2:1-9
“But God…”
Essence - Holiness
Essence - Holiness
because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Set apart = holy
Characteristics/”Attributes”
Metaphysical - “Omnis” - the supernatural, Greatness
Omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient
Moral - Goodness
Holiness - the foundation for all of Yahweh’s characteristics
SIDE NOTE - look at verse 13
Spirit
Spirit
“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
One God
One God
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!
Tne Trinity - three Persons, one God
Sovereign
Sovereign
But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.
Sovereign, and free to create us free,
Immutable
Immutable
“For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
These certainly describe Yahweh
There are other “attributes” or characteristics, for sure
What He’s Done
The holy, sovereign, unchanging God
Two main actions of Yahweh, rehearsed by prophets, psalmists, NT apostles
Creation (and Paul starts Mars hill with this) - Power, Creator
Exodus (and Stephen defends Yahweh through the ages) - Redeemer, Deliverer
God’s people always remembered what He had done
Creation - very good
Crowned by humans, in God’s image, potential to disobey
And they do…
And Yahweh promises a Redeemer, Gen 3:15
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
WHY?
We discussed that God is free, created free will humans, so that worship would be genuine, by choice
They sinned - SO WHY REDEEM THEM?
I’ve described Yahweh, some main points - His Word guiding us
But Who is Yahweh?
Why redeem us, sinners?
(Insert tetragrammaton here)
Yodh He Waw He
Yodh He Waw He
(4 consonants)
“Yahweh”
Who Yahweh says He is
This description first shows up in Exodus, with Moses
I AM - YHWH - Ex 3:14
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”
Who Yahweh says He is
Moses wants to know, and the people will understand
So…Me…Again, asking, fine, WHY redeem mankind?
In Exodus 34 - After the exodus from Egypt
10 commandments given, broken after rebellion, golden calf
Yahweh - ready to wipe them out, start over with Moses
“Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.”
And then decides to once again, redeem them - WHY?
Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;
Yahweh defines Who He is - this is Who He is, and it governs what He has done, what He does, and what He will yet do.
Compassionate - sympathetic
Gracious - kind
Slow to anger -
Merciful - hint of loyalty here
Truth - proving to be firm, trustworthy
And REM - His holiness governs all of this - He is distinct
There is more of Who He says He is...
who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”
He forgives, YET….
Those refusing His mercy, love, grace, mercy - guilty
The bad news - we are sinners
The great news - Yahweh saves, redeems
At least 27 times in Scripture - this passage is quoted
When people wanted to remind people of Yahweh, this is where they went
Yahweh keeps His promises
What this means for you and me
Jesus - fully man, understood sin, temptation, disobedience, though He never sinned
Jesus - fully God, understood compassion, grace, mercy, anger, truth
SEVEN times in Gospel of John alone
I am the:
bread of life
light of the world
the door
Good Shepherd
Resurrection and life
The Way, the truth, the life
true vine
Then…also, just I AM
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
AND…
They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
The same I AM Who defined Himself to Moses, defines Himself to you and me
Merciful Redeemer - freeing those who will trust in Him
Just Judge - exacting justice upon those who will not
Leaving mankind with the choice - NOW
Leaving believers with HOPE, rooted in FAITH
They remembered YHWH for what He had done
Delivered, when undeserving
Miraculous deliverance
We remember Jesus for what he’s done
Redeemed, forgiven, when undeserving
Miraculous deliverance
I hope you feel small, tiny, when faced with the understanding of Who Yahweh is
CREATOR
The One God, sovereign, unchanging Yahweh
The I AM
Greatness - all-powerful, all-knowing all-present Yahweh - all His greatness
…allows Him to overcome your disobedience - death and separation defeated
…because…
He is GOOD -
Compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, merciful - all His goodness
To save those He created in His image
OPENING ILLUST - So, how did you describe yourself?
I praise God for His description of Him - praise Him for Who He is!
Believers - saved God-imagers
Reflect His goodness
So….others can know His greatness, and experience that goodness
