Theology Proper: Doctrine of God
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 252 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
The Existence of God
The Bible does not attempt to prove the existence of God; it simply declares it. His existence is a settled fact.
Our Belief in the existence of God is absolutely foundational not only to the understanding of the bible but to life itself.
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Nothing can be received or known of God unless one believes in His existence Faith is the only connecting line between creator and the creature.
God as a Spirit being is invisible to the human eye, but it is through faith in Him that His existence is substantiated to us.
The Nature of God
The Christian Believes that unless God takes the initiative and revels Himself to man man will stumbling on in darkness in his insufficient reason.
Mans wisdom is foolish when it comes to knowing God.
God is Spirit
God is a Spirit being, He is immateral and incorporeal.
in•cor•po•re•al \ˌin-(ˌ)kȯr-ˈpȯr-ē-əl\ adjective
[Middle English incorporealle, from Anglo-French incorporel, from Latin incorporeus, from in- + corporeus corporeal] 15th century
1: not corporeal: having no material body or form
A spirit does not have flesh and bones that's why He is spoken as the invisible God.
Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
God is Light
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
God is Love
By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
1 John
God is a Consuming Fire
for our God is a consuming fire.
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
gen
The Attributes of God
Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.
Essential Attributes
Essential Attributes are those attributes or qualities which essentially belong to God, apart from any relationship with His creatures. They are characteristics of God that make Him who he is. these essential attributes can never become attributes of man, because man would then become God.
Also known as Non-moral or incommunicable attributes of God
b: incapable of being communicated or imparted
God is Eternal
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”
3
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba and called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
“O my God,” I say, “take me not away
in the midst of my days—
you whose years endure
throughout all generations!”
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
“I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
The eternal God is your dwelling place,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
And he thrust out the enemy before you
and said, ‘Destroy.’
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”
To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Homework #1 : Memorize One Scripture Reference that Speaks to God’s Eternal Nature
God is Self Existing
Aseity: A term derived from the Latin a se, “from oneself.” Aseity, as a divine attribute, refers to God’s self-existence. In other words, God is not dependent upon anything else for existence but has eternally existed without any external or prior cause.
A term derived from the Latin a se, “from oneself.” Aseity, as a divine attribute, refers to God’s self-existence. In other words, God is not dependent upon anything else for existence but has eternally existed without any external or prior cause.
Of the attributes involved in Infinity, we mention:
By self-existence we mean
(a) That God is “causa sui,” having the ground of his existence in himself. Every being must have the ground of its existence either in or out of itself. We have the ground of our existence outside of us. God is not thus dependent. He is a se; hence we speak of the aseity of God.
God’s self-existence is implied in the name “Jehovah” () and in the declaration “I AM THAT I AM” (), both of which signify that it is God’s nature to be. Self-existence is certainly incomprehensible to us, yet a self-existent person is no greater mystery than a self-existent thing, such as Herbert Spencer supposes the universe to be; indeed it is not so great a mystery, for it is easier to derive matter from mind than to derive mind from matter. See Porter, Human Intellect, 661. Joh. Angelus Silesius “Gott is das was Er ist; Ich was Ich durch Ihn bin; Doch kennst du Einen wohl, So kennst du mach and Ihn.” Martineau, Types, 1:302—“A cause may be eternal, but nothing that is caused can be so.” He protests against the phrase “causa sui.” So Shedd, Dogm. Theol., 1:338, objects to the phrase “God is his own cause,” because God is the uncaused Being. But when we speak of God as “causa sui,” we do not attribute to him beginning of existence. The phrase means rather that the ground of his existence is not outside of himself, but that he himself is the living spring of all energy and of all being.
Strong, A. H. (1907). Systematic theology (pp. 256–257). Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society.
Grenz, S., Guretzki, D., & Nordling, C. F. (1999). In Pocket dictionary of theological terms (p. 16). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
All the nations are as nothing before him,
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
Is 40:
To whom then will you liken God,
or what likeness compare with him?
An idol! A craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and casts for it silver chains.
He who is too impoverished for an offering
chooses wood that will not rot;
he seeks out a skillful craftsman
to set up an idol that will not move.
Is 40:
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
God is the uncreated Creator
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
g
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
He was in the beginning with God.
jn 1
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—
yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
Homework #2 : Memorize One Scripture Reference that Speaks to God’s Self -Existent Nature
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
God is Immutable
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.
so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,
rom
fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Homework #3 : Memorize One Scripture Reference that Speaks to God’s Immutable Nature
God is Omnipotent
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,
And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
“I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
22
For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Homework #4 : Memorize One Scripture Reference that Speaks to God’s Omnipotent Nature
God is Omniscient
The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good.
“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away?
prov
Jer 23
“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away?
Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.
jer 23
I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’
1 cor
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
Foreknowledge
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
Foreseeing
gal
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”
Foretelling
But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.
For Ordained
For Ordained
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
acts
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you
1 cor 1
But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.
and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.”
Homework #5 : Memorize One Scripture Reference that Speaks to God’s Omniscient Nature
God is Omnipresent
acts
that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
for
“ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
But lest this should be be misconstrued, we add
which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Homework #6 : Memorize One Scripture Reference that Speaks to God’s Omnipresent Nature
God’s Moral Attributes
Perfect Holiness
“Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
Perfect Righteousness
“The Rock, his work is perfect,
for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he.
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Perfect Love
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
He is the God of Love
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
God is Love
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
1 john
God loves His people
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
The Goodness of God
The Lord is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
matt
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
ps 145
Who provides for the raven its prey,
when its young ones cry to God for help,
and wander about for lack of food?
Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
job 38 41
ps 36
The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?
Homework #7 : Memorize One Scripture Reference that Speaks to the “Goodness” of God
The Grace of God
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
Homework #8 : Define the Grace of God
To Timothy, my beloved child:
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 tim 1
The Mercy of God
Homework #9 : Define the Mercy of God
The Compassion of God
Homework #10 : Define the Compassion of God
The Kindness of God
But lest this should be be misconstrued, we add
(b) That God exists by the necessity of his own being. It is his nature to be. Hence the existence of God is not a contingent but a necessary existence. It is grounded, not in his volitions, but in his nature.
Julius Müller, Doctrine of Sin, 2:126, 130, 170, seems to hold that God is primarily will, so that the essence of God is his act: “God’s essence does not precede his freedom”; “if the essence of God were for him something given, something already present, the question ‘from whence it was given?’ could not be evaded; God’s essence must in this case have its origin in something apart from him, and thus the true conception of God would be entirely swept away.” But this implies that truth, reason, love, holiness, equally with God’s essence, are all products of will. If God’s essence, moreover, were his act, it would be in the power of God to annihilate himself. Act presupposes essence; else there is no God to act. The will by which God exists, and in virtue of which he is causa sui, is therefore not will in the sense of volition, but will in the sense of the whole movement of his active being. With Müller’s view Thomasius and Delitzsch are agreed. For refutation of it, see Philippi, Glaubenslehre, 2:63.
God’s essence is not his act, not only because this would imply that he could destroy himself, but also because before willing there must be being. Those who hold God’s essence to be simple activity are impelled to this view by the fear of postulating some dead thing in God which precedes all exercise of faculty. So Miller, Evolution of Love, 43—“Perfect action, conscious and volitional, is the highest generalization, the ultimate unit, the unconditioned nature, of infinite Being”; i. e., God’s nature is subjective action, while external nature is his objective action. A better statement, however, is that of Bowne, Philos. of Theism, 170—“While there is a necessity in the soul, it becomes controlling only through freedom; and we may say that everyone must constitute himself a rational soul.… This is absolutely true of God.”
