Monothesim

Monotheism

Monotheism

A. Monotheism is central to our faith.

1. Taught very simply throughout the Word:

a.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”

b.

“See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.”

2. It is one of the most easily misunderstood doctrines.

B. Defined

1. Two Greek words:

a. Monos - single; one

b. Theos - God

2. Opposing views to monotheism:

a. Atheism – There is no God;

b. Agnosticism – There is a God, but His existence is unknown and is probably unknowable;

c. Pantheism - Equates God and nature;

d. Polytheism – Believes there is more than one God.

i. Ditheism – Belief in 2 Gods

ii. Tritheism – Belief in 3 Gods

3. Religious Monotheism

a. Out of all religions only three are Monotheists.

i. Judaism - Jews – Jehovah;

ii. Islam – Allah;

iii. Christianity.

4. Within Christianity there are divergent views.

a. Trinitarianism – There are basically two schools of thought within Trinitarianism.

i. One emphasizes the unity of God without having a true understanding of what is meant by three persons in the Godhead.

by three persons in the Godhead.

ii. Those who emphasize the threeness to the point of being tritheistic.

b. Binitarianism

i. De-emphasizes the Holy Ghost as a person and leaves two.

c. Strict Monotheist – there are also two schools of thought within strict Monotheism.

i. There are those that believe in one God and believe that the fullness of the Godhead rests in Christ.

ii. There are those who believe in one God but deny the deity of Christ.

aa. Dynamic Monarchianism in early church history denied the power of Christ.

bb. They relegated him to a position of a junior god or a subordinate god.

cc. Stated that Christ is not equal with God in essence or eternity.

iii. Some who believe Christ was a man who became divine after His baptism.

iv. This was rejected at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D.

325 A.D.

C. He alone is God.

1.

“O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth.”

2.

“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

a. Glorious in holiness; only monotheism gives holiness emphasis as beautiful to God instead of a series of disciplines to obtain salvation.

3.

“Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.”

a. It was spoken to the people.

4.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”

a. It was commanded to be spoken by the people.

5.

“O LORD, there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”

a. From Moses to David the law of one God never changed.

D. He is the One mediator, not a second person.

1.

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

2. The Devil believes the one God message.

a.

“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”

3. The promise given to Abraham cannot change because God is one and does not change.

a.

“Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.”

4. Moses was a mediator of the law; Christ was a mediator of redemption.

E.

“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?”

1. Know - It is fact.

2. Believe - It can be proven.

3. Understand - You can comprehend it.

4. Through the avenue of revelation.

a. Man has taken what Israel accepted and has forced God to a place where He must reveal His oneness.