WHAT IS GOD LIKE?
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WHAT IS GOD LIKE?
WHAT IS GOD LIKE?
GOD IS OUR POWERFUL, Genesis 1:1-3 , 27, Colossians 1:16, I Chronicles 29:11-13,
GOD IS OUR POWERFUL, Genesis 1:1-3 , 27, Colossians 1:16, I Chronicles 29:11-13,
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 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.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
11 Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
MAJESTIC, SOVEREIGN I Timothy 6:15-16, Isaiah 40:12-26, & Psalm 115:3.
CREATOR
GOD IS LOVING, I John 4:8, Psalm 36:5-7, Lamentations 3:21-23,
MAJESTIC, SOVEREIGN I Timothy 6:15-16, Isaiah 40:12-26, & Psalm 115:3.
CREATOR
GOD IS LOVING, I John 4:8, Psalm 36:5-7, Lamentations 3:21-23,
15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
And meted out heaven with the span,
And comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure,
And weighed the mountains in scales,
And the hills in a balance?
13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord,
Or being his counseller hath taught him?
14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him,
And taught him in the path of judgment,
And taught him knowledge,
And shewed to him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket,
And are counted as the small dust of the balance:
Behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,
Nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before him are as nothing;
And they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.
18 To whom then will ye liken God?
Or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
19 The workman melteth a graven image,
And the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold,
And casteth silver chains.
20 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.
21 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?
22 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:
23 That bringeth the princes to nothing;
He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.
24 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.
25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
26 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.
3 But our God is in the heavens:
He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;
And thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains;
Thy judgments are a great deep:
O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.
7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
COMPASSIONATE & PATIENT Deuteronomy 7:9-10, II Peter 3:9, & Genesis 6:3.
GOD IS PERFECTLY Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 45:6-7, Exodus 34:7, & Psalm 7:9-11.
COMPASSIONATE & PATIENT Deuteronomy 7:9-10, II Peter 3:9, & Genesis 6:3.
GOD IS PERFECTLY Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 45:6-7, Exodus 34:7, & Psalm 7:9-11.
9 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; 10 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.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect:
For all his ways are judgment:
A God of truth and without iniquity,
Just and right is he.
6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:
The sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:
Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee
With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
7 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.
9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just:
For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
10 My defence is of God,
Which saveth the upright in heart.
11 God judgeth the righteous,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
RIGHTEOUS & JUST
ABOVE ALL ELSE, Isaiah 6:1-3, Psalm 99:5, Habakkuk 1:13a, Psalm 5:5-6,
RIGHTEOUS & JUST
ABOVE ALL ELSE, Isaiah 6:1-3, Psalm 99:5, Habakkuk 1:13a, Psalm 5:5-6,
1 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. 2 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. 3 And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:
The whole earth is full of his glory.
5 Exalt ye the Lord our God,
And worship at his footstool;
For he is holy.
13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And canst not look on iniquity:
Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously,
And holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight:
Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing:
The Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
GOD IS HOLY & PURE Luke 5:4-9, & Isaiah 57:15.
BECAUSE HE IS HOLY, GOD Romans 1:18-20, Nahum 1:2-7, II Thessalonians 1:6-9,
GOD IS HOLY & PURE Luke 5:4-9, & Isaiah 57:15.
BECAUSE HE IS HOLY, GOD Romans 1:18-20, Nahum 1:2-7, II Thessalonians 1:6-9,
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
15 For thus saith the high and lofty One
That inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy;
I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 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:
2 God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth;
The Lord revengeth, and is furious;
The Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries,
And he reserveth wrath for his enemies.
3 The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power,
And will not at all acquit the wicked:
The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm,
And the clouds are the dust of his feet.
4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry,
And drieth up all the rivers:
Bashan languisheth, and Carmel,
And the flower of Lebanon languisheth.
5 The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt,
And the earth is burned at his presence,
Yea, the world, and all that dwell therein.
6 Who can stand before his indignation?
And who can abide in the fierceness of his anger?
His fury is poured out like fire,
And the rocks are thrown down by him.
7 The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble;
And he knoweth them that trust in him.
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
IS A GOD OF GREAT WRATH Hebrews 10:26-31, Isaiah 55:8-9, & Matthew 10:28.
INTRODUCTION "The foundation of all true knowledge of God must be a clear mental apprehension of His perfections as revealed in Holy Scripture. An unknown God can neither be trusted, served, nor worshipped...Something more than a theoretical knowledge of God is needed by us. God is only known in the soul as we yield ourselves to Him, submit to His authority, and regulate all the details of our lives by His holy precepts and commandments."1
IS A GOD OF GREAT WRATH Hebrews 10:26-31, Isaiah 55:8-9, & Matthew 10:28.
INTRODUCTION "The foundation of all true knowledge of God must be a clear mental apprehension of His perfections as revealed in Holy Scripture. An unknown God can neither be trusted, served, nor worshipped...Something more than a theoretical knowledge of God is needed by us. God is only known in the soul as we yield ourselves to Him, submit to His authority, and regulate all the details of our lives by His holy precepts and commandments."1
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: 29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are my ways higher than your ways,
And my thoughts than your thoughts.
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
The vast majority of people in the world today are virtually ignorant as to what the God of the Bible is like.
They have heard of God, but much of what they have heard is distorted, one-sided, or altogether inaccurate. Most today have created a "god" to their own liking who exists only in their own imaginations.
Men and women spend thousands of hours studying for college degrees so as to equip themselves for the world that exists around us. It seems very strange that so few will take time to try to know God better to prepare themselves for the world to come.
It is hazardous not to spend some time examining the God who is revealed to us in the Bible, for the Bible tells us that He is the judge of all the earth and has ultimate power over every man's eternal destiny.
The God of the Bible claims to be the one and only true God.
He is revealed to us as being Creator of all that is, powerful, majestic, sovereign over all creation, loving, compassionate, patient, perfectly righteous, just, holy, and a God who is full of wrath or anger against all unrighteousness.
These are only a few of the characteristics of the God of the Bible. We will examine each of the above characteristics of God in more detail in an effort to get to know Him better.
1. We shall begin at the beginning of the Bible in the book of Genesis.
Turn to Genesis 1:1-3 & 27. Who does verse 1 say created the world? How did God create light (vs. 3)? Who created man according to verse 27?
Colossians 1:16 gives us a view of the power and majesty of God in creation. What does it say God created? Was anything created that God did not create?
I Chronicles 29:11-13 lists some of the qualities or characteristics of God. List four words used in verse 11 to describe God. What does it say that God is ruler or head over (vs. 11)? What does verse 12 tell us about God? What does the knowledge of these things cause the writer to do in verse 13?
Paul, the writer of many books of the New Testament, describes God in I Timothy 6:15-16. God is called by three seperate and distinct titles by Paul in verse 15. What are these titles? What does it mean to be Lord of lords? How does Paul describe God in verse 16? Why do you think God lives in unapproachable light? What does this tell us about God and about ourselves?
Isaiah gives us a lengthy description of the greatness and majesty of God in Isaiah 40:12-26. What does verse 12 picture God as doing? What impression do you get of God from this verse? What are the answers to the questions asked about God in verses 13-14? How does the greatness of the nations of the earth compare to the greatness of God (vs. 15)? What does verse 23 say God does to the power of the rulers of the countries of the earth? What are the rulers of the earth compared to (vs. 24)? What is the answer to the question asked in verse 25?
Psalm 115:3 speaks of the sovereignty of God. What does this verse tell us about God? The sovereignty of God means that His will is supreme. He is the Creator of all and all creatures are accountable to Him. He is a law unto Himself, so that whatever He does is right. Psalm 135:5-6 says,"For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps." Since God made us, we are accountable to Him and responsible to obey His will and submit to His authority. God desires that we lovingly choose to submit to Him; however, most men and women despise and hate the idea of the sovereignty of God. Men will allow God to do most anything except be on His throne. Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, "When God ascends His throne, His creatures gnash their teeth. And we proclaim an enthroned God, and His right to do as He wills with His own, to dispose of His creatures as He thinks well, without consulting them in the matter; then it is that we are hissed and execrated, and then it is that men turn a deaf ear to us, for God on His throne is not the God they love." How does the knowledge of God's sovereignty cause you to respond to Him--favorably or unfavorably?
2. Love is a characteristic of God that most people are familiar with. But many today who talk about the love of God do not know the God who in His very essense, is love. A. W. Pink has said, "Divine love is commonly regarded as a species of amiable weakness, a sort of good natured indulgence."2 God's love as viewed by modern man allows man to do anything he pleases with no consequences. This is not what the Bible teaches or portrays about God and His love for men. Let's examine some verses which tell us about God's love, compassion, and patience.
We will begin with I John 4:8. What does this verse tell us about God? Does the verse imply that God only "has" love or more than that? Notice that before John tells us about God being love, John mentions the fact that God is light in I John 1:5. What do you think of when you hear the word "light"? Light often implies holiness, purity, and righteous.
Turn to Psalm 36:5-7. What qualities or characteristics of God are mentioned in verses 5 & 6? How great is God's love or lovingkindness (vs. 5)? Because God's lovingkindness is so great, what does the Psalmist say this allows men to do (vs. 7)?
Lamentations 3:21-23 tells us more about God. What qualities does Jeremiah mention that God has in verses 22-23?
The mistake that most people make in evaluating or attempting to understand God's love relates to how God responds to and deals with sin or unrighteousness in man. Deuteronomy 7:9-10 helps strike a proper balance between God's love and holiness. What does verse 9 say about God? What does verse 10 say about those who do not love God? How have those in verse 9 demonstrated that they love God?
Some people doubt that God would ever judge the earth because they see no evidence of judgment in the lives of the wicked today. This leads to the misconception that God is indulgent of sin or like an old man up in heaven, who is so full of love that He winks at or overlooks all sin. At least two fundamental errors have been made by such people: 1) They do not understand or realize that judgment follows death. Therefore, since they do not see evidence of divine judgment, they presume it does not exist and 2) They mistake the marvelous patience of God toward those in the world for indulgence. Peter talks about God's patience in II Peter 3:9. Why is God so patient with those in the world according to what Peter says in this verse?
Genesis 6:3 reveals to us another side of God's patience. It says,"Then the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not always strive with man forever.' " What do we learn about God's patience from this verse?
3. Not only is God a loving, compassionate, and patient God, He is also perfectly righteous and just. Deuteronomy 32:4 tells us more about God's character and what He is like. What does this verse tell us about God?
Psalm 45:6-7 tells us about God's righteousness. What does verse 6 say is the scepter (a staff borne by a king as an emblem of authority) of God's kingdom? Since God is declared to be righteous, what is His attitude said to be toward evil (vs. 7)? God hates all sin and His righteous character demands that He punish sin. Not just a few sins, but all sin. Proverbs 15:26 says, "Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord."
This balance between God's love and justice is seen clearly again in the same verse in Exodus 34:7. What does the first half of this verse tell us about God? What does the last half of this verse tell us God will do to the guilty (those who break any of His laws)?
Again, we see this balance in Psalm 7:9-11. What does the writer of verse 9 ask God to do to the evil and the righteous? Since God is righteous, what does this cause Him to do (vs. 9)? What is God's attitude said to be toward evil (vs. 11)?
4. Above all else, God is a holy God. What does this mean? Holiness is a quality that is totally unfamiliar to most modern men. Webster's Dictionary defines holy as "sacred, of unimpaired innocence or proved virtue, godly, worthy of adoration". Holiness implies purity, moral perfection, and absolute uprightness. In Isaiah 6:1-3 God's holiness is declared. What does Isaiah see in verse 1? Seraphim, created beings similar to angels, surround the throne of God. What do the seraphim call out to each other (vs. 3)? Why do you think the word "holy" is repeated three times? It is interesting to note that no other quality of God is ever repeated three times like this in all the rest of the Bible. God is never said to be "Love, love, love" or "Mighty, mighty, mighty". Holiness then, must be the supreme character trait of God. Above all else and any other quality, God is holy!
In Psalm 99:5 God is declared to be holy. What are we told to do because God is holy?
In the first half of Habakkuk 1:13 we learn more of God's holiness. What does it say about God's eyes and sin? How does God respond to wickedness?
Turn to Psalm 5:5-6. How does God feel toward those who sin and do what is wrong (vs. 5)? What does verse 6 say about God's attitude toward the deceitful person?
Because God is holy, He hates all sin. God loves everything which is in conformity or agreement with His laws, and hates everything which goes against or is contrary to His laws. God hates sin with an absolute hatred, therefore He must punish all sin. Even those things which men consider to be "little sins" are hated and despised by God. Every sin constitutes open rebellion against God's authority and therefore is an abomination to Him.
Let's look at the response one man made when he became aware to some extent of the holiness of God. Turn to Luke 5:4-9. What instructions does Jesus give to Simon (also called Peter) in verse 4? How does Simon Peter answer Jesus (vs. 5)? What happens (vs. 6)? What response does this cause in Simon Peter (vs. 8)? Why do you think Simon Peter responded in this way?
Finally, we will look at Isaiah 57:15. How is God described in the first part of this verse? What description is given of the person God is pleased to live with? Does this describe you?
5. The wrath of God is one characteristic of God which many people prefer to ignore or try to explain away. In actuality, there are more references in the Bible to God's anger, fury, and wrath than to His love and tenderness. We have seen in the last section that because God is holy, He hates all sin. A. W. Pink has written, "Indifference to sin is a moral blemish... How could He (God), who delights only in that which is pure and lovely, not loathe and hate that which is impure and vile?...The wrath of God is...the holiness of God stirred into activity against sin...God is angry at sin because it is a rebelling against His authority, a wrong done to His inviolable sovereignty. Insurrectionists against God's government shall be made to know God is the Lord."3
Turn to Romans 1:18-20. What are the reasons listed in verse 18 that the wrath of God comes upon men? What can any man learn about God by observing God's creation around him (vs. 20)? Does any man have any excuse after observing nature to deny that God is real (vs. 20)?
The Old Testament book of the prophet Nahum begins by describing God. Read Nahum 1:2-7. What characteristics of God are mentioned in verse 2? What does Nahum say that God will do to His enemies (vs. 2)? What will God do to the guilty (vs. 3)? How is God's wrath described (vs. 6)? Still, Nahum reminds his hearers of God's goodness in verse 7. To whom will God be a refuge or stronghold (vs. 7)?
II Thessalonians 1:6-9 speaks more about the wrath of God. How will the Lord Jesus be revealed from heaven (vs. 7)? Who are the objects of God's wrath (vs. 8)? What will their punishment be (vs. 9)? What character trait of God is spoken of in verse 6 to describe God's response in repaying evil men with trouble or affliction?
The passage in Hebrews 10:26-31 is addressed to people who have heard the truth about God, refused to believe it, and continued on in their selfish lifestyles. They are described in verse 26 as those "who go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth." What does the writer say in verse 29 about the person who knowingly rejects Jesus Christ? What warnings are given to the one who has rejected Jesus in verses 30-31?
Isaiah 55:8-9 will help us to understand God better. In these verses God is speaking. What are we like in comparison to God (vs. 8-9)? God views sin and righteousness very differently than we do. For one sin God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden. For one sin God cursed the descendants of Ham. For one sin Moses was not allowed to enter the promised land. For one sin Lot's wife became a pillar of salt, Gehazi was turned into a leper, and Ananias and Shappira were stricken with death.4
In Matthew 10:28 Jesus gives us counsel and a warning. Whom does Jesus tell us not to fear? Whom does Jesus tell us to fear? Why?
In examining the character of God we have seen that God is much different than we are. We have seen that God is our Creator, therefore, we are accountable to Him and responsible to obey Him. We have seen that God is both a loving and compassionate God, but that His love must be balanced with His absolutely holy character. Holiness is a quality that is difficult for us to understand, because we are not holy. Because God is holy, He hates all sin and must punish it. Since God hates sin so much, it is very important that we understand what sin is. Please continue on to the next study entitled "The Nature of Sin".
1 A. W. Pink, The Attributes of God, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1975), p. 8.
2 A. W. Pink, The Attributes of God, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1975), p. 77.
3 A. W. Pink, The Attributes of God, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1975), p. 83.
4 Ibid, pp. 43-44. (Summary)