Untitled Sermon (55)

3. God is Infinite

Thirdly, the Bible also teaches God is infinite.

This means that there is no limitation to God’s perfections.

His infinity is expressed in a number of ways, such as in space, in power, and in time.

First, God is infinite in space or omnipresent.

This means that God transcends spatial limitations, is without size, and is present at every point of space with his whole being.

When people refer to God as being “a big God”, they are referring to his greatness rather than a quantitative measurement.

Psalm 139 conveys this clearly when it says,

​Psalm 139 KJV 1900To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. 1 O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; Even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to thee. 13 For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee. 19 Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: Depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. 20 For they speak against thee wickedly, And thine enemies take thy name in vain. 21 Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

A corollary to this is that God is spirit (Jn 4.24). He’s incorporeal. He’s not made of matter, he has no parts or dimensions.

​John 4:24 KJV 190024 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Though God is wholly present throughout all things, he is yet distinct from all things.

Pantheism asserts that God minus the world = 0.

They are perfectly identified.

The Bible asserts that God minus the world = God.

He is distinct from all he is created.

So for God to move into my house doesn’t mean I have to move out.

We think of presence in terms of physicality, not so with God.

So when we read that the Spirit is “indwelling” or “abiding” in a Christian, or we read that God is “in heaven,” it’s not referring so much to location as to relationship.

The Spirit indwells in that he’s is present with us in a saving way.

We can “enter into his presence” not that we’ve spatially become closer to God, but that we access through Christ to a new relationship with God where we can bring everything before the throne of his grace.

So hell is not the absence of God, but the absence of God in a saving way.

Hell is the presence of God in the fullness of his wrath.

Practically speaking, God’s omnipresence means we can always be certain of God’s undivided attention.

We don’t need to stand in line, or make an appointment, or take a religious pilgrimage.

We are in his presence! But it’s also a warning. We have no place to hide.

There is no corner of the universe where God is not.

He sees it all.

Jean Paul Sartre calls God the “cosmic voyeur” because he hates this idea that God is everywhere.

It means we’re accountable.

Hide and seek is not a game we can play with God in our sins.

We shouldn’t deceive ourselves.

So if you’re trying to hide, just come out and confess it.

You’re not fooling God. So be reconciled to him.

2. But God’s not just omnipresent, he’s also infinite in power, or omnipotent.

God is able to do all that He decides to do.

Jesus tells us in Matt 19:26 that “with God all things are possible.”

​Matthew 19:26 KJV 190026 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Jeremiah in Jer 32.17 declares that there is nothing too hard for the Sovereign Lord. Did you hear that?

​Jeremiah 32:17 KJV 190017 Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

Nothing is too hard for God.

So does this mean that God can do everything?

Classic freshman year of college question, “can God make a rock so big that he cannot move it?”

You’re trapped.

But that question presents a false dilemma based off a false assumption, that God can do anything.

It’s better to say “God can do everything” by saying that “God can do everything that He wills to do and is consistent with his character.”

For example, according to Hebrews, God cannot lie (Heb. 6:18). In II Timothy 2:13, we find that God cannot disown Himself.

​Hebrews 6:18 KJV 190018 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

​2 Timothy 2:13 KJV 190013 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

God cannot cease to be God or act in a way inconsistent with any of his other attributes.

This too is great encouragement.

A god who can feel but not help is of little use. It’s a comfort in our persecution.

Ps 27.1) It’s a comfort in our prayers.

​Psalm 27:1 KJV 19001 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

(Eph 3.20) It gives us confidence in the future.

​Ephesians 3:20 KJV 190020 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

(Jude 24-25) So if God does not answer our prayers, or respond a particular way, we trust his wisdom, which we’ll think about next week.

​Jude 24–25 KJV 190024 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

3. But God is also infinite in time - eternal. Psalm 90:2 reads,

​Psalm 90:2 KJV 19002 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

This doesn’t mean God is everywhere in time, but that he transcends the very limitations of time.

He has no beginning or end.

Some have likened time to a long parade.

We’re in the parade, marching alone, experiencing only one section of it.

Whereas God stands on top of a mountain, sees it all at once. It’s not passing him by, so to speak.

Practically, this means God will always be there for us. He won’t be that friend who ever moves away, or worse yet, dies on us.

He always was and will be, and thus he always is there for us.

We can make all our plans around him, trust him, know he’ll be there, for he’s eternal.

Heading 2

Brothers and sisters, God’s not like us. He’s majestic, glorious. Perfectly self-sufficient, with perfect plans, perfect power, covering everything, all the time. Before you leave, ask yourself this one question. In light of all this, why would you be tempted to place your affections, your security, your well-being in anybody else?

PRAYER

- Romans 11:33-36

​Romans 11:33–36 KJV 190033 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.