GOD :
The study of God proper is called Theology. It is the loftiest meditation Man is capable of and, as far as we know, we are the only creatures on earth capable of it. Questions regarding the existence of God is primal in every culture, and tenets concerning God’s nature and plans are foundational to almost every religion. A proper understanding of God is essential in order to live a life in harmony with one another, with nature and most importantly, with nature’s God. Some believe that the many representations of God in the various religions describe the same supernatural Being. However, a study of these ‘representations’ and the teachings that accompany them reveal major differences, and even contradictions, that belie this belief. With all due respect to the many adherents and their religions, our study will concern the ‘one true God’ as revealed in His Word. We begin with the basic question:
Is there a God?
If God exists, and He does, then how can we be sure? Why doesn’t He just reveal Himself so that everyone may see and believe? Seems reasonable, doesn’t it? But there’s a major problem with this suggestion:
“But (God) said, "You cannot see My face,
for no man can see Me and live!"
Exodus 33:20
If God showed Himself to us, there would be no one left alive! Instead, He has
revealed Himself through less deadly means. The simplest way to know God exists is
to simply look up on a dark clear night. God has revealed Himself through His
creation. This is how King David expressed it.
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”
Psalm 19:1
Since King David’s time, we have devised instruments that have allowed us to see far
into the depths of the universe, viewing the details of giant nebulaes and countless
galaxies, each made up of billions of stars.
We have also been able to examine the minute details of living organisms,
discovered the mechanisms of life and reproduction, and spelled out the human
genome (genetic code).
How do these show the existence of a Supreme Creator?
Why doesn’t everyone who looks at the universe around them believe in the
existence of God?
Note what Scripture says:
“You have seen many things, but you do not observe them;
Your ears are open, but none hears.”
Isaiah 42:20
NB: The revelation of God through His creation is sufficient, according to God’s Word, to condemn everyone
who chooses not believe in His existence. Read Romans 1:20.
But in the end, there is really only one way to affirm the existence of God.
“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God,
so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
And without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for he who comes to God must believe that He is ...”
Hebrews 11:3, 6a
Why is faith the primary way to discern God’s existence and creation?
Who is God?
God’s identity is presented in the very first verse of the Bible.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1
Everything, from the farthest celestial object, to every living creature, to the
smallest atomic particle, was created by God. The Bible does not argue for but
simply states that God is the Creator of the Universe.
But He is not, as some believe, an inanimate force, like that of the Star Wars
movies, which ‘binds all living things together’ nor the energy that caused the “Big
Bang’ that catapulted the galaxies into space. On the contrary, He is ...
The Living God
“Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying,
"What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away
the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine,
that he should taunt the armies of the living God?"
1 Samuel 17:26
How would David’s view of God as the ‘Living God’ embolden him in his confrontation
with the giant Goliath?
A Personal Being
The testimony of Scripture is that God is not only a Living God but a Personal
Being. He reveals Himself to us as the Living God having intellect, emotions and will.
(Jesus said) "Father, glorify Your name."
Then a voice came out of heaven:
"I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."
John 12:28
How does John 12:28 demonstrate the Personhood of God?
The Eternal God
The question regarding God’s origin is answered in Scripture:
“Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”
Psalm 90:2
What is significant about how Psalm 90:2 describes God?
The Only God
Contrary to what many religions teach, there is only one God.
"Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,”
Isaiah 46:9
How does Isaiah 46:9 apply to religions and cults that teach there are many gods or
that we can become gods ourselves?
Many teach that the various religions are merely different paths up a single
mountain. How does Isaiah 46:9 dispel this theory?
The Sovereign God
Scripture presents God as the King of all creation; the supreme monarch. As such,
He possesses all authority to do His will according to His pleasure and purpose:
“Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times
things which have not been done, Saying,
'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';”
Isaiah 46:10
What does the first part of this passage reveal about what God knows?
What does the second part of this passage reveal about God’s sovereignty?
What relevance does the first part have with the second?
The Triune God
As previously mentioned, there is only one God. The great confession of Judaism,
the Shema, declares the unity of God.
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”
Deuteronomy 6:4
But Scripture also reveals that the One True God reveals Himself in three distinct
Persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:16-17 reveals all three Persons of the Godhead in one instance.
”After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water;
and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
and behold, a voice out of the heavens said,
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."
Matthew 3:16-17
Consider how these Scriptures equate the three Persons:
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.’
2 Corinthians 13:14
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,”
Matthew 28:19
NB: It can be shown in Scripture that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are both Deity and distinct Persons. If therefore each of these Persons in Scripture are distinct, and each can be shown to be God, how then can there be only one God? The answer? No one really knows. It is a truth of Scripture that must be accepted for the moment by faith, until we enter God’s very presence and the reality be made plain.
Why would the One God manifest Himself through the three distinct Persons?
Where does God dwell?
Consider how the psalmist answers this question.
“Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.”
Psalm 139:7-10
Scripture also teaches that God dwells in a specific place called ‘heaven’.
“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven,
and One sitting on the throne.”
Revelation 4:2
“In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne,
lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face,
and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
And one called out to another and said,
"Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."
Isaiah 6:1-3
How can we know God?
It is incredible to think that the God of the Universe created us to have fellowship
with Him. And to that end, He has provided ways for us to know Him. We have
already looked at creation as a way of coming to know about God. But here are two
other ways He has provided.
Through His written Word:
"(Jesus said) You search the Scriptures because you think that in them
you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;”
John 5:39
Through His Son
“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions
and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,
whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature,
and upholds all things by the word of His power.
When He had made purification of sins,
He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”
Hebrews 1:1-3
In light of what Hebrews teaches, what makes Christ the best way to know God?
How do the descriptions of Christ in this passage confirm Him as Deity?
What does it mean that Christ ‘upholds all things by the word of His power’?
Walking in the Truth
In light of what you have learned, list things that are True of God:
In light of what is True of God, list what you will do.
“Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written,
'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND
SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
Matthew 4:10
“For since the creation of the world (God’s) invisible
attributes, His eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly seen,
being understood through what has been made,
so that they are without excuse.
“Professing to be wise, they became fools,
“For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie,
and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,
who is blessed forever. Amen.”
Romans 1:20, 22, 25
(Extract from 'The Discipleship Ministry' by BibleStudyCD.com)
The study of God proper is called Theology. It is the loftiest meditation Man is capable of and, as far as we know, we are the only creatures on earth capable of it. Questions regarding the existence of God is primal in every culture, and tenets concerning God’s nature and plans are foundational to almost every religion. A proper understanding of God is essential in order to live a life in harmony with one another, with nature and most importantly, with nature’s God. Some believe that the many representations of God in the various religions describe the same supernatural Being. However, a study of these ‘representations’ and the teachings that accompany them reveal major differences, and even contradictions, that belie this belief. With all due respect to the many adherents and their religions, our study will concern the ‘one true God’ as revealed in His Word. We begin with the basic question:
Is there a God?
If God exists, and He does, then how can we be sure? Why doesn’t He just reveal Himself so that everyone may see and believe? Seems reasonable, doesn’t it? But there’s a major problem with this suggestion:
“But (God) said, "You cannot see My face,
for no man can see Me and live!"
Exodus 33:20
If God showed Himself to us, there would be no one left alive! Instead, He has
revealed Himself through less deadly means. The simplest way to know God exists is
to simply look up on a dark clear night. God has revealed Himself through His
creation. This is how King David expressed it.
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”
Psalm 19:1
Since King David’s time, we have devised instruments that have allowed us to see far
into the depths of the universe, viewing the details of giant nebulaes and countless
galaxies, each made up of billions of stars.
We have also been able to examine the minute details of living organisms,
discovered the mechanisms of life and reproduction, and spelled out the human
genome (genetic code).
How do these show the existence of a Supreme Creator?
Why doesn’t everyone who looks at the universe around them believe in the
existence of God?
Note what Scripture says:
“You have seen many things, but you do not observe them;
Your ears are open, but none hears.”
Isaiah 42:20
NB: The revelation of God through His creation is sufficient, according to God’s Word, to condemn everyone
who chooses not believe in His existence. Read Romans 1:20.
But in the end, there is really only one way to affirm the existence of God.
“By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God,
so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
And without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for he who comes to God must believe that He is ...”
Hebrews 11:3, 6a
Why is faith the primary way to discern God’s existence and creation?
Who is God?
God’s identity is presented in the very first verse of the Bible.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1
Everything, from the farthest celestial object, to every living creature, to the
smallest atomic particle, was created by God. The Bible does not argue for but
simply states that God is the Creator of the Universe.
But He is not, as some believe, an inanimate force, like that of the Star Wars
movies, which ‘binds all living things together’ nor the energy that caused the “Big
Bang’ that catapulted the galaxies into space. On the contrary, He is ...
The Living God
“Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying,
"What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away
the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine,
that he should taunt the armies of the living God?"
1 Samuel 17:26
How would David’s view of God as the ‘Living God’ embolden him in his confrontation
with the giant Goliath?
A Personal Being
The testimony of Scripture is that God is not only a Living God but a Personal
Being. He reveals Himself to us as the Living God having intellect, emotions and will.
(Jesus said) "Father, glorify Your name."
Then a voice came out of heaven:
"I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."
John 12:28
How does John 12:28 demonstrate the Personhood of God?
The Eternal God
The question regarding God’s origin is answered in Scripture:
“Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”
Psalm 90:2
What is significant about how Psalm 90:2 describes God?
The Only God
Contrary to what many religions teach, there is only one God.
"Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,”
Isaiah 46:9
How does Isaiah 46:9 apply to religions and cults that teach there are many gods or
that we can become gods ourselves?
Many teach that the various religions are merely different paths up a single
mountain. How does Isaiah 46:9 dispel this theory?
The Sovereign God
Scripture presents God as the King of all creation; the supreme monarch. As such,
He possesses all authority to do His will according to His pleasure and purpose:
“Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times
things which have not been done, Saying,
'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure';”
Isaiah 46:10
What does the first part of this passage reveal about what God knows?
What does the second part of this passage reveal about God’s sovereignty?
What relevance does the first part have with the second?
The Triune God
As previously mentioned, there is only one God. The great confession of Judaism,
the Shema, declares the unity of God.
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”
Deuteronomy 6:4
But Scripture also reveals that the One True God reveals Himself in three distinct
Persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:16-17 reveals all three Persons of the Godhead in one instance.
”After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water;
and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
and behold, a voice out of the heavens said,
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."
Matthew 3:16-17
Consider how these Scriptures equate the three Persons:
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.’
2 Corinthians 13:14
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,”
Matthew 28:19
NB: It can be shown in Scripture that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are both Deity and distinct Persons. If therefore each of these Persons in Scripture are distinct, and each can be shown to be God, how then can there be only one God? The answer? No one really knows. It is a truth of Scripture that must be accepted for the moment by faith, until we enter God’s very presence and the reality be made plain.
Why would the One God manifest Himself through the three distinct Persons?
Where does God dwell?
Consider how the psalmist answers this question.
“Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.”
Psalm 139:7-10
Scripture also teaches that God dwells in a specific place called ‘heaven’.
“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven,
and One sitting on the throne.”
Revelation 4:2
“In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne,
lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.
Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face,
and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
And one called out to another and said,
"Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."
Isaiah 6:1-3
How can we know God?
It is incredible to think that the God of the Universe created us to have fellowship
with Him. And to that end, He has provided ways for us to know Him. We have
already looked at creation as a way of coming to know about God. But here are two
other ways He has provided.
Through His written Word:
"(Jesus said) You search the Scriptures because you think that in them
you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;”
John 5:39
Through His Son
“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions
and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,
whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature,
and upholds all things by the word of His power.
When He had made purification of sins,
He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”
Hebrews 1:1-3
In light of what Hebrews teaches, what makes Christ the best way to know God?
How do the descriptions of Christ in this passage confirm Him as Deity?
What does it mean that Christ ‘upholds all things by the word of His power’?
Walking in the Truth
In light of what you have learned, list things that are True of God:
In light of what is True of God, list what you will do.
“Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written,
'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND
SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
Matthew 4:10
“For since the creation of the world (God’s) invisible
attributes, His eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly seen,
being understood through what has been made,
so that they are without excuse.
“Professing to be wise, they became fools,
“For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie,
and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,
who is blessed forever. Amen.”
Romans 1:20, 22, 25
(Extract from 'The Discipleship Ministry' by BibleStudyCD.com)
