Sunday, October 9, 2016

THE PERSON OF GOD


The study of God has been the ambition of philosophers, etc., for millenniums.
Some sit and meditate and try to think into the realm of the eternal Being. 
The only true knowledge about God can be gained from the Bible. John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.”
I John 4:12, “No man hath seen God at any time.”
Ex. 33:20 (God speaking to Moses), “And He said, Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live.”
Ex. 33:23, “And I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts: but My face shall not be seen.”

Moses talked to God and saw a part of Him but did not see the Lord’s face. Jesus who is God’s Son came from heaven to reveal the Father God to us.
 Jesus speaking to Philip, John 14:7-11, says that Jesus is the revelation of God.
Pagan wisdom says, “Man, know thyself,” but Jesus says, Man, learn of the Father.”
John 17:3 tells us that to know God and Christ His Son is to have eternal life, “And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.”

GOD’S PERSONALITY

Personality is characterized by possessing knowledge, feeling and will power. An idol is devoid of personality for it neither knows feels nor responds.
Our God is an individual that is living and has definite characteristics.
God is a person. He is not an influence or unseen force or power like electricity. Jer. 10:10, “But the Lord is the true God, He is the living God.” Acts 14:15, “. . . turn from this vanities unto the living God.” I Thess. 1:9, “. . . how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.”  II Chr. 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and from throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect.” 
The moving eyes denote life and personality unknown to idols or false gods. Psa. 94:11, “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man,” that is He has knowledge.

GOD’S NATURE

God is Spirit. A spirit is a ghost—it has neither flesh, bones nor blood. Luke24:39, “Behold My hands and My feet, that is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.”
John 4:24, “God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
I Tim. 1:17, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God.”
I Tim. 6:16, speaking of God. “. . . who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see.”

GOD’S UNITY

The Lord our God is one God in contrast to the plurality of pagan gods.
Deut. 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord.”
Isa. 44:6, “Thus saith the Lord the king of Israel, and His Redeemer the Lord of host; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God.”
Isa. 45:21, “. . . and there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me.”

GOD’S NATURAL ATTRIBUTES

An attribute is a quality, property or unique characteristics of something. We reason that to be God, He must possess certain basic qualities.
These include the following:

1. He is Eternal. To be the true God He must have neither beginning nor ending. An idol is disqualified for it was made by someone, thus it had a beginning.

 Psa. 90:2, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.”
I Tim. 1:17,”Now unto the King eternal, immortal.” cf. Psa. 102:24, 27; Isa. 57:`15.
Gen. 1:1, “In the beginning God . . .“ God has always existed.

2. He is Unchangeable. God is so constituted that He cannot change.

I Sam. 15:29, “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man that He should repent.”
Mal.3:6, “For I am the Lord, I change not.”
Jas. 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

3. He possesses all power (Omnipotent). To lack this He could not be God.

Gen. 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and earth.”—creative power.
Gen. 1:3, “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Power by speaking.
Man makes things out of existing materials. God creates out of non-existent materials, objects that are good and perfect. Gen. 1:4, “It was good.”
Job 42:2, “I know that Thou canst do everything.” Job speaking to God.
Psa. 33:9, “For He spoke and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”
Jer. 32:27, “Behold I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for Me?” Certainly not, for He can do anything or everything.

4. He is present everywhere at one at the same time (Omnipresent), Kings 8:27.

Psa. 139:7-9, “Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me.”
Jer. 23:23, “Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off?”
Eph. 1:23, “Which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.”

5. He has all knowledge (Omniscient). Nothing is hidden from the Lord.

I Chr. 28:9, “. . . know thou the God of thy father . . . for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imagination of the thoughts.”
II Chr. 16:9 “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect.”
Psa. 94:11, “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man.”
Dan. 2:20, “Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are His.”
Job 42:2, “No thought can be withholden from Thee.”
Isa. 40:28, “There is no searching of His understanding.”

GOD’S MORAL ATTRIBUTES


  1.  God is Holy—Ex. 15:11, I Sam. 2:2; Isa. 6:3; I Pet. 1:16.
  2.  God is righteous—Psa. 116:5; Ezra 9:15; Psa. 145:17; Jer. 12:1
  3.  God is merciful—Psa. 103:8; Deut. 4:31; Psa. 86:15; Rom. 9:18.
  4. God is love—I John 4:8; John 3:16; I John 3:16; John 16:27.
  5. God is faithful—I Cor. 1:9; II Tim. 2:13; Deut. 7:9; Deut. 32:4.
  6. Also God is Glorious—Ex. 13:11; Psa. 145:5.
                Longsuffering—Num. 14:18; Micah 7:18.
                Compassionate—I Kings 8:23.
                Unsearchable—Job 11:7; Psa. 145:3.
                Good—Psa. 25:8; Psa. 119:68.
                Immutable—Psa. 102:26, 27; Jas. 1:17.
                True—Jer. 10:10.
                Incorruptible—Rom. 1:23.
                Consuming fire—Heb. 12:29.
                Gracious—Ex. 34:6; Psa. 116:5.
                Jealous—Josh. 24:1; Nahum 1:2.
                Great—II Chr. 2:5; Psa. 86:10.
                Invisible—Job 23:8, 9; I Tim. 1:17.
                Upright—Psa. 25:8; Psa. 92:15.
                Light—Isa. 60:19; I John 1:5.
Perfect—Matt. 5:48.
Immortal—I Tim. 1:17; 6:16.
None like Him—Ex. 9:14; Deut. 33:26.



Love Him. Worship Him. Serve Him. Obey Him. Fear Him.

GOD IS A BALANCED BEING

GOD IS A BALANCED BEING



God is holy, loving, merciful, yet just and righteous.
Many people today have lopsided view of God. Some overemphasized His love and forget that He is just and holy at the same time.
The love of God allows Him to forgive sin and show mercy to a repentant sinner.
The holiness and justice of God demand that sin must be punished to the full extent of the law. Rom. 6:23, “For the wage of sin is death.” Ex. 18:20.
If God were a mere human being He would be completely frustrated with incompatible emotions and desires with the two sides in constant conflict.
However God is not a man and these two opposing emotions work together in perfect harmony for the one becomes a balance for the other.
To argue that hell is impossible, for a loving merciful God could not send a helpless human being there forever and ever, is an unbalanced view of God.
To understand the horrors of hell and the blackout at Calvary meditate much on the holiness and severity of God’s wrath against sin (II Cor. 5:11).
The holiness of God demands that we be holy. The law of God pronounces eternal damnation on the guilty sinner in accordance with the justice of God.
One of the greatest marvels of our age is that God found a way of salvation that satisfied both the holiness of God and the love of God.

This solution also satisfied the law, yet left man a creature with a free will who could choose salvation or damnation, heaven or hell.



How can God be both loving and demand holiness at the same time? How can He be both merciful and just at the time to a guilty sinner?
The answer can only be found in Calvary. Calvary was the expression both of the wrath of God against sin and the mercy of God toward the guilty sinner.
God is love but not that kind of sentimental love that gushes over sin. The love of God is holy and just.
To understand God, His Being, character and nature, study Calvary and will begin to understand how God can hate sin and yet love the sinner.
Calvary satisfies the holiness and justice of God by fulfilling all the requirements of the law and permits a sinner to enter heaven legally.
Let us bow in true worship before this great God who is a perfect Being.