God

Lesson 1

Text:

Genesis 1:1 Exodus 20:1-6

Psalm 19:1 Romans 1:18-25

John 1:1-5

As human beings, we need to ask the 5 basic questions about ourselves: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? What is it all about? How do I find out?

We must be honest about ourselves that our understanding is very limited. The anwers to these questions cannot come from our intelligence, it has be revealed to us.

There are many answers out there, from many religious leaders, philosophers, atheists, agnostics, and self proclaimed cult leaders…BUT ultimately, the logical answer must come from the ONE Creator who create us, who exist from the beginning and who is still present to relate to us. He is God.

God reigns supreme in Heaven. He dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16). GOD IS SPIRIT. We cannot see HIM with our physical eyes. Nevertheless, there is enough evidence for us to know that God exists. God does not have to prove His own existence. Yet there is no excuse for any man not to know that HE IS, for HE has revealed HIMSELF.

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 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” (Romans 1:19, 20).

It is important to stress again that man, by his own thinking and searching, cannot understand God. The finite is totally unable to discover the infinite God. The infinite God must reveal Himself to us, the finite. We may try, but we would get lost in the dark. In the words of Job, he says: “Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?” (Job 11:7)

God Himself says: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8,9).

We must therefore not try to know God by our own limited and inadequate thinking. We must humbly pray: “Lord, show thyself to me. Reveal thyself that I may understand.”

HOW HAS GOD REVEALED HIMSELF?

God has revealed Himself in three ways:

By His creation (God’s general revelation)
By His Inspired Word, the Bible (God’s special revelation)
By His SON, the Living Word.
GOD’S CREATION (GENERAL REVELATION)

Men call it “Nature”. We know it to be God’s wonderful creation. When we behold the earth, sky and sea, we are struck by their orderliness, design and beauty. When we gaze into the sky, we are dazzled by the brilliance of the sun in the day, and the countless shining stars that adorn the heavens at night.

Every child knows this rhyme:

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are;

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky!”

Yes, God made all those stars and placed them in space. He hangeth them on nothing! (Job 26:7)

The earth and planetary systems move in their fixed orbits through space. Billions more similar heavenly bodies and other systems move in their own courses through space. Scientists who spend long hours looking through their telescopes exclaim with wonder and amazement:

“What beauty, design and orderliness.”

If so, then it stands to reason for a thinking person to conclude: “What a wonderful DESIGNER-ARCHITECT-BUILDER who planned and made it all!” Don’t we say that whenever we see a beautiful structure such as a ship, aircraft or building? This is what we call “cause and effect”? Every effect must have a cause. The beautiful creation must have a most wonderful CREATOR. So the psalmist says:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament

(outer space or sky) sheweth His handywork” (Psalm 19:1).

The reasonable and wise person, seeing the marvellous “world of nature” around him and beyond, in the staggering vastness of outer space (about which even scientists know so little), is compelled to exclaim,

“O Lord my God, How great Thou art!”

The voice of creation speaks in a language that all man understands. This voice is broadcasted throughout the whole world day and night in a universal language. It envelopes the whole world like the heat of the sun touches the world. Psalms 19:2-6 says, “Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.”

From Romans 1:18-25 we learn that God’s creation reveals two doctrines about God. The two doctrines are that God exists and that He is a powerful God. When sinful man makes idols to replace God, God says that that is enough for Him to condemn man. Man will be without excuse on the day of judgement. In other words God’s creation is sufficient to condemn sinful man to Hell but not enough to save man from Hell and bring him into heaven. To do that, man needs God’s special revelation.

GOD’S WORD (GOD’S SPECIAL REVELATION)

Next to His creation, God reveals Himself by His inspired Word, written as a permanent record for us in the Bible. This is known as God’s special revelation. In this perfect Book is recorded all that mankind needs to know about God, about man, about the universe, about the way of life, about the destiny of man and about things to come. God has spoken! Man must take note! How has God spoken, you may ask?

2 Timothy 3:16-17says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” See also Psalm 19:7-14.

GOD ALMIGHTY spoke, His servants transmitted the message, committing it to writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Thus we have the BIBLE – GOD’S MESSAGE TO MAN. The Bible is God’s special revelation of Himself to us. Without the Bible man will never be able to know God at all in a personal way. Man will perish in his sins forever. From the Bible we learn that God is love. God is holy, just and true. He is also the One living and true God and beside Him there is none other. This is known as theism, God revealing Himself to us. This is different from Deism. Deism is a heresy which teaches that God created the universe and the world and then went to sleep. He left man to fend for himself. He did not care for man at all. Deism therefore teaches that God did not interact or give to man His Holy Word. Deism denies the Bible in totality.

By reading the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit, honestly and sincerely desiring to learn about God, we will be greatly enriched and blessed, for there is no greater knowledge than the knowledge of the MOST HIGH. God gave man the holy and perfect Word (the written Word) in order that man might know Him. But the best is that He has given us His only begotten Son, the Living Word.

GOD’S SON

Beyond communicating with man by the written Word, God in these “last days” also spoke through the PERSON of His only begotten SON, JESUS CHRIST. He is the living Word whereas the Bible is known as the written Word.

Hebrews 1:1, 2 say, “GOD, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).

Far better than words, Jesus came clothed in human form, “the WORD was made flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1,14). In Jesus, God revealed Himself in person, “… he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9), said Jesus.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen

with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life … That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you…” (1 John 1:1,3).

Faithfully recorded for us are the eye witness accounts of the apostles who walked and talked with GOD THE SON, our LORD JESUS CHRIST. If you want to know the heart and mind of God, read about the Jesus of the

GOSPELS!

II. THE NATURE OF GOD

GOD IS A SPIRIT (John 4:24)

Let us not think of God as if He were a man – in human terms. God is SPIRIT. He is invisible to our physical eyes.

GOD IS A PERSON

God said unto Moses: “I AM THAT I AM”. Jesus addressed God as “FATHER”. Personal characteristics are ascribed to Him, such as knowledge (Isaiah 55:9-10), emotions (Genesis 6:6) and will (Joshua 3:10).

GOD IS ONE GOD

Scripture clearly teaches that there is one God (1Timothy 2:5). He is SUPREME and there is none else.

THREE PERSONS IN ONE (TRINITY)

God is one God, consisting of THREE PERSONS: FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT. It is a mystery, but it is TRUE because God’s Word says so. We read of this in these passages:

Baptism of Jesus, Matthew 3:16-17
The Great Commission, Matthew 28:19
The Benediction of 2 Corinthians 13:14
The Johanine Comma of 1John 5:7-8

The FATHER is called God in Romans 1:7, the SON, Jesus, is called God in Hebrews 1:8, and the HOLY SPIRIT is called God in Acts 5:3,4.But the best texts are:

1 John 5:6-9 which says, “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.”

SOME OF THE ATTRIBUTES (QUALITIES) OF GOD

GOD IS OMNIPRESENT.

i.e. everywhere is in God’s presence all at the same time (Jeremiah 23:24).

GOD IS OMNISCIENT. (Sovereign)

i.e. He knows all things. He knows all our thoughts and deeds (Proverbs 15:3). Nothing happens without God’s knowledge, not even the death of a sparrow (Matthew 10:29). He does not lose or gain any knowledge.

GOD IS OMNIPOTENT.

i.e. He is all powerful. He created the universe and controls it. There is nothing too hard for God (Matthew 19:26). Anything that requires power to do God has the power to do it. How much power does it take to raise someone from the dead? God has that power to do it.

GOD IS ETERNAL.

He never had a beginning. He never will cease to be (Psalm 90:2).

GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE (immutable).

“I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

GOD IS HOLY. He is absolutely PURE. He hates sin.
GOD IS JUST.

All that God does is right and fair (Psalm 119:137). He never over or under punishes any sin or sinner.

GOD IS LOVE.

God loves all sinners (John 3:16). God loves all. God sent His only begotten Son Jesus to die for sinful men. His love is an unconditional and sacrificial love (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE.

Deuteronomy 4:24; Hebrews 12:29. The first five attributes of God listed above are known as incommunicable attributes. These attributes belong only to God. He cannot lose any of these attributes. These attributes do not diminish in any way through all eternity. The other remaining attributes of God are known as communicable attributes. They can be passed to believers as the Fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Other Attributes:

Mercy – not getting what we deserve
Grace – Getting what we don’t deserve
Just
Faithful
Good/Kind
Wise

III. WHAT MUST WE DO TOWARD GOD?

As one of God’s creatures, made in God’s own image, we must acknowledge Him as our CREATOR AND GOD. He also sustains and protects us. We owe all that we are and have to God.
Therefore, we must give Him our TOTAL ALLEGIANCE and WORSHIP.Jesus said: “THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND.

This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). [Emphasis added]

As expressed in the first question of the WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM, man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

BUT SOME SAY, “I CANNOT BELIEVE!”

True, many people, especially the learned and intellectuals claim that it is impossible for them to believe that God exists. What do we say to this?

Not to believe that God exists gives rise to many insoluble problems far more difficult than to humbly accept the fact that God is. For the person who refuses to believe in God, there is no CREATION. Things just happened, by chance. Life was not created, but came “by chance or accident” from dead and lifeless matter. Man “evolved” from lower animals. If all this happened by chance, then there is no particular purpose to man’s existence on earth, and man’s future is unknown. The whole outlook is gloomy and uncertain.

People say that they “cannot believe in God”. This is because of the consequences of accepting Him. If I acknowledge God, it means also that I believe He is the Creator. Now, if He created me and all things, then He has a right to my love, loyalty and worship. I WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE TO Him. I will not be allowed to do whatever I want.

If I believe in God, I must face the consequences of that belief: I must accept

HIS COMMANDMENTS AND OBEY THEM. It means MY WHOLE LIFE MUST BE LIVED IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS WILL. It means that all areas of my life have to be radically or drastically changed.

So, belief in God carries a price. Many people are not willing to pay that price. They cover up their intellectual dissent by saying, “I cannot believe,” which actually means, “I will not believe.” It is to commit the sin of pride.

But, no matter what a person believes, the fact of God is not altered, and the ultimate prospect and certainty of our having to appear before Him for judgement is inescapable.

We must fear God. This is the beginning of wisdom. Psalm 111:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” Also in Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” See also Proverbs 9:10.

BIBLE KNOWLEDGE QUIZ 1: GOD

Fill in the blanks (one letter for each space):

There is __ __ __ true God.
God has __ __ beginning and __ __

God __ __ __ __ __ makes mistakes.
God created __ __ __
God knows __ __ __ my thoughts and words and deeds.

Underline the correct answers:

We must approach God

(a) casually (b) reverently

List the three ways God has revealed Himself.

_________________________________________________________

What are some of the incommunicable and communicable attributes of God?

_________________________________________________________

In sending Jesus Christ to earth, God revealed His

(a) anger (b) pleasure

love for man.

We should love and serve God(a) every day (b) on Sundays only
- whenever we feel like it.