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02/11/2017

LESSON ONE

The Existence of God

INTRODUCTION

To begin our study in Bible doctrine, we ought to begin with God.

We are constantly challenged by atheists, sceptics and hecklers to prove that there is a God. It is difficult for natural man to believe in something that he cannot see, touch or feel (I Cor. 2 :14). . .

The problem for the Christian is solved with the first verse of the Bible, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1).

The Bible is not a textbook that attempts to prove the existence of God-the Bible opens with a positive fact that God does exist.

It did not occur to any other writer of the Bible to prove this fact.
The Bible plainly states that it is the fool who denies the existence of God.

Psa. 14 :1, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Anyone with any intelligence would acknowledge the evident fact of a living God.

The greatest proof apart from Scripture of the existence of God is our daily fellowship with Him in prayer.

I know that there is a God because I talked to Him today and He heard and answered the prayer of my heart though it was only whispered silently.

I. PROOF FROM SCRIPTURE

Psa. 19 :1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork." The beauty and glory of the heavens speak loudly saying, "God exists." .

Rom. 1 :20 goes farther and suggests that creation even teaches about the eternal power of the Godhead, "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." The man who accepts Scripture will readily acknowledge the existence of God.

Let us study some other less convincing but nevertheless powerful arguments.

II. PROOF FROM CONSCIENCE

Man is born with a universal belief in a supreme Being; no tribe has yet been discovered that lacks this. They know that some Being creates and controls.

Rom. 2 :15, "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another." The existence of God is written in the human conscience.

Acts 17 :23, "For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the Unknown God." Conscience told them that there was a God though they did not know Him personally.
Some atheists may claim that their conscience does not tell them about God.

It is doubtful if a genuine atheist can be found for at best they are men who have stilled conscience by blatant unbelief.

Some men are so blind that they may deny the existence of the sun in the sky but that does not alter the fact that the sun exists, rises and sets each day.

None are so blind as those who refuse to see. The honest man will find that the inner still small voice says that God exists and is alive today.

Men deny the existence of God not because they cannot find Him but because they are afraid to face the responsibility of being accountable to Him after death.

Atheism is one of the devil's tools to put men to sleep without accepting salvation.

If there is no God then I am not responsible to anyone and I can live and die as I please. But in the quieter moments of reflection the conscience of every man whispers, "There is a God" and only fools deny it.

To look up and see a plane and not see the pilot and say that the plane is pilotless is as ridiculous as looking into the heavens and saying that there is no God simply because we cannot see Him.

Few of us have ever seen our brains, yet we believe that we possess them because of a centralized control system in the body. Because we see creation, we believe in God.

III. THE ARGUMENT FROM CAUSE (Cosmological)

The world is here. It must have come from somewhere. Somebody or something must have caused it to come into being at one time or another.

Here is a book. Someone must have written it. No printing press can of itself produce a book, be it ever so modern a press with the latest electrical gadgets.

Someone built the building. Someone created the trees. Someone operates the universe.

If all the pieces of a watch were placed in a can and the can shaken gently for a million years the watch would not be "accidentally" put together and running.

The only sensible answer to the problem of the existence of the world is the existence of an intelligent Being whom we call God.

IV. THE ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN (Teleological) .

A watch not only exists but it has a designer. It was planned for a specific purpose.

A watch was not designed for mosquitoes to live in. It was designed by a keen mind for the purpose of accurately telling the time.

An examination of the world and the things large and small shows that each is designed by an intelligent mind for a specific purpose in life. .

The colours of the bird and means of defence of the animals are not accidents. They are the result of a plan of a superior planning mind of the originator.

V. THE MORAL ARGUMENT (Anthropological)

Man has an intellectual and moral nature showing that the Creator must not be merely an inanimate force but a living, intelligent moral Being.

Gen. 1:26, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Gen. 1:27, God created man in the image and likeness of God, that is, patterned after Him.

Psa. 94:9, "He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see?" God has given to man ears, eyes, knowledge, intelligence, and will power for these are the things that He possesses.

Conscience teaches man right and wrong, good and bad; for the Creator is a moral Being that is holy, and loves righteousness but abhors evil.

VI. THE LIFE ARGUMENT

Life comes from life and the original life must have come from a Being possessing eternal life, that is, life that existed before physical life was created.

Where can such life be found? It can only be found in God who possesses eternal life. Psa. 36:9, "For with Thee is the fountain (source) of life." The apple tree gets its life from the parent tree, the lamb from the mother sheep.
But where did they get life from? We go back to the original creation.

Jesus said in John 11 :25, "I am... life," also in John 14 :6, "I am . . . life," and in John 10:28, "And I give unto them eternal life."

All life proceeds from God. The theory of spontaneous generation has been proved false and completely unacceptable to authoritative science.

Life must have a beginning. The only logical answer is that beginning was with God.

VII. THE ARGUMENT FROM CONGRUITY

The theory of atheism solves no problems but only multiplies unsolved mysteries.

The acceptance of the existence of God as Creator of the world is like a magic key that fits all the facts of Scripture, revelation, knowledge and science.

This irrefutable doctrine is held tenaciously by multitudes of souls who are willing both to live and die in the consolation of this assurance.

CONCLUSION

Atheism which is only giant doubt and unbelief can only lead to darkness and despair for the one accepting it.

Acceptance of Gen. 1 :1, "In the beginning God," leads a sincere seeker into the path of a fuller revelation of God Himself. .

Heb. 11 :6, "He that cometh to God must believe that He is [exists]." Let us come as children in simple faith, based on the revelation of God in Scripture and nature, believing and trusting Him completely.



LESSONS ABOUT GOD THE FATHER

LESSON TWO

The Person of God

INTRODUCTION

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."

I. 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 these 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 fro 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.

II. GOD'S NATURE

God is a Spirit. A spirit is a ghost - it has neither flesh, bones nor blood.

Luke 24:39, "Behold My hands and My feet, that it 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 a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and 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."

III. GOD'S UNITY

The Lord our God is one God in contrast to the plurality of pagan gods. Deut. 6 :4, "Hear, 0 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 hosts; 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."

IV. GOD'S NATURAL ATTRIBUTES

An attribute is a quality, property or unique characteristic 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 lane I 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 the 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 every thing." Job speaking to God. Psa. 33:9, "For He spake 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 any thing too hard for Me?" Certainly not, for He can do anything or everything.

4. He is present everywhere at one and the same time (omnipresent), I 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 fulness 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 imaginations 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."

V. 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 :81 Deut. 4 :31; Psa. 86 :15; Rom. 9 :18.
4. God is love - I John 4:8-16; 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.

Also God is Glorious-Ex. 15:11; Psa. 145:5. Gracious - Ex. 34:6; Psa. 116:5. Longsuffering- Num. 14:18; Micah 7:18. Jealous - Josh. 24:19; Nahum 1:2. Compassionate- I Kings 8:23. Great- II Chr. 2:5; Psa. 86:10.

Unsearchable - Job 11:7; Psa. 145:3. Invisible - Job 23:8,9; I Tim. 1:17. Good- Psa. 25:8; Psa. 119:68. Upright- Psa. 25:8; Psa. 92:15. Immutable-- Psa. 102:26,27; Jas. 1:17. Light - Isa.60:19; I John 1.:5. True - Jer. 10 :10. Perfect - Matt. 5 :48.

Incorruptible- Rom. 1:23. Immortal- I Tim. 1:17; 6:16.
Consuming fire - Heb. 12 :29. None like Him-Ex. 9 :14; Deut. 33 :26.

CONCLUSION

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


LESSONS ABOUT GOD THE FATHER

LESSON THREE

God is a Balanced Being

INTRODUCTION

God is holy, loving, merciful, faithful, yet just and righteous.

Many people today have a lopsided view of God. Some overemphasize 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 wages 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.

I. GOD IS HOLY

We cannot imagine a God who could be anything but perfect holiness. To be holy means to be free from all defilement, to be pure. God is absolutely pure.

Hab. 1:13, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity?. God turned from His own Son dying on Calvary.

Ex. 15:11, "Who is like unto Thee, 0 Lord. . . glorious in holiness." I Sam. 2:2, "There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside Thee."

Isa. 6:3, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts."

I Pet. 1:15,16, "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy."

The holiness of God separated Him from fallen man. Eph. 2:13, "But now in Christ " Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." The only way that man can approach this holy God is through the blood of Christ.

God is holy. God hates sin. His holy wrath must punish sin. This is the explanation of Isa 53 :6, when the Father forsook and punished His Son on Calvary.

God's love to sinners will never be appreciated until seen in the light of His blazing wrath against sin.

The holiness of God demanded punishment for sin. This demand was voluntarily assumed by the Saviour on the cross and completely satisfied the Father.

II. GOD IS LOVE

I John 4 :8, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
This is not only a verb saying that God loves but a noun for God is love.
If God lives in my heart by conversion then I must love for I'm indwelt by LOVE.

I John 4:7, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." What is love? Love is a desire for and delight in the welfare of the one on whom the love is bestowed. True love even loves sinners and enemies (Matt.
5:44,45).

The love of God is manifested toward the Son and all believers in particular.

Jn 16:27, "For the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God." God loves the world (John 3:16), which caused Him to think of a plan of salvation to give men the opportunity to escape wrath and damnation.
God as a loving Father manifests His love to the Christian by chastening (Heb. 12:6).

III. GOD IS FAITHFUL

Cor. 1 :9, "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship."

Deut. 7:9, "Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God." What does the word faithful mean? It means someone who can be safely trusted, who is reliable and dependable. God is faithful for He is honest and never changes.

How great is God's faithfulness? It reaches to the skies. Psa. 36:5, "Thy mercy, 0 Lord, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds." Ul of God's work is done in faithfulness. Psa. 33 :4, "For the Word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth." God's faithfulness is manifested in keeping His promises and fulfilling every Word that He has spoken; God is unchangeable for He neither lies nor repents.

God will keep every promise to protect, assist and guide His child in need.
I Tim. 2:13, "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself."

I Cor. 10:13, "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it?.

IV. GOD IS MERCIFUL

Psa. 103:8, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." Deut. 4 :31, "For the Lord thy God is a merciful God; He will not forsake thee." instead of inflicting pain and death as punishment for sin the Lord is merciful and gives us many blessings - health, comforts and earthly joys to saved and lost.

Matt. 5:45, "He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust".

God is sovereign and can choose to whom He desires to show this mercy (Rom. 9:15,18). The mercy of God can be shown to the multitudes. Ex. 20:6, "And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments."

How great is the mercy of God? Psa. 103:11,17, "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him." The Lord extends mercy to those who trust in Him. Psa. 32:10, "He that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about." When the repentant sinner comes to Jesus for forgiveness he claims not merit but throws himself upon the mercy of the Lord.

Psa. 51:1, "Have mercy upon me, 0 God, according to Thy lovingkindness."

V. GOD IS JUST

Deut. 32:4, ". . . a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He."

Psa. 19:9, "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." Our God is just and righteous and will mete out just judgment to each individual.

Isa. 45:21, "There is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour." God being just, righteous and holy must act in a manner that is just, fair and upright.

I Sam. 2 :3, "The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed." Gen. 18:25, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" He certainly will.

God's nature or character leads Him to do that which is right at all times. God as the just One will be the final Judge of all things (I Kings 8 :32).

CONCLUSION

How can God be both loving and demand holiness at the same time? How can He be both merciful and just at the same 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 one 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.


LESSONS ABOUT GOD THE FATHER

LESSON FOUR

The Trinity

INTRODUCTION

So far we have learned that there is one God - the Creator of the world.
Deut. 6:4, "Hear, 0 Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord." There is only one God.

But a careful study of the Scriptures will show that God exists in three Persons, that is, a Godhead manifested in three Persons.

Col. 2:9, "For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Objection: How can God be three Persons and one God at the same time? Would that not make three Gods, resembling pagan philosophy and contradicting Deut. 6:4?
Is the doctrine of the Trinity not incomprehensible and contrary to reason?

Isa. 55:8,9 teaches us that human reason has no bearing in the study of God, "For M thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Neither the words "Trinity" nor "Triune God" can be found in the Scriptures.

I. BASIS OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY

1. Baptism of Jesus in Matt. 3:13-17, we see the Trinity at work: God the Father spoke from heaven, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." God the Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, was being baptized.
God the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and alighted on the Saviour.

2. The baptismal formula in Matt. 28:19, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.'

3. The benediction in II Cor. 13 :14, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."

4. The creation of man uses plural terms. Gen. 1 :26, "And God said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness: and let them have dominion." .

In subsequent less0118 we will show that the Son Jesus Christ was true and that the Holy Spirit is God.

II. ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY

1. Shamrock - a three-leaved plant used by Saint Patrick to illustrate this doctrine. It is but one leaf but it has three distinct sections. .

2. Water - revealed in three forms - liquid, ice and steam, yet it is only H2O.

3. Light - red heat rays that are invisible picturing the Father, yellow light rays that are seen picturing the Son, blue chemical rays that are seen by their effects, picturing the Spirit.

4. Business firm: (Smith & Co., three brothers, John, Henry and Peter) It is one firm with one name but each brother is head of a department.

The three work together without friction as a single unit as does the Lord.

5. A. Douglas. I am only one person but I can be revealed as three persons: My mother sees me as a son. She sees me differently from anyone else and I respond to her in a way that is different from my response to others.
My children see me as a father and all that involves.
The class sees me as a teacher which is a different relationship.

I remain one person but I am revealed as a son, father and teacher at the same time. God is one indivisible God revealed in three separate Persons.

It must be emphasized that the Trinity remains a mystery and that no single illustration can possibly explain everything.

However, I believe that we can use these various illustrations to throw some light on this difficult and complex problem.

Because God is a Spirit and we are physical it is hard for us to comprehend God.

God is infinite while we are finite. To attempt a philosophical explanation of the triunity of God is an attempt to put the facts of the infinite in finite terms.

We firmly believe that there is one God, eternally existing and manifesting Himself to us in three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

III. THE TRINITY ACTING IN UNITY

1. In Creation:

God the Father spoke. Gen. 1:3, "And God said, Let there be light." God the Son was the Word spoken, John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word." God the Holy Spirit moved upon the face of the waters, Gen. 1:2; Job 26:12,13.

2. In the Incarnation:

God the Father gave His only Son, John 3:16. God the Son was born into the world, Luke 2:11.

God the Spirit came upon Mary to cause conception, Luke 1 :35.

3.In Redemption:

God the Father accepted the sacrifice of Calvary, Heb. 9:14. God the Son offered Himself as our substitute, Heb. 9 :14.

God the Spirit - Jesus offered Himself "through the eternal Spirit" Heb. 9:14.

4. In Salvation: .

God the Father received the prodigal from the far country, Luke 15:22. The Father welcomes the sinner, forgives him, supplies robes, rings and a feast.

God the Son is the Shepherd that goes to seek the lost sheep, Luke 15:4. God the Spirit seals the new convert, Eph. 1 :13.

5. In Communion:

God the Father invites us to come to Him for fellowship, Eph. 2:18. God the Son is the reconciliation, II Cor. 5 :19.

God the Spirit effects this union and communion, Eph. 2 :18.

6. In Prayer:

God the Father is the One who receives the requests, John 16:23. God the Son is the One in whose Name we pray, John 16:23. God the Spirit directs us in our requests, Rom. 8:26.

7. In Glory:
God the Father is to eventually receive the millennial kingdom, I Cor.24.

God the Son is the One who will change our vile body to one like His, Phil 2:5 God the Spirit gives the invitation, Rev. 22 :17.

8. In Regeneration:

God the Father records the new name in glory, Luke 10:20. God the Son cleanses the sin in His' precious blood, Eph. 1:7.
God the Spirit performs the transforming miracle of the new birth, John 3:3-6.

IV. THE TRINITY AND THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

Attribute God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit
1. Eternal Psa.90:2 Rev. 1:8,17 Heb 9:14
2. Omnipotent I Pet. 1:5 II Cor. 12:9 Rom 15:19
3. Omniscient Jer.17:10 Rev. 2:23 1 Cor 2:11
4. Omnipresent Jer. 23:24 Matt. 18:20 Ps 139:7
5. Holiness Rev. 15:4 Acts 3 :14 Lk 1:15
6. Truth John 7 :28 Rev. 3:7 1 Jn 5:6
7. Benevolent Rom. 2:4 Eph. 5 :25 Neh 9:20
8. Communion I John 1:3 I John 1:3 II Cor. 13 :14

CONCLUSION

Do not be troubled if you cannot understand this perplexing doctrine.

"He who would try to understand the Trinity fully will lose his mind. But he who would deny the Trinity will lose his soul." - Lindsell and Woodbridge.

It is a mystery and will remain a mystery until we meet the Lord in glory. However this does not mean that we cannot believe it. We must believe it. God is so different from us; He is a Spirit and we are human beings.
I believe that God is honored and made happy by our believing this doctrine.

Man,' too, is a tripartite being - body, soul and spirit - for we were made in the image and likeness of the Lord.

Let us worship this great God - this One who is so superior to us.

Let us thank each member of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, for that which they have personally done for us.

LESSONS ABOUT GOD THE FATHER

LESSON FIVE

Names, Fatherhood and Silence of God

INTRODUCTION

We have learned about the existence of God and about His nature and unity. In Bible lands names had and have a significance unknown to us in the West. In a study of the Names of God, we learn many things about God.

I. THE NAMES OF GOD

The Names of God are found in three forms: (1) Primary, (2) Compound with El, (3) Compound with Jehovah.

(1) Primary - One word only: El, Elah, Elohim, Jehovah, Adon, Adonai, God, Lord.
(2) Compound with El- Almighty God; Most High God; Everlasting God.
(3) Compound with Jehovah - Lord God; Jehovah, the Everlasting God, etc.

1. Elohim... Gen. 2:4 . . . . The One Who is Mighty. . . . . . . The Lord Who Creates
2. El Elyon . Gen. 14 :22 . . The One Who is Supreme.. . . . The Lord Who Owns
3. Adonai . . . Gen. 15:2 . . . The One Who is Ruling. . . . . . . The Lord Our Master
4. El Olam . . Gen. 21 :33 . . The One Who is Mysterious.. . The Lord Who Reveals
5. Jireh .... Gen. 22 :14 . . The One Who Redeems. . . . . . . The Lord Who Provides
6. Rophi . . . . Ex. 15 :26 . . . The One Who Heals.. . . . . . . . . The Lord Who Heals
7. Nissi .... Ex. 17 :15 .. . The One Who Fights for us ... The Lord our Banner
8. Yekaddia . Ex. 31 :13 .. . The One Who is Sanctification. The Lord Who Sanctified
9. Shalom.. . Judg. 6:24... The One Who Gives Peace.. .. The Lord our Banner
10. Sabaoth .. I Sam. 1:3 .. The One Who is Possessing. . . The Lord of Hosts
11. Zidkenu .. Jer. 23:6 ... The One Who is Justifying.... The Lord Our Righteousness
12. Shammah. Ezek. 48 :35 . The One Who is Present. . . . . . The Lord at Hand
13. Elyon . . . . Psa. 7 :17 .. . The One Who is Blessing.. . . . The Lord Who Blesses
14. Roi . . . . . . Psa~ 23:1 .. . The One Who is Caring. , . . . . . The Lord our Shepherd

II. THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD

"Our Father which art in heaven" (Matt. 6 :9); This is our happiest conception of God. Pagan religions know nothing of a God which is a "loving heavenly Father." Pagan religions portray God as immense, terrible, cruel and One to be dreaded.

The Bible pictures God as loving, friendly, companionable, approachable and desirable. It was the Saviour who taught us to pray "Our Father"- a new revelation of God.

God is revealed as Father in two ways:
(1) As the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, John 5 :17; John 1 :14.

(2) As the Father of those who believe on the Lord Jesus. John 1 :12, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God." The Jews thought of God as their Father in a national or poetical sense:

(1) Poetical- Psa. 68:5, "A Father of the fatherless, and a Judge of the widows, is God in His holy habitation." (2) National- Ex. 4:22, "And thou shalt say unto Pharoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is My son, even My firstborn." Israel did not have a personal consciousness of sonship, as "God is MY Father." .

Modernism reasons "God is my Father and my Father will not harm me, so I will take my ease, eat, drink, and be merry and He will be merciful to me to the end." John 8:44, Jesus
speaking to the Jews said, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." God is the Creator of all, but only the Father of those that are in the family.

II Cor. 6:17,18, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." As a Father God gives life to His children; there is no sonship without a hew birth.

As a Father God bestows love on His children - to those in the family of God.

This relationship, Father and son, gives a true ideal for work (it is not master and slave). . It Is as a Father that He hears and answers our prayers, sifting the requests as a true Father.

III. THE SILENCE OF GOD .

In times of difficulty men reason, "If there is a loving Father God, why is He silent?" "Why did He allow this to happen?" "Why didn't He prevent this?"

Why does He not prevent disastrous explosions, accidents, typhoons, floods and wars? An infidel having no faith in the existence of God argues from the silence of God - the greatest problem of our times.

Job 23:3,4, "Oh that I knew where I might find Him! that I might come even to His "seat! I would order my cause before Him and fill my mouth with arguments."

Psa. 28 :1, "Unto Thee will I cry, 0 Lord my Rock; be not silent to me: lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit." Men have devised several probable answers to this age-old problem:

(1) Deism - God is a good God but He has no time to look after the details of life. God is only a spectator of the affairs of this life.

(2) Atheism - silence proves that God is a myth. A living God would speak.

(3) Materialism - The world is governed by law, without a personal God. The} teach that we are at the mercy of blind chance.

To reject God and the Bible only plunges mankind into greater darkness.

Why, then, is God silent? Several negative answers present themselves:

(1) Indifference - Christ suffering on the cross cries, "My God, My God." God cared so much for our souls that He continued His wrath upon the Son.

(2) Unobservant - This is contrary to the omniscient understanding of God.
(3) Unloving - The parent that truly loves a child will punish it, Heb. 12:7,8.
(4) Unwillingness - He sees the end from the beginning and plans our whole lives.
If these five negative answers are wrong, what, then, is the correct answer?

(1) Common sense view - A lot of the difficulty is a result of deliberate sin due entirely to man's carelessness, neglect and folly, such as accidents. Gal. 6:7, "For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

(2) Reverent view - Is it right that my puny mind should question the workings of the Almighty God? Isa. 55:8,9. Doubtless God's master plan for my life will include sorrow, suffering and pain.

(3) The philosophical view - Human free will involves the consequences of those actions. Human freedom means moral responsibility - adultery leads to syphilis.

(4) Lover's view - God is a jealous lover. Ex. 20:5, "I the Lord thy God, am a jealous God." He seeks to divorce us from everything and cause us to cling closely to Him.

(5) Dispensational view.- This is the day of man, the day of sin the day of grace, when God beckons, "Come Home" but a day of judgment, interference, and the silence of God will be broken with audible condemnation. God will yet reckon accounts with men and their relationships with God and society.

(6) Faith view - John 13:7, "Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." Lord teach me to wait patiently

(7) The testing of my faith - I Pet. 1:7, "That the trial of your faith, being much more p:recious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found Unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing. . ."

(8) The mysterious works of God - John 9:3, "Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." This is the story of the man that was born blind. I may suffer, not for my sin but to be made a blessing to someone else. Only those who have passed through suffering and sorrow can comfort others.

CONCLUSION

Live in a conscious sense of His presence even though He seems to be silent.

Learn to think positively. I know God - I spoke to Him today. He spoke to me through His own precious Word. He spoke through answered prayers.

Live according to the knowledge that we have. Caution: Rom. 1:21, "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God. . ." then read verses 24-32.

Matt. 11:27 teaches that it is the work of the Son to reveal the Father.

The Quiet Hour is our opportunity to deepen our acquaintance with the Lord God. Psa. 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God."

Weekly Test Paper (Week 1)

(Select Minimum 10 Questions and write your answers in a separate sheet in Word format and send to [email protected])

Each Question Carries 5 Marks.

1. Give two Scriptures to prove the existence of God.
2. What is the argument from cause to prove the existence of God?
3. What is the argument from design to prove God's existence?
4. What is the life argument that proves God's existence?
5. What do we mean when we say that God has a personality.?
6. Is God a plurality or a single unit? Give one Scripture.
7. List five natural attributes of God.
8. Give one Scripture to prove that God is eternal.
9. Why do we believe that God is all-powerful?
10. How can God be present at all places at the same time?
11. Name five of the moral attributes of God.
12. Does the fact that God is love extinguish the doctrine of hell? Why?
13. What does the word 'holy' mean?
14. Why will the mercy of God not finally take everyone to heaven?
15. How does Matt. 3:13-17 prove that God is a Trinity?
16. Give two other Scripture references to prove the Trinity.
17. Where is the first hint in the Bible about the Trinity?
18. Give three illustrations of the Trinity.
19. How did ,the Trinity operate in creation? 36. How did the Trinity operate in redemption?
20. How does the Trinity operate in salvation?
21. How does the Trinity work in regard to prayer?
22. How does the Trinity operate together in the regeneration of a sinner?
23. Why is it not possible to completely understand the doctrine of the Trinity?
24. Give three names of God and their meanings.
25. What is the doctrine of Deism?
26. Give five possible reasons for the silence of God.