What is God Like? – Part 5

“When people are getting sleepy, if you want to arouse and wake them up thoroughly, preach the doctrine of Divine Sovereignty to them; for that will do it right speedily.” C. H. Spurgeon

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines sovereign as: “Supreme in power; possessing supreme dominion; as a sovereign ruler of the universe.” Concerning the ruler of the universe, the Psalmist gives us these words:

“The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19). “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases him.” (Psalm 115:3).  “I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods. The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” (Psalm 135:5-6)

The meaning of sovereignty could be summed up in this way: To be sovereign is to possess supreme power and authority so that one is in complete control and can accomplish whatever he pleases.

A number of similar definitions of sovereignty can be found in books on the attributes of God:

“Furthermore, His sovereignty requires that He be absolutely free, which means simply that He must be free to do whatever He wills to do anywhere at any time to carry out His eternal purpose in every single detail without interference. Were He less than free He must be less than sovereign.

Grasping the idea of unqualified freedom requires a vigorous effort of the mind. We are not psychologically conditioned to understand freedom except in its imperfect forms. Our concepts of it have been shaped in a world where no absolute freedom exists. Here each natural object is dependent upon many other objects, and that dependence limits its freedom.”[1]

“God is said to be absolutely free because no one and no thing can hinder Him or compel Him or stop Him. He is able to do as He pleases always, everywhere, forever. To be thus free means also that He must possess universal authority. That He has unlimited power we know from the Scriptures and may deduce from certain other of His attributes.”[2]

Subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent; God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him. So His own Word expressly declares: ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure’ (Isa. 46:10); ‘He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand’ (Dan. 4:35). Divine sovereignty means that God is God in fact, as well as in name, that He is on the Throne of the universe, directing all things, working all things ‘after the counsel of His own will’ (Eph. 1:11).”[3]

“God’s supremacy over the works of His hands is vividly depicted in Scripture. Inanimate matter, irrational creatures, all perform their Maker’s bidding. At His pleasure the Red Sea divided and its waters stood up as walls (Ex. 14); and the earth opened her mouth and guilty rebels went down alive into the pit (Nu. 14). When He so ordered, the sun stood still (Josh. 10); and on another occasion went backward ten degrees on the dial of Ahaz (Isa. 38:8). To exemplify His supremacy, He made ravens carry food to Elijah (I Kings 17), iron to swim on top of the waters (II Kings 6:5), lions to be tame when Daniel was cast into their den, fire to burn not when the three Hebrews were flung into its flames.’ (Psa. 135:6).”[4]

“The ‘god’ of this twentieth century no more resembles the Supreme Sovereign of Holy Writ than does the dim flickering of a candle the glory of the midday sun. The ‘god’ who is now talked about in the average pulpit, spoken of in the ordinary Sunday School, mentioned in much of the religious literature of the day, and preached in most of the so-called Bible Conferences is the figment of human imagination, an invention of maudlin sentimentality.… A ‘god’ whose will is resisted, whose designs are frustrated, whose purpose is checkmated, possesses no title to Deity, and so far from being a fit object of worship, merits naught but contempt.”[5]

The creator of the universe is the ruler of the universe! We all are born with that knowledge (see Rom 1:18-28). The atheist doesn’t rail against false gods, but he hates the God he knows exists.  Furthermore, we will all one day acknowledge Him, if not as we live and breathe, at the judgment seat of Christ before we face the torments of Helll.

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phi. 2:9-11. cf. Rom. 14:11. Isa. 45:23)

[2] Ibid., p. 116.

[3] A. W. Pink, The Attributes of God (Swengel, Pa.: Reiner Publications, 1968), p. 27.

[4] Ibid., p. 25.

[5] Ibid., pp. 23, 24.

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To be continued. . .

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Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

What is God Like? – Part 4

Merriam Webster defies majesty as 1) “sovereign power, authority, or dignity”; and 2) “royal bearing or aspect”. Living in Colorado I can look at the Rocky  Mountains and call them majestic. Having also seen, up close and personal, the European Alps, the Rockies don’t seem quite as majestic, by comparison.

Majesty is also a term applied to Kings and Queens – persons of royalty, whether or not they actually exercise complete sovereignty over their subjects.

In scripture, majesty is used to express the thought of the greatness of God.  We are told that the Lord reigns, clothed in majesty from His eternal throne (Psalm 93:1-2). We are told twice in the book of Hebrews that Christ now sits  at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven (Heb 1:3, 8:1). The word majesty, when applied to God, is always a declaration of His greatness and an invitation to worship (Psalm 48:1, Psalm 95:3,6).

“Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.” (Psalm 48:1)

“For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.  . . .Come, let us bow down in worship,  let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;” (Psalm 95:3,6)

“Today, vast stress is laid on the thought that God is personal, but this truth is so stated as to leave the impression that God is a person of the same sort we are – weak, inadequate, ineffective, a little pathetic. But this is not the God of the Bible! Our personal life is a finite thing: it is limited in every direction, in space, in time, in knowledge, in power. But God is not so limited. He is eternal, infinite and almighty. He has us in His hands, we never have Him in ours. Like us, He is personal, but unlike us, he is great. In all its constant stress on the reality of God’s personal concern for His people, and on the gentleness, tenderness, sympathy, patience and yearning compassion that he shows toward them, the Bible never lets us lose sight of His majesty and unlimited dominion over all of His creatures.” – J.I. Packer

So how do we maintain great thoughts of the majesty of God?  First, we need to remove from out thoughts of God limits that would make Him small. How can we do that? Psalm 139 gives us a starting point. We can listen to and meditate on the words of the Psalmist as he describes God’s unlimited wisdom (vv. 1-4), and His presence (vv. 5-10), and His power (vv. 13-14). We can read of God’s revelation of Himself to Job in Job 38-41.

We can also compare God to that we might consider great. Listen to the prophet Isaiah as he comforts the nation of Israel in exile.

The Nations

“Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.” –  (Isaiah 40:15, 17)

We mortals might tremble before the nations, but the nations are nothing to God!

The World

“He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in.” – (Isaiah 40:22)

The world dwarfs us, but God dwarfs the world!

The world’s great ones.

“He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.” – (Isaiah 40:23-24)

The world’s greatest men are but dust in the wind to the Almighty God.

Now look at the stars.

“Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” – (Isaiah 40:26)

This is our God!

Reader, when God is mentioned, what are your thoughts of Him? Do you think of a “small” God, who exists mainly to serve us, or are they BIG thoughts of the majestic God of the Bible!

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To be continued. . .

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Part 2

Part 3

Part 5

What is God Like? – Part 3

Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

“God said to Moses, “I“I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” – (Exodus 3:13,14).

God is eternal, meaning He had no beginning and that His existence will never end. He is immortal, infinite (Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17). God is immutable, meaning He is unchangeable; this means that God is absolutely reliable and trustworthy (Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; Psalm 102:26,27).

God’s life does not change.

Created things have a beginning and an end, however their creator is from everlasting to everlasting.

“In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”  – (Psalm 120:25-27)

A small child will often ask, “Who made God?” Our answer is simple. He was always there. Children accept that answer more easily than adults, with the childlike faith that Jesus reminded His followers we all need. When Mom told this little 5-year old God was always there, that settled it – Moms don’t lie.

God’s Character does not change.

The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament. Listening to sermons in many of today’s churches, one might come away with the idea that the God who destroyed His enemies, the enemies of His Chosen people, and those among people who would dishonor His Name, has somehow changed into a kindly grandfather who waits for us to jump in His lap for a hug and a bit of candy. While God is certainly the giver of all good things to His children His moral character is changeless, as James reminded dispersed followers undergoing trials and temptations (James 1:12-17 NKJV).

God’s truth does not change.

How many times has any of us had to eat our words because of something that was said was not what was really meant, or something we thought was truth turned out to be not so true after all. God’s word, however, spoken but once, stands as truth for all eternity (Isaiah 40:6-8).

God’s ways do not change.

The wages of sin is death, so Romans 6:23 tells us. It will always be so. This verse also tells us that God offers eternal life through His Son. It will always be so. God discriminates between sinners, causing some to hear the gospel message, while others hear the words but not the message (Acts 16:13-15). To some he grants the gift of repentance and faith, while others He leaves in their sin, demonstrating that he owes mercy to no one and that it is entirely an act of His grace that any are saved (Romans 9:15).

God’s purposes do not change.

“One of two things causes a man to change his mind and reverse his plans: want of foresight to anticipate everything, or lack of foresight to execute them. But is God is both omnipotent and omnipresent there is never any need for Him to reverse His decrees.” (A.W. Pink)

The plans of God stand firm forever (Psalm 33:11). Whatever God does in time He planned from eternity, and whatever He planned in eternity WILL be carried out in time.

God’s Son does not change.

“Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Jesus is able to, and will save all who come to Him – all that the Father gives Him (John 6:37-40). This fact is the strong consolation and assurance for all God’s people.

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To be continued. . .

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Part 2

Part 4

Part 5

What is God Like? – Part 2

When you think about it, the most we can know about other people is what they reveal to us. The extent and quality of our knowledge of them depends more on them than on us. Knowing God is no different. Only what God has chosen of Himself to be revealed can be known, and that which God has chosen to reveal to us can be found in Holy Scripture.

Our quest to know God begins by understanding that God is our Creator and that we are a part of His creation (Genesis 1:1 Psalm 24:1). God said that man is created in His image. Man is above the rest of creation and was given dominion over it (Genesis 1:26-28). Creation is marred by the ‘fall (‘Genesis 3:17-18) but still offers a glimpse of His works (Romans 1:19-20). This glimpse of God that we do have is available to all men – we are all born with the knowledge that God IS. By considering creation’s vastness, complexity, beauty, and order we can have a sense of the awesomeness of God. However, considering how often and how lightly we use the term “awesome” in today’s culture, I don’t think it’s nearly a “big enough”  word to begin describing our God.

I remember when I was just a wee lad and we would visit my grandparents’ farm in Wisconsin. There weren’t any street lights and I remember looking up at the night sky and all the stars with a feeling of “WOW, God made that!” filling my little heart with wonder at how BIG God is. That was awesome.

I also remember a church, nestled in tall pine trees across the road from Grandma’s house. I found an old photo of that church, dated back to around 1955. As if it was yesterday, I can still hear the hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” resounding through the pines as we walked to church. That was awesome.

I can’t even describe just how “BIG” God was to this 5 year old – from just looking at the night sky and hearing a hymn. As we grow older and begin to read scripture our sense of God’s greatness looms even larger, or at least it should.

Face it; we don’t much care for hearing God when He speaks to us about our sin, our guilt, our helplessness, our weakness, our blindness, and spiritual “deadness”. We would rather hear just the “good stuff” He would tell us about ourselves. Nevertheless, knowing God first involves listening to His Word, receiving it as the Holy Spirit interprets it as it applies to us and to the character of God. When we see our “true selves” in the blinding light of Scripture, we can ‘know” God more fully, and even might have something to boast about.

“This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth,for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.” – Jeremiah 9:23-24

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To be continued. . .

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Part 5

“And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

(John 17:3)

This is an introduction to, and the first in a series of posts offering answers from scripture to the above questions. To say that they are important questions, questions that deserves serious consideration, is a huge understatement!

I first learned something about God’s glorious attributes years ago from two main sources: Lutheran Catechism and reading the Bible for an “Advanced” English course as a senior in high school. Catechism provided sound doctrine (and large words) to describe characteristics of God found in the Bible. In reading the Bible for itself, I found out that what it said about God matched the big words I learned in Catechism. (As odd as it might sound in today’s scholastic environment, in those days it was permissible to write a paper about The Bible as Literature, my chosen subject.)

In addition to Scripture itself, a source of information for these posts is J.I. Packer’s book, Knowing God.  Scripture references, unless otherwise noted,  are from the NIV and linked to their context in an online Bible. Please read them, read the context around them, and let scripture speak to you. There are of course other, more exhaustive treatments of the attributes of God; one of the most notable being Arthur W. Pink’s work, available online here.

These posts can really only provide a short glimpse into the awesome character of God and will hopefully whet your appetite to learn even more about the Creator of the universe and the One who sent His own Son to die so that you might live. The reason for these posts is two-fold. First, there seems to exist today, in American Christianity, a deplorable lack knowledge concerning what God has revealed about Himself in scripture. Most of what we hear from pulpits stages across the country speaks only of God’s love, and even that, for the most part, is described  according to our concept/definition of love, not His.

The second reason is from Scripture itself. John 17:3 tells us that “eternal life is knowing God“.  That can be a bit difficult to get our heads wrapped around, but it speaks of our eternal life has a  “right here”, “right now” aspect. How do we explain that in more practical, understandable terms? What effect does knowing God have on a person? J.I. Packer suggests four great effects:

1. Those who know God have great energy for God.

2. Those who know God have great thoughts of God.

3. Those who know God have great boldness for God.

4. Those who know God have great contentment in God.

We must ask ourselves, do we desire such knowledge of God?  While you ask yourself this question, remember that it’s not a matter of knowing God so we can “become” great for God, it’s simply that really “knowing” leads to “having”.

And lest I forget, when God sees knowledge of Himself in his children, It gives Him pleasure. 

” For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” – Hosea 6:6 (KJV)

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To be continued. . .

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5