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Lesson 4: Understanding Further the Nature of God

Lesson 4: Understanding Further the Nature of God. God’s Providence Is Working Today. He created all things He sustains all things Divine providence concerns:

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Lesson 4: Understanding Further the Nature of God

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  1. Lesson 4: Understanding Further the Nature of God

  2. God’s Providence Is Working Today • He created all things • He sustains all things • Divine providence concerns: • God’s support, preservation, care, supervision and government which He exercises over everything He has created (from the moment of His first creation to His foreseeable future into eternity) that He might accomplish the purpose for which all things were created • God’s providence is tied to His nature!

  3. God is eternal • God always has been & will always be. • He was “before” time & He will be “after” time. • He is immortal • “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Tim. 1:17) • “…who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.” (1 Tim. 6:16)

  4. God is eternal • He is eternal, everlasting & forever • “The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27). • “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy…” (Isa. 57:15). • “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psa. 90:1-2).

  5. God is eternal • He is eternal, everlasting & forever • “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable” (Isa. 40:28). • “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever” (Psa. 45:6). • “But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, and the remembrance of Your name to all generations” (Psa. 102:12).

  6. God is eternal • He is eternal, everlasting & forever • “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done” (Isa. 46:9-10). • “To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 25, NASB).

  7. God is immutable • God is unchangeable in His nature and attributes • He is the same yesterday, today & forever • He is immutable • “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19). • “For I am the LORD, I do not change” (Mal. 3:6).

  8. God is immutable • He is immutable • “Thus God, determining to show…the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation…” (Heb. 6:17-18). • “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

  9. God is immutable • He is immutable • “Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail” (Heb. 1:12). • “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you”’” (Ex. 3:14). • “I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothingcan be added to it, And nothingtaken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him” (Ecc. 3:14).

  10. God is omnipotent • God is all-powerful with unlimited power to do any and all things consistent with His nature and purpose • God is called the “almighty God” (Gen. 17:1; Rev. 15:3; 19:6). • He is omnipotent • “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Gen. 18:14). • Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). • “Who is mightylike You, O LORD?” (Psa. 89:8).

  11. God is omnipotent • God is all-powerful • “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth…For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psa. 33:6, 9). • “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained…” (Psa. 8:3). • “…upholding all things by the word of His power…” (Heb. 1:3).

  12. God is omnipotent • God is all-powerful • “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You” (Jer. 32:17). • “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21).

  13. God is omniscient • God is all-wise & all-knowing • There are no mysteries or unsolved puzzles with Him • He is omniscient • “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33-36).

  14. God is omniscient • God is all-wise & all-knowing • “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?” (Job 38:3-5). • “For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed” (1 Sam. 2:3). • “His understanding is infinite” (Psa. 147:5).

  15. God is omniscient • God is all-wise & all-knowing • He knows: • The stars, calls them by name (Psa. 147:4). • When a bird falls to the ground (Mt. 10:29). • The number of hairs on your head (Mt. 10:30). • All men and their works (Psa. 33:13-15). • The future of men & events (Isa. 46:10). • ALL THINGS (1 John 3:20).

  16. God is omniscient • God is all-wise & all-knowing • He knows “the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). • He knows the things that “come into your mind” (Ezek. 11:5). • He knows “every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecc. 12:14). • “There is no creature hiddenfrom His sight, but all things are naked and opento the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13).

  17. God is omniscient • God is all-wise & all-knowing • “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know mysitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it” (Psa. 139:1-6).

  18. God is omnipresent • To be all-knowing, God must be all-present, existing everywhere, at all times and at the same time, watching all of His creation. • There is no place or moment in time where God is not present. • He is omnipresent • “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chron. 16:9). • “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3).

  19. God is omnipresent • God must be all-present, existing everywhere • “‘Am I a God near at hand,’ says the LORD, ‘And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?’ says the LORD; ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the LORD” (Jer. 23:23-24). • “…so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27-28).

  20. God is omnipresent • God must be all-present, existing everywhere • “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You” (Psa. 139:7-12).

  21. Does God care?Is He willing? • God is eternal (“time” is not an issue) • God is immutable (“seasons” are not an issue) • God is all-powerful (“ability” is not an issue) • God is all-knowing (“know-how” is not an issue) • God is all-present (“too-busy” is not an issue) • BUT • Does He care about us? • Is He willing to provide for us?

  22. Does God care?Is He willing? • God is “full of compassion” (Psa. 78:38). • “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies” (Psa. 25:10). • “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth” (Psa. 86:15). • The Lord…“is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). • “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16). “He cares”(1 Pet. 5:7).

  23. Does God care?Is He willing? • “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). • “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). • “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:31-32).

  24. Does God change His mind? • Is the Bible contradictory when it suggests God is immutable & then shows instances when God “changed His mind”? • Mal. 3:6 – “I do not change.” • Ex. 32:14 – “The Lord changed His mind.” • Num. 23:19 – “God is not a…son of man, that He should repent.” • Gen. 6:6 – “The Lord was sorry (it repented the Lord—KJV) that He had made man.”

  25. Does God change His mind? • Fact #1 to remember: The essence, nature, character & will of God are immutable, stable & perfect – Heb. 1:12; James 1:17. • Fact #2 to remember: The knowledge of God is perfect and complete. He knows everything there is to know (past, present & future). He does not “learn” or “discover” and is never “surprised” – Heb. 4:12-13; Matt. 10:29-30; Psalm 139:1-24. His hundreds of prophecies & eternal purpose also prove this.

  26. Does God change His mind? • Fact #3 to remember: The Bible employs figuration language (figures of speech) to describe the infinite God to finite man (Rom.11). • Anthropomorphism (“man form”) – used to attribute human/physical features to God • 1 Peter 3:12 (eyes, ears, face) • Isaiah 59:1-2 (hand, ear, face) • John 12:38 (arm) • The Bible ascribes these physical features even though God is not a physical being—“God is Spirit” (John 4:24) & “a spirit does not have flesh and bones” (Luke 24:39).

  27. Does God change His mind? • Fact #3 to remember: The Bible employs figuration language (figures of speech) to describe the infinite God to finite man (Rom.11). • Anthropopathism (“man feeling”) – used to attribute human feelings/emotions to God • God repented, was grieved, changed His mind • Using human terms to symbolically assert that man’s conduct did not meet the divine standard & show God’s displeasure at man’s rebellion. • God’s promises and warnings are always conditional on man’s response (Jer. 18:7-10).

  28. Does God’s foreknowledge remove man’s free will? • Some have asserted that if God knew that man was going to sin that He must have somehow caused it, separate and against man’s free will. • Some have asserted that if God knows that I am going to sin, how can I possibly not commit the sin? Therefore, I have no free will in choosing to sin or not…God’s foreknowledge predestines it to happen. • Based on these fallacious assertions, some have concluded that God chooses not to foreknow our individual actions.

  29. Does God’s foreknowledge remove man’s free will? • Think about what God foreknew: • Nature of Ishmael’s life – Gen. 16:11-12 • Israel’s rebellion – Deut. 28 • Jesus’ sacrifice – Isa. 53 • Judas’ betrayal – Psa. 41:9; John 6:64-71 • Destruction of Jerusalem – Matt. 24:1-34 • Life of Jeremiah & Paul – Jer. 1:5; Gal. 1:15 • But, did God’s foreknowledge remove the free will and force the person to act in a particular way?

  30. Does God’s foreknowledge remove man’s free will? • Man acts willingly & freely in his own way: • Ishmael made choices • Israel rebelled • Jesus gave Himself – John 10:15-18 • Men crucified Jesus of own free will - Ac. 2:28 • Judas’ betrayal – Matt. 27:4; Acts 1:25 • Titus & Roman army destroyed • Jeremiah & Paul made life choices • God knows everything that man will do. • Man chooses his own course of conduct.

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