The Doctrine of God
* We can know God exists because all people have an inner sense of God (Rom. 1:19-25) and because of the evidence found in scripture and in nature.
* Sin will cause people to deny their knowledge of God and because of this they are without excuse before him (Rom. 1:18).
Traditional “proofs” for God’s existence...
- Cosmological: everything has a cause and the cause of such a great universe can only be God.
- Teleological: since the universe appears to be designed with a purpose, there must be an intelligent and purposeful God who created it to function this way.
- Moral: all people have a sense of right and wrong so there must be a God who is the source of this who will someday mete out justice to all people.
- God must enable us to be persuaded or we would never believe in him. We depend on God’s active communication to us in scripture for our true knowledge of him (Matt. 11:27).
- Incomprehensibility: Because God is infinite and we are finite, we can never fully or exhaustively understand any single thing about him (Ps. 145:1-3).
- Knowability: We can know God truly, personally, and sufficiently, so we can know him as he is and have abundant and eternal life that comes from this knowledge (John 17:3).
- God’s “name” is equal to all that the Bible and creation tell us about God. God has many names that reflect many true descriptions of his character from Scripture.
* Sin will cause people to deny their knowledge of God and because of this they are without excuse before him (Rom. 1:18).
Traditional “proofs” for God’s existence...
- Cosmological: everything has a cause and the cause of such a great universe can only be God.
- Teleological: since the universe appears to be designed with a purpose, there must be an intelligent and purposeful God who created it to function this way.
- Moral: all people have a sense of right and wrong so there must be a God who is the source of this who will someday mete out justice to all people.
- God must enable us to be persuaded or we would never believe in him. We depend on God’s active communication to us in scripture for our true knowledge of him (Matt. 11:27).
- Incomprehensibility: Because God is infinite and we are finite, we can never fully or exhaustively understand any single thing about him (Ps. 145:1-3).
- Knowability: We can know God truly, personally, and sufficiently, so we can know him as he is and have abundant and eternal life that comes from this knowledge (John 17:3).
- God’s “name” is equal to all that the Bible and creation tell us about God. God has many names that reflect many true descriptions of his character from Scripture.
Incommunicable Attributes of God...
* Incommunicable attributes of God are ones that are less shared with us, and communicable attributes are more shared with us.
* Independence (aseity): God does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation can glorify him and bring him joy (Acts 17:24-25).
* Unchangeableness (immutability): God is unchangeable in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet he acts and feels emotions in response to different situations (Ps. 102:25-27).
* Eternity: God has no beginning, end, or succession of moments in his own being, and he sees all time equally vividly, yet God sees events in time and acts in time (Ps. 90:2).
* Omnipresence: God does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being, yet God acts differently in different places (Ps. 139:7-10).
* Unity (simplicity): God’s attributes are not divided into parts, yet we see different attributes emphasized at different times (Ex. 34:6-7).
* Incommunicable attributes of God are ones that are less shared with us, and communicable attributes are more shared with us.
* Independence (aseity): God does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation can glorify him and bring him joy (Acts 17:24-25).
* Unchangeableness (immutability): God is unchangeable in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet he acts and feels emotions in response to different situations (Ps. 102:25-27).
* Eternity: God has no beginning, end, or succession of moments in his own being, and he sees all time equally vividly, yet God sees events in time and acts in time (Ps. 90:2).
* Omnipresence: God does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being, yet God acts differently in different places (Ps. 139:7-10).
* Unity (simplicity): God’s attributes are not divided into parts, yet we see different attributes emphasized at different times (Ex. 34:6-7).
The Communicable Attributes of God...
* Attributes of Being
- Spirituality: God is not made of matter, has no parts or dimensions (John 4:24).
- Invisibility: God’s total essence, all of his spiritual being, will never be able to be seen by us, yet he shows himself to us through visible, created things (1 Tim. 1:17).
* Mental Attributes
- Knowledge (omniscience): God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible (past, present, and future) in one simple eternal act (1 John 3:20).
- Wisdom: God always knows and chooses the best goals and the means to them. Wisdom is a moral and intellectual quality (Rom. 16:27).
- Truthfulness: God always represents things as they really are. All of God’s knowledge and words are true and the final standard of truth (Jer. 10:10-11).
- Faithfulness: God will always do what he has said and fulfill what he has promised (Num. 23:19).
* Moral Attributes
- Goodness: All that God is and does is worthy of approval, and he is the final standard of goodness (Luke 18:19).
- Love: God is freely and eternally giving of himself for the good of others (1 John 4:8).
- Mercy: God’s kindness towards those in misery and distress (2 Sam. 24:14).
- Grace: God’s kindness toward those who deserve only punishment (Rom. 9:15).
- Patience: God’s kindness in withholding punishment of those who sin over a period of time (Ex. 34:6).
- Holiness: God is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor (Isa. 6:3).
- Peace (order): In God’s being and actions he is separate from all confusion and disorder, yet he is continually active in innumerable well-ordered, fully controlled, simultaneous actions (1 Cor. 14:33)
- Righteousness (Justice): God always acts in accordance with what is right and is himself the final standard of what is right (Deut. 32:4).
- Jealousy: God continually seeks to protect his own honor (Isa. 48:11).
- Wrath: God intensely hates all sin (Rom. 1:18).
* Attributes of purpose
- Will: God approves and determines to bring about every action necessary for the existence and activity of himself and all creation (Eph. 1:11).
- Freedom: God does whatever he pleases (Ps. 115:3b).
- Omnipotence (power): God is able to do all his holy will (Matt. 5:48).
- Blessedness (happiness): God delights fully in himself and all that reflects his character (1 Tim. 6:15).
- Beauty: God is the sum of all desirable qualities (Ps. 73:25).
- Glory: The created brightness that surrounds God’s revelation of himself (Ps. 24:10).
* Attributes of Being
- Spirituality: God is not made of matter, has no parts or dimensions (John 4:24).
- Invisibility: God’s total essence, all of his spiritual being, will never be able to be seen by us, yet he shows himself to us through visible, created things (1 Tim. 1:17).
* Mental Attributes
- Knowledge (omniscience): God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible (past, present, and future) in one simple eternal act (1 John 3:20).
- Wisdom: God always knows and chooses the best goals and the means to them. Wisdom is a moral and intellectual quality (Rom. 16:27).
- Truthfulness: God always represents things as they really are. All of God’s knowledge and words are true and the final standard of truth (Jer. 10:10-11).
- Faithfulness: God will always do what he has said and fulfill what he has promised (Num. 23:19).
* Moral Attributes
- Goodness: All that God is and does is worthy of approval, and he is the final standard of goodness (Luke 18:19).
- Love: God is freely and eternally giving of himself for the good of others (1 John 4:8).
- Mercy: God’s kindness towards those in misery and distress (2 Sam. 24:14).
- Grace: God’s kindness toward those who deserve only punishment (Rom. 9:15).
- Patience: God’s kindness in withholding punishment of those who sin over a period of time (Ex. 34:6).
- Holiness: God is separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor (Isa. 6:3).
- Peace (order): In God’s being and actions he is separate from all confusion and disorder, yet he is continually active in innumerable well-ordered, fully controlled, simultaneous actions (1 Cor. 14:33)
- Righteousness (Justice): God always acts in accordance with what is right and is himself the final standard of what is right (Deut. 32:4).
- Jealousy: God continually seeks to protect his own honor (Isa. 48:11).
- Wrath: God intensely hates all sin (Rom. 1:18).
* Attributes of purpose
- Will: God approves and determines to bring about every action necessary for the existence and activity of himself and all creation (Eph. 1:11).
- Freedom: God does whatever he pleases (Ps. 115:3b).
- Omnipotence (power): God is able to do all his holy will (Matt. 5:48).
- Blessedness (happiness): God delights fully in himself and all that reflects his character (1 Tim. 6:15).
- Beauty: God is the sum of all desirable qualities (Ps. 73:25).
- Glory: The created brightness that surrounds God’s revelation of himself (Ps. 24:10).
The Trinity...
* God eternally and necessarily exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God (Deut. 6:4-5).
* The Trinity is partially revealed in the OT (Gen. 1:26, Ps. 45:6-7; 110:1), but the more complete revelation is in the NT (Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19).
* There are three distinct persons in the Trinity, and the being of each person is equal to the whole being of God (John 1:1-2; 14:26).
* There are no differences in deity, attributes, or essential nature between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The only distinction between the member of the Trinity are in the ways they have and will always relate to each other and in the ways they relate to creation (1 Cor. 15:28).
- The doctrine of the Trinity denies both Tritheism (belief in three Gods) and Modalism (belief in only one person of God who appears in different forms).
- Arianism and Subordinationism denied the full deity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Through the leadership of...
- Athanasius, both of these (Arianism and Subordinationism) were condemned as heresy at the Council of Nicea in AD 325, where it was affirmed that Christ is of the same nature (homoousios) as the Father.
* If God were not triune, the atonement, justification by faith, worship of Christ, God as the source of salvation, the independent and personal nature of God, and the basis of the unity of the Universe would all be lost.
* Eternal equality in being but subordination in role has been essential to the church’s doctrine of the Trinity.
* God eternally and necessarily exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, and there is one God (Deut. 6:4-5).
* The Trinity is partially revealed in the OT (Gen. 1:26, Ps. 45:6-7; 110:1), but the more complete revelation is in the NT (Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19).
* There are three distinct persons in the Trinity, and the being of each person is equal to the whole being of God (John 1:1-2; 14:26).
* There are no differences in deity, attributes, or essential nature between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The only distinction between the member of the Trinity are in the ways they have and will always relate to each other and in the ways they relate to creation (1 Cor. 15:28).
- The doctrine of the Trinity denies both Tritheism (belief in three Gods) and Modalism (belief in only one person of God who appears in different forms).
- Arianism and Subordinationism denied the full deity of the Son and the Holy Spirit. Through the leadership of...
- Athanasius, both of these (Arianism and Subordinationism) were condemned as heresy at the Council of Nicea in AD 325, where it was affirmed that Christ is of the same nature (homoousios) as the Father.
* If God were not triune, the atonement, justification by faith, worship of Christ, God as the source of salvation, the independent and personal nature of God, and the basis of the unity of the Universe would all be lost.
* Eternal equality in being but subordination in role has been essential to the church’s doctrine of the Trinity.
Creation...
* God created the entire universe out of nothing; it was originally very good; and he created it to glorify himself (Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11).
* Creation is distinct from God yet is always dependent on him (Acts 17:25, 28). God is both transcendent and immanent. This means materialism (no God), pantheism (all is God), dualism (God and matter are eternal), and deism (God is not involved in the world now) are unbiblical views of creation.
* When all the facts are rightly understood, there will be “no final conflict” between scripture and natural science.
* God created the entire universe out of nothing; it was originally very good; and he created it to glorify himself (Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11).
* Creation is distinct from God yet is always dependent on him (Acts 17:25, 28). God is both transcendent and immanent. This means materialism (no God), pantheism (all is God), dualism (God and matter are eternal), and deism (God is not involved in the world now) are unbiblical views of creation.
* When all the facts are rightly understood, there will be “no final conflict” between scripture and natural science.
God’s Providence...
* God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them and (2) works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will (Heb. 1:3; Eph. 1:11).
* Within God’s providence humans are still responsible and their actions make a difference (John 16:24).
* A miracle is a less common kind of God’s activity in which he arouses people’s awe and wonder and bears witness to himself.
* Prayer is personal communication from us to God.
* Angels are created spiritual beings with moral judgment and high intelligence but without physical bodies (Neh. 9:6).
* Demons are evil angels who sinned against God and who now continually work evil in the world (2 Peter 2:4). Satan is the personal name for the head of the demons (Job 1:6).
* God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them and (2) works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will (Heb. 1:3; Eph. 1:11).
* Within God’s providence humans are still responsible and their actions make a difference (John 16:24).
* A miracle is a less common kind of God’s activity in which he arouses people’s awe and wonder and bears witness to himself.
* Prayer is personal communication from us to God.
* Angels are created spiritual beings with moral judgment and high intelligence but without physical bodies (Neh. 9:6).
* Demons are evil angels who sinned against God and who now continually work evil in the world (2 Peter 2:4). Satan is the personal name for the head of the demons (Job 1:6).