1. What is God?
a. John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
b. Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”
c. Luke 24:39 Look at my hands and my feel. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.
d. John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
The Bible teaches us that:
God is a) a spirit, b) a personal being, c) without flesh and blood, and therefore d) invisible.
2. What is God like?
a. Psalm 90:1-2 A prayer of Moses the man of God. ”Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
b. Malachi 3:6 I the LORD do not change.
c. Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.
d. Psalm 139:1-4 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
e. Jeremiah 23:24 ”Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. ”Do not I fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.”
f. Lev. 19:2 Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ”Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”
g. Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
h. 2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself. i. Ps. 145:9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
i. Exodus 34:6-7 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”
j. John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The Bible teaches us that: God is a) Eternal (without beginning or end); b) Unchangeable; c) Omnipotent (almighty, all powerful); d) Omniscient (all knowing); e) Holy (sinless and hating sin); f) Omnipresent (present everywhere; g) Just (fair and impartial); h) Faithful (keeping His promises); i) Benevolent (good, kind, desiring what’s best for us); j) Merciful (full of pity);
k) Gracious (showing undeserved kindness and love)
3. Who is the only true God?
a. Deuteroomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
b. Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
c. 2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
d. Matthew 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’
The Bible teaches us that: a) God is one (or, as it is in Latin, “une”)
b) In this one God there are three (from the Latin for three “tri”) distinct Persons, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
c) The true God is the Triune God. (The Father sent the Son to be our Savior; the Son willingly came and redeemed us with His suffering and death; the Holy Spirit brings us to saving faith in Jesus Christ)
d) We’ll go into more depth on what each Person of the Godhead does in future lessons. One thing we can remember is that all Persons planned, agreed and carried out the activities mentioned here. Each person has a primary area of responsibility in our salvation, but all agree and cooperate in carrying it out. Hence, the Son did not come unwillingly, as a teenager might do their homework, but willingly and eagerly.
4. How are we to approach and contemplate the mystery of the Holy Trinity?
a) I Corinthians 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
b) John 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.
c) Revelation 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ”Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”
The Bible teaches us that: a) The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is far beyond our reason.
b) Only God knows God, and He has revealed Himself to us, through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as the Triune God in the Bible.
c) We are to believe this revelation of Himself with unquestioning faith, and to adore and glorify Him with the hosts of heaven.
5. What does it mean to believe in God?
a) John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
b) James 1:21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
c) Psalm 31:14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.”
The Bible teaches us that:
To believe in God means that, on the basis of the Scriptures, I personally, in my heart,
a) Know God as my gracious God in Christ Jesus (Knowledge)
b) Accept as true what He says and promises (Assent)
c) Trust in Him and rely on Him with firm confidence (Confidence)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Are there other ways that people can know about God? If so, what are they? What are their limitations?
2. What do the Scriptures mean when they speak of God’s right hand or His eyes?
3. What comfort do you have knowing that God knows everything? What warning?