Foundational Truths – God – Righteous

You will no doubt remember that we stated earlier that the purpose of listing some of the attributes of God is not to give an exhaustive list or even a verbose explanation of the ones chosen.  Rather it is to present what is hoped to be a working knowledge from which we can look at the different rolls within the Godhead.  This was the result of attempting to develop a unification theory of God’s attributes which I have come to suspect is a lot like herding cats, the more you work at it the less you seem to accomplish.  You will also no doubt think “Hmmm, some of these sound alike” and you would be correct some do sound alike yet certain distinctions must be made.  For instance some might think that God’s holiness is akin to His righteousness but I think that would be a mistake.

Webster’s 1828 states of Righteous:

1. Just; accordant to the divine law.

2. Just; equitable; merited.

When applied to persons, it denotes one who is holy in heart, and observant of the divine commands.  The Scriptures calls this a righteous man.  When applied to things, it denotes agreement or harmony to/with the God’s will or justice.  The Scriptures see this as a righteous act.  However, in theology it is chiefly used, and applied to God and to the attainment of His followers, called saints.

Oddly enough the saint of God is not commanded directly to be righteous yet we are commanded to be holy.  In fact the Scriptures are replete with the command to “be holy.”  I think the reason for this is two fold.  First, righteousness flows from holiness, and second, righteousness has been imputed upon us as believers.  Conditionally we are not righteous but positionally we are.  And here’s what I mean.  Our present condition in bodies of flesh prevents us from being righteous; Paul makes that clear in Rom 7:7-25.  However, positionally we are righteous as we have had Christ’s righteousness imputed to us.  The Scriptures present this in a negative form in Rom 4:7-8 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”  So that our righteous is the character or quality of being right or just even though it is not our righteousness but it has been given to us as an act of sovereign grace.  

However, the righteousness of God could be briefly stated as that which is all that God is, all that He commands, all that He demands, all that He approves, and all that He provides through Christ in the gospel (Ro 1:16-17).  God is always righteous and His righteousness causes Him to always think and do what is right or act in perfect goodness in relation to His creation.  He will always do what is right.  God’s love and mercy must be harmonized with His righteousness which cannot be compromised and this necessary harmony results in His justice.  The book of Romans emphasizes the righteousness of God and shows that God is righteous in His dealings with both sinners and believers.  The righteousness of God is the theme of the gospel message. 

God’s righteousness, was perfectly fulfilled by Christ incarnate and yet rejected by sinning humanity.  It is imputed to the sinner who repents and believes in the Lord Jesus, and will be manifested in practical ways in the life of the Christian.  The righteousness of God in one sense it speaks of God’s holy hatred of sin.  In the early 1500s, Martin Luther sat in the tower of the Black Cloister, Wittenberg, reading (Rom 1:17).  That expression ‘righteousness of God’ was like a thunderbolt in my heart,” Luther later wrote.  “I hated Paul with all my heart when I read that the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel.”  

Luther saw God’s righteousness as an unassailable obstacle to eternal life for he was deeply aware of his own sinfulness, and he knew that because of it he was unacceptable to a righteous God.  Therefore, as he read this verse he was seized with despair.  But the second connotation of righteousness in (Rom 1:17) speaks of Christ’s perfect righteousness, which is imputed to the account of the believing sinner (Rom 4:24).  When Luther understood this sense of the righteousness provided by God through the righteousness imputed on a believing sinner's account, he finally grasped the true meaning of the gospel, and this discovery set ablaze the Protestant Reformation.

SDG

Foundational Truths – God – Omniscient

As we look today at another attribute of God we come now to what really gets to His ability to be the Judge of creation, as if His being the creator was not enough.  Today it’s His being Omniscient in which He knows all things.  And we must be careful here that we establish the bases of which He derives His Omniscient, and I am not sure we will do an adequate job here.  The term does not occur in Scripture, either in its nominal or in its adjectival form.  In the Old Testament though it is expressed in connection with such words as "seeing" and "hearing," "the eye" and "the ear" and occurs as figures for the knowledge of God, as "arm," "hand," "finger" which all serve to express His power.  In the New Testament the same connections are found.

Anyway…

Webster’s 1828 defines omniscient at being:

‘Om-nis-cient’,

            - Having universal knowledge; knowing all things; infinitely knowing; all-seeing or wise;  

 

And we see almost at once that Omniscient is constructed from two words, Omni and Scient; Omni – meaning ‘all’ and Scient – meaning 'knowing'.  I am sure most are familiar with Omni but Scient is a word not used in 21^st century speech but from it we derive our word science.  Now it would be a mistake to equate the two (science and scient) since science is the enterprise involved in the gaining of knowledge that is testable or falsifiable using the scientific method.   Scient on the other hand simply deals with knowing. 

As Milton said “For what can scape the eye of God all-seeing, or deceive his heart Omniscient?”  Some would say that God’s omniscience is His knowledge of all things including actual and possible, past, present, and future aka. His foreknowledge. But God is all knowing, and His knowledge is in no way restricted by temporal considerations.  To Him, all is the present.  So to say that He knows and sees the past, the present, and the future is to describe, in human terms, His being in time.  But He is outside of time and only condescends to step into time as that is where He created creation.

His knowledge is in no way restricted by temporal considerations God knows all things perfectly (Job 37:16; 1 John 3:20), sees and hears everything (Ex 3:7; Jer. 16:17), knows from all eternity the entire plan of the ages and the part of every man in that plan (Isa. 46:9-11; Eph. 1:3-12).  God has perfect knowledge of each individual person and of all his ways (Ps. 33:13-15), his words (Matt. 12:35-37), his thoughts (Matt. 9:4), his afflictions and trials (1Cor. 10:13; Rev. 2:9-13) and his future actions and final state (Matt. 25:31-34, 41; Acts 27:22-25).

God’s omniscience means that nothing anyone does escapes the knowledge of God and that one day we will be called to give an account to God who will deal with each according to the truth of his life (Rom 2:2-6; 14:10-12).  God's omniscience gives us confidence in prayer knowing that He will not lose our prayers and that He always knows the best answer, even knowing our needs before we ask (Matt. 6:31-34).

His knowledge is not based upon discovery just as His being is not based upon His having began…He simply is and He simply knows.  The Scriptures nowhere represents Him as attaining to knowledge by reasoning, but everywhere as simply knowing.  In knowing, as well as in all other activities of His nature, God is sovereign and self-sufficient.  

Foundational Truths – God – Omnipresent

As we continue looking at God’s attributes we come to the second jewel in the crown of God’s Holiness … His being Omnipresent.  I guess we should have in our last meeting defined exactly what is meant by the prefix Omni.  Omni, from the Latin ‘omnis’ simply means ‘all.’  This means that technically, as we speak of God, we could prefix each attribute of His with Omni since what ever He is, in terms of character, His is all of.  He is Omnilove, Omniwrath, Omnijustice, etc.

So Webster’s 1828 states of Omnipresent (and as you might have expected):

            Present in all places at the same time; ubiquitary.

                        (ubiquitary) – existing every where or in all places.

Upon reflection one comes to the understanding that this is a very practical attribute of God which describes His presence in every place at the same time!  As a result there is nowhere in the universe that lies outside of God's cognition and care.  A man can spend his entire life avoiding God but in the end he finds that God is ultimately unavoidable!  David recognized this stating that where ever he was God was there (Ps 139:7-12).  God is without circumference, He knows no bounds and His being every where at once is hard for us to grasp.  

We can only be one place at one time, but God is everywhere at the same time.  Our problem is that we have nothing to compare to it.  For instance, God all powerful; and we can slightly grasp that concept because we have power and strength.  He is all wise; and our level of wisdom although very limited by comparison give us some level of understanding.  But there is no sense in which we are can be present in two places at once much less everywhere!  Even though I am sure children would argue that it seems their mother can be at times.  But it is this limitation that omnipresence is mysterious to us

Now we're not alone in this since Satan is Not Omnipresent.  In fact all other things/beings are restricted to a given place at a given time.  And this is a new thought for many people.  Some have in mind that Satan is like a "junior God" who could do everything God could do, only at a lower level.  But because Satan is a created being, he is limited and localized (Job 1:6), as are all the angels and demons.  This should give us great comfort and while we would agree that Satan works today through a vast army of demons who work his infernal will (in total subjection to God); he himself is no more omnipresent than you or I.

Foundational Truths – God – Faithful

At the mention of the word faithful or faithfulness we usually think first of a spouse, close friend, or maybe even a pet.  I know that we here as the world headquarters of The Old Dead Guys are very blessed in that the entire staff consists of all three.  Yet I think the faithful pet is more faithful to the other half of our staff.  Anyway, when we think of God in terms of His being faithful we often times will have a limited understanding (as with most things pertaining to God) usually overlooking the obvious until someone points it out to us.  I think God’s attribute of being faithful is one such case.

Webster’s 1828 states of Faithful:

1. Firm in adherence to the truth.

2. Firmly adhering to duty.

3. Constant in the performance.

4. Observant of contracts, (true to one's word).  

5. True.

6. Constant; not fickle; as a faithful lover or friend.

We see Webster really gives a complete picture of God in His being faithful.  For instance God is the epitome of truth therefore He displays a “firm adherence” to it (Ps 119:140, 160: Jn 17:17).  He is also constant in “performance” (Heb 13:8; Jas 1:17).  We can therefore see Him as “observant of contracts (covenants)” (Php 1:6).  And it is his consistency in performance that leads Him to not be fickle.  Imagine a god that changed his feelings at a whim but not so with the God of creation He is steadfast, unchangeable.

But notice something else regarding His being faithful.  Because of this we can begin our days by His faithfully “raising” the sun each morning.  We set our clocks because He keeps the “electronic transition frequency in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum of atoms” unchanging (wiki Atomic clock).  Our cars function (most times) our houses stand erect and all things subsist because He upholds the basic atomic structure of all things (Col 1:17).  Yes He is very faithful.

But His faithfulness is on its greatest display in my opinion in salvation in that all who come to Him He does not reject (Jn 6:37).  He bids those who are thirsty to come to Him, drink freely (without reservation or hesitation) from the water of life without cost (Rev 22:17).

In short God's faithfulness applies to every aspect of who and what He is.  His faithfulness applies to His...

Temporal blessings (1 Ti 4:8; Ps 84:11; Isa 33:16)

Spiritual blessings (1 Cor 1:9)

Support in temptation (1 Cor 10:13)

Support in persecution (1 Peter 4:12, 13; Isa 41:10)

Sanctifying discipline (Heb 12:4-12)

Direction in difficulties (2 Chron 32:22; Ps 32:8)

The enabling of His own to persevere (Jer 32:40)

Bringing to glory (1 Jn 2:25).

So praise Him for His faithfulness, for His faithful love to and for His elect, and for His faithfulness to complete in us that which He has began (Phil 1:6).

SDG 

Foundational Truths – God – Mercy

Our understanding of mercy is somewhat tainted (as is most concepts) due to the media in which we see someone begging for mercy to not have this horrible or that horrible thing done to them.  Usually it is in context of a criminal who has a victim at his (as we say) mercy and that certainly is one accepted use of the term.  But in that instance the victim did not deserve what the criminal was about (or considering) to do.  However, in this case deserving has nothing to do with it.  Yet the biblical concept of mercy as it relates to God is somewhat different.

Webster’s 1828 states of mercy that it is:

That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant. 

So that Biblical mercy is when that which is deserved is withheld to the benefit of the object of the mercy being shown.  God has demonstrated this attribute in abundance with respect to mankind.  We from nearly the beginning of our existence have deserved nothing but wrath; having sinned and fallen short of eternal life in glory, we can do nothing to commend ourselves to or defend ourselves before God.  But thankfully, God has been so amazing in His mercy.  Over and against merely having the mercy to allow us to live out our lives without destroying us instantly, God has chosen us to greatness and glory by the hand of His Son.  The believer finds himself in Christ and enjoys full well the fruits of God's mercy.

We also must acknowledge the duality of God’s mercy as being general and specific.  It is general in that God does not pound mankind into the ground for his rebellion against Him.  This He does for man in general but they are still under condemnation.  Specifically though He displays mercy to His elect by withholding and removing divine judgment and placing it upon Christ.

Now mercy differs from Grace in that Mercy withholds that which is deserved and Grace grants that which is not.  In other words we deserve and eternity in Hell but God withholds judgment thereby granting mercy.  On the other hand (and if that were not enough) He gives to His elect, first life (through regeneration) then justification through faith, which is His gracious gift to those who do not deserve it.

It’s first mention is with Lot in speaking to the angels who would ultimately display their mercy to him by dragging him out of the city (Gen 19:19).  However, its first display is found around Gen 3:14.  I say around since it’s difficult to exactly determine where God should have killed them due to His righteousness and where He did not due to his being merciful.  But you will notice God bestowed grace upon them by providing them a covering after Adam and Eve had made full confession of their sin.

SDG

Foundational Truths – God – Love

This attribute of God is virtually universally known or at least proclaimed; yet many who rest in its certainty actually know little about it.  Yes God is love but what exactly does that mean?  Does His being love make Him a benevolent grandfather?  Is His being love allow one to cover all manner of ill with the “warm blanket” of God is love?  Well let’s see.

Webster’s 1828 states of love:

As a verb -  In a general sense to be pleased with; to regard with affection, on account of some qualities which excite pleasing sensations or desire of gratification.

This is seen as in the greatest commandment “And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Matt 22:37-40).

In this case love is an action or something you do.  I think the confusion comes in because we have weakened the meaning by attributing love to a strong like as in “I really love french fries, or golf, or NASCAR, or … you get the idea.”  In short, we love whatever gives us pleasure and delight, whether animal or intellectual; and this type of love i.e. action, certainly is attributable to God as well in that He demonstrates His love for us Rom 5:8.  But God also loves all mankind in a general sorta way, He sends rain to the just and unjust alike (Matt 5:45).

But the Scriptures declare that God is love (1 Jn 4:16) not that He merely loves.  And this gets to the essence of who God is.  The theme of the entire Bible is the self-revelation of the God of love. In the garden of Eden, God commanded that they must not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, if you do you will die (Gen 2:17). Yet when they disobey Him God seeks Adam and Eve, not to kill them but to reestablish a relationship, now broken, with Him. The God who loves seeks to bridges the gap.

That seeking and bridging reaches its pinnacle when God sends his Son into the world to rescue sinners and to provide them with eternal life (John 3:16; Ro 5:7, 8; Eph 2:1-5). John declares, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16).   

However, God’s love is tempered by His wrath so that those who refuse Him will be judged and condemned, for God will not excuse sin.  And those who view God ultimately as a benevolent grandfather make a serious mistake

Foundational Truths – God – Longsuffering

As we begin looking at another attribute of God I am reminded that this particular attribute is misunderstood by the unbelievers and taken for granted by many believers.  Hopefully you will see what I mean as the text unfolds.

As customary Webster’s 1828 states of Longsuffering as –

   –  Bearing injuries or provocation for a long time; patient; not easily provoked.

There really is not much more to say for human history demonstrates God’s patient longsuffering toward us.  What can be added though is His reason for being so which really is a twofold purpose.  1) He is longsuffering not willing that any should fall into judgment.  Peter addresses this in 2 Peter 3:9 in response to the mockers of v 2 which say that Christ is not returning.  So that Peter directly implies that judgment also comes with the coming of Christ. 2) That God’s patient longsuffering (i.e. kindness) leads to salvation (or is meant to). 

Now one may ask that if God is Sovereign then why does it not lead to salvation rather than it is meant too.  That is a very good question the answer to which should come up in about 8 weeks so hold on we will get there I promise.  But suffice it to be for now to note that it does lead to salvation to those whom the Father calls (Jn 6:37; 44) and to the rest no amount of patience will be enough since they will actively refuse His call (Mt 23:37).

We also must note that God’s longsuffering is an act of kindness toward those who are lost since if He were not so they would immediately fall into judgment and condemnation.  I am reminded of the account (told as true) of the atheist who challenged God that if He existed to prove it by striking him dead within 5 minutes.  As the time came and went the atheist stated this was proof that God does not exist to which a wise saint stated “my good man do you suppose you could exhaust God’s patience in a mere 5 minutes?” 

No indeed not but there is coming a time when His patience will end but for now today is the day of salvation and now is the acceptable time (2 Cor 6:2).

“The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness and truth;  who keeps loving kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin” Ex. 34:6-7.

Foundational Truths – God – Just/Justice

I am always amazed at the names that we use to give our children or leaders.  During biblical times name carried an idea as to the character of the individual such as James and John being the “Sons of Thunder.”  Of course this means their dad was Thunder.  What a nickname.  I can hear it now “don’t look now boys but here comes Thunder” or “I hope Thunder don’t find out.”  It sounds more like a wrasslin name (that’s wrestling before it went Hollywood).  Anyway we are never told why he was called Thunder; was it his commanding voice or his loud raucous laughter or maybe even a violent temperament we will never know. 

Then we have Edward Longshanks better known today as the antagonist or visa versa of William Wallace (think Brave Heart).  (It’s sorta like the war of northern aggression… it depends on which side of the fence your on but I digress).  Anyway, it seems he was called Longshanks due to his unusual height.  Yet when we think of God we rarely think of Him or call Him “God the Just” but that is exactly who He is, Just.  We may in a study of “the names of God” give this a glancing look but not much more.

Webster’s 1828 states of Just:

      The virtue which consists in giving to every one what is his due; Impartiality or Equity [and carries the idea of] Vindictive retribution or merited punishment.

Now we have to acknowledge that this is the unpleasant side of God if I can put it that way.  Especially since we most often think of God as a benevolent father type and it is certainly accurate to ascribe this trait to Him as well but that view is only part of who He actually is. 

Justice in terms of God is His fair and impartial treatment of all people.  The justice of God is a necessary result of His holiness or moral excellence. Since God is infinitely and eternally perfect, He must be impartial in His judgments and always treat His creatures with equity.  Or as Abraham stated... Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you!  Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Ge 18:25).

Of necessity for God to be Just He must also be omniscient or all knowing.  He must not only know what we did but also the intent of why we did what we did… and He does 1 Chron 28:9; Heb 4:12.  And while many may say they want justice from God they do so from an inflated ego not knowing their true self (Jer 17:9).  Of this position James Boice states:

Mercy or Justice - It has always been my experience that those who have not yet believed in Christ react in one of two ways at the thought of God's judgment. Some simply refuse to believe it. They think quite wrongly, I believe, that judgment is inconsistent with God's character. "God is love," they argue; "how can a loving God condemn anyone?" The answer to this view is that God's love is not inconsistent with his judgment and that, whatever we may think about the matter, the Bible quite obviously speaks of these two themes as compatible.

The other objection is more dangerous. These persons believe that it is somehow ignoble of themselves to receive salvation through Christ. To receive salvation in this way is to depend on God's mercy or grace, and they would far rather deal with God's justice. "I don't want mercy from God," they will say. "All I want is a fair shake. I just want justice."

I pity the person who wants nothing from God but justice. The justice of God? The justice of God will send a person to hell; the justice of God will never save him. Justice condemns! It is only the grace of God in Jesus Christ that pardons and makes alive.

But God’s justice is not set aside for the believer; His justice must be satisfied and it is only through the work and person of Jesus Christ.  Christ expiates (atones) our sin and guilt in that our guilt is imputed to His account.  As a result God is propitious toward us having had His wrath appeased and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to our account.  Therefore we are justified before God not on account of our own merit but upon His, The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29).

Foundational Truths – God – Jealous(y)

As you will remember when we began this study it was in connection with a study of the Godhead with the goal of looking at the duties if you will of each member. First though we thought it most advantageous to look at some (since an infinite God most certainly has infinite attributes) of the attributes each share and in fact every attribute is shared equally among each member of the Godhead. If this were not the case then the unity of the trinity (Godhead) would be broken which is an impossible.

So today we will look at the Jealous God. The thought of God being jealous to many is unthinkable, usually because in their minds they ascribe the human sinful nature of jealousy to God which is not what the Scriptures have in mind at all. And while the definition of jealous(y) certainly does include that our purpose will be to look at God’s jealousy and only look at the sinful type only as a contrast. So lets dig in.

Webster’s 1828 states of Jealous

Jealous - adv

- Solicitous to defend the honor of; concerned for the character of.

- Suspiciously vigilant; anxiously careful and concerned for.

Or as a noun -

- Indignation. (Righteous)

Human jealousy describes the hostility one has toward a rival or one believed to enjoy some advantage over us. It should be emphasized that not all human jealousy is sinful though as seen in the prophet Elijah's reaction in 1 Kings 19:9-10 (God asks) “What are you doing here, Elijah? He said, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” So let’s be clear not all human jealousy is sinful

However, jealousy is an emotion we most often describe as seen between lovers; and yet God communicates His Jealousy with Israel as a husband would a wife (or visa versa) (Jer 31:32; cf. Ho 2:19, Isa 54:5, Jer 2:2) and because of His love for His people He jealously acts to maintain their fidelity. Divine jealously is not the petty emotion so often seen in fallen men and women, but describes God's justifiable intolerance to any and every rival (i.e. idols, gods). Jealousy is God's rightful demand for our exclusive affection in light of His provision for us.

In short, God's kind of jealousy is appropriate and good, for He is defending His word and His Holy honor as well as that of His chosen elect. He makes a strong, exclusive demand on those who are His. As such, we must treat only the Lord as God to the exclusion of all other people and created things!

The Scriptures are replete with references to God’s godly jealously over His, dare I say property (people). For you are not your own you know, you have been bought off the slave market at great price (1 Cor 6:19b-20). Consider a few others:

Josh 24:19; Ezek 16:38; Ps 79:5; Ex 34:13, 14; Deut 4:23; Deut 5:9;


So in light of this let us examine our life style honestly and prayerfully.

Have other persons, places, or things assumed a more prominent status or role in our lives than our relationship with the Lord God Almighty, the eternal, immutable lover of our soul? If so, take some decisive and concrete steps to cast out and destroy the "idols" in our life and give to Him the high and lofty position He alone deserves. Our daily choices will demonstrate whether He is truly Lord or if we have given Him only lip service!

And let us not forsake the spiritual welfare of other believers; are we as jealous for their spiritual welfare as we should? This is at the very heart of Gal 6:1 and the demonstration of Paul in 2 Cor11:2-ff.


Think about it…

Foundational Truths – God - Foreknows

Possibly one of the most contentious topics of discussion among reasonably educated believers is the foreknowledge of God.  Discussion of this usually within the context of predestination or election generates more heat than light but your view on this topic will determine your salvic world view as well as the roll God has in the salvation of his Church.  Now we will avoid getting involved in the discussion of predestination since admittedly this short post could not add much if anything substantive to the debate which has not be stated prior by those better equipped than I. But, as you will remember, when we began to look at some of God’s attributes, we framed the series as offering “enough of a foundation from which to operate.”  So with this as our backdrop we begin.

Webster’s 1828 states:

Foreknows – To have previous knowledge of; to foresee

Foreknowledge – Knowledge of a thing before it happens; prescience

Foreknowledge then describes God’s knowledge of future events, including future free human choices.  In His omniscience (something we will deal with at a later time) God knows what the future holds both for individuals and for nations.  He knows and sees everything in advance and His will is carried out in accord with His plans and purposes providentially.  Foreknowledge does not just mean that God knew something would happen before it happened (although it is true) but that He also gave prior consent to the happening. 

But you may cry foul as your conception of free will exercises its right to choose; but God’s foreknowledge does not eradicate our freely choosing one thing over another on the contrary it (our free will) validates his foreknowledge in that all things work for our good (Ro 8:28).  But if God did not providentially foreknow then He becomes reactionary something the Scriptures never even hint at.

However and ultimately, we do eventually get around to Ro 8:29 where God tells us that He has “predestined [us] to be conformed to the image of his Son” and this based upon His having “foreknown” us.  Yet His foreknowledge is not based upon the common misconception that God knew beforehand who would believe on His Son (by looking down the corridors of time) and then predestined those individuals for salvation; especially since repentance and faith are never presented in Scripture as being foreknown of God but are on the contrary seen as a result of God having first sought the recipient of said faith and repentance.  For to hold to that view one would, to be consistent, also have to apply this view to 1 Peter 1:20 to say that God looked down the corridors of time and then (foreknow) predestine Christ to be manifest “in the last times for [our] sake” because Christ would choose to.  I do not know anyone who would hold to this view.

So we see that God foreknows all simply because He either causes all things through the instigation of His hands or though the passive (from our view) allowance of evil (as we perceive it).  But ultimately God knows all because in His sovereignty He causes all things so as not to become the author of evil or to excuse the free will rebellion of those who freely choose to disobey and reject Him and His Lordship.  This tension is only resolved in the mind of God and I am content to leave it there.

Foundational Truths – God – Infinite

As we continue to build our picture of God we begin to see reoccurring themes which seem to say roughly the same thing(s) about Him.  This is due in great part to this writer’s limited understanding of Him and the inability to fully comprehend Him and still further to verbally articulate Someone who at some point resists all attempts to be comprehended.  

Today’s topic will be little different.

Now we have seen in the past God is eternal and one would be tempted to equate that to being infinite as well, but it does not follow that just because He is eternal that He would be infinite as well since one may be eternal but not infinite.  But I am convinced He could be infinite without being eternal.  For instance man is eternal from the moment of his creation however his eternality is moving in a forward direction but he is not infinite.  God’s eternality moves to infinity in both past and future (if we can say it that way).  He is the eternal now.

So let’s begin… yep you guessed it; Webster states of infinite:

Infinite –

1. Without limits; unbounded; boundless; not circumscribed; applied to time, space and qualities. God is infinite in duration, having neither beginning nor end of existence. He is also infinite in presence, or omnipresent, and his perfections are infinite. We also speak of infinite space.

2. That will have no end. Thus angels and men, though they have had a beginning, will exist in infinite duration.

3. That has a beginning in space, but is infinitely extended; as, a line beginning at a point, but extended indefinitely, is an infinite line.

4. Infinite is used loosely and hyperbolically for indefinitely large, immense, of great size or extent.

Without limits certainly about sums it up so that the infinity of God means that He is limitless, measureless and boundless.  His Divine infinity indicates that the limitations of finite creatures do not apply to him.  So that whatever God is (love, faithfulness, righteous, wise, wrath, etc), He is without limit; and whatever He is cannot be measured.  He is not bound or restricted by space, time, or matter.  There is no point, edge, or line confining God, and no size or weight that can catalog Him. 

And yet on the opposite end of the spectrum we have Eliphaz the Temanite responding to Job in part: "Is not your wickedness great, and your iniquities without end?”  (Job 22:5).

So that man is infinite in his iniquities if Eliphaz is correct; and given other passages I believe he is.  How much more needful is it for the man whose iniquities are infinite, who is dead in his sin against God (Eph 2:1,5; Col 2:13), how much more needful is it that he be regenerated (Eph 4:23,24), that he be born again (Jn 3:3,7), that he put off the old man and put on the new?  How much more needful is it that he be made a new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17)?  How much more needful indeed!

SDG

Foundational Truths – God – Incomprehensible

Incomprehensible or Inscrutable is the attribute we will look at today.  And we at the onset admit to the fact that if/since God is infinite we being finite cannot know Him in its fullest sense for to do so would by necessity make us infinite as well.  So with that in mind let’s begin as usual with Webster’s 1828 which states: 

Incomprehensible –

1. That cannot be comprehended or understood; That is beyond the reach of human intellect; inconceivable.

Inscrutable –

1. Unsearchable; that cannot be searched into and understood by inquiry or study.  

2. That cannot be penetrated, discovered or understood by human reason.

And unlike propitiate and expiate which although seemingly are the same but in actuality are vastly different, Incomprehensible and Inscrutable are seemingly different but in actuality are the same and are therefore synonymous.  So that we can state of God that “He cannot be comprehended or understood.  That He is beyond the reach of human intellect and is therefore inconceivable and uncontainable.  That He is unsearchable and cannot be understood by inquiry or study and that He cannot be penetrated, discovered, or understood by human reason.”

Wow that was a mouthful, but in reality and in light of the above understanding we could go on, at least in theory, forever and exhaust human ability and still not plumb the depths.  I know I am exhausted pretty quickly.  Anyway

As we admit this we also recognize the paradox inherent here, for we are ever mindful as we study God that He is in His essence, unknowable (Isa 55:8).  He is far above us; exalted infinitely higher than we, His creation; infinitely above our conception, thought, or language.  God’s essence, that is what He is in and of Himself, is hidden from us and beyond our ability to understand.  However and here’s the paradox, God has given us the ability in His Word to know that He is, and to know what He is even if in a very limited way.  He in fact calls us to Himself asking us to reason with Him (Isa 1:18).

Therefore, while Scripture teaches the absolute incomprehensibility of God (Job 38:1 - 41:34), they also present a doctrine of God that fully maintains His knowability.  And He has revealed to us, at least in part, His purpose for doing so, that we may worship Him as God (Rom 1:20-23) and have eternal life (John 17:3).  This is but one of the many tensions found in the Scriptures. 

Yet even in His revealing Himself He condescends to us purely out of His grace and mercy for He needs nothing from us as He is complete in every way humanly imaginable.  It was Augustine who said “We are speaking of God.  Is it any wonder that you do not comprehend?  For if you comprehended Him He cannot be God.  Let this be a pious confession of great ignorance rather than a rash profession of knowledge.  To have a very slight knowledge of God is a great blessing.  To comprehend Him is altogether impossible.”

SDG

Foundational Truths – Impartiality

As we veer back on to the road of looking at some of God’s attributes after having chased the rabbit from His immutability into His will and the “problem” of evil, we now have before us His Impartiality i.e. He is impartial.

You know it, Webster (1828) defines impartial as:

1. Not partial; not biased in favor of one party more than another; indifferent; unprejudiced; disinterested; as an impartial judge or arbitrator.

2. Not favoring one party more than another; equitable; just; as an impartial judgment or decision; an impartial opinion.

So that with God impartial means … well … not partial (how’s that – all with one hand behind my back) and speaks of God's attribute whereby He treats all men and women equally, not demonstrating favoritism in terms of merit for salvation.  That is, He does not look with more regard to the Irish than he does the Scotts.  Or those that are left handed as opposed to those who are right handed.  So that God does not show prejudice towards or against any person or party. 

Now at the onset we must acknowledge that God certainly is partial to His elect but what we see here is that His partiality is not based upon anything other than His specific salvic grace having been bestowed upon them and nothing more. 

When we speak of His being impartial as the Scriptures do we mean thus:  

He takes no bribe - Deut 10:17-18

He does not despise any person - Job 36:5

In terms of His general grace and love, He allows both the evil and good live and provides them both with daily needs - Matt 5:44-45

God is partial to neither Jew nor Gentile (nation of origin) but accepts all that come to Him - Acts 10:34-35

All will received a just recompense for their works - Rom 2:6-9

So that biblical Partiality is the idea of looking to see who someone is before deciding how to treat him or her!  In other words, one judges by appearance and on that basis giving special favor and respect (or the converse - refuses to give respect).  This then pertains to judging others purely on a superficial level, without consideration of the person’s true merits, abilities, or character.

Where as biblical Impartiality is just the opposite. That is, God does not judge based upon outward appearance, wealth, culture, social position, family background, education, beauty, intellect, all things that more or less sway the opinions of man, do not count with God.

And indeed He does not need to “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Heb 4:12-13)

Foundational Truths – God – Immutable

As we continue our look some of the principles shared within the Godhead we have up till now seen that He exists and therefore wants us to know Him as God, as well as that God is Eternal.  This week we will look at the fact that God is Immutable.  That is He does not change.  As stated last week that “since God is eternal it is also very good that He be Holy” and to add … it is also good that He does not change. 

Again the goal here will be to offer enough of a foundation from which to operate. 

As usual a brief definition:

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines Immutable as:

Invariable; unalterable; not capable or susceptible of change.

I think that his definition bares a closer inspection.  He states that to be immutable you must be “unalterable” as well as “not capable … of change” and here we have two great statements of God as it relates to His being immutable.  1) That He is not alterable, that is no outside force can or will change Him.  And logically we must acknowledge this for if He could be changed then the force changing Him would be greater than Him and of necessity He would not be God.  2) He is not capable of change that is He is incapable of change not that He could change and chooses not to but no He by His very nature cannot change.

A. W. Pink reminds us that... “God cannot change for the better, for He is perfect; and being perfect, He cannot change for the worse”

And it follows that since He is not capable of change then by definition His essence cannot change that is His very being cannot be something it is not already.  He cannot increase.  He cannot decrease.  He cannot self-evolve.  He cannot develop.  He is unchangeable. 

He therefore cannot have any new attributes which would suggest change in his essential being.  Now if any perfection could be separated from God, he would cease to be God.  If we were, for example, to think of a God from whom his goodness were taken, then of course he would not be the infinite God that he was before.  He cannot be wiser than he was before, he cannot be holier than he was before, he cannot be more righteous or more merciful than he was before, and He cannot be less merciful than he was before.   

Further His will is unchangeable in His plans and purposes.  He does not, for example, purpose something today that he changes tomorrow.  He does not change his mind.  He does not have to sit and think now what shall I do?  Shall I do this or shall I do that?  Well I think today I’ll try this, or I think tomorrow I will try that.  Because God is infinite in his wisdom, then there is no error in the conception of his plans.  All of his plans are perfect, and he does not have to reason them out.  He has within himself the power to know that which is the finest plan.

So what comfort is there in knowing that God does not indeed cannot change?  As we saw earlier God has set a standard and that standard is that we, you and I, be holy just as He is.  But imagine trying to reach that standard if God were to change.  It would be like trying to score a touchdown with the goal posts constantly moving.  And this is what moral relativism does it constantly moves the goal so that anything is possible and defendable.  But not so with God; He is immutable.