Editorial
July/August, 1981
Volume 16, Number 4
Perhaps the most critical need for the church in our day is for each of us to see heaven opened and to receive a transforming vision of God. But the God we must see is not the utilitarian God who is popular because He brings success to man’s various undertakings. Instead, we must learn to know the Majesty of the heavens – God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth – the God who makes demands on our lives, and the God who revealed himself in Scripture as being both just and holy.
Neither the prophets nor the apostles ever attempted to prove the existence of God. They presupposed God’s existence, and thus everywhere in the Bible the existence of God is assumed as a fact. Even the Brethren in the early decades of the Twentieth Century, when preparing the doctrinal statement known as “The Brethren Card,” said nothing about God the Father. They assumed His existence and that every Christian believes that He is.
If there is no God, then there is neither right or wrong, and human action is neither good or bad. We can only come to a true understanding of ourselves as we acknowledge God as the beginning and end of all existence, and as we see Him as the first and final cause of all that is. If we have distorted views of God or unscriptural notions about who God is, it will lead to perverted concepts of every other Biblical truth.
The Bible says it is only “the fool” who denies God’s existence (Psalm 14:1). But there are in our society many “practical atheists” – persons who believe there is a God, but who live as if God did not exist. This form of atheism is widely prevalent in our day. However, the Bible presents God as active in all things, and is therefore one who can be known. In its description of His multiplied activity, the Scriptures have a good deal to say about the God who acts.
The article in this issue of the WITNESS is a briefly condensed version of Unit 2 from the BBI Correspondence Course” entitled “Major Bible Doctrines (Part I).”
Correspondence Courses are available from BRF. Follow this link for more information.
What The Bible Teaches About God
by Harold S. Martin
In the midst of the knowledge explosion of the past half century, it is important to remember that the greatest knowledge one can possess, is a knowledge of God. The loftiest thinking which can ever engage the mind of the Christian – is thinking about the name, the nature, the existence, the person, and the work of the great God whom he calls “Father.” What we believe about God affects our actions and attitudes. Our concept of God determines our view of the world, of sin, of life, of duty, and of conduct. Moses gave up the king’s palace for the desert and for a life of reproach with God’s people because “he endured as seeing him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27).
The study of God is known as “theology.” There are a number of responses to theology. The atheist asserts that there is no God; the agnostic says he can’t tell whether there is a God or not; the materialist boasts that he doesn’t need a God; the worldly fool wishes there were no God; the Christian answers that he cannot do without God.
GOD’S EXISTENCE
The opening words of Scripture announce the fact of God: “in the beginning God.” The writer does not argue for the existence of God; he simply assumes that God exists. God spoke the word and the universe came into being. And of course – if God has spoken, then God must exist! We accept the truth of God’s existence by faith, but our faith is not a blind faith, for it is based on evidence found primarily in the Scriptures and also in nature.
There are a number of evidences for the existence of God. Some of the arguments are naturalistic and some are biblical. We look first at the rational (naturalistic) arguments for God’s existence:
(1) The law of cause and effect – Logic teaches that every effect must have a cause. The material world is an effect and there must be an adequate cause to bring it into existence. We can say that nothing caused this world, or that something caused it. The cause must have been a being sufficiently powerful to produce it. The argument is simply this: There is a power somewhere because there are effects everywhere.
(2) The law of design and order – Reason shows that the existence of a design presupposes the existence of a designer. The universe is orderly, mathematical, and highly structured. It is unbelievable that the universe with its forests and flowers, its lakes and landscapes — and the human body with its skin and muscles and nervous system — came into being simply by chance. There must be an intelligence somewhere because order and arrangement are everywhere.
(3) The law of man’s moral nature – Man’s conscience, intelligence, and mental capacities have to be accounted for in some way. Man is not a mere biological creature, but one who sees, feels, and is aware of moral obligations. He has a sense of right and wrong. Since the creature has a sense of right and wrong, the creator likewise must be a moral being and not merely some impersonal force. This argument tells us a little bit more about God.
The above arguments for the existence of God are philosophical and the believer does not need them for himself. But such proofs show the reasonableness of belief in God and sometimes they help in dealing with unbelievers. While these naturalistic arguments do not themselves prove the existence of the true God, they produce sufficient evidence to place the unregenerated man under a responsibility to accept further knowledge from God.
The other line of proof for God’s existence is found in what the Bible says. Our study is not primarily a discussion on what men think about God, but rather an investigation centering on what God tells us about himself in His Word.
(1) David in Psalm 19:1 — says very clearly that God has revealed His existence in the world around us. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork.”
(2) Isaiah in Isaiah 40:25-26 — rebukes Israel for their idols, asks them to consider the world about them, and says, “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things.”
(3) Paul in Acts 14:15-17 — contended for the existence of God before the non-Christian audience in Lystra and stated that the rain and the change of seasons witness to “the living God.”
The Scriptures plainly tell us that God is knowable because He has revealed what can be known about Him (Romans 1:19-20).The creation testifies to God’s invisible nature and power. The written Word witnesses further to the existence of God. And thus, if the Bible is true–and we believe that it is–then there is a living God who brought the worlds into being and who upholds everything by the word of His power. We are accountable to Him.
GOD’S NATURE
It is essential for us to guard our minds against distorted views of the Godhead, and to have a biblical understanding of the nature of God. For example, the Mormons teach that “The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as any man’s… Adam is God, the Supreme God, the creator of this world … he is our father and our God” (Doctrines and Covenants, Sec. 130:22). We want to note in this section of our study how God has revealed himself in the Scriptures.
God is a spirit. God has nothing of a material or bodily nature. In John 4:24 we read that “God is a spirit,” and in Luke 24:39 the basic meaning of “spirit” is clarified. Jesus told His followers after His resurrection, “A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have.” God is not a great man sitting on a chair a half mile up in the sky. No one has ever seen God in His real essence. God is not exactly like anything nor anybody. God is spirit. He cannot be seen with the human eye. God is invisible (Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17). However God did assume visible form on occasion in Old Testament times (Exodus 33:18-23), and in Jesus Christ men saw what God was like (John 14:8-9). The Bible references to God’s eyes and hands and ears are used in a figurative sense, not in a literal sense.
God is a person. God has the characteristics of personality (intellect, emotion, and will). God is not mere energy nor blind force nor the sum total of everything (pantheism). God is a person who speaks and hears and blesses! The Bible clearly states that God knows. In Psalm 139:1-6 we read, “Thou has searched me and known me; thou knowest my downsitting and uprising.” The Scriptures state too that God feels (both wrath and love). Nahum 1:2 and John 3:16 show the contrast. The Bible also says that God wills. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3 we read, “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.” Knowledge, emotion, and will are the traits of personality. God is not some cloudy, hazy, indefinite, blindly operating, omnipotent Force. God is a living, loving Person who speaks and hears and blesses.
God is a unity. God is one God. There is no other. He has no equal. This truth stands in contrast to polytheism – the belief in a multiplicity of gods. In Egypt, the sun was worshiped (under the title Ra). The Phoenicians worshiped Baal. The Ammonites worshiped Molech. Israel lived in the midst of polytheistic nations (Joshua 24:15; 2 Kings 17:33) – and one of the reasons God called out Israel as a chosen and separate people, was to witness to the unity of God. The Lord our God “is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). This is repeated at least fifty times in the Old Testament, and the New Testament likewise teaches God’s unity (1 Corinthians 8:4-6; James 2: 19). The lesson is this: If God is one God, then He expects the unity of man’s powers to be concentrated on loving Him. An undivided God justly expects an undivided allegiance to Him. He is the only God; there is no other; He expects ail our worship (Mark 12:29-30).
God is a trinity. God is one in essence, yet three co-equal Persons. The mind of man cannot fully grasp the truth, yet it is part of God’s revelation of himself. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for God (Elohim) is used most frequently in plural form, but generally with a singular verb. Also, the plural pronoun is used in connection with God’s activity. Notice Genesis 1:26, “Let us make man”; Isaiah 6:8, “Who will go for us”; Genesis 3:22, “Behold man is become as one of us.” In the New Testament, the three persons of the Godhead are evident at the baptism of Jesus (Luke 3:22), in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), and in Paul’s benediction (2 Corinthians 13:14). The baptismal formula (Matthew 28:19), “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” expresses “threeness” – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; yet it expresses “oneness” — in the name of.
The name “God” is usually applied to God the Father, but it can be applied to all three Persons of the Trinity. The Bible clearly teaches that the Father is God (Romans 1:7), the Son is God (Hebrews 1:8), and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). Failure to understand the trinity and unity and personality of God is not harmful, but failure to believe these basic truths is detrimental.
GOD’S ATTRIBUTES
The attributes of God are those qualities which are characteristic of God. We say we believe in God, but what kind of God is He?Sometimes His attributes are divided into two categories – natural and moral. God’s natural attributes are those qualities which are true of God alone and cannot be passed on to any creature. His moral attributes are qualities which God has in absolute perfection, but which He can also give in a relative sense to His creatures (men and angels).
God is omniscient. God knows everything. He has a complete and perfect knowledge of all things. He knows all the past (Acts 15:18). He knows all the present (Matthew 10:29-30; Proverbs 5:21). He knows all the future (Daniel 2:28-29). Just how God can comprehend so vast a number of things surpasses our comprehension. God never learned anything. If He had ever learned even one fact, it would mean that before He learned it, He didn’t know it, and therefore there would have been some ignorance in Him.
God is omnipotent. God is all powerful. He is able to do anything that He wills to do. The attribute of omnipotence is spoken of in both Testaments. Job said, “I know that thou canst do every thing” (Job 42:2). Jesus said regarding the salvation of human beings, ‘~With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). The Bible fifty-six times declares that God is “the almighty one.” In Revelation 19:6 we see the multitude in heaven crying out, “The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
God is omnipresent. God is everywhere present. He is present everywhere at the same time. Even though God is everywhere, there are varying degrees of the manifestation of His presence. His throne is in heaven (Isaiah 66:1; Revelation 21:2), yet we read, “Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord!” (Jeremiah 23:24). God’s omnipresence is a warning to the unbeliever, for no one can escape God. His omnipresence is a comfort for the Christian, for we may experience His presence at all times (Matthew 28:20).
God is eternal. God’s existence is without limit. He is without beginning and without end. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God” (Psalm 90:2). One of God’s names is “I AM.” God exists in a way that no one or anything else does. He is the only God who exists, and all other existence is dependent upon His uncaused existence. God was – at the beginning. God will be – at the end of all time.
God is immutable. God does not change. He stands in contrast to an ever-changing world. In our concept of God, there can be no idea of a growing or developing being. God is the one in whom there can be no variableness (James 1:17; Malachi 3:6). The word “repent” (Genesis 6:6; Jonah 3:10) when applied to God is used in a phenomenal sense. That is, it describes what appears to be, as distinguished from reality. When a man, bicycling against the wind, turns about and goes with the wind – the wind seems to change, yet it is blowing just as it was before.
God is holy. God is free from evil. He is absolutely clean and pure and free from all defilement (Isaiah 57:15; Psalm 99:9; Habakkuk 1:13). Since God is holy, He must remain forever the absolute and eternal enemy of sin. We are to live in the white light of God’s holiness. We are called to be holy in all manner of life (I Peter 1:15-16). It was the consciousness of God’s holiness that prevented Joseph from yielding to the fierce temptation put before him by Potiphar’s wife. He said, “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9).
God is just. God is right in all that He does. He acts fairly and rightly with all persons. God’s justice runs in two channels – the distribution of rewards and of punishments. He is just to reward those who accept salvation on His terms and honor Him in life (Hebrews 6:10). He is just to punish the rebellious and impenitent, both here and hereafter (Acts 17:31).
God is love. God desires to give others blessing and happiness. He delights in the welfare of His creatures. God loves His Son (Matthew 3:17); He loves believers in Christ (John 16:27); He loves the world of sinners (Romans 5:8). Love is that quality which seeks good for the object loved, and thus love sometimes is manifested by discipline (Hebrews 12:6). God’s love was especially manifested at the Cross (John 3:16).
God is sovereign. God is supreme over all. He is the ruler of the universe, working out all things according to His wise plan (Ephesians 1:9, 11). God’s sovereignty does not mean that He is a ruthless dictator, for God is also love and holy and true. He does nothing apart from the exercise of all His attributes acting harmoniously together. The concept of sovereignty assures us that nothing is out of God’s control and that His plans do triumph in the end.
These have been the primary characteristics that describe God’s being. The Bible reveals Him as an all wise, all powerful, eternal being who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, yet righteous in all His doings. The God of the Scriptures is not a god of man’s own making or thinking. He is the God of His own revelation.
All people are the offspring of God in the sense that He created them (Acts 17:29). God is the Father of all those who believe in Christ with an obedient faith (Galatians 3:26). God is Father to those who become children of His through receiving Jesus Christ (John 1:12), and He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men (Matthew 5:45). Those who are children of God must “worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24) and glorify Him in life and conduct (I Corinthians 10:31). The more perfectly we know God, the more we will be striving to do what is well-pleasing in His sight.
Self-Check Test:
1. What is the attitude of the Bible writers concerning the existence of God?
2. Name three philosophical evidences for the existence of God.
3. List four words that describe the “nature” of God, and tell with a few words what each implies.
4. What are the three essential characteristics of personality?
5. Name the attributes of God which are listed in the lesson text.
6. Memorize Hebrews 11:6.