Part 7
If we realize He knows everything. If we realize He can lead us. If we realize He cares and knows about even the little things. THEN We can let Him lead us in the smaller areas of our lives as well as those major moves. While living in Nebraska and Colorado I always went shopping for snow tires before winter set in. I went out to find snow tires in the mid 70's and found several very good buys which I had money to cover. I did not have peace about buying any of them. I decided not to get any for the first winter in several years. That winter we did not need snow tires once. God knew a light winter was coming along. If you don't have complete peace about something don't do it.
He knows all things which should bring us to confess our sins more quickly and completely. If we know He knows, why are we so slow to confess and correct our state before Him? Why don't we confess our sin immediately? It is illogical.
Ryrie lists four applications which I would like to include:
"Omniscience and security." We are safe in His hands for His hands are directed by perfect knowledge of what is and is to be. "Omniscience and sensitivity." His warnings are based on true and complete knowledge, thus we should be sensitive to mind them carefully. "Omniscience and solace." God knows what happened, as well as what might have happened and what will happen from what happened. "Omniscience and sobriety." He relates this to our
lifestyle and walk. (Reprinted by permission: Ryrie, Charles C.; "BASIC THEOLOGY"; Wheaton: Victor Books, 1986, p 42)
CONCLUSION
Since we know all of these applications are true then we know that we have one Person on our side that is all of the following: Complete consolation, our Father, our Comforter, our Fortune teller (if I may use that term), our Avenger and our Guide.
Remember, He has the knowledge, and the only way that we can tap into it is to be communicating with Him through prayer and the Word.
Ryrie quotes A. W. Tozer (pp 61-62 The Knowledge Of The Holy).
"God knows instantly and effortlessly all matter and all matters, all mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and every being, all creaturehood and all creatures, every plurality and all pluralities, all law and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts, all mysteries, all enigmas, all feeling, all desires, every unuttered secret, all thrones and dominions, all personalities, all things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil, heaven, and hell."
"Because God knows all things perfectly, He knows no thing better than any other thing, but all things equally well. He never discovers anything, He is never surprised, never amazed. He never wonders about anything nor (except when drawing men out for their own good) does He seek information or ask questions." (Reprinted by permission: Ryrie, Charles C.; "BASIC THEOLOGY"; Wheaton: Victor Books, 1986, pp 41-42)
GOD IS OMNIPOTENT
The term omnipotent comes from two Latin words, "omis" meaning "all" and "potentia" meaning "power".
There have always been many questions raised in the area of this doctrine that are aimed at making difficulties for the theologian.
Can God make a rock too big for Him to lift? Can God draw a shorter than straight line between two points? Can God make two parallel lines meet? Can God make two mountains without a valley between? Can God commit suicide? Can He create a material spirit? Can He create a sensitive stone? Can He create a body without parts? Can He create a square triangle? Can He create a round square?
Let us end this foolishness by stating that He can do anything that He cares to do as long as it does not contradict any of His other attributes.
Let us define the doctrine.
God is able to do all things that are consistent with His own nature and character. God cannot be untrue to Himself. His power is limited by His nature. God is not free from all restraints of reason and morality. He must and always does act within the confines of his character.
God is never exhausted by the exercise of His power neither is His strength diminished (Isaiah 40:28). God is the only perpetual motion possible. He can go on working overtime, if there is overtime for Him, and never run out of energy, initiative, nor ability to cope.
Augustine, "God is omnipotent, and yet he cannot die.....How is he omnipotent then? He is omnipotent for the very reason that he cannot do these things. For if he could die, he would not be omnipotent."
Ryrie, "Omnipotence means that God is all-powerful and able to do anything consistent with His own nature. In actuality He has not chosen to do even all the things that would be consistent with Himself for reasons known ultimately only to Himself." (Reprinted by permission: Ryrie, Charles C.; "Basic Theology"; Wheaton: Victor Books, 1986, p 40)
In other words He could have created fifteen earths side by side. He could have given them each a moon of a different color and caused a shuttle to move people from one earth to the other. He did not decide to do that, however.
God manifests His power in many ways. I want to list some of these before we move on.
In Creation: Jeremiah 10:12, Romans 1:20
In Preservation: Hebrews 1:3
In Nature: Jeremiah 10:13
In History: Daniel 4:17
In delivering Israel from Egypt: Psalm 114
In Heaven: Daniel 4:35
In miracles: Luke 9:43
In the resurrection: 2 Corinthians 13:4
In Redemption: Nehemiah 1:10, Luke 1:35, 37, Ephesians 1:18-23
In Security: 1 Peter 1:5
In whatever He pleases: Psalm 115:3
Even in these we see only a part of His power. Job. 26:7, "He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing." I always wondered if there was a big hook and large string up on the north pole holding things up. Picture God hanging earth, as a Christmas tree ornament — on nothing.
These are only areas where He has revealed his power to us. He may have thirty million different ways of demonstrating His power for us in the eternal state, when He has time to explain things to us in a little greater detail.
Some other references that relate to the study:
Genesis 17:1,
"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram and said unto him, I am the Almighty God;
walk before me, and be thou perfect."
God is addressed as "almighty" 56 times in the Scriptures.
Genesis 18:14,
"Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return
unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."
Exodus 15:11, 12,
"Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (12) Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them."
The context is the Egyptian army having their long drink in the Red Sea.
Don't mess with Him For He Can Cream You.
There is nothing that He can't do for us if it is within His will.
There is no way that the Devil can rip us out of God's hand. We are secure.
He is powerful enough to withstand all the national forces that might come against us or turn our forces to jelly.
If you have a hymnal handy, turn to "It Took a Miracle" and read it. (Peterson, John W.; "It Took a Miracle"; New York: Hill and Range Songs, Inc., 1948 by Crawford, Percy B.)
I trust that this section has brought you to appreciate your God a little more than before. If not, you might reread it, for the passages given declare a God that is mighty and powerful, and He is ready to hear your needs, be they humongous or minute. He is aware of His children and He is desirous of helping us do His work.
GOD IS PERFECT
God is perfect or complete in all, and deficient in nothing. He has no flaws, He has no chips, and He has no hidden imperfections. He is as gold perfectly refined, with no impurities. He is perfect in all of His attributes.
Let us look at some of the areas where God's perfection is seen.
God's knowledge is perfect: Job. 37:16 mentions that He is "perfect in knowledge." There is nothing that He does not know, and there is no defect in that knowledge. So, don't think that when you step into that little secret sin that He won't notice, or that He will forget. His knowledge of our sin is perfect, His knowledge of your thoughts is perfect, and His knowledge of your deeds is perfect.
God's will is perfect: Romans 12:2, "...ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Now, when you have gained knowledge of His will for your life, you don't need to second guess it, you don't need to worry about it, and you don't need to worry about opposition. His will is perfect and you only need to follow it.
God's law is perfect: Psalm 19:7, "The law of the Lord is perfect....." The Word is our guide for life. It is there to help us through the problems and trials of time. If we go to it, then we have perfect guidance, for It is perfect.
God's way is perfect: Psalm 18:30, "As for God, his way is perfect....." The only way to God is through Jesus Christ the Lord. That is the perfect way to God. God's paths, or way, is always correct and perfect, be it the way He is taking you or the way He is leading you. All His ways are perfect and complete.
God's work is perfect: Deuteronomy 32:4, ".....his work is perfect....." What He has done in your life is perfect. What He wants to do in your life is perfect. What He will do in your life is perfect. So, why do we feel that we are inadequate, inferior, and ill prepared? Why can't we be satisfied with His perfect work in us? We are just the way He wanted us. Proper looks, shape, hair, eyes, mentality and personality. This is not to say that
He can't change some of these items if He should desire, but He did a perfect work in you as you are at this point.
God's gifts are perfect: James 1:17 , "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above....." So, If you are a good evangelist, don't covet the good preacher or teacher their gifts. He gave the gift that He wanted you to have and it is perfect. Indeed, every gift is perfect, even if it is money, talent, spouse, education etc.
The usage of the term "perfect" in Scripture:
Old Testament usage: One of the main terms ["tamiym"] translated perfect in the Old Testament is also translated many times "without blemish" and is translated "complete" once. Complete seems to be a good definition of the term. (Leviticus 23:15 = complete) This is the term used of the sacrificial lambs that were to be without blemish. God is without blemish, He is complete, and He is perfect in all that He is.
New Testament usage: Perfect is the translation of "telios." It also has the idea of complete. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament show the complete, perfection of God.
SUGGESTED PROBLEMS WITH THE DOCTRINE
1. The same term "perfect" is used of both God and man. How can man be as perfect as God? (Noah was perfect, Genesis 6:9; Job was perfect, Job. 1:1; Satan was perfect in his original state, Ezekiel 28:12.)
The answer is that created beings are held as perfect in relation to other created beings, and not God. God is a perfect being; His perfection is absolute. The term shows that the person or creation mentioned is complete and ready for operation. They are perfect in light of the perfectness that is available to them.
Only God is a perfect Being. We are perfect in our completeness to do the job. A car being moved off of the assembly line is complete and ready to roll, but the latest survey's show that if you inspect a car closely that there are usually at least twenty defects of some sort. It is a complete car, but it is not a perfect sort of car.
God's being is perfect. We are a perfect creation, but far from the classification of a perfect being.
2. Matthew 5:48 mentions that the believer is to be perfect. If the above is true, then how can man be perfect. Again, we cannot reach God's perfection, but we can achieve perfection in relation to other men. We can reach the perfection that is available to us. That perfection includes the spiritual standing that we have in Christ, the completely perfect and justified standing that we have before God because of the finished work of Christ.
That perfection includes the spiritual state — having all sin confessed and waiting for the next one to confess. This is the perfection that is available to us through Christ in this life.
The idea of Matthew is moral completeness rather than perfection. The New Testament idea is complete and ready to run. The car coming off the assembly line of a factory is complete and ready; All parts are installed and present.
God's perfection can certainly be our goal but we will not attain God's perfection because we are not purely spirit beings.
1. If He is perfect in all ways, then we can find ALL we need in Him. We need not look for fulfillment in the business world. We need not look for fulfillment in marriage. We need not look for fulfillment in the ministry. We need not look for fulfillment anywhere but in HIM. Fulfillment in these areas is not wrong but if we seek God to the best of our ability He will give us the fulfillment that He wants us to have. Matthew 6:33 mentions that He will supply all of our need. If we seek after material things we may end up with more than we need.
2. The New Testament tells the believer to seek perfection. Matthew 5:48 tells us to be perfect as the Father is perfect. Colossians 1:28, commands that we are to be working for the perfection of the saints (Ephesians 4:1112 also). James 1:4 tells us that we will be perfect one day.
3. Since God's will is perfect we can trust in that will when the prices are up and our income is down and nothing seems to be going right and we just know that God has made a mistake. NO. He makes no mistakes. If you are in His will and things are down, you can KNOW that it is His plan for your life.
4. If He is perfect we should be moved to follow Him explicitly in our lives to gain the most out of our lives for Him. Our goal in life should be His perfect will for us. Nothing else should enter in to our decisions — only following His leading.
5. If He is perfect then we know man can never be perfect, so we SHOULD grow to tolerate those imperfections that bother us in our mates, our children, our pastors, our teachers, our neighbors and our coworkers.
6. We are all in the process of becoming perfect. Paul mentions that he isn't perfect yet in Philippians 3:11,12. No Matter How Good You Are, You Are Not Perfect. Not Even If You Think That You Are. God can improve on you if you allow Him to work.
7. We should realize we are all perfect (completed) in His eyes through Christ and that the new Christian is as perfect as the mature Christian — thus we have no grounds for feeling inferior or superior about our spiritual position.
A question came up in class one time concerning whether God can sin. We considered the possibility for a time and came to some conclusions: We didn't think He could, but that there was no real Scripture on either side that we could think of, however we drew some logical conclusions.
1. It would violate His purity. It would violate His righteousness. It would violate His holiness.
2. He could not condemn man if He were sinful.
3. The whole of Scripture would be a sham if He did sin. We know the Bible is truth and totally reliable so this would not be possible.
4. Sin was introduced by Satan — a created being — not by God. It was not present prior to Satan's fall.
5. Sin is defined thusly. Sin is rebellion against God. So how can God sin? The creator can do anything he wants, but the creatures can disobey the creator. A landowner can put up a sign saying keep off the grass. Anyone stepping on the grass is going against the owners wishes — except the owner. He is not bound by the sign.
In conclusion, God is perfect, so how can He sin and have imperfections? He cannot.
GOD IS INFINITE
The term infinite only appears in scripture once in Psalm 147:5, "Great is our Lord, and of great power; his understanding is infinite." The term seems to have the idea in the Hebrew of without number. (This is Strong's word number 4557 "mis-pawr") The term is used in purely mathematical thought of number, or is also used to tell of God's wonders that are without number. Psalm 40:5 mentions that His thoughts and works are so many that we can't number them.
Another term you may find is "immensity." Immense according to Webster is, ".....marked by greatness esp. in size or degree; esp: transcending ordinary means of measurement....." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by MerriamWebster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.)
What is the difference between immensity and omnipresence? Immensity is the size or extent while omnipresence is the fact that He is everywhere, or his presence if you will.
Infinite has two directions of definition. First, He is in size, limitless. Secondly, He is in characteristics, limitless to the extent of his attributes and nature.
He may be limited by some of his attributes. For example we saw that His power was limited in that He cannot act inconsistently with Himself. He cannot make a rock too big to lift. In this sense He has limitations within His attributes, however not in His size.
He is limitless. It is not that we don't know His limits, but that He is truly limitless.
Theissen says, "By the immensity of God we mean His infinity in relation to space." (Thiessen, Henry C.; "Lectures In Systematic Theology"; Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1949,p 122)
References You Might Want To Consider: 1 Kings 8:27, 2 Chronicles 2:6, Jeremiah 23:24, Job. 11:7-9, Psalm 139:7ff, Isaiah 66:1, Acts 17:28.
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS
1. Does the person that rejects Christ diminish God's mercy? Does the person that rejects Christ diminish any of God's attributes? NO. That person rejects and refuses to accept those perfect gifts of mercy, grace and salvation that have been set before him. God is not diminished in any way.
2. Psalm 78:41 mentions, "Yea, they turned back and tested God, and limited the Holy one of Israel." How do we answer this statement if we say that God is infinite and that man cannot diminish God? They limited what God could do for them but they set no limit on God as such. His attributes, character and nature were unaffected. He could not do the great things that He wanted to do for them.
3. Some suggest that man is infinite as well. Job. 22:5 mentions that man's sins are infinite. The thought being that, if we can sin infinitely, we must be infinite in other ways. WRONG. This is a different word than we have been considering. Our sin is infinite for it is toward an infinite God. Our sin is infinite for we can do nothing with it in and of ourselves. Our sin is infinite for it will go on for eternity if it isn't cared for. The infinite thought is carried into hell which is for all of eternity.
1. God is infinite so as we learn of Him we can know that we can never run out of things to learn about Him. We can study for years and never know all there is to know about Him.
2. Would it be safe to assume that the attribute of infinite is why God is so longsuffering? He allows man to run on as long as His justice will allow. He is infinitely gracious, at least to the limits of His justice and righteousness.
3. He is infinite in understanding. He can understand any mixed up mess or problem that we present to Him. Sometimes I have a big truck load of facts that just boggle my mind and I have a terrible time figuring out all the details of the mess. He instantly knows all of the ins and outs of such messes and has no problem in understanding. He is the one to go to when you have a mess that you can't sort out.
4. I wonder if this does not relate to the infinite types and looks of people. We are created in His image. He would have infinite creativity. I can be very pleased and thankful that I am one of a kind.
GOD IS INDEPENDENT
What is the thing that teenagers seem to want most, until they get it? They want independence. When they get it, they begin to wonder just why they wanted it. It means responsibility. It means working. It means being on their own for support. It means paying their own dentist and doctor bills. It means taking care of their own car if they can afford one. It means not having all the answers that they thought they had. It means many other things.
This is not to point fun at teenagers. It is to point out that independence isn't the ultimate high that we all think it is. It has a tremendous amount of responsibility attached to it.
Independence in the context of God is again similar to our own human experience, yet is so much more than the independence that we have. God has the perfect independence which naturally carries the perfect amount of responsibility. He is responsible for all that goes on in the universe.
This by the way is a philosophical argument against the Deist that says that God is far off. God would not be far off allowing the creation to go its own way if He were responsible.
In comparing the human/deity independence, we need to consider that the human grows into his independence. As a baby learns to move about in the home there are immediate limitations placed upon the child. As they move toward the nick-nack shelf they are warned that it is a no-no. As the child learns to handle things safely and carefully, then the parent may allow the child to play with the nick-nacks.
We have a very nice organ that was given to us by my wife's mother. Faith is very protective of it, yet we want the children that come to our home to enjoy those things. We had three grade schoolers that came some time back and they wanted to play the organ. I sat with them and gave them a brief introduction to how to use some of the options. Then I gave them a good warning that if they abused the organ that they would not be allowed to continue. I gave them complete independence to use the organ in light of
not abusing it or our ears with volume. All Went Well. They operated independently and exercised great responsibility.
God on the other hand did not need to mature to gain His independence. He Is Independent by His very nature. He always has been, and He always will be independent. In fact the thought of always been, and always will be, are somewhat misleading in that they indicate the possibility of not being independent. This is not the case. He IS independent by nature and can be nothing else.
Let's define a couple of terms before we move on. Freedom is ".....the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action....." (By permission. (From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by Merriam-Webster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.) Totally free to choose without pressure.
Independent is, ".....not dependent:..... (1): not subject to control by others:.....Not requiring or relying on something else:....." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by Merriam-Webster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.).
The difference between these two terms would be that INDEPENDENT is completely free from all encumbrances and the impossibility of encumbrance as well, FREEDOM indicates the possibility of encumbrance indeed, the term free indicates encumbrances may have been present in the past.
GOD'S INDEPENDENCE IS DETERMINED BY HIS NATURE AND NOTHING THAT IS WITHOUT
INDEPENDENCE INCLUDES ALL AREAS OF HIS BEING
1. His existence, which is underived and absolute John 5:26. He relied upon nothing to exist. He exists because of His nature.
2. His knowledge, which is unlimited and true Hebrews 4:13.
3. His action, which is at His will and discretion Genesis 1:1. He did not have to go through fifteen government agencies to get the zoning changed
for a universe. He just did it without needing to ask anyone. (also see Acts 17:24)
1. He is free from all encumbrances and depends on nothing nor does He respond to outside pressures. We can also bend His ear anytime that we want and ask Him to do things for us and expect Him to respond to us.
At the same time we can bend His ear on one item that He says no to and keep bending His ear. He, however, is not encumbered by our petitions. He does not have to do as we ask Him to do.
On the light side, God is similar to a politician — free from outside pressures, doing what He wants. He is also free not to listen to those speaking to Him. (Politicians, once elected do little that the voters really want them to do. He votes on issues as he desires.)
2. There is no force outside His own being that can change his mind nor alter His character. He Will Bring All Things That He Has Promised, To Pass.
GOD IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE
The word according to Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary means, ".....impossible to comprehend.....unintelligible....." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by MerriamWebster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.)
"...existential phenominology seeks to elucidate the existential nature of social structures by uncovering the surface institutional phenomena of the everyday, accepted world; by probing the subterranean, noninstitutional social depths concealed from public gaze, by interpreting the dialectic between the institutional and the noninstitutional..." (Sociology Of The Ubsurd. page 71)
Did you get that? Was it intelligible to you? That was a quote from a text book in a sociology class I took years ago. As time goes on and I reread this quote as an illustration, I find that I understand what it is saying — Scarrryy.
Tozer introduces his chapter on incomprehensibility with the thought that we cannot answer the question "What is God like?" "This book is an attempt to answer that question. Yet at the outset I must acknowledge that it cannot be answered, except to say that God is not like anything; that is, He is not exactly like anything or anybody." (Tozer, A.W.; "THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY"; Lincoln, NE: Back to the Bible, 1961, p 31)
A man named Spenser stated "God is the great unknowable." (The old song, "Getting To Know You" does not compute with God.) Someone reading Spenser said, "Spenser knows a lot about the unknowable."
He, being an infinite Being Cannot be comprehended by finite beings. We mentioned Webster's definition. It contains a term which does not apply to God. "unintelligible." This implies something that can't be understood because you can't make sense of it. For example, the sound of computer data being transferred is unintelligible to the ear but with a computer you can understand it easily.
God is completely understandable when He communicates with us. The term incomprehensible has the idea that we can never comprehend all He is. Though we have been studying Him and His attributes we are doing so in our finite minds and we aren't even smearing the surface of what there is to know about Him. We can never in our finite minds comprehend His being.
He is however knowable. Matthew 11:27,
All things are delivered unto me by my Father, and no man knoweth
the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, except
the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."
Through the Lord Jesus, we can know God in our limited capacity. (See also John 17:3, Philippians 3:10, 1 John 4:7.)
His greatness is unsearchable Psalm 145:3, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and his greatness is unsearchable." We will take about one hundred pages, looking at God and we will only begin to study Him. If you studied God for the rest of your days, I am sure that you would never
feel that you had studied God. You would not have totally searched out all the data concerning God.
His understanding cannot be searched Isaiah 40:28,
"Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting
God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not,
neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding."
He can understand all things; He understands all things. We in our finite minds struggle with many things because we cannot understand all things.
His works are great and unsearchable.
Job 5:9, "Who doeth great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number;"
His judgments are unsearchable Romans 11:33,
"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."
I suspect that as the Lord begins judgment, we will stand confused as to why He does things as He will. He has perfect knowledge, perfect justice, and perfect understanding. We will falter before His use of such attributes. I trust that He will take time to help us understand things.
1. If he is incomprehensible then we can have an eternal theology proper class and never run out of information to study. Would anyone care to sign up for it? I think that I will, because the Lord teaches it.
2. We should never become proud of how much we know of God, for even one that has studied God all his life is only beginning.
3. If He is unsearchable, and we now know that He is, then how can we ever think that we have nothing to study in our quiet times. Indeed, how can we be satisfied with only a few minutes of quiet time a day?
GOD IS GOOD
Goodness is often equated with the benevolence of God. Goodness is ".....the quality or state of being good....." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by MerriamWebster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.) Benevolence is the ".....disposition to do good.....an act of kindness....." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by Merriam-Webster Inc., publisher of the MerriamWebster (registered) Dictionaries.)
Again the definition is limited, because in God there is not a state of being good (which holds forth the possibility of not being good), He is good by nature and is never anything else. He is incapable of anything else. Within the definition of Benevolence there is also a problem if applied to God. Disposition gives the idea of maybe good, maybe not good. He is GOOD.
The use of benevolence, if it is to be understood in light of the Dictionary definition, is not appropriate for God. God is "GOOD," and there is no possibility of disposition, because with Him there is no maybe. Psalm 25:8, "Good and upright is the Lord; therefore will he teach sinners in the way." (Read also the following texts: Psalm 33:5, Psalm 52:1, Psalm 103, Mark 10:18, Romans 2:4, Romans 11:22.)
Goodness covers two areas, what God is in and of Himself, and what God is to His creatures. In other words goodness covers His character and the expression of His character.
His Character: Holy, True, Love
His Relation To Others: Righteous, Faithful, Merciful, mercy, tender mercy, kind, kindness, loving kindness, pity, pitiful, good, goodness, compassion, grace, gracious, and longsuffering.
There is no opposite for this side of God. He is Good, and He cannot be bad.
Some might question this concept in relation to the fact that He will judge and condemn the lost to hell. There is no divine attribute of wrath. Wrath
is the logical and needed result of the attributes of holiness, truth, love and justice. The violators of His ways will feel this wrath. Within all of this is the fact that He is doing good. He is preparing the creation for eternity. This includes the removal of all evil.
Does this study bring new meaning to the idea that all things work together for good? He is in the process of doing good in your life, no matter how bad things seem to get. His work in you can only result in good.
GOD IS HOLY
Before moving on, please read Leviticus 10:1-7 and Acts 5:1-11.
He IS to be reverenced. Sin is not allowable.
Oehler observed of God, "Holiness is glory concealed; glory is holiness revealed." (Quoted in Pardington. Pardington, Revelation George P. Ph.D.; "Outline Studies In Christian Doctrine"; Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1926, p 79)
The term holy originally comes from the idea of "whole" or complete. Thus holy is, wholly given to a purpose.
The Hebrew term is "kadesh" which means separateness. The term really had nothing to do with holiness at first. The term harlot in Genesis 38:21 is "kadesh" — set apart for a purpose.
The Greek term is "hagios" which means set apart. Strong mentions, "Holiness is self-affirming purity. In virtue of this attribute of His nature, God eternally wills and maintains His own moral excellence. This definition contains three elements: first, purity: secondly, purity willing: thirdly, purity willing itself." (Strong, Augustus H.. "Systematic Theology"; Valley Forge, PA: The Judson Press, 1907. This same quote is found on p 77 of Bancroft's Christian Theology.)
There Are Several Areas Which Relate To God And Holy:
God's people are to be holy. Leviticus 11:41-45; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1 Peter 1:15,16. Not sometimes holy, as many believers live today, but all the time holy. Unholiness is unacceptable. It is easy to talk about the little sins we allow, but term it as it is, UNHOLY, and it sounds a bit worse.
Things dedicated to Him are holy. Leviticus 27:28 If we have given ourselves to Him, then we should also be holy. That is the standard, whether or not we like it, accept it, or live by it.
His habitation is holy. Deuteronomy 26:15; Psalm 99:9; Isaiah 57:15. Think of it, we will one day share that habitation with Him. A holy habitation with no evil.
His throne is holy. Psalm 47:8 Is it any wonder Isaiah said when viewing the throne that he was undone and of unclean lips?
The Spirit of God is holy. Psalm 51:11 He is resident in you. He is another reason for us to remain sinless. Our "little sins" offend Him greatly.
Let me just list some other areas of His holiness: God swears by His holiness Psalm 89: 34-36; His arm is holy Psalm 98:1; God is holy and His name is holy Psalm 99:1-9; His promise to Abraham was holy Psalm 105:42; His name is holy Isaiah 57:15.
IN WHAT WAY IS GOD SET APART?
God is absolutely separate from all that is earthly or human. (Psalm 99:13, Isaiah 57:15) This is seen often in the Old Testament.
God is absolutely separate from all that is unclean. This would be deemed His moral holiness. (Psalm 99:4-9, Psalm 24:3,4) This thought seems to be the prevalent thought of the New Testament. Both ideas are found in Isaiah 6:1-5. He is lifted up and pure.
Is Love, or Holiness more prominent in His listing of attributes? The social gospel people seem to hold love as the prime attribute. Fundamentalists tend to hold holiness as the prime attribute. It has been said that Scripture states "Holy, holy, holy" not "Love, love, love." Dwell on that thought for a time.
One final point. The thought of God being holy and objects being holy may be difficult for some to understand. Holy has the idea of set apart, and in this sense anything can be holy.
1. We will naturally see our own unholiness as we view His holiness. Isaiah 6:1ff is a prime example of this concept. Isaiah realized his uncleanness. Cambron states, "When we think not of god's holiness, we think light of sin." (Cambron, Mark G. D.D.; "Bible Doctrines"; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1954, pp 48-49)
2. The basis of his covenants is His holiness; they WILL come to pass. Psalm 89:34-36 (David); Psalm 105:42 (Abraham); John 17:11.
3. The holiness of God demands a similar holiness in the lives of His people. 1 Peter 1:15-16, "But, as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of life, Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am Holy." (see Psalm 99; Hebrews 12:10 which tells us that we can partake in HIS holiness — contemplate that for awhile.)
4. His holiness is always in the background of all of His judgments. The following texts picture the scene of God's throne that Isaiah beheld. (Revelation 4, Revelation 20)
5. Our works, or life style can profane God's holy name. Amos 2:6,7 6. Our salvation is provided by a Holy God. If we remember our previous destination we will think more highly of His holiness and from what He has saved us. His holiness demanded that we be separated from Him thus Christ's righteousness allows us to approach Him.
7. His holiness is the only standard for our life and lifestyle. If we wonder if something is right, all we need to do is ask if it is holy.
GOD IS TRUE
Another term you may run into in this study is veracity. Veracity is ".....devotion to the truth: TRUTHFULNESS....." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by MerriamWebster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.)
God is called the true God. John 17:3,
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
God is called the God of truth. Psalm 31:5, "Into thine hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth." Isaiah 65:16,
"That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the
God of truth, and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the
God of truth, because the former troubles are forgotten, and
because they are hidden from mine eyes."
Strong tells us, "In virture of His veracity, all His revelations to creatures consist with His essential being and with each other. In virtue of His faithfulness, He fulfills all His promises to His people, whether expressed in words or implied in the constitution He has given them. (Strong's Systematic Theology)
Ryrie mentions that God is consistent with Himself. This illustrates truth. We are true to ourselves when we are ourselves.
"True" can be used of the character of an object as well as the
knowledge about the object. A gun barrel can be true or straight. We can also know about a gun barrel and know of it's true, or straight nature.
A man can be a true scientist by nature, but we may know nothing about the man except lies that someone has spread about him. We can know him to be true in nature because of his credentials but not know him truthfully because we know only of the gossip.
God is the true God for He matches the true God that is revealed in the Word. We can know there is a true — real — God, yet not know Him, or know much about Him. We need to understand BOTH.
God is the truthful God, for His knowledge conforms to His nature, or more exactly IS true knowledge. He is completely accurate, and there can be no inaccuracy.
All truth extends from Him and all truth conforms to Him. He is the ultimate standard of truth for He is truth. (Psalm 31:5, Psalm 119:126-128, Psalm 119:160.)
God's truth is related to many of His other attributes and characteristics. I will just list these for your further study.
Truth and light. Psalm 43:3
Truth and kindness. 2 Samuel 2:6
Truth and goodness. Exodus 34:6
Truth and uprightness. Psalm 111:8
Truth and righteousness. Jeremiah 4:2
Truth and peace. Jeremiah 33:6
Truth and grace. John 1:17
Truth and life. John 14:6
You will see that truth is defined in many ways as you live and learn. For example, Mary Baker Eddy stated that if something was real, then it was truth. The fallacy of this can be illustrated in the fact that Hitler was real but he wasn't truth.
1. God is total truth so there is no lie within Him. Every promise and every Word are truth and to be trusted implicitly.
2. By a bit far off application, we might run along the following lines for a moment. When we ask the Lord what He wants us to do in a certain instance and He tells us, there is never any need for us to question His answer for one split second. We know He wouldn't josh us. He is totally and completely Honest, And He Will Never Lie Or Mislead Us.
3. He will respond to us in all that is truth in the manner of our worship and prayers. John 4:24, Psalm 145:18.
4. His judgments will be entirely based upon truth. No one can trick Him into letting them into heaven or out of hell. Psalm 54:5, Romans 2:2.
5. The holiness and truth of God should dictate our ethics as men and women of God. I fear ethics are out the window in the ministry today. I would like to illustrate this in a number of ways so you will know what some good ethics are.
a. I was waiting in the office of a large evangelical church in Oregon. I could hear the business manager and the church secretary arguing. They were not heated, though voices were being raised. The high level of
volume forced me to hear that the secretary thought that the church board should operate with business men of the community, in a manner consistent with Christian ethics. The business manager stated flatly that they should not operate with Christian ethics. That business manager knew little of proper ethics.
b. I have observed and heard of many pastors that leave a church in a small town and start another church in the same town. When on deputation, I had a meeting in a town of four hundred people with two fundamental Baptist churches. There is no need for two churches, two buildings, two budgets, two pastors. What a waste of God's money.
c. Most churches have a clause in their doctrinal statements and bylaws requesting that the pastor leave if he finds himself in a doctrinal difference with the congregation. There are men who remain, and continue to teach wrong doctrine. Some actually lead the congregation off into their false doctrine.
d. I have observed a pastor moving into an area and encouraging disgruntled people in a church to split, and then assuming the pastorate over their new church. (There were no doctrinal differences involved.)
e. Accepting a church they know they have differences with in doctrine and practice without telling them.
f. Candidating in three churches at one time and then choosing the best one that call's you. I have seen this more and more in the late 80's and early 90's.
g. Flying to one church to candidate and candidating at another while you are there on the other people's money.
h. Accepting a church in one fellowship of churches while planning to take it into another fellowship.
i. Counting churches in your fellowship when the church hasn't had any association in years. When on deputation I found an address for a church in a fellowship directory. I was able to set up a meeting with the pastor. Upon arrival at the church the pastor asked me where I had heard about his church. I told him of the directory. He stated that the church hadn't been with that group in more than ten years.
j. Setting up a candidate appointment and calling two days before your date to speak and telling them you have accepted another church.
I trust that pastors, missionaries, and Christians in general will consider how they live their lives. I feel confident in saying that I believe God is embarrassed with His people, in this generation. Many Christians are less than truthful in their personal lives.
May we strive for the holiness and the truth of God in our personal and church lives.
GOD IS LOVE
Define Human love, the love that we should have one for one another. Is it not self sacrificing, is it not an extreme desire to do for, is it not an extreme desire to be with, is it not the desire to spend time with the person?
So, is this the way you act toward God? It should be if you really love Him.
There are four types of love that we want to look at briefly.
1. Physical Love. That which the world portrays as true love — that of the flesh. Impulse love. Soap Opera love. The love based on feeling, impulse, and desire.
This love is not the marry me type love. It is the use me type love. It is not the spend my life with me type love. It is the give me something to do tonight love.
It is based on looks, desire, lust, and convenience. It takes no commitment to be involved in this type of love.
The "Let's live together" love is wrecking our society. This is the love that too many marriages are based on.
2. Natural Love. The friend and relative love that one can feel.
Faith and I went to Ohio for a reception with Regular Baptist Press. I have a cousin that lived in the same city, so we called her and met with her for a couple of hours. She had gone through a divorce and just lost her mother. She was having a ruff time. I had a real concern for her welfare and her hurt. This is the natural love of family and friends.
This love often moves you to action on the other person's behalf.
3. Aesthetical Love. That which you have for something of beauty or character.
Wyoming has some of the prettiest sunsets that I've run across in my travels across the western United States and the Far East. One night on the way to Torrington, WY in our 2nd year at Frontier School of the Bible, we
noticed the sunset and I was excited way down deep to know I was going to watch this thing unfold as we traveled for about 45 minutes. I had a real sense of anticipation.
June Carter Stapleton, a charismatic faith healer believes that a person can be born again after viewing a beautiful painting. This is the aesthetic approach to salvation which is misleading many today. They are being given false hope in what is too commonly called the born again experience. Being born again comes from dealing with Almighty God about your sinful condition, not form watching a sunset, or looking at a beautiful painting.
4. Ethical Love. This is the unswerving or unwavering determination to do good. This is the love that we should have for our mates.
The different levels of love that we have listed, may be the levels that a couple passes through on their way to the altar. They first get that fuzzy feeling when they are getting to know one another. They may then move into the area where they are deep friends. They may even begin to see the real beauty of one another, that inner beauty that comes forth. However, the love that a marriage needs to survive is the love that determines to do good for the other partner.
Couples may get married in the first level of love and find that they have worked through the other three to a solid marriage; however, a marriage in the first three levels is not usually very solid. The first three types of love lack the total commitment of the final level of love.
God's love is far above all four of these human levels of love. His love is that within Him that moves him to give of Himself to his creatures regardless of their merit. He does this of His own will, and will do it eternally.
This love is seen in 1 John 4:10 which shows that God sent Christ, in love to a people that did not love Christ, or God. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
GOD'S LOVE SHOWN
1. God loved Israel in the Old Testament: Isaiah 63:9, Isaiah 49:14-16. His love was not limited to Israel in the Old Testament. The pre-Israel times show God's love for all people. The gentiles were to be part of the overall program during Israel's time as well, except that Israel didn't share that which they had spiritually. This is seen in the system, of sojourners and strangers, that was included in the law. Those people coming to God through the Jewish people were to be accepted in as Jews. This system demands that God wanted gentiles to be a part of the system.
God's love for all people is also shown in the fact Jonah went to the Gentiles.
2. God loved the church in the New Testament: 1 John 4:11, mentions God's love, "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." He gave the church age the organization of the church for our benefit. He gave us the job that we should be about. The ministry of missions is so very rewarding to those that take part in it. God has shown great love for all peoples by opening up the gospel to all people.
3. God is love: 1 John 4:8, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." God's very nature is that of love. He exudes love in all that He does for mankind. Even in judgment upon the earth after the fall, He left us an earth that is beautiful to behold. He gave to us many things to enjoy in this life.
GOD'S LOVE EXAMINED
1. His Love Is Unselfish: He has no thought of personal benefit, but seeks good for the object of His love. Israel was a small people yet He chose to benefit them. (Deuteronomy 7:7,8 tells of His love for Israel.) The church is often made up of the weak and the poor, yet God ministers unto them. He desires a people who will return their love to Him.
2. His Love Is Voluntary: A little boy once said, "If I was God I'd go to every country in the world and say, You guys love one another or else." God does not operate in this way however. He gives his love and does not force that love upon those that reject it. Romans 5:8 tells us that while we
were yet sinners He acted by sending His Son. He did not await someone to approach Him. (1 John 4:10 also)
3. His Love Is Righteous: His love for man never allows nor condones sin. Love that allows for sin is called sentimentalism. That is the willingness to do wrong for the sake of the one you love. Psalm 11:7, "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright." Psalm 33:5, "He loveth righteousness and justice....."
4. His Love Is Everlasting: Jeremiah 31:3, ".....I have loved thee with an everlasting love....." 1 John 4:8 mentions that He is love and that He is eternal. It follows that His love is also eternal.
His love will not allow Him to tire of taking care of for His people. His love will not allow Him to tire of seeking to save the lost. His love will not allow Him to forget His promises to us.
5. His Love Is Active: Jeremiah 31:3, ".....with loving-kindness have I drawn thee." John 3:16 — love caused God to send His Son. Ephesians 5:25-27 tells that Christ died because of His love for us.
A love that acts is a love that lasts in marriage. A love that acts is a love that is real and beneficent when it is God's love.
6. His Love Is Yet Unsatisfied: He will have satisfied love when we are with Him. Zephaniah 3:17, ".....he will rest in His love....." The context of this phrase is the end times. As long as there are believers, He will be active on their part. As long as there are lost, He will be actively seeking them.
7. His Love Is Directed: He has objects for His love. Before we list some of these, might we consider a question? Can there be love without an object of that love? No. Since God is Love there must be an object of that love. Before creation what was the object of the Fathers love? This demands that there be plurality in the Godhead. Christ is the object of that love. Indeed, there must be a perfect illustration of love within all three members of the Godhead.
a. God loved Christ, His beloved Son: Matthew 3:17, ".....This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." John 3:35; 17:24.
b. He loves those who love Christ: John 16:27,
"For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and
have believed that I came out from God." 1 John 31
c. He loves Israel: Jeremiah 31:3,4 ".....I have loved thee with an everlasting love....." This love will again act on their behalf as they return to Him as a nation.
d. He loves the world: John 3:16
e. He loves all mankind: Matthew 5:43-48 mentions that He gives sun and rain to all mankind. John 3:16 tells that He gave His son for all.
8. His Love Is Universal: John 3:16 He loves all of His creatures, be they obedient or rebellious. Parental love both acts by hugging and by spanking. Both the hug and the swat are expressions of love from the parent.
1. As we realize His love, we will love Him. As our love for Him deepens, our commitment to Him will also deepen.
2. As we realize He loves us, our response should be to return that love through our beings verbally, physically, and spiritually. 1 John 4:11 tells us that because He loved us we should love one another. He loved us enough to send His son. We should respond by sending our sons and daughters to His service. The Hymn writer in O Zion Haste mentions this. The song tells us to give of our sons, wealth, and prayer. All three are needed.
3. Strong mentions, "By love we mean that attribute of the divine nature in virtue of which God is eternally moved to self-communication." (Strong, Augustus H.. "Systematic Theology"; Valley Forge, PA: The Judson Press, 1907,p 263)
Indeed, any love, be it God's or man's, desires to communicate to the object of that love. By application, is that why communication breakdowns in marriage are so serious. Is it not partly that the love once present has no desire to communicate, or is it that the love is not present?
Poor communication may show serious signs of a deterioration in the marriage.
4. Paul finishes his second epistle to the Corinthians with the following statement, "Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you."
Such a simple way to assure ourselves of the Lord's presence and love — be perfect, be a good comfort, be of one mind, and be in peace.
GOD IS JUST
To put it in the vernacular, "Your gonna get yer just desserts." To put it in the vernacular in the reverse, "He's gonna get his just desserts."
Strong tells us, "Buy justice and righteousness we mean the transitive holiness of God, in virtue of which His treatment of His creatures conforms to the purity of His nature, righteousness demanding from all moral beings conformity to the moral perfection of God, and Justice visiting non-conformity to that perfection with penal loss and suffering." (Strong's Systematic Theology)
Cambron states, "Justice is judicial holiness — that judicial act of god which demands the penalty for those who have not measured up to the righteous commands of God." (Cambron, Mark G. D.D.; "BIBLE DOCTRINES"; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1954, p 50)
God's justice is activated by His righteousness. All non-conformity to His perfection will be met with personal loss and/or suffering. When God acts in a just manner, He is not rewarded for doing right. He has acted within and in keeping with His own character and nature. He by nature is just and can do no other than justly.
God's justice is seen in the following texts: Zephaniah 3:5,
"The just Lord is in the midst of her; he will not do iniquity; every morning doth he bring his justice to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame."
Deuteronomy 32:4,
"He is the Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are justice; a
God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."
God's justice is just in a perfect manner. He cannot be unjust. He will meet out justice to the saved and lost alike. To the lost there is final judgment by works, yet no matter how good the works, the lost person will still be in eternal torment. Good works are as filthy rags. How does this judging by works, yet eternally tormented, work? We don't know because the Scripture is silent on the subject. Some feel that there will be levels of torment, however there are no proof texts for this thought. It is only a logical deduction from the facts that we have.
To the saved there is final judgment of our works, yet no matter how good the works the saved person will feel them insignificant in light of seeing the Lord. The result of good works for the believer is reward. We might add also, that no matter how poor the good works, the eternal salvation is not affected — only the reward of the individual.
1. Since God is all knowing and He knows how people treat us — since He is completely just and will see to it that just desserts are set — then why do we spend so much time wondering, worrying and fretting over how so and so feels about us? Or what so and so said about us? God is the great settler of scores. He will settle ALL accounts.
Now, we all know what I have been saying, but the hard part is committing these types of things to Him for His final work. We tend to try to hang onto those things and find little ways of getting back — in a nice way of course. Leave It Up To God And You Will Find More Peace.
2. On the reverse of what we have just mentioned. If you see an account that is long overdue for settling, don't argue with God, don't fret with God and don't question God in his not dealing with the person. God knows what is best in every situation and may desire to allow something to go on longer than you think He should. He Is The Settler Of All Accounts, As Well As The Settler Of All Accounts, When He Is Ready To Settle Them.
3. I can relax in my own confidence that if I have truly sought God's will and have truly attempted to the best of my knowledge to do right, that God will be the one that will show me up to be right or wrong.
There is nothing that any person can say that should shake me or cause me concern. When we all gather round, He will be the one that sets all records straight.
This is probably one of the great lessons of the book of Job. He was faced with several very intelligent, spiritual men who knew what his problem was. They felt free to tell him as well. Indeed, you will have those that will tell you in what area you have erred. God will set them straight when the time comes.
Job in the end was justified and all knew that he had done nothing wrong to deserve such troubles. There may be times when people become very vicious in their attacks upon you — relax and know that you have done correctly and that God will do correctly at His appointed time.
A pastor in California told me of a man in his church that was very opposed to the pastor. He thought the pastor was wrong and that God wanted the pastor to leave. The man worked in the church as hard as he could to move the congregation to ask for the pastor's resignation. He finally was satisfied when the pastor, in total frustration over the unresponsiveness of the congregation, resigned. I arrived at the church the night of the pastor's going away party. The man in question unloaded his burden on me and admitted that he had been wrong. He had, since the pastor's resignation, tried to convince the congregation that they really did need the pastor. It was too late and the damage was done. The pastor left.
The point? That pastor does not need to worry and relive that man's wrong. That pastor needs only to allow the Lord to settle the accounts. Indeed, the man had already settled with the Lord through confession and forgiveness, though he may suffer loss of reward for that period of his life.
4. In looking through these many attributes of the Lord, I have been time and time again impressed with the idea that all His attributes function so smoothly together. For example his holiness meshes well with His justice to bring about the punishment of those that sin.
Tozer makes a point that is very important and it is in relation to this line of thinking. "God's being is unitary; it is not composed of a number of parts working harmoniously, but simply one." (Tozer, A.W.; "The Knowledge Of The Holy"; Lincoln, NE: Back to the Bible, 1961, p 94) His attributes are not a list of characteristics that work harmoniously together but His very nature is the sum and substance of all these attributes.
His attributes are not separable, but are a unit.
GOD IS FAITHFUL
Faithful means ".....steadfast in affection or allegiance.....firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty....." (By permission. From Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary copyright 1991 by Merriam-Webster Inc., publisher of the Merriam-Webster (registered) Dictionaries.)
God's faithfulness is a bit more than even this definition. The term "steadfast" indicates that someone sticks with affection. The term "firm" indicates the same thought of stick to it. In God's case there is no thought of steadfast and firm. In His case it is part of His nature to be constant in His affection and adherence to promises. He can do nothing else. He cannot, at any point in time, stop His affection or cease to adhere to His promises.
I would like to just list some attributes of God's faithfulness and add references and comments as needed.
a. God's Faithfulness Is Long In Duration Deuteronomy 7:8-10
He is just as faithful now as He was three trillion years before the creation. He will be just as faithful three trillion years into eternity as He was when He set the decrees in eternity past. There is nothing that will deter Him, nor alter His course. He will be faithful to Himself and to us throughout eternity. To cease to do less is not within His character.
b. God's Faithfulness Is Far Reaching In Its Extent Psalm 36:5, "...thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds." I have known many Christian farmers that would say a hearty Amen to that comment from the Psalmist.
c. God's Faithfulness Is Sure Psalm 89:33,
"Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor allow my faithfulness to fail."
Nothing, not Satan, not man, not anger, nothing can cause God to be less than completely faithful.
d. God's Faithfulness Assures The Upholding Of Creation Psalm 119:90,
"Thy faithfulness is unto all generations; thou hast established the earth, and it abideth."
Link this verse with Genesis 8:22 which states,
"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."
and you have a good basis for a bold declaration that the fanatics that warn of nuclear annihilation, which warn of the sun exploding, which warn of a premature ice age, are wrong.
e. God's Faithfulness Is As A Garment Isaiah 11:5,
"And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins,
and faithfulness the girdle of his waist."
A garment is something that is close to you and important to you. So, God's faithfulness should be close to you and important to you.
f. God's Faithfulness Is Great Lamentations 3:23, "...great is thy faithfulness." His faithfulness is just as great as He is. As you begin to understand the greatness of God, you will begin to understand the faithfulness of God.
g. God's Faithfulness Is Set In Heaven Psalm 89:2,
"For I have said, Mercy shall be built up forever; thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens."
When we understand His promises, and understand that they are backed by the faithfulness of the One that lives in heaven, we can then understand how sure those promises are.
1. His faithfulness guarantees all promises and warnings that He has given, will come to pass. Hebrews 10:23,
"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for he is faithful that promised),"
2. His faithfulness guarantees the continuance of the universe until His plan is completed. Psalm 119:90,
"Thy faithfulness is unto all generations; thou hast established the earth, and it abideth."
3. His faithfulness guarantees our fellowship with Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:9,
"God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
4. His faithfulness guarantees our victory over temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13
5. His faithfulness guarantees us that we will be kept from evil. 2 Thessalonians 3:3
6. His faithfulness guarantees our forgiveness for our sins of everyday life. 1 John 1:9,
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
7. His faithfulness guarantees our being preserved until the Day of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24
8. His faithfulness guarantees our ability to trust Him in all circumstances — even trials. Psalm 119:75
9. His faithfulness is not dependant upon our belief. 2 Timothy 2:13
Note Of Interest: Faithfulness and mercy are found in the same verses at times. Deuteronomy 7:8-10, Psalm 36:5, Psalm 89:2.
GOD IS MERCIFUL
Walvoord relates a comment that explains the relationship between some similar terms. "Other terms are used to describe God's goodness:
(1) benevolence, which is goodness in its generic sense as embracing all creatures and securing their welfare;
(2) complacency, which is that in God which approves all His own perfections as well as all that conforms to Himself;
(3) mercy, which is God's goodness exercised on behalf of the needs of His creatures; and
(4) grace, which is God's free action on behalf of those who are meritless, which freedom to act has been secured through the death of Christ." (Reprinted by permission: Walvoord, John F. editor; "Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology"; Wheaton: Victor Books, Vol. I & II, 1988, p 147)
Pardington and Bancroft agree on mercy. Pardington states, "Mercy has been defined as that eternal principle of God's nature which leads Him to seek the temporal good and eternal salvation of those who have opposed themselves to His will, even at the cost of infinite self-sacrifice." (Pardington, Revelation George P. Ph.D.; "Outline Studies In Christian Doctrine"; Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1926, p 81 and Bancroft, Emery H./Ed. Mayers, Ronald B.; "Christian Theology"; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976, pp 83-84)
Cambron mentions "There is very little difference in the meaning of mercy and grace. Mercy, generally speaking, is used in the Old Testament, and grace in the New Testament. Old Testament mercy and loving-kindness go together. Someone has said that mercy is negative, and loving-kindness is positive. Mercy is shown to the disobedient, and loving-kindness is showered upon the obedient — both together mean grace." (Cambron, Mark G. D.D.; "Bible Doctrines"; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1954, p 45)
The term mercy is applied to both God and man. Again, we must point out that man may show mercy and know of the characteristic, yet God's mercy is infinitely more than ours. His mercy is perfect and infinite, while ours is imperfect and finite.
God's mercy is always extended and applied perfectly. We need to use mercy in our everyday lives with one another. The one thing that Christians seem to lack today is mercy toward others that disagree with them. There is good reason to disagree with some of the brethren, but Christian love and mercy are certainly needed as well.
A couple that we knew wrote a letter to tell us that they had gone into the Charismatic movement. When teaching, I always tried to relate the theology lessons I was teaching to life and proper application. We were studying the Holy Spirit's ministry to us at the time, so I asked the class to write a letter of doctrinal rebuke to the couple, using Christian love. The class went to work. They said that writing the letter was no problem, but that doing it in Christian love was the really hard part. They were well versed on theology, but lacked in their understanding of, and ability to share Christian love. The letters did show a great knowledge of doctrine, and I might add they showed that the students had learned much about Christian love in the short assignment.