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Doctrine of God 0001 - Lesson 2
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- THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD (Continued)
- The Meaning of Knowing God (Continued)
- By fellowship; to enjoy communion with God on a personal level (Exodus 29:45-46 [45] And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
[46] And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.
See All...; Jeremiah 24:7And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
See All...; Philippians 3:10The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
See All...) - By union; to experience the divine nature through the indwelling of the Spirit of God and the life of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
See All...; 2 Peter 1:2-4 [2] Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, [3] According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: [4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
See All...). Note: not that man becomes divine (a false doctrine), but that the life of Christ is lived through us by faith (Galatians 2:20I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
See All...). - The Impossibility of Knowing God
- God is too high
- He is not like anything we know (Psalm 89:6For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
See All...; Isaiah 40:18To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
See All...; Isaiah 46:9Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
See All...; Acts 17:23For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
See All...) - He is by definition unsearchable (Job 11:7-8 [7] Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
[8] It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
See All...; Job 37:23Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
See All...) - His works are unsearchable (Job 5:9Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
See All...) - His years are unsearchable (Job 36:26Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.
See All...) - His greatness is unsearchable (Psalm 145:3Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
See All...) - His understanding is unsearchable (Isaiah 40:28Hast 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.
See All...) - His judgments are unsearchable (Romans 11:33O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
See All...) - Man is too low
- Though man was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27 [26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
[27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
See All...), the fall of Adam corrupted his nature and took him far away from God (Romans 3:10-18 [10] As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: [11] There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. [12] They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. [13] Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: [14] Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: [15] Their feet are swift to shed blood: [16] Destruction and misery are in their ways: [17] And the way of peace have they not known: [18] There is no fear of God before their eyes.
See All...). - Man is limited by his nature from understanding God on his own (Ecclesiastes 3:11He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
See All...; Job 37:23Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.
See All...) - But God has revealed Himself to man
- God has come to man as the revealer of secrets (Deuteronomy 29:29The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
See All...; Daniel 2:28-29 [28] But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; [29] As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
See All...; Daniel 2:47The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
See All...) - The Spirit of God illuminates our understanding (John 14:26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
See All...; 1 Corinthians 2:11-12 [11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
See All...) - The Provision for Knowing God
- General revelation; God’s revelation of Himself to all men at all times (Romans 1:18-20 [18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
[19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
[20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
See All...) - Circumstances or Providence (Psalm 75:6-7 [6] For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
[7] But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
See All...) - Seen in the wrath of God against the wicked (Romans 1:18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
See All...) - Seen in the goodness of God toward all (Matthew 5:45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
See All...; Luke 6:35But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
See All...; Acts 14:17Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.
See All...; Romans 2:4Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
See All...) - Conscience
- Something in man telling him that there is a God (Romans 1:19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
See All...) - Reveals the existence of right and wrong: convicting of sin and rewarding righteousness (Romans 2:14-15 [14] For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
[15] Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
See All...) - In different men may be weak (1 Corinthians 8:7Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
See All...), defiled (Titus 1:15Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
See All...) or seared (1 Timothy 4:2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
See All...) - When kept pure, our conscience can be a helpful guide for living (Acts 23:1And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
See All...; Acts 24:16And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.
See All...) - Evidence of the working of conscience is seen in the fact that all cultures believe in the existence of some form of a god
- Creation
- The teaching of creation (Job 12:7-9 [7] But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
[8] Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
[9] Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?
See All...) - The voice of the heavens (Psalm 19:1-6 [1] The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
[2] Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
[3] There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
[4] Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
[5] Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
[6] His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
See All...) - The glory of God (Psalm 19:1The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
See All...) shows His power - The handiwork of God (Psalm 19:1The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
See All...) shows His intelligence - Invisible things clearly seen (Romans 1:20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
See All...) - Eternal power
- Eternal – the God who created all things must be before all things and must have eternal existence
- Power – the God who created all things must have infinite power in order to create all things
- Godhead
- A word found only three times in the Bible (Acts 17:29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
See All...; Romans 1:20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
See All...; Colossians 2:9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
See All...). - Godhead man may be compared to personhood. It indicates a personal nature (Acts 17:29Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
See All...); one who can think, plan, organize, appreciate beauty, and more. - The order, design, and beauty of creation point to a personal God. The variety of creation points to variety in the Godhead—a requirement answered by the trinity.
- Note: General revelation reveals to mankind a powerful and personal God who made all things. However, general revelation is very limited in what it reveals about God. For further revelation, man needs special revelation. Only by special revelation can man know how to come to know God; how to get saved from his sins and their consequences.
- Special revelation
- Miracles; supernatural manifestations of divine power in the natural world
- Identify the true God (Exodus 7:17Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
See All...; Exodus 8:22And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.
See All...) - Declare the power of God (Joshua 2:9-11 [9] And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
[10] For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
[11] And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.
See All...) - Manifest the glory of God (John 2:11This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
See All...) - Confirm the words of God (Mark 16:20And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
See All...) - Incarnation (John 1:18No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
See All...) - Dreams; when asleep (Daniel 2:28But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
See All...) - Visions; when awake (Ezekiel 1:1Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
See All...) - Prophesies; speaking through men (Numbers 11:25And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
See All...; 1 Samuel 10:6And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
See All..., 10; Jeremiah 20:9Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
See All...) - Audible words (Numbers 12:6-8 [6] And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
[7] My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
[8] With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
See All...) - Scripture; the written words of God (John 5:39Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
See All...) - God’s living revelation of Himself through the person of Jesus Christ
- The Son has declared the unseen God (John 1:14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
See All..., 18; Colossians 1:15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
See All...) - The Son reveals the Father to those He will (Matthew 11:27All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
See All...) - To know the Son is to know the Father (John 14:7-10 [7] If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
[8] Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
[9] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
[10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
See All...; 2 John 1:9Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
See All...) - We come to know God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
See All...) - We should then strive to know the Son (Ephesians 4:13-15 [13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
[14] That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
[15] But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
See All...; Philippians 3:8-10 [8] Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation? [9] Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. [10] The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.
See All...; 2 Peter 3:18But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
See All...)