Lesson # 3 / Part Two - God: His Character & Attributes (Fundamentals of the Faith)

So we're continuing to go through our study of the fundamentals of the faith by John MacArthur last week. We didn't get through lesson three. So this will be part two of lesson three. God his character and attributes.

The attributes we're going to be looking at Are his holiness his righteousness and justice his sovereignty his eternality. His immutability omniscience omnipresence omnipotence love truth and mercy. But before we get into those and get into the book, I have a few things to start out with.

The Trinity and Knowing the One True God

First of all God, I don't think we talked about this. I'm not sure it must mention it in the lesson. But God is triune in nature if there's one thing we should tell people about God. That that's it. God is triune.

God is a Trinity meaning there is one God.

But.

He has made himself known and you have to be careful actually with how you say this. But there's one God in three persons father son and Holy Spirit that.

Sets.

The the true God apart from all the false gods. The gods of all the other religions is either many gods or like with Islam and Judaism God is singular he's not a Trinity, but the true God is father son and Holy Spirit, but That's something that's basic.

So even if it's not brought out in this book, it's it's something that any believer would would know. So in his prayer to the father in John 17 verse 3 Jesus said that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ.

Who you have sent? And it was Christ's desire and it should be the desire for every believer to not only know God but to want to make him known to tell other people about God and who he is and what he's like and we talked about this last week to know God you need to know about him.

You need to know his character his attributes. That's why a study like this is important, but you also must know him personally and we spent some time on that and to know God personally, that's only possible through a Personal relationship with Jesus Christ because as Jesus said he came to make the father known first.

John 2 23 Says whoever denies the son does not have the father either. Of course, Jesus said I'm the way the truth and the life. No man comes into the father except by me put it plainly a person cannot know God Unless they believe in Jesus Christ.

We talked about this last time how The the nation's most famous pastor said that Hindus know God and they love God. No, they they don't know they don't believe in Christ so it's impossible that they would love the true God they are unaware of the true God and a lot of people would view that as a hateful statement a Judgmental statement, but it's a true statement that's the thing the devil wants to make the truth sound like hate and The truth does sound like hate to those who hate the truth.

So our love for people Should cause us to tell them the truth about who God is and you can only know the one true God Through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I saw a hand John 17 verse 3. This is Jesus praying to the father.

Turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 8. We'll get into the book in just a moment. But this is really what sets evangelicals apart from all other Professing Christian groups that Evangelicals believe that you must know Christ that Christ is the only path to the father in 1st Corinthians chapter 8.

We'll look at that in a second. But Paul makes it clear that no, there's oh, there's a lot of false gods, but there's only one true God. Today, however, the majority of professing Christians in the world with 2 .3 billion people or whatever the number is.

The majority of professing Christians in the world today even people within evangelical churches the majority opinion is Universalism or a quasi form of universalism or as long as you believe in some Concept of God or as long as you've taken a step in the right direction as long as you live a good life.

Whatever that means then then you'll be okay. That's the majority viewpoint. That is not what the Bible teaches however, I like to call that's the new order. That's the new order of Christianity. Today, but again, it's not biblical Christianity.

We mentioned last week Max Lucado the best-selling Christian author. He affirmed that Mormons have the Holy Spirit. That's synonymous with saying that Mormons are saved and Mormons are true Christians.

That statement would have been absolutely scandalous 60 years ago 50 years ago, maybe even 30 years ago. I don't know. Can you imagine that? I mean some of you older folks if somebody said back in the 1950s or 60s an evangelical preacher that hey all these other groups they're saved too.

Can you can you imagine that people's head would explode? But now it's just common. That's the new belief system and the pastors of the major Churches today, that's that's what they're preaching as long as you live a good life and believe in Some sort of concept of God or Jesus, however, you understand that's that's good enough.

Is that what the scripture teaches? Okay, let's look at 1st Corinthians chapter 8 verses 4 through 6. Well, if you don't really know the true God or know about him, you would be sucked in by that 1st Corinthians 8 4 through 6 verse 4.

He's talking about idols and he says that there is no other God but one verse 5. For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth as there are many gods and many lords. Paul says that there's many gods meaning there's many false gods that people worship many idols.

Yet he says for us there is what? One God the father of whom are all things and we for him and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and Through whom we live so he connects the father and the son.

Just like what John said if if you don't have the son, you don't have the father. All right, any comments or questions so far so as long as we lay that as the basis and we understand that's who God is and He has revealed himself through his only begotten son Jesus Christ.

If you got that right you're on the right track if you don't have that. You have a different religion. It's not Christianity. All right. So let's get back into the book God's character.

And.

Attributes we ended last time. Number two. Righteousness and justice. I'll give you a moment to find that. Might be. I don't know if it's the second page. Okay, 27 in your book. I'll ask one more time does anyone want a free book.

Fundamentals of the faith you want it? Okay. So, let's look at his righteousness and justice. It says righteousness and justice are derived from the same root word in the original language of the New Testament the meaning is being right or.

Just. You know, there's a lot of talk about justice in our society today. Ever since 2020 that's been the buzz term justice, there's people fighting for.

Social.

Justice and. They try to connect it to what the Bible talks about justice, right? The Bible does talk about justice and it's synonymous with righteousness and what they're talking about is not the righteousness of God.

Sometimes I'm sure there are some people who who really? Do mean well and use that terminology, but from what I hear that's not that's not righteousness. That's a different type of justice. It says righteousness.

Designates the perfect agreement between God's nature and his acts. Justice is the way God legislates his righteousness. There is no action that God takes in relation to man that violates any code of morality or Justice.

So you can't burn down a city because you're fighting for justice because burning down a city vandalizing things. Slandering people that's not that's not a righteous thing to do. So you can't fight for justice when you're committing immoral acts.

Right. I mean, this is pretty basic and yet you'll have pastors from pulpits basically. Going along with that. But again, that's the new order of Christianity. That's not biblical Christianity. The quote is there is no law above God.

But there is a law in God. According to Psalm 119 verse 137 God's righteousness is displayed in his. What? Judgments good section B in Psalm 89 verse 14 righteousness and justice are referred to as.

The.

Inhabitation of your throne or the foundation of your throne. There's a lot of people who believe in you know. This is more common in Eastern religion where they bow and pray to idols and some of the idols I mean they look like demons like snakes and these grotesque Monsters and they're bowing and that this is our God and they worship and offer food and incense to this Deity who's like this grotesque demon character.

Well, if here's the or there's other gods and like the Aztec religion in South America where they they this these gods would Call for human sacrifice. Well, if you're worshiping a god that is.

Evil.

Of course, what does the scripture say that the whole world is under the sway of the wicked one? A lot of people are worshiping Satan and that they don't even realize it. They just label it something else.

But the thing about the true God he's righteous. He is righteous righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. That's the only God who is worthy of worship. The the scripture it was that Moses who talked about the detestable gods of the the Canaanites.

That was mentioned somewhere. All right. It says how does your standard of? What is right and just compare with God's standard does anyone want to give the personal application here? How does your standard of what is right and just compare with God's standard?

Yeah, we we never live up to God's standard that's true. All of sin have come short of the glory of God that that's true. And man's standard alone man just keeps lowering the standard. All right, people aren't measuring up.

Well, let's lower it and and it just we've entered into the downward spiral in our nation when Justice is this stuff and it's you know, today's morality. I like to say today's morality is just yesterday's immorality.

Marcus you had your hand up. Well, I think that's the point.

As an American my standard is based on Constitutional and state law. As a Christian. My standard is based on biblical law and commandments. Right. I just broke the speed limit.

Yeah.

Yeah, Larry you had something.

Yeah, I wrote down that my standard of what is right and just comes from my limited and fallible knowledge of God's standard. Right standards are from my human emotion and beliefs from my limited view of life or my the picture of all that I see as opposed to God's view of the entire.

Right.

Yeah, our standard. Our standard is way down here. God's standard is perfect and sometimes when people hear you talking about God's standard They assume that you're you're claiming that you live up to it or something or that we're claiming that we're no.

We all recognize that we all have a long way to go. I'm learning new things all the time. The first year that I was saved to right now if I could talk to myself back then The the mic of back then would be offended of what the mic today thinks and believes because I was so saturated by and still am to some degree, but I was so Influenced and saturated by yeah the culture.

What it means to be an American, you know. The Constitution is what's really important and I wouldn't have said that of course. But you know, we're affected by the culture and we have our own beliefs.

And then when you read something something in the scripture and you're like, whoa, that's That's too little radical or that's too harsh or I don't know. But but over the years and when you grow in Christ, you come to realize that no I was wrong and the scriptures true.

The culture is wrong and the Bible's right and then you just come to that place where you just accept Okay, whatever the scripture teaches. Is true the Bible's right and I'm wrong. But not everybody's at that Place yet.

Yes.

Commandments, I mean I jumped up to American because this is the godliest nation. Or at least it was set up that way and when I went through Police Academy We did learn that that I don't know if it was the count of Robbie or maybe, you know.

But.

It is based and like the Ten Commandments, you know several half of them are related to God and half of them relate to other people. Yeah, and then when I got into Constitutional law I could see that it was based.

It was based in the same way. And of course the Massachusetts general laws are the same way crimes against people crimes against this crimes. You get that and there's more and more and more laws all the time.

Yeah, and what. And I know people think well politics that's a whole other thing and you probably shouldn't talk about it. Here's the thing when they pass a law people generally will obey the law to avoid the consequences.

So after a generation whatever the law of the land is The majority of people are conformed to it. So if it goes against the scripture my point is Politics does matter because it shapes the minds of Christians whether they know it or not.

Let me give this illustration of man's law versus God's law. When I Go to the post office every week. I pull in front. I'm gonna get myself into trouble by admitting I pull in intentionally to a spot and the sign in that spot says.

No.

Idling it's against the law, whatever and I intentionally leave my car on. I Leave my car on for 30 seconds when I run in grab the mail come out. It's literally about 30 seconds. Pastor that's a terrible thing.

You're breaking the law. Well, I lock. Well, yeah, yeah, oh I lock the car so Why do I do that. Because somebody at some point is going to say something and I'm gonna respond. Isn't it strange that there's a law that you can't leave your car idling for 30 seconds.

But in this state, it's perfectly illegal to kill children in the womb. But most people in this town are Perfectly, okay with that, but they'll get upset because you idled your car for 30 seconds so if you think I'm wrong for doing that and I'm a terrible person then just pray for me, but that's.

That's why I do it.

Well.

Hasn't actually one person did say something and I'm like, well, that's illegal. You could get a ticket. I said, I'll take my chances. But I said well, no, I need a better response. And so now I have my response plan.

God's Sovereignty and Human Responsibility

All right, let's move on number three sovereignty. The word sovereign means chief or highest supreme in power or superior in position to all others. Isaiah 46 9 and 10 says I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like me.

Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that have not yet been done saying my purpose will be Established and I will accomplish all my good pleasure and notice. This is the sovereignty of God notice.

It doesn't say that God knows the end from the beginning. It says God declares the end from the beginning. So whatever happens God is involved in it. He's not the author of sin. He doesn't force people to sin.

God does not tempt people to sin. But God is in control of it all and it's all working together to fulfill His good pleasure. Isaiah 45 verse 23 says I have sworn by myself. The world has gone forth from my mouth and righteousness and will not turn back That to me every knee will bow and every tongue will swear allegiance.

Says the idea of sovereignty is encouraging. For it assures the Christian that nothing is out of God's control and that his plans Cannot be thwarted. Do you believe that this morning? Some people don't believe that there's the and you don't have to be a Calvinist to believe this because there's the Calvinist Arminian debate Calvin this would be something a Calvinist would say and Again many non-Calvinist is still biblical you would still agree with this but there's a lot of people more on the Arminian side of things that emphasize man's free will to such an extent that That's when when something bad happens God had God's not involved that God had nothing to do with that.

So if there's some horrible thing that happens. So what God had nothing to do with it? Well, God might not have caused it. That's true. God has something to do with everything. Otherwise, he's not.

Sovereign.

He can take the most evil act The world has ever seen and turn it around and use it for good. Can't he. But we know we did because the book of Acts says that the cross Jesus dying on the cross for the sins of the world was actually for ordained.

It was God's determined purpose. So even though sinful men committed an evil act God used it to bring about good.

Yes, I just make the free will Dispensation point that they are parallel truth, and I'm not saying Arminian ism. Arminian ism is definitely a false False of gospel. There's no question about that.

And.

When you put Calvinism versus Arminian ism, of course if you had to choose you would choose Calvinism. I believe that the truth between free will and predestination Is right in the middle of both of them?

Yeah. They don't coincide. They don't make sense to each other and that's your opinion and you're fond of it. They don't coincide free will.

Okay, Romans 828 is the verse that's listed it says and we know That all things work together for good to those who love God and to those who are the called according to his purpose. Then then he goes on for whom God foreknew.

He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. It's just the idea that God is in control of all of all things again. That's a bigger debate. Not everyone's gonna see all of that the same way and that's fine.

You don't have to be a Calvinist to be a true believer. That's obviously not what I'm saying, but I mean that's kind of the way the debate has been framed historically. Larry did you have your hand up?

1726 says. And he has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and has Determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings. So not only when.

Each person that has ever lived or is living now or about to Will live not only their times, but where? They will dwell.

Yeah.

He has a plan and a purpose for everybody.

And.

For his will I. And you are here for a reason and a purpose.

It's hard to wrap your mind around it all but it's I think the the most or one of the most comforting comforting thoughts that God is. God's got it all under control. And he's gonna use everything to bring about his will in the end.

If God isn't if there's something that God is not in control of then who's to say how it's gonna turn out. Well, he says he already says it's gonna turn out this way. Yeah, but if he's not in control of it That opens the door to a lot of troubling things.

Right and whatever man's will is whatever you decide to do. It's gonna be within the plan of purposes of God like there's nothing a person can do to thwart God's plan. That's all he's saying. That there's nothing a person can do to thwart the plan of God.

Oh, but if we crucify Jesus that'll really thwart God's plan. No, you're playing into it. There's nothing a person can do that. So no, it's not saying that man is a robot and has no will and just you're only doing things because God's for it.

That's not that's not what's being said.

Okay.

God's Eternity and His Unchanging Nature

Next God's eternality, so we looked at is Sovereignty. Now is eternality says since God is eternal There has never been a time when he did not exist. He had no beginning and will have no end. Isaiah 44 verse 6 says I am the first and I am the last and there is no God besides Me.

Isaiah 43 verse 13 even from eternity I.

Am.

He.

So God is eternal. We heard of the story about the child. Who created the the trees. Well God created the trees. Who created the lake. Well, God created the lake. Who created the flowers. God created the flowers.

Well who created God? Well God created himself. No, God did not create himself. He is from everlasting. He's always existed. Well, that's hard to understand but we live within time and space. We think of everything as having a beginning and we can't.

We've never been outside of that. God is outside of that. Or argue God created time.

So.

God is eternal. We all agree with that. God is eternal. If God isn't eternal then we're yeah who or what created God. Then that thing that created God would be God, of course, then you'd have to ask well who created That and then then it goes back forever.

It's if something exists now, then something must have always existed and That something is God. It says being eternal. God is not bound by time having always existed. He sees the past and the future as clearly as he sees the present with that perspective.

He has a perfect understanding of what is best for our lives. Therefore we should trust him with all areas of our lives. And then it gives a personal application. Does anyone want to share? What they wrote for personal application.

Kareem.

Sometimes we think we can do things on our own, but we need to pray and ask God for help. Okay.

Good.

Marcus you add something. Very good. Does anyone else want to share something? All right, Larry.

One strand of his workmanship. One day we will see how we are connected to all the other strands of God's love.

Are you a poet and we never we never knew. All. Right, let's move on to the next section number five. Immutability not a word we use very often, but something is immutable. It does not change. I am the Lord.

I change not. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. Well, at least Malachi 3 verse 6 for I the Lord do not change so God's immutability. It means God never changes in his nature or purpose.

One thing people do get wrong. And this is one one thing that comes up when we get to the spiritual gifts. If I've heard this once I've heard it a thousand times. That some people believe the the miraculous gifts of the Spirit continue and that what God was doing in the early church He's doing the same things today in 2022 and their proof text is Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever.

Right. Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever, but he's not always doing the same things. God never changes in his nature or his purpose but God as a good Dispensationalist we would say God works in different ways at different times.

With different people groups. So just because God was doing one thing back then it doesn't mean he well He never changes. So he's doing the same thing now wrong. That's not the case. God was working in and through the nation of Israel under the Old Covenant.

Through the law of Moses and the Ten Commandments and all the laws for the gods not doing that today in this age God has set them on the shelf and is working in and through the New Testament Church and then he's gonna go back.

We believe in the end times to work with Israel. So God will do different things at different times. That doesn't mean he changed. You see the difference between God changing and what he's doing at any given time.

Might be different. Okay. The Bible contains numerous promises for those who belong to him. He can be trusted to keep his word and gives another Opportunity for personal application. So the immune immutability of God.

Personal application anybody want to share?

Marcus I can go through life encourage.

Okay, you can go through life encouraged by God's help yeah. We live in a changing world. Things are constantly changing. The things that you were taught as a child the values and just the way the world is it's completely different now and Next year the next five ten years.

We're gonna see. If things keep going the way they're going we're gonna see even more radical changes. If you could see into the future ten years. You probably wouldn't even believe it. How do I know that.

Well because I think of the way things were ten twenty years ago and the way they are now. Right. I can't believe what's happening right now. I keep saying You know now at this point nothing would surprise me but that's not truth things still surprised me.

Well, at least the church that churches wouldn't go in this direction. No, they'll go along to many of them. So. The point is there's great comfort in knowing that God doesn't change everything else might change.

But God he is the solid rock. Amen. You can you can depend on him maybe you can't depend on much else but you can depend on him. Larry. Yeah, great great point because if God changed then yeah, he was like this back then but he might not be like that tomorrow.

Or he promised this back then but he might go back on his word. Great comfort and the sovereignty of God and the immutability of God. All right, anything else before we move on? I Think those two are my favorite at least right now at this moment.

I might change my mind number six omniscience. What is God's omniscience? Well says he knows all things present and future. Nothing takes him by surprise. Job 34 verse 21 for his eyes are upon the ways of a man and he sees all his steps.

Psalm 139 1 through 6. Oh Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up you understand my thoughts from afar. You scrutinize my path in my lying down and are intimately Acquainted with all my ways even before there is a word on my tongue.

Behold. Oh Lord, you know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before and laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is too high. I cannot attain to it. Says since God is omniscient.

He knew all our sins past present and future at the time of our salvation. Says he still forgave us and received us into his family forever. And what does that say about the security of our?

Salvation.

What does it say? It says that we're secure. Yeah, but if I do something really bad in the future God might cast me away. Yeah, but didn't he already know you were gonna do that. I mean he might. He might chastise you.

He might put you through a lot of stuff like. But he's not gonna cast you away. Yeah, but you don't know what I've done. Yeah. Well, God knows what you've done. And he said he says believe in Jesus. Confess your sins and and they'll be forgiven.

So this is. I think this is one of my favorites too, I'm gonna add this. Can I add that. All right personal applications or thoughts Larry.

Was teaching on this subject. He said that you know, he used to think that God knows him. And I mean, I think that about myself too that God knows me better than I know myself. And he knows my sin. He knows my fallibility.

Yet he continues.

Amen.

Right, right.

Yeah, this the messages so far have been powerful. They're long, you know, it's not a. It's not a 20-minute sermon that kind of sets you at ease and it's a lot of information. It's like whoa, you know, it's it's powerful.

That's that's the way I think preaching should be but. Yes, you had something.

We don't have to worry about.

Don't have to worry About anything in regards to our security in salvation, right? Yes. Okay. The next one is God's omnipresence. Time is going by very fast. So I think there could be a part three. All right, yeah, I think that's the way it's gonna be whether I want it to be or not.

Larry wants it to be. I know that so I don't want to rush. I'm not and I'm not rushing. But this this seems to be there seems to be a lot here. Just a lot we could talk about and before with the personal applications, you know, there wasn't a lot of sharing.

There's a lot of sharing with this. So this that this is good. This is very good. So any knowing that okay, we'll have a part three and so I didn't want to ask this question I didn't want to say this.

If you have any questions or comments Please feel free. We got we're getting a lot of input so. No, okay. All right. We'll move on then.

Yeah.

You do you do have the right to remain silent.

Yeah.

Well, that's good because if I was in a Sunday school class where nobody ever said anything I mean, I'd be able to get a lot and cover a lot of ground, but I like personal interaction. I've said this before I I Enjoy teaching Sunday school and Wednesday nights.

I think more than sermons because it's just me talking. I don't know. Don't tell me what you prefer. I don't. Yeah, it's Sunday school right. You're supposed to be supposed to be learning Larry.

We all think what we're going through. We're the only one going through it. But when we open up and share with one another like this. Other others are going through similar things. Right, so I mean being as part of the body of believers of.

Christ.

You know our own body each part of our body is vitally important to the whole body. Right, so as you and I are part of the body here and along with the universal body of Christ, you know each one of us is Vital to to the growth and to the Right to the body.

Yeah.

The thing about discipleship this week and some people have the idea that Discipleship is when you know a church leader Spends a few hours on Tuesday evening or a Saturday afternoon with somebody one-on-one.

Honestly most pastors wouldn't have the time to do that with everybody in the congregation. Some situations might not be appropriate to do that.

But.

Discipleship should be happening. The main place discipleship should happen is within the church. You know, I think about Sunday school from 10 to 10 45. This is discipleship. The morning worship service us getting together talking with one another sharing.

Hearing a sermon you are being taught you are being decide. What's a disciple. A disciple is someone who? Learns, right? You're you're being discipled Sunday morning Wednesday night, so The more times you get together, maybe you have a small group or a small Bible study you meet with other people.

That's where the real discipleship happens. Anything on top of that there may be other ways that it's done. But primarily the average person is discipled Sunday morning Wednesday night and those Bible studies during the week so when when people don't take advantage of that or you know, they're not really being discipled the way they The way they should and sometimes we have these terms.

Well, I'm a believer. I'm a Christian. Okay, but and then you ask well, are you a follower? Are you following Jesus and then you start seeing a contrast between those who say they believe and Those who are actually following Christ.

Or are you a disciple? I used to work with a guy. You would go he would talk to people they say well, are you a Christian? Of course the majority of people said yes, but then he would say but are you a disciple and.

Then not so many people say said yes. All right. God's Omni-presence, this is number seven. God is present everywhere in the universe. Proverbs 15 verse 3 the eyes of the Lord are in every place watching the evil and.

The good and.

Then Psalm 139 verses 7 through 12 David is writing where where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence if I ascend to heaven? You are there if I make my bed in Sheol. Behold you are there if I take the wings of the dawn.

If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea even there your hand will leave me in your right hand Will lay hold of me. So God is everywhere all at at once. This statement of one Psalm 139. Some translations put it this way.