God
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast
created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created" (Rev
4:11).
"God That made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of
heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped
with men's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life,
and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to
dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before
appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek the Lord,
if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from
every one of us: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts
17:24-28).
How can we know God?
Although the order and design of the world can encourage
belief in a Creator, we can only know God through His revelation of Himself and
His ways. This revelation is in the Bible, which clearly claims to have been
authored by Him through faithful men (2Ti 3:16; 2Pe 1:21; Heb 1:1,2). In it we
find His revelation of His nature, His character, His mind and His purpose. The
superiority of all His ways and thoughts over those of men is to be expected and
is stated: "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,
saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways
higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa 55:8,9; see too
1Co 1:25-29).
His nature
God reveals Himself as the Supreme Being, Who has always
existed, immortal, of infinite power, wisdom and understanding (1Ti 1:17; 6:15;
Psa 90:1-3; 145:3; 147:5; Isa 45:5,18). He is declared to be the Creator of the
heavens and the earth and the giver of life to all that lives (Gen 1:1; Jer
10:7,10-12; Acts 14:15; 17:24). Not only does He create life, but He sustains
it, and when He deems fit He will take life away (Psa 104; Deu 32:39; Acts
17:25,28).
His character
God declared His character particularly to Moses: "The LORD,
The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and
truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and
sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty..." (Exo 34:6,7). His character
is seen in His dealings with mankind, particularly with the nation of Israel.
God's work with the nation of Israel illustrates His kindness and longsuffering,
but also His intolerance of sin and rebellion against His ways (Psa 103:8-13;
Hab 1:13; Deu 4:24). Paul describes these two aspects of the Almighty's
character as "the goodness and severity of God" (Rom 11:22).
God's character is fully revealed in the birth, life, death,
resurrection and ministry of His Son Jesus, the Christ. His longsuffering, His
love and His righteousness are displayed in the provision of Jesus as the
perfect sacrifice for sin and the example of the kind of life that men and women
should lead: "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them..." (2Co 5:19; cf Joh 3:16; 1Jo 4:7,8,16).
However, His righteous judgements will also be carried out on those who reject
His ways (2Th 1:6-10; Rev 11:18; Heb 10:30,31).
His mind and purpose
He has made all things for His pleasure (Rev 4:11). This
pleasure is realized in the outworking of His purpose, which is that "as truly
as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD" (Num 14:21;
cf Isa 11:9; Hab 2:14). This will be achieved through people who have believed
His promises and obeyed His commandments. Such will allow the Word of God to
influence their lives so that they are "conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom
8:29).
As the Creator, God is, in a sense, the Father of all mankind
(Acts 17:29), but the position of the children of God is reserved for those who
have believed Him. He has from the time of Adam, when His righteousness
condemned Adam to death for sin, made His laws and commandments available. Those
who obeyed them were counted as 'sons of God' who looked for a day when they
should be raised from the dead, share the promised Divine nature and have
fellowship with God (Joh 8:56; Heb 11:19). God's selection of Abraham led to the
choice of Israel as His people, from which nation He raised His Son Jesus, in
fulfillment of promises about the seed who was coming. Jesus, born by the action
of the power of God, the Holy Spirit, on the virgin Mary, is the "only begotten
of the Father... full of grace and truth" (Joh 1:14). Through Him God has
provided redemption from sin, and brought into being a new creation of His
children, who are being redeemed from this present world to be revealed as the
sons of God when Jesus returns to establish His Kingdom upon the earth. God's
judgements have been committed to the Son, who will "put down all rule and all
authority and power... that God may be all in all" (1Co 15:24-28; cf Psa 8:6;
Psa 2).
The One to Whom all glory is due
The wisdom and graciousness of God are evident in the
arrangements He has made to fill the earth with His glory manifested in
believers "delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of
the children of God" (Rom 8:21). Understanding this great work of salvation
evokes praise and wonder.
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how
unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath
known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor? or who hath first
given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto Him again? For of Him, and
through Him, and to Him, are all things: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Rom
11:33-36).
"...to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and ever. Amen" (Jud 1:25).
