My father-in-law, Benjamin Dahildahil Sr., recently went on to his reward (cf. Heb. 11:26).
Here is his defense of the Trinity.
WHAT
WE BELIEVED
-- The
Attributes of God --
As God is infinite in His being, it is impossible
for any creature to know Him exactly as He is. Yet He has graciously willed to reveal himself
in language that we can
understand, and that revelation is contained in the Scriptures. For example, God says of Himself, “I AM HOLY”:
Therefore,
we can say, God is Holy. Holiness
then is an ATTRIBUTE OF GOD because holiness is a quality that we may attribute
or apply to Him. Thus we may regulate our thoughts about God with the help of
the revelation God has given of Himself.
QUESTION: What is the difference between the names of
God and the attributes of God?
ANSWER: The names of God express His whole being, while His
Attributes indicate various sides of His character.
NOTE: To comprehend God fully would he like trying to
carry the Atlantic Ocean in a teacup. But
He has revealed Himself sufficiently to fill our capacity.
The following
classification may be found helpful:
I-
UNRELATED ATTRIBUTES, or what God is in Himself, apart from creation. It answers the question, “What qualities
characterized God before
anything came into existence.
II- ACTIVE ATTRIBUTES, or what God is in relation to
the Universe.
III- MORAL ATTRIBUTES,
or what God is in relation to His moral being.
I-
GOD’S INNER NATURE (Unrelated Attributes).
A. God is a Spirit. (John
4:24). God is
a spirit with personality; He thinks,
feels, speaks, and therefore He
can have direct communion with His creatures made
after His image.
As
a spirit, God
is not subject to the limitations
to which possession of a body subjects human beings. He does not possess bodily parts or
passions, and is composed of no
material elements, and is not subject to the conditions of natural
existence. Hence He cannot be seen with natural eyes or
apprehended by natural senses.
This
does not imply
that God lives a shadowy, unsubstantial existence for Jesus refers to God’s shape (John 5:37; compare Phil.2:6). God is a real person, Heb.1:3 says: “Who being the brightness of His glory and the
express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at
the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
God is a person, but so infinite in nature, that He cannot
he fully apprehended by the
human mind or adequately described by
human language, John declares: “No
man hath seen God at any time” (1 John 1:18, compare Ex.33:20); yet in Exodus 24:9,10
we read that Moses and certain elders “SAW GOD.” There is no contradiction; John means that no man has ever seen God AS HE
IS. But we know that spirit may be manifested
in bodily form (Mat. 3:16). The Theological term for this is “THEOPHANY”-—The visible manifestation of a Deity.
Therefore, God can manifest Himself in a way that can be apprehended by
man (Gen. 18:17-33).
God
also describes His infinite personality
in language understood by
finite minds; therefore, the Bible speaks of God’s
having hands,
arms,
eyes and ears and describes Him as seeing, feeling, hearing,
repenting
and so forth.
But Cod is unsearchable and inscrutable, consider Job 11:7, ”Can you
search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of
the Almighty? They are higher than the heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol—-what can you know? Their
measure is longer
than the earth and broader than the sea.”
QUESTION: Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
ANSWER: Our answer would be,… “We have nothing to draw
with, and the
well is deep” (John
4:11).
B.
God is infinite, that is, not subject to natural and human limitation. God’s
infinity may viewed in TWO WAYS:
1. In relation to space; God is
characterized by IMMMENSITY
(1 Kings 8:27),
this means IMMEASURABLE, LIMITLESS, BOUNDLESS,
INCALCULABLE, INCOMPREHENSIBLE,
UNFATHOMABLE—MEASURELESS. That is, the nature
of the GODHEAD is equally present throughout the whole of infinite space--to
every part of it. No part
of existence is untouched by His presence, and energy, and no point of space
escapes His influence. His
center is everywhere; His circumference is nowhere.
Yet
we must not forget that in one particular place His presence and
glory
are revealed in an extraordinary manner; and
that place is
heaven.
2. In relation to time---God is eternal(Ex. 15:I8; Deut. 33:27;
Rev. 4:8,9,1O). He has existed from eternity and will exist to
eternity past, present and future are all present to His mind.
Being
eternal--He
is unchangeable, “The same yesterday, today, and
forever”
(Mal. 3:6, Heb. 13:8).
NOTE: This is a comforting truth to the believers,
who may rest in the
confidence that the eternal God whom they
served is alive and a
real refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms (Deut. 33:27).
C. GOD is ONE. (Ex. 2O:3; Deut. 4:35,39;
6:4; 2 Sam. 7:22; 1 Kings 8:6o;
2 Kings
19:15; Neh. 9:6; 1 Tim. 1:17) “Hear ,O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.” This was a fundamental of Old Testament
religion, and was Israel’s distinctive
message to a world that worshiped many false gods (Isa. 42:5-8; 44:6-19; 45:11-21).
QUESTION:
Does the teaching of the unity of God conflict with the New
Testament teaching of the Trinity?
ANSWER:
We must distinguish between – TWO KINDS OF UNITY:
1. The
ABSOLUTE UNITY—Heb. YACHIDH.
2. The
COMPOUND UNITY—Heb. ECHAD.
NOTE: The
expression “ONE MAN” conveys the thought of Absolute unity, because we
refer to ONE PERSON, Isaiah 44:6 states, “Thus say the Lord, the King of
Israel, and His Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts: I am the first
and I am the last; besides Me there is no God.” Think of it:
the pronoun I and Me as of ONE person, singular number. This is yachidh-or absolute unity. But if ONE PERSON is referred to—that is
ABSOLUTE ONENESS (Gen. 22:2,12; Amos 8:10; Jer. 6:26; Zech. 12:10.; Prov. 4:3;
Judges 11:34). The phrase “are one”
refers to the unity of the Godhead.
But when
we read --- Man and his wife shall be one flesh—that is a
compound
Unity (ECHAD---the union of two persons.
QUESTION: What kind of unity is referred to in
Deuteronomy 6:4? From the fact the word
“our GOD” is in the plural form (ELOHIM) and not “ELOAH” WHICH IS IN THE
SINGULAR?
ANSWER: We can conclude, without a doubt, that
compound Unity may be
inferred.
NOTE: The
Hebrew language has 3 numbers, namely:
1. Singular
………………………………………………………………… 1 (ONE)
2. Dual
…………………………………………………………………………. 2 (TWO)
3. Plural
……………………………………………………………………. 3 or more
Since ELOHIM (Hebrew) translated in English,
“GOD,” is plural (3 more) in this very name of Deity, we are introduce
to a Godhead which is revealed in 3 distinct persons equal in power and
essence, co-eternal (Isa. 48:16).
1. The
Father ………………………………………………… Deut. 33:27.
2. (Dual)
………The…Son…………………………………… Prov. 30:4; John 3:13; Heb. 1:8,
3. Plural
…The…Holy…Spirit………………………………………… Heb. 9:14; Acts 5:3,4
Please scrutinize this verse very carefully (1 John
5:7): “For there are three who bear
witness in heaven; THE FATHER, THE WORD, and THE HOLY SPIRIT: and these three
are ONE.”
NOTE: Three
persons cannot be one person in number in any sense, but the
three persons can be one in Unity
(John 17:11).
EXAMPLES,
ILLUSTRATIONS and ANALOGIES:
1. Water
is one, yet it is known in three forms:
a. Water
b. Ice
c. Steam
2. The
Sun is one, yet it manifest as:
a. light
b. heat
c. fire
3. The
beam of light; it has three rays:
a. The
actinic --- which is invisible.
b. The
luminiferous --- which is visible.
c. The
calorific --- which gives heat and is felt, but not seen.
Where these three are, there is light. Where there is light, we have these three.
John the Apostle said: “God is light” (1 John 1:5).
a. God
the Father has not been seen, yet He was the one who sent the Son as Savior of
the world (1 John4:14; John 3:16).
b.
The Son who sat down at the right hand of the
majesty on high --- was addressed by God (Heb. 1:8-14): “But to the Son He says, Your throne, O God,
is forever and ever… You, LORD, in
the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of
Your hands” – which is visible.
c. The
Holy Spirit – was sent by our Lord (John 16:7-14) can be felt and is effective;
He transforms the lives of men (1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Thes. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2).
4. Our
Government is One; yet it has three branches:
a. The
legislative – (congress) composed of Senators and the House of Representatives.
b. The
Executive – composed of the President, the Cabinet and the departments under
the Cabinet members.
c. The
Judicial – The Supreme Court, which has 9 members.
The Scriptures teach that “GOD IS ONE” and
that besides Him there is no God (Isa. 44:8; Isa. 45:18,21; Jas. 2:19).
The question might arise: “How could God have
fellowship before finite creatures came into existence?”
The answer is that – the Divine Unity is a Compound, and that in this Unity there are Three Distinct Persons. So we see that there was an eternal
Fellowship before finite creatures were
created. Therefore, God is never alone (Gen. 1:26,27; Isa. 45:11,12; Prov. 8:22-31; John
17:5).
It was not the Angels who were Co-creators with God --- When He said:
“Let us make
man after our own image. According
to Isaiah 15: 11,12
It was the Lord - the Holy One of Israel, and His Maker who formed the earth and made it. The One who was with the Father from eternity past … was not other than Jesus our Lord, before His
incarnation (John 1:1-3,14).
NOTE:
a. Christ preeminent in creation (Col.
1:15-17).
b. Christ preeminent in
redemption (Col. 1:19-22).
c. Christ preeminent in the church (Col. 1:24-29).
So
it is, and it would be a great
blasphemy and highly disrespectful to
say that, “There was a time that the son (Jesus Christ) did not exist,
then He will be Lord again (Heb. 1:10—12) see the oneness booklet
(page 51).
NOTE: WHAT THE APOSTLES BELIEVED:
a. The Father is God -- (John 20:17)
b. The Son is God ----- (Rom. 9:5)
c. The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4).
They
put these three in the Apostolic Benediction (2Cor. 13:14;
Phil.
2:6—8; Eph. 4:30).
Try
to examine closely this great ERROR of interpretation of the Scriptures This error is commonly
known as SABELLIANISM, from Bishop
Sabellius who taught
that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are simply three aspects or manifestations
of God. This error has appeared many
times in the History of the Church and is current even today, in Tanjay City
and in Dumaguete City. If then, the
Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are only God under different aspects of names and
manifestations, then the New Testament is a mass of confusion,
For
example: A reading of the intercessory prayer of Jesus (John 17) with the
thought in the mind that the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are of one
person--will reveal the absurdity of the Doctrine (ridiculous, unreasonable, unsound).
NOTE:
“As I have given myself power over all
flesh, that I should give eternal life to as many as I have given myself...I
have glorified myself on earth; I have finished the work which I gave myself to
do; and now I glorify myself with my own self with the glory which I had with me
before the world was” (compare with John 17:2-5). Oh how silly would it would be for us if this
is the way we interpret these Scriptures (weak in intellect, foolish). Many intellectual people today are silly and
have been deceived by the spirit of antichrist who denies the real existence of
the Father and the Son and that they are separate persons. John testifies that the Lord Jesus Christ
is the SON OF THE FATHER – in truth and love. He is not the Father but the
SON OF THE FATHER (2 John 1:3).
Each
member of the Trinity is mentioned in the Old Testament.
a. The Father---Isa. 63:16; Mal. 2:1O--(397
BC).
b. The Son of Jehovah-Psa. 45:6,7; 2:6,7,12; Prov. 30:4).
c. The Holy Spirit—(Gen. 1:2; Isa. 11:2,31; 48:16;
61:10; 63:10).
1 John 5:7 says: “These three are ONE” (in unity in the Godhead).
There are more than one
hundred verses and proofs in the Bible that the
Father is not the Son, nor
the Holy Spirit. Out of the more than
one
hundred proofs and verses, I
will just present forty (40) irresistible
proofs
that the Father is not the Son.
1. (Mat. 16:13-17) God revealed to Peter that
Jesus is the Son of
the
Living God; And Jesus confirmed it, “Your are the Christ,
the
Son of the living God.” Jesus said: “Flesh and blood has
not
revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
Note: The one who revealed was in heaven while Jesus
was on
earth. So it is very clear that Jesus is not the
Father.
2. (Mat. 28:18) “All authority has been given to
me in heaven and
on
earth.” If Jesus is the Father, who gave
to Him the
Authority? Therefore, Jesus is not the Father.
3. (John 5:22-23) “For the Father judges no one,
but has committed
to
the son,” so He is not the Father. The
Father was the one
who sent Him. So, Jesus is not the Father, nor the Holy
Spirit.
4. (John 5:26) The Father and the Son have
separate functions in
life,
so how could Jesus be the Father?
5. (John 12:49,50) “I have not spoken on my own
authority; but the
Father
who sent me gave me a command, what I should say and
what
I should speak.” Note: “Whatever He should speak came
from
His Father not from His own. It is very
clear that He is
not
the Father.
6. (Dan. 7:9-14; Mat. 3:16-17; John 1:31-34;
Acts 7:54-60; Rev.
6:16;
7:9-17; Rev. 21:22; 22:3) – Two and three persons called
God
have been seen by the same men at the same time and place
as
being separate persons. So, how could
Jesus be the Father
or the Holy Spirit?
7. (Gen. 19:24; Gen. 18:33) Two Lords are
mentioned, one on earth
and
one in heaven.
8. Two Lords are mentioned sitting side by side
(Ps. 110:1,5; Mat.
22:44;
Acts 2:33-34; 7:54-56; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24; Eph. 1:20;
Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:13; Heb. 8:1; Ps. 2:1;
Prov. 30:4).
9. The Father and the Son spoke to each other in
an audible voice
at the same time and place, being heard by
many witnesses (Mat.
3:16-17; 17:5; John 12:27-30; 2 Peter
1:17,18).
10.
The
disciples heard the voice from heaven saying:
“You are my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”
(Mark 1:11). The Father
acknowledges Jesus as His Son, but who are
you to disagree with
this?
Are you more wise than God and wise more than the
Apostles?
11.
Jesus
was resurrected and exalted by the father, so He could not
be the Father (Eph. 1:20; Phil. 2:9-11;
Heb. 12:2; 1 Peter 1:3;
3:22).
12.
He
received this command, that He should lay down His life, and
that He may take it again. So He is not the Father (John
10:17,18).
13.
Christ
announces His departure of going back to His Father who
sent Him; so He is not the Father (John
16:27-29).
14.
Christ
Jesus prays for Himself, telling God that He had finished
the work that He should do (John
17:54:5). He longed to have
the glory that He had before with the
Father before the world
was.
So He is not the Father.
15.
He
was loved of the Father as a separate person.
So he is not
the Father (John 10:17-18).
16.
The
Father was in heaven all the time, Jesus was on earth (Mat.
5:16,48).
17. Jesus promised that he would confess men before
His Father who is in heaven (Mat. 1O:32-33). If He is the Father, He would confess men before himself? It is clear that Jesus is not the Father.
18. (Eph. 1:3,17) Paul says that, “Blessed be the God
and Father of
our
Lord Jesus Christ,” verse 17—“the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ,
the Father of glory;” proves that even the Apostle Paul
acknowledged
that Jesus is not the Father God. If you
disagree
with
these, then you are more discerning than the apostle to the
gentiles
(Rom. 11:13)! NOTE: I don’t believe that you are more
thoughtful
than Paul, who are you?
19. (John 14:12-14; 15:16) Men are thought to go
directly to the
Father
in prayer, and not to pray to Jesus only.
So He is not
the
Father.
20. (Mark 13:32; Acts 1:7) The Father knew all things
about His
return, but Jesus did not know; proving that
He is not the
Father.
21. Jesus committed His own spirit to the Father, not
to his own
self. This shows that He is not the Father (Luke
23:46).
22. The Son died – not the Father (1 Cor. 15:3). So He is not the
Father.
23. Jesus called God – “My Father” – 57 times. How could He be His
own
God and Father and beget Himself? (John 3:16; Luke 3:32).
24. John 3:16 says, “For God
so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son” … NOTE:
If this word “God” refers to the Son
(Jesus), who is the only
Son of Jesus? It is very clear that
there is a Father and
there is Jesus, the only son of the
Father.
25.
(Acts 7:55) Stephen saw Jesus as a separate person standing at the right hand
of God. So He is not the
Father.
26. Jesus proved that He
had his own throne, and the Father has also
His own throne; It is clear that
Jesus is not the Father nor the
Holy Spirit (Rev. 3:21). So, what makes our mind
closed to
believe that Jesus is the Father at the same time! Do we have
the spirit of antichrist-—who does not believe the
existence of
the Father and the Son? Why should we firmly stand in spite of
many verses telling us that Jesus is not
the Father!
(2 John 1:3).
TAKE NOTE: One
who denies the Father and the Son has the spirit of
antiChrist
(1 John 2:22).
27.
(John 1:14,18) Jesus is not the begotten of Himself, and He is the only one who is in the bosom of the Father,
Jesus has declared the Father God.
28. Think of it, about the ambitious mother and her
two sons (Mat. 20:21—23; Mark 10:35-40) “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit,
one on your right hand and the other on the left, in your kingdom.”
TAKE
NOTE: Jesus replied; “but to sit on my right hand and on my left is NOT MINE TO GIVE, BUT IT IS
FOR THOSE FOR WHOM IT IS PREPARED BY MY FATHER.” It is clear as crystal or transparent glass
that the Father is not the Son; because Jesus could not decide to grant their
request, but it is of the Father.
29. (John 20:17) … “I am ascending to my
Father and your Father and
to my God and your God.” If Jesus is the Father, then who is
this Father that He referred to? So it is clear that Jesus is
not the manifestation of the Father
(Mark 1:11) because it was
the Father Who Says: “You are my beloved Son” and not Jesus
talking to himself. In Matthew 17:5 we read that there was a
voice coming out of the cloud saying
“This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased, HEAR HIM.” Who was that voice out of
the cloud? If Jesus was the one who says it, then this
is what
He should say! Hear me; but it says hear him. So, who
introduced Jesus as His beloved
son? Jesus himself?
30. (John 15:26) Jesus could not be the
Father nor the Holy Spirit
at the same time, because He was the
one who sent the Holy
spirit from the Father. If He is the Father and the Holy Spirit
and He is also the Son; --- Then this
is what He should say:
“But when the Helper which is me, the
spirit of truth who
proceeds from me, I will testify of
me.” Oh!
How silly would
it be if this is our belief that Jesus
is the son and the Father
and the Holy Spirit at the same time.
31. (John 14:28) NOTE: “I am going to the Father, for the Father is
greater than I.” Jesus our Lord acknowledged that the Father
who sent Him is greater than Him
(Jesus). So He could not be
the Father.
TAKE
NOTE: If Jesus is the Father, then this
is what it should say: “I
am going to me, for I am greater than
me.” Is not a man insane
who would say this?
32. (John
8:16-18) “And yet if I judge, my judgment is true:
for I
am not alone, for I am with the Father who sent me.”
Note: It was not Jesus who sent
Himself, but the Father. Jesus
was the one who said this. “I am
not alone… It is also written
in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one
that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me bears
witness of me.” Take note of
this: these words came out from
the mouth of Jesus our Lord.
“[He] is not alone. “[He] was
with the Father who sent [Him]. “The
testimony of two men is
true.” Why would you disagree
with this? Do you have the
spirit of unbelief (Heb. 3:12)?
33.
(John 14:16) “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you
another Helper, that He may abide
with you forever.” If He is
the Father and the Holy Spirit at the
same time, then this is
what He should say: “And I will pray to myself and I will give
you another me or myself that I may
abide with you forever.”
Maybe, only the fool would say this.
34. (John 8:42) “If God were your Father,
you would love me, for I
proceeded forth and came from God nor
have I come of myself, but
He sent me.” ---- If the Son is the
Father, This is what He
should say: If I were your Father, you would love me, for
I
proceeded forth and came from me, nor
have I came of myself, but
I sent me.
35. The Oneness doctrine says, “Jesus
Christ is the manifestation of
the Father.” Note:
this is the wrong interpretation of the
scriptures. (1 Tim. 3:16) This “manifestation of God”
does not
refer to the Father. See 1 John 3:8 which says, “For this
purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that he might destroy the
works of the devil” (Heb.
2:14,15). It was the Son and not the
Father. And John testified (2 John 1:3) that the
Lord Jesus
Christ was the Son of the Father,
so he is not the Father.
36. Take
note of the three persons mentioned by Jesus Christ. (John
14:16-17,23)
“and I [Jesus the Son] will pray the Father, and He
[the
Father] will give you another Helper – Comforter, that He
may
abide with you forever.” First,
the Comforter, Holy Spirit,
will
abide forever. Second, (verse 23) “and my Father will love
him,” note the WE not “I” next, “and we will come unto him
[believer], and make our home - abode with him [believer]. So
three are mentioned, a) The Holy Spirit, b) the Father and
c)
Jesus the Son. I did not
say three Gods, but three persons in
the Deity.
37.
Read: Rev. 4:1-3; 5:1-7, The throne of God and the one who sat
on
the throne. Note: the one who sat on the throne was no
other
than God – the Father. Verse 7, “Then he took the book
out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.”
NOTE: If we consider that one who sat on the throne
was the Lamb
(Jesus), then who was the one who came to the one who sat on the
throne and took the scroll? Therefore,
it is clear that the
Father is not the Son (see Rev. 3:21).
38. 2 Cor. 11:31 – Paul says that Jesus has his own Father; therefore,
Jesus is not the Father (Eph. 3:14,15), but the Son of the Father (1 John 1:3;
2:1).
39. Col. 3:1; Heb. 8:1 – Christ is sitting at the right hand of God
acting as a high priest; therefore he is not the Father (Heb. 9:24).
40. In 2 Peter 1:17,18, Peter tells us that they were eyewitnesses of
His (Jesus) majesty; when Jesus received from God the Father honor and
glory. They heard the voice from the
Father in heaven. So, it’s clear that
Jesus is not the Father, but the Son.
Note: If God the Father had said
that Jesus is His Son, why should you disagree with this? The apostles heard the voice while they were
with Jesus on the holy mountain.
II – ACTIVE ATTRIBUTES – What God is in
relation to the Universe
A. God is
Omnipotent (Gen. 1:1; 17:1; 18:14; Ex. 15:7; Deut. 3:24; Deut. 32:39; 1
Chron. 16:25; Job 40:2; Isa. 40:12-15; Jer. 32:17; Mat. 19:26; Rev. 15:3; 19:6;
Ezek. 10:5; Dan. 3:17; Amos 4:13; Amos 5:8; Zech. 12:1). God’s Omnipotence
signifies TWO THINGS:
1. His freedom and
power to do all that is consistent with his nature. FOR EXAMPLE: “For with God nothing shall be impossible,”
of course this does not mean that He can or would do anything contrary to His
own nature, FOR EXAMPLE: To lie or
steal; or that He would do anything absurd or self-contradictory, such as to
make a triangular circle, or make dry water.
2. His control and Sovereignty
over all that is or can be done:
QUESTION:
But if this is so, why is evil practiced in the world?
ANSWER:
Because God has endowed man with a free will, which He will not
violate; He therefore permits evil
acts, but for a wise purpose,
and with the prospect of ultimately
overruling evil. Only God is
Almighty and even Satan can do nothing
without His permission (Job
chapters 1 & 2; Acts 17:25,28; Dan.
5:23).
Man’s existence is like the note of an
organ, lasting as long as
God’s fingers are on the keys. Therefore, every time a person
sins, he is using the Creator’s own
power to outrage Him (to
arouse anger or resentment).
B. God is
Omnipresent – that is unlimited by space (Gen. 28:15,16; Deut.
4:39; Psalm 139:7-10).
QUESTION:
What is the difference between immensity and Omnipresence?
ANSWER:
Immensity – is God’s presence in relation to space; while
omnipresence – is His presence viewed
in relation to creatures.
He is present to His creatures in the
following ways:
1.
In glory, to the adoring hosts of heaven (Isa.
6:1-3).
2.
Effectively, in the natural order (Nahum 1:3).
3.
Providentially, in the affairs of men (Ps. 68:7,8).
4.
Attentively, to those who seek Him (Mat. 18:19,20;
Acts 17:27).
5.
Judicially, to the conscience of the wicked (Gen.
3:8; Ps. 68:1,2). NOTE: Man cannot hope to find a corner in the
universe where ye may escape the law of his maker.
6.
Bodily, in the Son (Col. 2:9) “God with us.”
7.
Mystically, in the church (Eph. 2:12-22).
8.
Officially, with his workers (Mat. 28:19,20).
NOTE: While God is everywhere, He does not dwell
everywhere. Only when
He enters into personal relationship
with a group or an individual
is He said to dwell with them.
C. God is
Omniscient, knowing all things (Gen. 18:18,19; 2 Kings 8:10,13; 1 Chron.
28:9; Ps. 94:9; Psalm 139:1-16; 147:4,5; Acts 15:8; Rom. 8:27,29; 1 Cor. 3:20; 2
Tim. 2:19; Heb. 4:13).
God’s knowledge is perfect - He does not have to reason, or find out things or learn gradually. His knowledge of past, present and future is instantaneous.
NOTE;
There is great comfort in the consideration of His Attributes - In all the tests of life, the believer may be
sure that – “our Father knoweth” (Mat. 6:8).
The following difficulty
presents itself to some: Since God knows all things, He knows who will be lost;
therefore, how can a person help from being lost?
Answer: But God’s knowledge of how an individual will
use his free will does not force that person’s choice. God foresees, but does not fix.
D. God
is Wise (Ps. 104:24; Prov. 3:19; Jer. 10:12; Dan. 2:20,21;
Rom. 11:33; 1 Cor. 1:24,25,30; 2:6,7; Eph. 3:10; Col. 2:2,3). God’s wisdom is a combination of His
Omniscience and Omnipotence.
He has POWER to apply His knowledge that the best purposes are realized by
the best possible means.
God always does that right thing, in the right way, and at the right
time. “He hath done all things well” and
overrules the course of events of His own good purpose. This action is called – PROVIDENCE. God’s general providence has to do with the
government of the Universe as a whole; His particular providence with the
details of man’s life.
E. God
is Sovereign; that is, He has an absolute right to govern and
dispose of His creatures as He pleases (Dan. 4:35; Mat. 20:15; Rom. 9:21).
He possesses this right by virtue of His infinite superiority, His
absolute ownership of all, and the absolute dependence of all things on Him for
their continuance. Therefore, it is both
foolish and wicked to criticize His ways.
III – MORAL ATTRIBUTES – What God in relation to
moral creatures.
Reviewing the record of God’s dealings with mankind, we learn that:
A. God
is Holy (Ex. 15:11; Lev. 11:44,45; 20:26; Josh. 24:19; 1 Sam. 2:2; Ps. 5:4; 111:9; 145:17;
Isa. 6:3; 43:14,15; Jer. 23:9; Luke
1:49; Jas. 1:13; 1 Peter 1:15,16; Rev. 4:8; Rev. 15:3,4).
The holiness of God means
His absolute moral purity; He can neither sin nor tolerate sin. NOTE: The root meaning of “HOLY” is “SEPARATED.”
QUESTION: In what sense is
God separated?
ANSWER: He is separated
from man in space. He is in
heaven; man is on earth (Eccl.
5:2).
He is separated from man in nature and character He is perfect, man is imperfect. He is Divine, man is sinful.
We see then that holiness is
the attribute which guards the distinction between God and the creature. It denotes not merely an attribute of God, but
the divine nature itself.
Therefore, when God reveals
Himself in a way that impresses man with His Godhead, He is said to sanctify
himself (Ezek. 36:23; 38:23)
that is He reveals Himself as
the Holy one.
When the Seraphim describe
the Divine radiance emanating (come cut from a source) from Him that sits on the
throne, they cry out:
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the Lord of Hosts (Isa. 6:3).
Men are said to sanctify God
when they honor and reverence Him as Divine (Num. 20:12; Lev. 10:3;
Isa. 8:13).
When they dishonor Him by
violation of His commandments, they are said to profane (to violate or treat with
irreverence) in Latin —— profanus (abuse) His name which is the opposite
of sanctifying or hallowing (Mat. 6:9)
His name.
Only God is holy in himself. Holy people, buildings and objects are
so described because God has
made them holy, or sanctified them.
The word “HOLY” applied to
persons or objects is a term expressing a relationship to JEHOVAH_-- the fact of being set apart for His
service.
Having been thus set apart, articles
must be clean; and persons must consecrate themselves to live according to the
LAW of HOLINESS. These facts constitute
the basis of the DOCTRINE OF SANCTIFICATION.
B. God is Righteous.
QUESTION:
What is the difference between holiness and righteousness?
ANSWER:
Righteousness is holiness in action.
Righteousness is God’s holiness manifested in right dealing with His
creatures. “Shall not the Judge of all
the earth do right?” (Gen. 18:25).
Righteousness is conformity to the right standard; it is right conduct
in relation to others.
QUESTION:
When does God manifest this attribute?
1. When He clears the innocent
and condemns the wicked we see that justice is done. God judges not as modern judges do, on evidence
set before them by others, but He discovers the evidence for Himself (John
2:24,25; John 16:30; Mat. 9:4).
Thus the Messiah, filled
with the Divine Spirit does not judge – “after the sight of His eyes, neither
reprove after the hearing of His ears,” but judges with righteousness (Isa.
11:3,4).
2. When He pardons the penitent
(Ps. 51:14; 1 John 1:9; Heb. 6:10).
3. When He chastises and judges
His people (Isa. 8:17; Amos 3:2).
4. When He saves His
people. God’s interposition of behalf of
His people is called – His Righteousness (Isa. 46:13; 45:24,25).
Salvation is the negative
side, righteousness is the positive. He
delivers His people from their sins and their enemies and the result is
righteousness of heart (Isa. 60:21; 54:13; 61:10; 51:6).
5. When He gives victory to the
cause of His faithful servants (Isa.
50:4-9). After God has delivered His
people and judged the wicked, and we shall have “NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH,”
wherein dwells righteousness (2 Peter 3:13).
God not only deals
righteously but He requires righteousness.
QUESTION:
But what if the man has sinned?
ANSWER:
Then He graciously imparts righteousness to (or justifies) the penitent (Rom.
4:50). This is the basis of the Doctrine of Justification. It will be noted that the Divine nature is
the basis of God’s dealing with men. As
He is, so He acts. The Holy One
sanctifies, the Righteous One Justifies.
C. God is Faithful. He is absolutely trustworthy; His words will
not fail. Therefore, His people may
stand on His promises (Ex. 34:6; Num. 23:19; Deut. 4:31; Josh. 21:43-45; 23:14;
1 Sam. 15:29; Jer. 4:28; Isa. 25:1;
Ezek. 12:25; Luke 18:7,8; Rom. 3:4; 15:8;
1 Cor. 1:9; 1 Cor. 20:13; 1 Peter 4:19).
D. God is Merciful. God’s mercy is the Divine goodness exercised
with respect to the miseries of His creatures, feeling for them, and making
provision for their relief, and in the case of impenitent sinners, leading to
long-suffering, patience (Titus 3:5; Lam. 3:22; Dan. 59:9; Jer. 3:12; Ps. 32:5;
Isa. 49:13; 54:7).
For the most beautiful descriptions of the
mercy of God see Psalm 103:7 and the
ground of trust (Ps. 52:8).
NOTE:
God’s MERCY was preeminently manifested is sending Christ His Son
into the world (Luke 1:78).
E. God is Love. Love is the attribute of God by reason of
which He desires a personal relation with those who bear His image, and
especially with those who have been made holy and are like Him in character.
1. Notice how God’s love is
described (Deut. 7:8; Eph. 2:4;
Zeph. 3:17; Isa. 49:15,16; Rom. 8:39; Hos. 11:4; Jer. 31:3).
2. Notice to whom it is
manifested (John 3:16; 16:27; 17:23; Deut. 10:18).
3. Notice How it was exhibited
(1 John 4:9,10; Rom. 9:11,13; 1 John
3:1; Isa. 43:3,4; Isa. 63:9; Titus 3:4-7; Eph. 2:4,5; Deut. 7:13; Rom. 5:5).
F. God is Good. The goodness of God is that attribute by
reason of which He imparts life and other blessings to His creatures (Ps. 25:8;
Nahum 1:7; Ps. 145:9; Rom. 2:4; Mat. 5:45; Ps. 1:19; Acts 14:17; Ps. 68:10; Ps. 85:5).
QUESTION:
Why did a God of love create a world with so much suffering?
ANSWER:
1. God is not responsible for evil. If
the careless workman
throws sand into a delicate machine, should
the manufacturer be held
responsible?
God made everything good but man marred His work.
3. 2. God, being Almighty, evil exists by
His permission. We cannot in every
instance, understand why He permits evil, “For His ways are just” and “past
finding out” (see Dan. 4:37; Rom. 11:33).
4. 3. God is so great that He can overrule
evil for good.
EXAMPLE:
remember how He overruled the wickedness of Joseph’s brethren (Gen
50:20).
4.
God has arranged the universe according to natural laws, and these laws imply
the possibility of accidents.
EXAMPLE: If a person carelessly or deliberately steps off
a precipice (a very steep or overhanging place such as a cliff) he suffers the
consequences of violating the law of gravity; yet we are glad for these laws, for
otherwise the world would be in a state of confusion.
5. It should always be remembered that this is not the
perfect order of things. God
has another life and future age in which to vindicate (to provide defense for) all His dealings because He
works according to “Heavenly Standard Time.” He will avenge His elect speedily (Luke 18:7,8). God must not be judged until the curtain has
fallen on the last Scene of the drama of ages. Then we shall see that “He hath done all
things well.”
TAKE
NOTE:
Every time a Hebrew uttered
the name of God (ELOHIM) he was
really saying “GODS” —— see Old KJV (l Sam. 4:7,8). The word is in
the plural and is sometimes used in the Hebrew with the plural adjective (Josh.
24:18,19) and with a plural verb (Gen. 35:7).
Let us imagine a devout and
enlightened Hebrew pondering the fact that Jehovah is one, and yet He is
Elohim – “GODS.” He
could conceivably be imagined as concluding that there was a plurality of
persons within the ONE GOD (GODHEAD).
Paul
the Apostle
never ceased to believe in the unity of God as He had been taught it from His youth (1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Cor. 3:4) indeed, he insisted that he taught
no other things but which were found in the law and the prophets. His God was the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. Yet he preaches the Deity of CHRIST (Phil. 2:6-8; 1 Tim.
3:16) and the personality
of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30);
and puts these Three persons together in the Apostolic
benediction (2 Cor. 13:14).
QUESTION: How can three persons be ONE GOD? is a question which puzzles many
people. We should not wonder at their
perplexity, for we are dealing the INNER NATURE AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD. We must not forget that three can be ONE
IN UNITY, and that is the
case in the persons of -- The FATHEH, and THE SON, and THE HOLY GHOST: Those
three are one in unity in the GODHEAD.
Prepared by Pastor Ben. Dahildahil Sr.
