Unit 5 – The God We Know

 The way in which we know God (1-4) ▪ Gracious revelation ▪ Using human language ▪ Concerning both faith and reason ▪ Through the witness of Jesus Christ and his work  The God that we now know (5-10) ▪ Today – The attributes of God’s being and character ▪ Next week – Understanding God as Trinity ▪ Rest of course – Understanding more about God through the gospel

1. We can know God truly (through careful and prayerful study of his word) but we can’t know him fully Deuteronomy 29:29 2. Knowing God is practical, not merely intellectual. To know God is to be in relationship with Him and known by Him. We grow in understanding of his character and purposes so that we might please Him Romans 11:33,36

 What are the different ways you can describe someone?  Often people approach the doctrine of God by examining his various attributes Natural Attributes & Personal Attributes Non – Communicable Communicable eg. Changelessness eg. Love Advantage of understanding God in this way? Danger of understanding God in this way?

What do these versus teach us about God’s existence? Deut 6:4 Jeremiah 2:11-13 Romans 11:33-36 John 5:26 God is __________ Objections? Many Gods! Polytheism

What do we learn about God’s relationship with creation? 1 Chronicles 29:11 Acts 17:24-25 Psalm 139:7-10 Jeremiah 23:24 God is both T__________ & I__________ to his creation

What do these versus teach us about God in relation to time and space? Jeremiah 10:10 Psalm 139:1-10 Isaiah 40:28 Col 1: Timothy 1:17 God is _________ in relation to time God is _________ in relation to space

So is God subject to change, can He be influenced by his creation? Psalm 102: His Being Psalm 138:8 - His Character 1 Samuel 15:29 - His Intentions God is I____________ in relation to all things What about God changing his mind? (Pg 88 of notes) Jonah 3:10? – But then see Jonah 4:2

What do these versus teach us about what God knows? 1 John 3:20 Isaiah 46:10 Psalm 147:1-5 Psalm 139:2-3 God is _________ in relation to all things

Job 1:1 Proverbs 21:1 Jeremiah 32:17 Genesis 18:14 Acts 2:23* God is O___________ in relation to all things

God cannot contradict himself in any way! To suggest that this could somehow be possible is irrational nonsense: “God’s omnipotence means power to do all that is intrinsically possible, not to do the intrinsically impossible. You may attribute miracles to him, but not nonsense... meaningless combinations of words do not suddenly acquire meaning simply because we prefix to them the two other words 'God can'. It remains true that all things are possible with God: the intrinsic impossibilities are not things but non-entities. It is no more possible for God than for the weakest of his creatures to carry out both of two mutually exclusive alternatives; not because his power meets an obstacle, but because nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God" C S Lewis - The Problem of Pain

 Free in relation to time: ETERNAL  Free in relation to space: OMNIPRESENT  Free in relation to ignorance: OMNISCIENT  Free in relation to other powers: OMNIPOTENT  Free in relation to change: IMPASSIBLE If any of these were not true how would that endanger Jesus’ saving work for us? (The Gospel)

What do these verses teach us about God’s character? In what way is God limited from doing absolutely anything? 1 John 4:16, Ps 118:89-91 Heb 6:17-18, Ex 34:14 Rom 1:18, Gen 6:6 God cannot lie, commit evil, sin against himself - this apparent limitation is a strength, not a weakness of God. How is sin described in scripture? (John 8:34)

How would you answer the question – How can a God who is love be angry and punish? Exodus 34:6-7, Romans 3:22-25 What happens to the gospel if we minimise God’s just anger against sin and it’s consequences?

 Psalm 36:10  1 John 4:10  Hebrews 9:23-28  Romans 2:4  Romans 5:8  Galatians 2:21  Romans 8:38-39

The Glory of God in contemporary culture Pg 95: 4.3

Mini Essay: How would you argue that God’s judgment is an act of love? Read Doctrine 1 Unit 6 Extra Mile: Read The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God, D.A. Carson

Which attributes of God can you identify in this Psalm? How does the Psalmist respond to God in view of His awesome nature and power?