1. Theology Proper: Doctrine of God

2. Introduction
What we believe about God determines everything in our lives.
You and I have an idea of what God is like.
The question we must ask is: are they Scriptural? What does the Bible say that God is like?

3. Does God exist?
Every person has asked: Does God exist? Or How do I know that God exists?
How can I know?

4. The Existence of God: Two proofs
1st Proof: Humanity’s Inner Sense of God
2nd Proof: Evidence found in Scripture and in nature.

5. Humanity’s Inner Sense
The truth of Romans 1:18-32: All humans have a deep, inner sense that God exists.
But we have exchanged that truth for a lie and even have suppressed that truth.
But Scripture also says some people deny this inner sense of God and even deny the existence of God.
Ps. 14:1; 53:1

6. Humanity’s Inner Sense
What causes this denial of existence of God?
Answer: Sin!
Sin leads people to think irrationally and to deny God’s existence.
Sin also leads people to suppress the truth about God’s existence

7. The Evidence in Scripture and Nature
What about the evidence found in the Scriptures and Nature that help us in the proving the existence of God?

8. The Evidence in Scripture and Nature
Genesis 1:1
This passage in Genesis does not present evidence for the existence of God it simply tells us what he has done.
Psalm 19:1-2
David tells us that when we look up to the skies by day or night, they are continually declaring by their existence and beauty and greatness that a powerful and wise Creator has made them and sustains them.
Romans 1:20
Paul affirms that the created order points to a Creator.

9. The Evidence in Scripture and Nature
This wide variety of testimonies to God’s existence from various parts of that created world suggests to us that in one sense everything that exists gives evidence to God’s existence – Wayne Grudem
Everything in Scripture and everything in nature proves clearly that God exists and that he is powerful and wise Creator that Scripture describes him to be.

10. The Evidence in Scripture and Nature
“When we believe that God exists, we are basing our belief not on some blind hope apart from any evidence, but on an overwhelming amount of reliable evidence from God’s words and God’s works.” – Wayne Grudem

11. Traditional “Proofs” for the Existence of God
Cosmological Argument (Kalam Cosmological Argument) – Argument from design
Structure:
Whatever exists has a cause
The universe began to exist
Therefore, the universe has a cause

12. Traditional “Proofs” for the Existence of God
Teleological Argument – Focuses on the evidence of harmony, order, and design in the universe.
Argues that the design of the Universe gives evidence of an intelligent purpose
Since the Universe appears to be designed with a purpose, there must be an intelligent and purposeful God who created it to function this way

13. Traditional “Proofs” for the Existence of God
Ontological Argument - the argument that God, being defined as most great or perfect, must exist, since a God who exists is greater than a God who does not.
Argument from being

14. Traditional “Proofs” for the Existence of God
Moral Argument – Argument from man’s sense of right and wrong, and the need for justice.
Argues that there must be a God who is the source of right and wrong and who will someday mete out justice for all people

15. So, what do we do?
Since there is compelling evidence about the existence of God, and valid proofs that point to his existence, but we also know that sin clouds our minds and prevents us from believing in God’s existence. What do we do?
God must enable us to be persuaded or we would never believe in him.
2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 Corinthians 1:21
We are dependent on God to remove the blindness and irrationality caused by sin and to enable us to evaluate the evidence rightly, believe what Scripture says, and come to saving faith in Christ.

16. The Knowability of God Knowing About God vs. Knowing God
What’s the difference between these statements?
Why does it matter?
Ex.: Knowing facts about the President vs. Knowing the President

17. The Knowability of God Can we fully know God? No our minds are limited
But, God in the Bible has revealed what we can know about him.

18. The Knowability of God The Necessity for God to Reveal himself to us.
If we are to know God at all, it is important that God reveal himself to us.
The natural creation reveals God, as seen in Romans 1:19
Personal Knowledge of God that comes in salvation,
Matt. 11:27; 1 Cor. 1:21

19. The Knowability of God
The Necessity of God to reveal himself to us is also seen because we are sinful who misinterpret the revelation about God found in nature. Romans 1:18, 21, 25
Therefore, the Scriptures become so important if we are to interpret natural theology rightly.

20. The Knowability of God We can never fully understand God.
Why? Because God is infinite and we are finite (limited).
In this sense, God is said to be incomprehensible (unable to be fully understood)
We must distinguish between ”unable to be fully understood” vs. “unable to understand”
It is not the case that God is unable to be understood, but it is the case that God cannot be understood fully or exhaustively

21. The Knowability of God Psalm 145, Psalm 147.
We will never be to measure or fully know the understanding of God: it is far too great for us to equal or to understand.
Paul also implies this in 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 and in Romans 11:33

22. The Knowability of God
It is not only true that we can never fully understand God; it is also true that we can never fully understand any single thing about God.
Example: His greatness, his understanding, his knowledge, his riches, his wisdom, his judgments and his ways are all beyond our ability to understand fully. (Isaiah 55:9; Job 26:14)

23. The Knowability of God
We can know something about God’s love, power, wisdom, etc. But we can never know his love completely or exhaustively. Psalm 139:6
The doctrine of God’s incomprehensibility can encourage us. How?
It can encourage us by that we will never be able to know “too much” about God, for we will never run out of things to learn about him, thus we will never tire in delighting in the discovery of more and more of him.

24. The Knowability of God Yet We Can Know God Truly
We can know true things about God
All that Scripture tells us about God is true.
Through the Scriptures we can have true knowledge about God, even though we do not have exhaustive knowledge

25. The Knowability of God
We just do not know facts about God, but God himself.
Scripture even testifies to this idea that we can know God himself.
Jeremiah 9:23-24; John 17:3; 1 John 5:20; Galatians 4:9; Phil. 3:10; 1 John 2:3

26. The Knowability of God Conclusion(s):
The richness of the Christian life includes a personal relationship with God.
We have a far greater privilege than mere knowledge of facts about God.
We can speak to God in prayer, and he speaks to us through his word.
We can truly know God through a relationship with Him

27. The Character of God: the Attributes of God
How does God communicate to us what He is like?
What is his character like?
If someone were to describe you, what “terms” would they use?

28. The Attributes of God
Thought-provoking question: If you could imagine God of your own making what characteristics would have? Or how does the world imagine God should be like?

29. The Attributes of God
When describing the character of God, theologians use the classification of attributes: incommunicable/communicable.

30. The Attributes of God
Incommunicable Attributes: Those Attributes of God that He does not share or ”communicate” to others
Communicable Attributes: Those Attributes of God that He shares or ”communicates” with us.

31. Incommunicable Attributes of God
Most easily misunderstood the Attributes because they represent aspects of God’s character that are least familiar.

32. Incommunicable Attributes
Independence
God is independent of His creation
He is self-existent
God does not need us or the rest of his creation for anything, yet we & the rest of creation can glorify him and bring him joy

33. Incommunicable Attributes
Independence Cont’d
Ps. 50:10-12; John 17:5
It is not only that God does not need creation for anything; he could not need the creation for anything.
Why? Because it would mean God is lacking in some way and needs us to complete him and thus he would be no God at all.

34. Incommunicable Attributes
Independence Cont’d
So, if God does not need us, are we important?
Yes! Why? Because God created us and purposed or determined we would be meaningful to him.
Is. 43:7; Zeph. 3:17

35. Incommunicable Attributes
Unchangeableness
God is unchanging in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet God does act, feel emotions, and acts and feels differently in response to different situations.
The Unchangeableness of God can also be called Immutability of God
Ps. 102:25-27; Mal. 3:6; James 1:17

36. Incommunicable Attributes
Unchangeableness
We change, God does not!
Numbers 23:19
Does God change His mind?

37. Incommunicable Attributes
Unchangeableness
Examples where it might seem God changes His mind
Exodus 32:9-14; Is. 38:1-6; Jonah 3:4, 10
These instances should be understood as true expressions of God’s present attitude or intention related to the specific situation.
As the situation changes, God’s attitude or expression of an intention will change as well.

38. Incommunicable Attributes
Unchangeableness
Process Theology
This theology denies the unchangeableness of God
Also called Open Theism
States that God does in fact change.
Their argument: if God is truly unchangeable, then nothing that happens in the universe has any real effect on God.

39. Incommunicable Attributes
They reject that God is unchangeable and say our actions influence God himself.
So as we act, God is affected & God becomes something other than he was.

40. Incommunicable Attributes
Process theology is inconsistent with Scripture.
Scripture is clear in that our ultimate significance does not come from being able to change the being of God, but that God has created us & counted us as significant
The other error: God must be changeable like the universe changes
Scripture denies this Hebrews 1:10-12; Ps. 102: 25-27

41. Incommunicable Attributes
God is both infinite and personal
He is separate from creation, but also personal.

42. Incommunicable Attributes
Importance of discussion on Process Theology:
If God could change, it would mean
He could change for better or worse:
If he changed for the better, then he was not best possible being when we first trusted him.
How do we know he’s the best possible being now?
What if he changed for the worse?
Could we trust anything he said in the Bible?
Our faith is shattered

43. Incommunicable Attributes
Eternality
God has no beginning or end or succession of events in his own being
Ps. 90:2
Always existed.
Revelation 1:8

44. Incommunicable Attributes
Eternality
God’s view of time
Ps. 90:4
All of past history is, to God, as if it just happened.
2 Peter 3:8
God sees & knows all events – past, present, future with equal vividness.
He still sees the progression of events

45. Incommunicable Attributes
Omnipresent
God is unlimited in regard to space
He does not have size or spatial dimensions
He is present in every point of space with his whole being
He cannot be limited by material space because he created it
He is everywhere
Distinction: Not Pantheism; nor Panentheism.

46. Incommunicable Attributes
Question: Is God present in Hell?
Amos 9:1-4
Yes, God is present in hell. While it is not his grace/mercy is not present, His wrath is.
If God was not present in hell, then that would mean that He is limited by space and thus would not be omnipresent.

47. Communicable Attributes
Communicable Attributes: Attributes God shares or communicates with us.
Five major categories with Communicable Attributes:
Attributes Describing God’s Being
Mental Attributes
Moral Attributes
Attributes of Purpose
Summary Attributes

48. Communicable Attributes
Attributes Describing God’s Being
God is Spirit.
John 4:24
God is not limited by spatial dimensions
His being is not made of any matter
We can’t sense him.
Why is this a “communicable” attribute and not an “incommunicable”
Because he has given us spirits (John 4:24; 1 Corinthians 14:14; Genesis 2)

49. Communicable Attributes
God is Spirit cont’d
We are united with the Lord’s Spirit
1 Cor. 6:17
Which the Holy Spirit joins to bear witness of our adoption (Rom. 8:16)
In which we pass into the Lord’s Presence (Ecc. 12:7)

50. Communicable Attributes
God is Invisible
John 1:8
God’s total essence, all his spiritual being will never be seen by us, yet God still shows himself to us through visible, created things.
1 Tim. 6:16
Theophany in OT; Jesus Christ in the NT.
So, how will we see God in heaven?
It’s not clear to what sense we will “see” God
Rev. 22:3-4

51. Communicable Attributes
Mental Attributes
Knowledge (Omniscience)