1. The Most Important Question We Can Ask
Who Is God?
The Most Important Question We Can Ask

2. I Am
The Significance of God’s Name

3. YHWH: The Name of God In Exodus 3 God reveals his name to Moses
Hebrew – YHWH
English – I Am Who I Am
Anytime in the OT you see “the LORD “ it is YHWH
Often wrongly translated as “Jehovah”
What YHWH literally means is “was, is, will be”
The name of God reveals his nature
God simply is
We must say “I am who I am BECAUSE…”
God’s very being is fundamental reality

4. Why the Name Matters #1 – It’s God’s name
In Scripture names are not insignificant
Examples: Adam, Saul, Jesus, Peter, Daniel and co., etc.,
Names reveal something about the person
#2 – God’s name is an open ended statement
I Am ______________
The Bible is, in many ways, an answer to this question
#3 – God has revealed himself to us
There can be no knowing God otherwise

5. The Essential Attributes of God
What Makes God Who He Is

6. The Traditional Response
Traditionally there are three qualities ascribed to God that make him God
Omnipotence – the ability to do anything
Omniscience – the ability to know anything
Omnipresence – the ability to be anywhere
These traits do not appear in Scripture
They are from philosophy, specifically Aristotle
This does not mean they are wrong, just that they aren’t what God has revealed
So what does the Bible say?
Here are five essential attributes of God
Holy, Love, Wisdom, Beauty, Presence

7. God is Holy
Leviticus 19:2
This is the most cited attribute of God in Scripture
What does “Holy” mean?
Set Apart, Different, Other, Pure
God is holy, which means…
God is an entirely different kind of being than us
God’s relationship with the world, humanity, etc., is entirely different than ours
God’s love, wisdom, beauty, etc., is different and far more pure than ours
God is pure, entirely uncorrupted by sin

8. God is Love
1 John 4:8
This is probably the most cited attribute of God in our society
Though our society doesn’t know what love is
What does “love” mean?
Actively working for the good of another
God is love, which means…
God is always working for our good
God always cares
God is the source of grace and mercy

9. God is Wisdom
Romans 11:33
This was seen as God’s most important attribute in the Middle Ages
What does “wisdom” mean
The quality of knowledge and good judgment
God is wisdom, which means…
God’s understanding is infinite
Everything God does is the best course of action
God truly knows right and wrong, good and evil
God’s decisions are always just

10. God is Beauty
Psalm 24:7
This is one of the key attributes of God in the Eastern Orthodox Church
God is beauty, and the goal of the Christian life is to become beautiful
What does “beauty” mean
The quality that pleasurably exalts the senses, mind, or spirit
God is beauty, which means…
God is GOOD
God is desirable
God is a pleasure to know, be near, and to be in relation with
God’s work is a reflection of himself

11. God is Present
Exodus 33:16
In Scripture it is the presence of God that makes all the difference
God’s power is always associated with his presence
What does “presence” mean?
God is truly among us; God is glorious
God is present, which means…
God is not some far off deity sitting on a cloud
God is truly with us
God is truly changing our lives
God is truly using us to change the world around us

12. The Incarnation Test Jesus is the perfect revelation of God to us
He truly shows us who God is
If Jesus does not exhibit a trait, it is not an essential part of God
This is where the three omni’s suffer
Jesus was not everywhere at once (omnipresence), he did not know everything (omniscience), and he acted on the Spirit’s power (omnipotence)
Jesus is a human being, with all the limits and struggles therein
Is Jesus holy? Was Jesus loving in all things? Was Jesus wise? Did Jesus display beauty? Did Jesus’ presence change lives?
Are we called to the same standard?

13. God Is… All five attributes are not things God possess
Rather God IS these things
Everything God does is holy, loving, wise, beautiful, and present
Creation
Redemption
The End of All Things
Obviously God is not limited to five attributes
There are many more we could discuss
But I would argue that these are the most important five presented in Scripture

14. The Incarnation
The Revelation of God to Man

15. The Word Became Flesh John 1:1-3;14
The Incarnation is supremely important
Ultimate Salvation
Ultimate Reconciliation
Ultimate Revelation
God revealed himself the way he always intended; through humanity
Image of God
Colossians 1:15-20

16. Jesus’ Humanity Reveals God
In Jesus we see who God is most clearly
His life, death, and resurrection are the best way of knowing God
He is the mediator between God and humanity
Through his humanity Jesus revealed the character of God
Jesus shows us who God really is
Jesus shows us who we are supposed to be
It is through Jesus that we come into relationship with God

18. The Trinity
The Greatest Mystery

19. Jesus: The Great Revealer
Jesus revealed more than just the essential character of God
He unveiled the greatest mystery of all time
Throughout the OT God emphatically affirms that he alone is God
Isaiah 44:6-8
Deuteronomy 6:4
Jesus affirmed the oneness of God
But he also claimed to be God (John 8:58) and prayed to God (Matthew 26:36-46)
His final address to his disciples reveals the name of God
In the name of the Father , and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

20. Three Persons? One God? HUH?
The Father is God
No one doubts this; is most referred to as God
Jesus is God
John 1:1-3, John 8:58, Philippians 2:5-7, Colossians 2:9, 1 Timothy 3:16
The Holy Spirit is God
2 Corinthians 3:18, Matthew 12:32, Acts 5:3-4
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all described as God
However the New Testament also repeatedly affirms that God is one

21. The Trinity is a Mystery
We cannot fully comprehend the Trinity
Because we cannot fully comprehend God
If we could, why worship?
From the earliest days of the Church, Christians have affirmed the Trinity
We see this in Scripture, before the word “Trinity” had even been invented!
Tertullian invented the word to help explain what was in Scripture
Tri = three, unity = one
However confusing it is, God did not reveal this to stump us

22. The Trinity is the Truth
The attributes we discussed are not something God added to himself
God IS and so he has always been
The Trinity actually helps explain the attributes of God
Who did God love before there was anyone else to love?
How was God holy before there was anything/one to be distinct from?
How was God wise when there was nothing to understand?
How was God beautiful when there was no one to benefit?
What benefit was God’s presence when there was no one there?
The answer is the Trinity!

23. The Trinity is Necessary
Scripture portrays the actions of God as only possible via Trinity
Creation was only possible because of the Triune God
The Father created through the Son by the presence of the Spirit
Genesis 1:1-3
Salvation was only made possible by the Triune God
Hebrews 9:13-14
The Son offered himself up through the Spirit to the Father
Mediation is only possible by the Triune God
The Spirit helps us pray through the Son to the Father
Romans 8:26-27

24. The Holy Spirit
The Third Person of the Trinity

25. Father, Son, and Who?
The Churches of Christ have a history of ignoring the Holy Spirit
He is rarely mentioned outside of baptism
Often limited to working through Scripture
This is a reaction to Pentecostals and Charismatics
The early 1900s saw the emergence of these movements
They are incredibly Spirit focused
They emphasize gifts of the Spirit above all else
The result is a group who doesn’t know how to talk about the Holy Spirit

26. The Holy Spirit’s Job Description
John 16:5-15
Jesus tells us exactly what the Holy Spirit will be doing
#1. He convicts the world
Of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment
#2. He guides us to the truth
The Spirit will teach the same truth Jesus taught
#3. He glorifies Christ
Everything the Spirit does points people to Jesus

27. The Spirit at Work In the Apostles In the Bible In the Church
The Spirit is the driving and guiding force of the apostles in Acts
He uses them to convict the world, guide people to truth, and glorify Christ
In the Bible
The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit
He uses it to convict the world, guide people to truth, and glorify Christ
In the Church
The Church is led by the Holy Spirit
He uses us to convict the world, guide people to truth, and glorify Christ

28. What about the Gifts?
We often get caught up on the “supernatural” gifts of the Spirit
Speaking in tongues, visions, prophecy, etc.,
We are missing the point
Why would the Spirit give gifts?
To convict the world
To guide people to the truth
To glorify Christ
The problem is not the gifts of the Spirit but the people who abuse them