Iron Works Foundations Who Is God Part 2

Iron Works Foundations

Who Is God? Part 2: The Communicable Attributes of God

I. The Gospel: God: The holy Creator to whom we are accountable. Man: Created in God's image; sinned/is condemned. Christ: Fully God-Man; died on cross/rose from dead to save us. Response: we must turn from sin/trust Christ alone. II. WSC 4. What is God? A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

I. Wisdom: "God always chooses the best goals and the best means to those goals…that will always bring about the best results. . . " – Wayne Grudem A. WCF 5. 1 "God the great Creator of all things does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence…" 1. Wisdom in creation (Ps 104: 24) 2. Wisdom in redemption (1 Cor 1: 18 -30) 3. Wisdom in our lives (Rom 8: 28)

B. Reflected in man: Godly wisdom is knowing God so that we can think and live the way God wants us to. 1. Kingdom-centered goals, and best means to achieve those goals to bring God glorifying results. 2. How do we get this wisdom? a. Faith: Prov 9: 10 The fear of The LORD is the beginning of wisdom. . . b. Prayer: James 1: 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. c. God's Word: Psalm 1 (next slide)

Ps 1: 1 -3 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

II. Power: God is able to do all that He wants that is consistent with His holy nature and will. A. What are things that God cannot do? 1. Sin, be deceived, deny Himself 2. Make a square circle, or a rock so big that He can lift it? B. God's sovereignty: God's rule and reign over everything and everyone in heaven and on earth. 1. God’s absolute sovereignty in creation, providence, and grace. 2. God carries out all of His purposes, and none can stay his hand or thwart his plans (Dan 4: 34 -35)

“…His dominion is an eternal dominion…All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done? " 2. Question: How can this be when people repeatedly violate God's will? (see Isa 14: 27 w/Isa 65: 2 -3) 3. Answer: Distinction b/t God's will of decree (secret will) and will of command (revealed will). Deut 29: 29 (next slide):

Deut 29: 29 "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. " a. Will of decree: What God ordained to happen before time began. b. Will of command: How God wants us to live. C. Reflected in man: we have ability to do things consistent with our physical/mental/moral abilities. 1. Our power is limited. 2. We must use our power as God prescribes.

III. Holiness: God's utter uniqueness in the absolute perfection of His being and moral purity. A. The attributes of attributes: 1. “…signifies everything about God that sets him apart from us and makes him an object of awe, adoration, and dread to us. It covers all aspects of his transcendent greatness and moral perfection and this is an attribute of all his attributes, pointing to the “Godness” of God at every point. Every facet of God’s nature and every aspect of his character may be properly spoken of as holy. . . ” – J. I. Packer

"…we must define holiness as more than a mere attribute of God, and accept it as the sum of all His attributes, the outshining of all that God is. It means that as the sun's rays, containing all the colors of the spectrum, come together in the sun's shining and blend into light, so all the attributes of God come together in His selfmanifestation and blend into holiness…[God] "swears" by His holiness, as though it were the fullest expression of Himself. " – R. A. Finlayson

B. Ex 3: 14; Ex 15: 11; Isaiah 6: 1 -7 1. Isaiah's vision: Isa 6: 1 -4 1…I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. - Discuss

2. Isaiah's response: 5 And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for. " - Discuss

C. Reflected in man: 1. Our need for holiness (Rom 3: 10 -18; 23) 2. Christ is our holiness (1 Cor 1: 30) 3. Be who we are through faith (1 Pt 1: 13 -19) 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy. " 17…conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ. . .

IV. Justice (Righteousness): God always and perfectly acts rightly and is the standard of righteousness. A. Renumerative justice: God rewards obedient. B. Retributive justice: God punished disobedient. C. Reflected in man: We are called to submit God's Law and reflect His righteous character in word, thought, and deed.

V. Goodness: God's being is perfectly good, and He is the source and author of all good. A. "The Catechism intends this beautiful word as the general category within which God's love, grace, mercy, pity, compassion, longsuffering, kindness, and other expressions of his tender and fatherly character are placed. " – Robert Reymond B. Scriptures: Ps 34: 8; Matt 19: 17 VI. Truth: God is true in His being, so that He is the only true God, and all that He thinks, says, and does is true.

Holy, holy, holy! Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee Holy, holy! Merciful and mighty God in three Persons, blessed Trinity

Holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee Casting down their golden crowns Around the glassy sea Cherubim and seraphim Falling down before Thee Who wert and art and evermore shalt be

Holy, holy Lord God Almighty All thy works shall praise Thy Name In earth and sky and sea Holy, holy! Merciful and mighty God in three Persons, blessed Trinity