Dennis L.
Finnan Commentator WHO IS GOD? “WHO IS GOD? THESE DAYS IT SEEMS HE IS ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING ONE WANTS HIM TO BE. HOWEVER, IN THE BIBLE WE LEARN GOD IS LIKE NO OTHER AND BROOKS NO COMPARISON” I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast, and in a moment we’ll talk about it… … I’ve recently finished a series of messages on our Wednesday evening Bible studies at my local church entitled: “The Cults, What do they Believe?” We learned from Scripture and our world around us, that many worship false gods of their own making or worse, demonic inspiration and teaching. It’s a frightening thing to think you are worshiping the one true God, only one day to find out you were deceived, and worse there was a penalty to pay for it that will cost you your life, for all eternity. So, it’s better to know now how to identify the one true God, and evaluate Him against the one of our own imaginations, or teachings we’ve received. So let’s get on with it now… WHO IS GOD? Now to begin we ask, “Does God really exist?” The answer is “yes!” and we must take that for granted, for the writers of Scripture simply declares He does, and nature itself displays His creative work.
Now think of this, when we view anything of exquisite creative ability we always ask, “Who made that?” So, mankind as he looks around at the world in which we live, and at the universe above us – a sane rational mind postulates, only a sentient being of immense power could have made this! So it is, when we consider man. Man exists, but we owe our existence to some cause and that cause is God. But pre-supposing His existence, we all further ask, “Since God exists, and there is a Creator of all things, what’s God like?” Well the only answer is found in the Bible. Let’s correlate this from the descriptions God gives of Himself there. WHAT IS GOD LIKE? We are told, 1. GOD HAS REVEALED HIMSELF AS A SPIRIT BEING (John 4:24) -
Exo
3:14 (NNAS) “God said to Moses,
“I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel,
‘I AM has sent me to you.’”” Personality exists when there is intelligence, a mind, will, reason, individuality, self-consciousness and self-determination. When Moses heard the voice of God, God spoke to Him out of a burning bush, and revealed His Name, “I Am Who I Am.” This description wonderfully signifies God is, God was, and God shall be. Further throughout Scripture God gives various names of Himself to mankind. For instance, we learn in the Old Testament God reveals the following names of Himself and their meaning, 1. El Elyon” The Most High ( Gen. 14:22) 2. El Olam: The Everlasting God ( Gen. 21:33) 3. El Shaddai: The Alimighty God (Gen. 17:1) 4. Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord will provide (Gen. 22:13, 14). 5. Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord that heals (Exod. 15:26). 6. Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord our Banner (Exod. 17:8-15). 7. Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord our Peace (Judges 6:24). 8. Jehovah-Ra-ah: The Lord my Shepherd (Psa. 23:1). 9. Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6) 10. Jehovah-Shammah: The Lord is present (Ezek. 48:35). In all these names the Psalmist declares, Psa 8:9 (NLT) “O LORD, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth!” So here we are given a slew of personality characteristics that describe who the God of Creation is. Indeed, God loves, He cares, He provides, He protects, He guides, He is present with us, He is holy pure and righteous. All these things are bound up in Ten Names of God found in the Bible. Now it is important to note, that God Himself draws a sharp distinction between the false heathen gods of humanity and Himself. We read in the Bible of this, Jer 10:10-16 (NNAS) “But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, And the nations cannot endure His indignation. 11 Thus you shall say to them, “The gods that did not make the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” 12 It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom; And by His understanding He has stretched out the heavens. 13 When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, And brings out the wind from His storehouses. 14 Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them. 15 They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish. 16 The portion of Jacob is not like these; For the Maker of all is He, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of hosts is His name.” Thus, the one true God is to be clearly distinguished from things which have no life (idols) and any and all beings that claim godhood. Now the third major feature God expresses of Himself is… 2.
GOD REVEALS HIS BEING AS A PLURALITY OF ONE – (Deut 6:4; Isa. 44:6-8;
Mat 28:19-20; 2 Cor. 13:14) – Yes as strange as that seems, God is one God, and there is no
other! That is the teaching of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. He has no
equal. Now in our world today there are only three monotheistic religions in the
world: (1) Judaism, (2) Christianity and (3) Islam. All others are pantheistic,
or polytheistic. The latter, Islam, which is in the news these days, abhors the
teachings of Judaism and Christianity. Why? Well, the reason is the Bible in its
fullest revelation reveals God is one God, a unity yes, but the very essence of
God is a plurality. Although we cannot explain it, God has revealed Himself in
the person and personalities of three separate Beings – the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit. All three have the full and unimpeded qualities of God, yet
they are distinct Persons and yet they are but one God! Yet, the doctrine of the Trinity can be found in the Old and New Testaments. For instance, 3. THE NAMES OF GOD ARE FOUND IN THE PLURAL RATHER THAN THE SINGULAR (Gen 1:26; 3:22; Isa 6:8) Moreover, the Names of God are always referenced in the singular WITH PERSONAL PRONOUNS (Gen 1:26; 11:7; Isa 6:8) Yes, the New Testament sets forth: (1) A Father who is God - Rom 1:7; (2) A Son who is God – Heb 1:8; (3) A Holy Spirit who is God – Acts 5:3-4. The whole of Scripture concerning the unity and plurality of God can be summed up: “The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead invisible – John 1:18; the Son is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested – John 1:14-18; the Spirit is all the fullness of the Godhead acting immediately upon the creature – 1 Cor 2:9-10.” Indeed, God has revealed Himself in these three persons,
and especially in these days as Jesus Christ. Now what can we further know about
this triune God? Well, we can learn of His marvelous attributes… THE BIBLE REVEALS GOD’S MIRACULOUS ATTRIBUTESNow there are “natural attributes and “moral” ones. The natural, or no-communicable attributes of God are: He is OMNIPOTENT ¾ OMNIPRESENT – OMNISCIENT. All these attributes mean God is all-powerful, existing everywhere and knowing everything. Then concerning His moral attributes these are very important. We learn from the Bible that this one true God revealed in three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit… (1) Is a God of Holiness (Isa 57:15; Hab 1:13; 1 pet. 1:15-16) – this is the message of the entire Old Testament. God is holy means that he is absolutely different from any other creature in the creation as to perfection, and purity. (2) Is a God of
Righteousness & Justice (Psa. 116:5; 145:171 John 1:9) –
This attribute reveals God can never do wrong and always does what is right, nor
can He ever be unfair. He is always right, keeps His word, and rewards those who
are like Him in this attribute. (3) Is a God of Mercy & Loving-kindness (Psa. 103:8; Luke 6:36; Eph 2:4; Rom 5:8) – What a wonderful revelation of Himself is given here. God is a God who is forgiving, tender, caring, gentle and filled with love towards sinners and saints. The god of Islam knows no love, nor forgiveness. Allah is a god of law, legalism, punishment, death and vengeance. This is why when Muslims learn of the one true God revealed in Jesus Christ, and that Christ’s life was love, and forgiveness, mercy and loving kindness, they are drawn to Him. How about you my friend? Have you met the one true God in Jesus? Furthermore, due to the lack of time know this ¾ the Bible reveals the one true God is a God of boundless love, absolute truth, matchless goodness, and measureless forgiveness. Friend, there is no other god on the face of the earth or in the universe that can be given finer descriptions of character, essence, beauty and being than the God of Christianity who has been revealed in these last days to us in the Person and the work of Jesus Christ. You see, God’s greatest act of love toward His creatures is the fact that His love is so great that when mankind sinned against Him earning the penalty of eternal damnation, God stepped in and rescued us at His own expense and payment. The Bible is a love story, and the words of scripture reveal what our Creator God did. He became a creature Himself, He fashioned out of a woman’s seed, a body and human spirit that He inhabited and fused Himself to for all eternity. God the Son from eternity past agreed in the divine counsel of God to be the one to inhabit this body and become a human being. Living on earth as only God can He became the infinite God-Man who had the power to live about sin, and having not inherited the sin nature as we do form our father’s seed in creation, Jesus was sinless, perfect, pure, righteous and holy as only God can be. Then the most magnificent thing occurred. God planned to give up this perfect life in death physically to pay for the sins of the world. Yes, God’s infinite life residing in the body and spirit of Jesus Christ was adequately able to offer up that infinite life for the lives of all of Adam’s children who sinned. So this God of mercy, grace and love paid for the sins of the entire world. The Bible says,
The one true God of the Bible is alone the great God of Creation, and the great God of redemption. All the Old Testament with its sacrifices and offerings were to be an indelible picture for mankind to see its need of redemption through the blood sacrifice on the Lamb. Finally when Jesus came as John the Baptist declared,
Now it’s one thing for God to declare and accept Jesus’ death and shedding of blood on the cross for the sins of the world, but it’s another thin to appropriate it to your account. No one is saved, nor forgiven until they accept God’s message of the cross, God’s Son Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and turn from their sins to Surrender to His Lordship. Now who is God? The answer is Jesus Christ! He reveals God in all the fullness, and all those who receive Him the one true triune God comes to live within their hearts and lives forever and ever. Friend that’s Christianity and there is no other religion on the face of the earth that offers such a wonderful God of love. Have you received Him? If not, why not? The Bible says and warns,
Don’t delay, your decision along life’s way determines your eternal destiny. May God open your heart to see Him in all His beauty, and may that beauty reflect His Son Jesus Christ in you the hope of glory. Amen. . · Radio talk #4701 · Broadcast date: November 25, 2001 · Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator · Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast · Address: P.O. Box 40133 Grand Junction, CO 81504 The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 22 years, and serves as General Director. These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are actual radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of recent messages is available upon request also. Want to Help? If you've been blessed and
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