Understanding God’s Existence and Essential Attributes

THE CITYGATE CHURCH

-Welcome to The Sunday Bible Study-

SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY

MINISTERING: Pst. Oladimeji Elugbadebo

REFERENCE ID: TCGC/SUN-BS-2018-04-22-1

TITLE ID: Understanding God’s Existence and Essential Attributes

There’s so much spiritual precision in creation, it could not have been a mistake. The earth is suspended by certain laws. As we speak, the earth is rotating yet we are well situated on it without rotating. There are many mysteries about the earth. There is mystery behind creation. There is someone that is running this creation and intelligence cannot describe Him. Creation did not just happen, there is someone behind it and it is our God. Creation began with God. We are going to be looking at scriptures and proof through creation that God exists. God designed creation out of a clear precision of His will.

Essential attributes of God

1. God is eternal. It means that He has no end. He was, He is and He is to come. God was, God is and He will always be.

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

-Genesis 2:23 (kjv)

One of the attributes of God is His kindness

A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

-Psalms 90:1 (kjv)

God does not change, He is ageless.

I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

-Psalms 102:24-27 (kjv)

This is where the writer of Hebrews got that verse in Hebrews 1. The New Testament was not the idea of any apostle, it was laid on the scriptures of the Holy prophets. God's eternal nature is a nature that does not change or age.

2. God is immutable. He is the same yesterday, today and forever more.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

-Hebrews 13:8 (kjv)

God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

-Numbers 23:19 (kjv)

Balaam said this, He was not strange to the ways of God but he used his prophetic gift for merchandise. If God says something, He will do it. An Old Testament prophet said this, how much more you. God’s word is sure. When you understand this as a believer, you will grow well. We have many prayers hinged on fear and ignorance instead of God’s essential nature.

3. God is independent. God is totally self-sufficient and dependable. When you are living the God life, there is no need to depend on any other thing. Faith is an expression of God’s life which is divine and dependable.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

-Hebrews 11:3 (kjv)

What God depends upon is His life. God is the first just and faith is God’s life. So, God cannot even go outside faith. Faith itself is eternal and these are the things that make up God. God is the fountain of life and He needs no other. When you have God, He is more than enough. The life of God is a self generating life.

I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.

-Psalms 39:9 (kjv)

God is the source of all wisdom and knowledge, He depends on no one for it.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

-Hebrews 4:13 (kjv)

Everything that is happening in creation is seen by God and nothing is hid from Him. This makes me fear God; so, I do not try to hide anything from God.

Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?

-Isaiah 40:12-14 (kjv)

Prophets had revelations of God’s ways, it means everything created follows eternal life precision. The mountains weigh exactly what they need to weigh because if they weigh more, they will cause an imbalance. God has knowledge and He was taught by no one. God is sovereign and depends on no one for His actions. God can do all things and there is no impossibility with Him. When you are dealing with the essential natures of God, you know He can do impossible things and He is answerable to no man. It is democracy that wants to make you question God. If there are actions of God that you do not understand, just settle it in your mind that He is perfect.

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

-Acts 17:24-25 (kjv)

God could have lived by Himself without man. He created us for His pleasure. God is complete without creation. Creation is just to express His goodness. God dwelled somewhere before He created Heaven. The dwelling of God is higher than the heavens. There are ages and each age is loaded with the knowledge of God. There are things in God outside death and in the world to come, we will begin a new syllabus.

4. God is Omnipotent and He has power over everything.

Genesis 18:14. Jeremiah 32:17

As this stage in their lives, they were dead, but God in His omnipotent realm has power over all things. There things God has power over, which are:

(i) Nature: God has power over the elements of nature.

The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

-Nahum 1:3 (kjv)

(ii) Man:

There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

-James 4:12-15 (kjv)

(iii) Angels: Angels are in subjection to God.

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

-Daniel 4:35 (kjv)

(iv) Satan: God has power over Satan and the works of darkness.

And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

-Job 1:2 (kjv)

(v) Death: God has power over death and hades.

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

-1 Corinthians 15:24-26 (kjv)

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

-Revelation 1:17-18 (kjv)

5. God is omniscient. God knows all things.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

-Romans 11:33 (kjv)

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

-1 John 3:20 (kjv)

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

-Proverbs 15:3 (kjv)

The heart of God’s omniscient nature is that, He sees all things happening every where. He knows all things that happen in nature. When you think about this, there is nothing you can do in the secret.

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD. There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

-Psalms 14:4-5 (kjv)

God knows the ways of men. Jesus knew men, the more you know God, the more you will be able to judge men.

For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

-Job 34:21 (kjv)

For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.

-Jeremiah 16:17 (kjv)

Another expression of His omniscient nature is that God knows every character of man.

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

-Psalms 139:1 (kjv)

There is nothing about my life that is hid from God. Before you say anything, He knows it. He knows our sorrow and pain.

And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever.

-1 Chronicles 28:9 (kjv)

God knows what will be for all eternity. If there is anything such as the end of the age, it is God.

Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

-Acts 15:18 (kjv)

6. Omnisapient, this means that He possesses all wisdom.

7. God is omnipresent. Psalm 139:9.You can’t hide anything from God; darkness and light are the same thing to Him.

God’s Moral Attributes.

If you want to understand morality, study God.

1. God is holy

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

-Psalms 22:3 (kjv)

Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.

-Psalms 99:5 (kjv)

And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

-Revelation 4:8-11 (kjv)

Worship is a response to the revelation of God’s holiness.

2. God is love and perfected in love. God is everlasting love.

The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

-Jeremiah 31:3 (kjv)

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
-1 John 1:8 (kjv)

3. God is faithful and this means that He is trustworthy and keeps covenant. The only reason why a covenant will not fulfill its work is if we break our part of the covenant; God does not break covenant.

For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

-Deuteronomy 7:6-9 (kjv)

When God cuts covenant with you, it is not about you.

When we say God is faithful, it means:

(i) He keeps His promises. When God promises you something, go and rest. Faith in your heart is an  evidence of God’s promise to you. When God promises you something, He gives you faith for it.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

-Hebrews 10:23 (kjv)

If God promises you anything, He is different from men, He will bring it to pass.

(ii) God is faithful in preserving us.

Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

-1 Peter 4:19 (kjv)

When you are going through trials as a believer, God is faithful in preserving us.

(iii) It means that God is protecting us from evil.

But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.

-2 Thessalonians 3:3 (kjv)

(iv) He is faithful because He chastens His children. God’s faithfulness is seen in the chastisement of His children

I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

-Psalms 119:75 (kjv)

When we go through challenges, it is because of His faithfulness.

(v). When God starts a thing, He finishes it. Don't do a thing when you feel like it, wait for God. If He starts it, He will finish it.

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

-1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (kjv)

The work of saving man to the uttermost is His project and not yours, so let Him finish it.

(vi) God is faithful in the forgiveness of sins.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

-1 John 1:9 (kjv)

His Faithfulness is expressed in the forgiveness of sins.

(vii) God is faithful when He answers prayers.

A Psalm of David. Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

-Psalms 143:1 (kjv)

4. God is righteous and just; this is His character in dealing with others and His enemy but in dealing with Himself, He relates to Himself in the context of His holiness. God is just when He deals with His enemies, He is righteous and just to all His creations.

Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.

-Deuteronomy 32:14 (kjv)

God relates to man in this manner.

Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.

-Daniel 9:14 (kjv)

5. God is merciful.

And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

-Exodus 34:5-7 (kjv)

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

-Psalms 103:8 (kjv)

For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

-Psalms 86:5 (kjv)

Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

-Psalms 130:7 (kjv)

These are God’s moral attributes and all these things that God is, are things that we should emulate. Fallen-man outside the help of God has perception of God which brought forth religions. The only way you can know God is by His help.

Seven philosophies of men outside of who God is:

1. Atheism: An atheist believes and denies the existence of God. An atheist ignores the accuracy of God’s presence in creation.
2.  

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

-Genesis 1:1 (kjv)

This is the first proof of the existence of God.

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

-Psalms 14:1 (kjv)

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

-Romans 1:28 (kjv)

The invisible attributes of God are clearly seen. Just observing creation, you see the existence of God. Science is only just discovering laws in creation, these are not even eternal laws but earthly laws.

2. Agnosticism: They believe that there is a God but He cannot be known neither is He faithful or real to man.

3. Deism: This acknowledges that God created the world and everything in it but does not have anything to do with the sustenance of the created world.

A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
-Psalms 121:1-7 (kjv)

God did not just create, He is keeping creation. God is still keeping man. God does not just create, He preserves.

4. Pantheism: This believes that God is not a person but that all the laws of the universe and its forces are God. They say God is everything and everything is God. This believes in the study of nature as God. They do not believe in the God of nature. They believe in the worship of the creature rather than the worship of the creator.

Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

-Romans 1:25 (kjv)

Man is weak.

5. Polytheism: this is the belief in many gods. God always warned the Jews against the worship of other gods.

Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

-Deuteronomy 5:7 (kjv)

The Egyptians had many gods and if you study the plagues well, you see that every plague is judging a god.

Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

-Exodus 15:11 (kjv)

There were gods existing at this point. All these gods are fallen angels who operate with Satan. The greatest of all gods is our God who is King over all.

6. Dualism: A dualist believes that there are two gods, a good one and an evil one who are fighting over dominance over man, they are equal in power and fighting each other.

7. Monotheism: A monotheist believes in one god which is good and can be angered  but they do not believe that he can save man. This is the belief of the Muslims.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

-James 2:19 (kjv)

As at the time James wrote about these things, they were facing these issues of belief in God. They believed in one God which even the demons believe, but they do not believe that this God can be known.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

-1 Timothy 2:3-5 (kjv)

There is One God and One Mediator between man and God who will have all men to be saved. God can be known.