Tag Archives: God
Five Truths You Need to Believe about . . . GOD!
Introduction to the Series:
These posts are in preparation for my writing a series of 30-page booklets which will be designed to teach and apply fundamental truths of the Christian faith. While they do not pretend to address all the issues in a particular area of Christian belief, they will cover some of the basics which every Jesus-follower should affirm and put into practice.
We’ve discussed the issue of FAITH, not referring to our confidence in God but to the content of truth which God has revealed. Heresies are alive and well in our world and we desperately need to know the doctrines, the truths, which God’s Word spells out for us.
We continue our study with . . . FIVE TRUTHS YOU NEED TO BELIEVE ABOUT . . . GOD! What do we need to believe about God?
Five truths about GOD:
1. The EXISTENCE of GOD: The book of Hebrews clearly states, 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Heb. 11).
C.S. Lewis famously said, “God has more to do than simply exist!” The evidences for God (cosmological, ontological, teleological, moral, Christological, etc.) are strong, the greatest being that God has actually walked the face of His planet in Jesus!
2. The WORKS of God: God’s work of creation (Genesis 1, Acts 17) as well as His providential care of His world (Psalm 19, Acts 17) display His glory. The work of salvation (planned by the Father, accomplished by the Son, applied by the Spirit) shows the love of God for His world.
3. The PERSON of God: The doctrine, the concept of the Trinity is clear in Scripture, although the term “trinity” isn’t used in the Bible. And the Bible is filled with references to God’s character or attributes (His mercy, holiness, love, justice, wrath, etc.).
4. The GLORY of God: We were created to bring God glory. Here’s a great quote for the late J.I. Packer on why we should bring God glory:
5. The KNOWABILITY of God: Packer’s best known for his classic book Knowing God. The bottom line is we can know God! I love John Piper’s book God Is the Gospel. He says when you believed the gospel, you got God! One 
definition of knowing God, Jeremiah says, is to defend the cause of the poor and needy (Jer. 22:16). We are to choose to know Christ (Phil. 3:10), to advance in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10). We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pe. 3:18). And we can know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands (I Jn. 2:3). We should be marked by a quest to “know Him who is true” (I Jn. 5:20). Peter tells us that “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Pe. 1:3). We are to be confident in Christ, especially when we are suffering “because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.”
TODAY’S HOMEWORK: Imagine that you have five hours to study the Person of God. Where would you start? What passages would you pour over? And why? What do you hope to gain by such a study?
The Clarity of the Trinity! (2 Corinthians 13:14)
I. The Doctrine of the Trinity is clearly taught in the Bible!
Although the term “Trinity” is not used in the Bible (our Jehovah Witness friends are right about that), nevertheless the concept of the Trinity is there.
And for the Apostle Paul such an affirmation did not in any way contradict that revered SHEMA of the Hebrew people found in Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”
The doctrine of the Trinity is a matter of progressive revelation (that is, God did not tell us all we needed to know about a particular doctrine in one installment).
There are many clear texts that show the oneness of God, the Person of the Father, the deity of the Lord Jesus and the deity of the Holy Spirit.
II. Each Member of the Godhead has various characteristics!
The LJC >> grace God the Father >> love The HS >> fellowship
III. We Should Bless One Another with a Trinitarian Blessing!
Why speak of God in general terms when He has revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Paul delineates the Three in this blessing. Why should we not do the same?
Today’s Challenge: If indeed the God who exists is triune, then how should His threeness be shown in our prayers, discussions, and meditation? How Person-specific should we be when we speak of and to the Lord? Do you ever direct your prayer to God the Holy Spirit? Why or why not?
The Theology of Calvin . . . and Hobbes (Omnipotence)
Calvin here illustrates the fact that many humans act like they are somehow divine, that others should virtually worship them, that they have ultimate power. But only God is God — and He is far more than simply omnipotent power. He is love and mercy and kindness and forgiveness. Aren’t you glad?
A Theological Check-Up: Do You Really Believe? Part 4: God
This series of posts is asking the question not WHAT we believe or WHY we believe, but IF we believe what we say we do. Jesus-followers say they believe in God, but do they really? The great temptation is to believe in my concept of God, who I want God to be, rather than the One He has revealed Himself to be.
A.W. Tozer put it well when he said, “A low view of God is the cause of a hundred lesser evils. A high view of God is the solution to ten thousand temporal problems.” 
The great challenge for the Christian is to be a student of the Word, to learn what God has said about Himself in His Word, and to respond in love and obedience.
Today’s Challenge: Pick a section of Scripture, perhaps one of the Psalms, and write out everything you learn about God’s character from that passage. And don’t forget to worship God for Who He is.
Creating Your Own Car! (Time for a Great Commercial!)
Oh, if it were that simple to just think a new car into existence! Without getting too spiritual, isn’t it true that man really wants to be his own CREATOR? Part of our being made in the image of God is our ability to create, but this video defies all logic, doesn’t it? It seems the parts of this new car just materialize out of thin air at the wishes of the young man sitting down.
That’s power, isn’t it? While ingenuous, this commercial doesn’t inspire me to find the building he was on, plot myself down on that simple chair, and think a new car into existence around me! It makes me grateful for man’s creativity — which he got from His Maker!
Great Quote from Francis Chan on Our View of God!
“The core problem isn’t the fact that we’re lukewarm, halfhearted, or 
stagnant Christians. The crux of it all is why we are this way, and it is because we have an inaccurate view of God. We see Him as a benevolent Being who is satisfied when people manage to fit Him into their lives in some small way. We forget that God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He’s great and deserves to be the center of our lives.” (Francis Chan)
Great Quote from J. Vernon McGee: “You Don’t Have a Universe!”
“This is God’s universe, and God does things His way.You may have a better way, but you don’t have a universe!” 
Dr. Larry Dixon
larrydixon.wordpress.com 