The Nature of God

The Issue of Worship

In the previous lesson we saw that the Bible is God’s word to us and speaks with the authority of God to us regarding many things. One of the most important revelations we can receive from the Bible is the character of God. The Bible tells us what God is like - his attributes, his ways in dealing with mankind, his heart. Our traditions, preconceptions, experiences and reasonings do not always tell us the truth about God. The Bible does however.

God wants us to worship Him and know Him personally. This can only happen through the work of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, we may know about God, but we will not know Him and experience relationship with Him. God reveals Himself to us through the Word and the Spirit working together. The Spirit will never reveal God as being different to what the Scriptures reveal. We must not believe every spirit, but test the spirits. (1 John 4:1)

It is true that there are many religions in the world today that seek to capture the heart and mind of man. These religions consist in a set of beliefs about the world and what we must do to be all we should be. Religion derives its main sources from the traditions of men, and from the inspiration of Satan and his evil spirits. It always involves man working to make himself better. The power of false religion comes from Satan and evil spirits. Like occultism, false religion is a tool of Satan to deceive people. If necessary, Satan will use visions, dreams and miracles to enslave people in false ways. Many times all he needs to do is to appeal to the pride of man - the desire of man to improve himself and be praised by others.

All forms of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Animism and other non-christian religions - while perhaps containing some elements of truth here and there, are basically the product of evil spirits and the fallen minds of men. As Jesus said, “I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” (John 10:7,8). All witchdoctors, shamans and religious teachers of non-Biblical doctrines and practises being used by Satan to destroy the souls of men, whether they know it or not. Even in this life the destruction coming from their teaching is evident.

True Christianity is not a religion but a relationship. We are called into a relationship with God - not into bondage to a set of rituals, observances, traditions and customs. Many of the largest so-called churches have mixed much paganism and religious tradition with the teaching of the Bible - and thereby teach a false way of salvation. They still teach that man must save himself through rituals, good works and faithfulness to the organisation. This is not the Bible way. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph 2:8,9).

We are called to worship God in Spirit and in truth (Jn 4:24). We worship God because of who He is. We must worship from the heart, and according to the truth the Bible reveals of who He is and what He wants from us. No ritual or religious observance or act of charity can ever substitute for our first duty to worship God alone in spirit and truth.

God wants us to know what we worship. We cannot know what God is like except through what he shows us of Himself. We cannot decide who God is, and we cannot know the truth about Him guided by our limited reasoning power alone. A committee of men cannot decide who God is. God cannot accept religious compromise or traditions which contradict His word, no matter how many people want to follow them. His Word is the final authority in matters of worship and faith.

In the ten commandments (Exodus 20) we read:

1. You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or likeness of anything that is in heaven above ... you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.

Exodus 20:3-5

The second commandment in essence says that we must not falsely represent who God is and worship a God of our own imagination, desires and preferences. We cannot represent God by any object, picture, piece of art. We certainly must not worship or pray to any such representations. Doing this insults God. It would be like someone representing you by a picture of a cockroach.

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in Truth! (Jn 4.24)

God is revealed in six ways:

a. Through creation.

b. Through conscience.

c. Through the Bible.

d. Through Jesus Christ.

e. Through direct revelation by the Holy Spirit.

f. Through Christians filled with God.

WHAT CREATION REVEALS OF GOD

The heavens reveal the glory of God. (Ps 19.1). God's glory is the manifestation of how great He is. This includes His power, His riches, His majesty, His importance, His beauty and something of His nature.

The firmament shows his handiwork. Creation, especially space, reveals God to be an infinitely intelligent, wise and knowledgeable Being. As old as the Universe is, its Creator must be older. In fact, He is eternal. This message has gone out to all peoples in all times. (Ps 19:3-4).

While wicked men try to grasp hold of the unproven and ever-failing theories of evolution, the fact remains that the multitudes of beautiful designs evident in the earth point to a good Creator of infinite wisdom and knowledge and power. Furthermore, the knowledge of God through our consciences - the inner sense of right and wrong, reveals God to have a moral character and to be the Judge of all. Paul the apostle concludes on the basis of all this that sinful mankind is totally without excuse. They suppress the truth that God has shown them, and thereby bring down God’s judgment on themselves. (Romans 1:18- 20).

Creation reveals God's goodness. God made nature to be full of balances and protection for his creatures. Despite man’s abuse of the world, things go on thanks to God’s infinite wisdom and foresight. Creation reveals God to be an artistic and scientific master who pays attention to detail and creates many good things for people to enjoy.

WHAT THE BIBLE REVEALS OF GOD

Concerning the Attributes of God:

1. God is omnipotent (Jer 32.17) He's got the power to do whatever He wants. Rev 19.6

2. God is omniscient (knows everything). Ps 147.5. 1Jn 3.20

3. God is omnipresent. (Ps 139.7-12; Jer 23.24) He fills heaven and earth and there is no place where He is not there, watching. Not only that, but as Creator God also stands outside the heavens and the earth (Gen 1.1) He is not, as the doctrine of Pantheism says, simply “everything that is”.

4. God is eternal, before all things (Col 1.17), and without end (Ps. 102.27) (Ps. 90:1-2)

5. God never changes. (Mal. 3.6; Heb 13.8)

Concerning the Character of God :

1. God is love (1 John 4:8). God is the great lover of people - even people that have been corrupted by sin. He cares about us, He is patient and kind with us, He has good plans for us. (Jer. 29:11)

2. God is Holy (Ps 99.3). Holiness is spiritual beauty. It is also total moral uprightness and separation from all that is unclean or evil. Like a diamond in the light with many faces, each of God's attributes shines out in perfect balance. There is no defect in God's character or nature.

3. God is righteous (honest, impartial, fair). (Deut 33.24; Ps. 116.5). What he does is always right and fair from a moral point of view. As Judge of all the earth, God is a just judge. He judges with fairness, knowing all the facts and all the intentions of the heart. (Rom 2.16)

4. God is good. (Ps 136:1). He wants good things for people and for the universe. Jesus did the will of the Father, doing good and healing those who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38). However, God does not force people to be good, and it is because of the evil in people that there is suffering in the world.

5. God is truthful & has integrity, as does His Word (Num 23.19; John 17:17).

6. God is faithful (keeps his promises). 2Tim 2.13.

7. God alone is wise in Himself (Rom 16.27) - that is, he knows what He is doing and is doing it in the best way. Any wisdom we may have received comes from God, not from our own independent creativity. Wisdom is knowledge correctly applied to achieve the right purpose.

8. God is forgiving and kind by nature (1 Jn 1:9; Pr 28:13; Matt 5:45). He blesses even His enemies at times and longs that his kindness will lead them to repentance so that He can forgive them. (Rom. 2:4)

The Doctrine of the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit

A mark of a false cult is that they deny the Trinity. That is the doctrine that God is one, yet manifested in three persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each is God and yet there are not three Gods but one.

How can we understand this?

We cannot fully understand God or we would be greater than God. It is therefore not surprising if we cannot fully understand this Biblical idea. However, an illustration from nature may help. Ice, liquid water and steam are all water and have the same chemical formula. Yet they manifest differently, although than can all exist at the same time (at 4%C). Like this the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all God, yet may manifest differently yet at the same time. A good example of this is found in the story of the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3.16-17. Jesus, the Son of God is baptised, the Spirit descends as a dove, and the Father speaks "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

The Bible reveals that God is one (Dt 6.4). But Jesus said, "I and My Father are One." John 10.30. Christians are not worshippers of many Gods, as some Muslims may claim. But with God there is plurality in unity. Just as we are spirits, have souls and live in a body and yet are not three individuals but one (1 Thess. 5.23), so God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit and yet One. In fact the word for "one" in Hebrew does mean a plurality in unity.

Then God said, "Let US make man in OUR image..." (Gen 1:26). Man is a three part unity just as God is three-in-one.

God is revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Mt 28.19). Clearly the Father is God. (Eph 1.2, 1 Cor. 8.6). But from the Bible revelation we can also say that Jesus is God. He is not just the Son of God as seen in Lk 22.70 and Matthew 16.16. He is fully God because all of God dwells in Him bodily.

For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

(Col. 2.9)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with

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