As part of his ordination process, one of the leaders at Grace is required to understand and teach the basic doctrines of Christianity. So he is leading an eight week men’s Bible study called “Be Armed!”. His ordination ceremony is this Sunday. I was not able to attend this week’s Bible study. But I have the study material. Here is my brief review of this week’s lesson. Lesson 2 is entitled: Theology: Regarding God.
The pre-reading for this lesson is Genesis 1, Isaiah 6, Acts 17:24-25 and Chapter 9 of “Systematic Theology” by Wayne Grudem (“The Existence of God: How do we know that God exists?” This study presents God as the compassionate, gracious, forgiving, loving, sovereign, powerful, righteous, holy and only God. The nature and attributes of God are discussed in terms of non-communicable (attributes that cannot be given to mankind) and communicable (attributes that God does share with His followers through the Holy Spirit).
Some non-communicable attributes of God, who created the heavens and the earth, are:
1. Independence/self-existence (aseity) – Acts 17:24-25 ” 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.”
2. Unchangeableness/immutability – James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
3. Eternity – Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
4. Omnipresence – Deuteronomy 10:14 “To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.”
Some communicable attributes of God are:
1. Goodness – Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”
2. Love – 1 John 4:8 “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
3. Mercy – Exodus 34:6 “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,”
4. Holiness – Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”
5. Peace – 1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints,”
6. Justice – Deuteronomy 32:4 “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”
The memory verse for this week is Isaiah 55:8-9 “8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
This week’s challenge questions are: What areas of your life will you let God be Lord of? How will you express His rule in your life?
Christian Doctrine Series:
Lesson 1: Scripture – Be Armed! Lesson #1