God Flashcards
Attributes of God
Non - Communicable
- Omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10)
- Omnipotent (Eph 3:20)
- Omniscient (Isaiah 46:9-10)
Communicable
- Immutable (Heb. 13:8, Malachi 3:6)
- Loving (John 3:16, I John 4:8)
- Merciful (Psalm 103:8)
- Holy (Isaiah 6:3)
What are some of the evidences and arguments for the existence of God?
I know God exists because of our personal relationship - he has revealed himself to me in undeniable ways.
God wants to be known. He surrounds us with evidence of himself (Romans 1:19-20)
Complexity of design - our minds, bodies, universe, comos - points to an intentional design by a creator who holds things in place and maintains them.
Scripture - We know God exists because he has revealed himsef to us in the Bible.
- The Bible is the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16 - all scripture is breathed out by God…)
- Also overwhelming evidence Bible is true
- specific prophesies have come true
- life of Jesus written by eyewitnesse - people who were unfriendly to the Word still alive and would have contradicted
- Unity of the Bible - 40 authors, 3 continents, 3 different languages, controversial subjects, tet the bible is a unit with each part needed to complete the story.
- OT= preparation
- Gospels = manifestation
- Acts = propagation
- Letters = explanation
- Revelation - The end!
Names of God
- Elohim - God - Genesis 1:1 - Plural, refers to God’s great power and might
- Yahweh - LORD - proper, holy name of God. From Hebrew for “I AM”. Ex. 3. Always existed, everything that is not God depends on him. Worthy of all admiration and praise
- El Roi - the God Who Sees Me - Hagar
- Yahweh Nissi - The Lord is My Banner - Moses vs. Amalekites (Exodus)
- Jehovah Jireh - God My Provider - Moses and Isaac
NT definitions of God
- God is Love (1 John 4:8)
- God is Light (1 John 1:5 - God is Light, and in him there is no darkness at all)
- God is Spirit (John 4:24 - God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in Spirit, and in truth)
- God is an All Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12:29)
God is holy
God is “set apart” - from this world, and from anything unclean/impure.
He is perfect in every way (includes sinless)
Things he comes into contact with (us) are made pure/clean by his touch (Isaiah’s vision)
Why did God create?
- God created because he loves us, and wants to enjoy our company and for us to enjoy his company
- Eph. 1:4-5 Even before he made the world, God loved us and ,,, decided in advance to adopt us into his own family bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ
- He was not lonely/unfulfilled
Why does God give us free will?
- God never forces us to love him back or do the right thing.
- If he did, we would not be able to truly love him with the free response of our own hearts. We would be like robots.
Definition of the word “God”
The Eternal, All-Sufficient One.
Creator and Sustainer of all things.
One in substance, existing in three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
All-powerful, Ruler and Redeemer of the universe.
Basis for the Christian concept of God as a “Person”
A person has a mind, will, and emotions
Mind
- How prescious to me are your thoughts …Psalm 139: 17-18
- teaches (beatitues)
Will - sent out Paul and Barnabas
- Does not want anyone to be perish (2 Peter 1:9)
- Burning bush - tells Moses to go
Emotions
- loves (1 John 4:8)
- Psalms - laughs, hates
- compassion
Distinguish between Theism, Deism, Atheism, and Agnosticism
Theism - belief that a god exists or existed
Atheism - a rejecton of belief in God or gods
Agnosticism - we cannot know if there is a god
Deism - a type of theism - watchmaker theory
