Category: God
Subject: God
Mining the Scriptures: 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Paul noted here that the gospel of Christ caused him to suffer, as the world considered Paul an “evildoer” because of his teacher. Regardless, Paul was willing to suffer, knowing that the word of God could not be stopped by the efforts of men: “but the word of God is not chained” (9).
So for the sake of those who would respond in faith to his preaching, “the elect”, Paul endured his suffering. He wrote to the Romans, “So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Roman also” (Romans 1:15). As a result, Paul was responsible for the salvation of many.
Verses 11-13 contain what Paul referred to as a faithful saying. This is not a quotation from scripture, it may have been lyrics from an early hymn. Whatever the origin, as Paul states, the words are true. Essentially, God can only be Himself. He cannot lie. Therefore, all of the promises He has made to man regarding faithfulness and reward are true promises and will be accomplished!
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16-17).
The Bible affirms truth in several places. Another is John 1:1-3. “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (3).
It reminds me of the old joke about the scientist, who claimed he could create life, just like God. So, he got all prepared, and reached down for some dirt. God said to him, “Get your own dirt!”
God alone is our Creator. The scripture reveals that God the Son spoke our universe, every bit of it, into existence. In this was He was the “firstborn over all creation.” This doesn’t mean that He was the first one created, but He is the one from which all creation springs. “And without Him nothing was made that was made.”
Our Savior is not merely a man among other men. He is as far removed from others as we are to an ant. Even farther removed. Jesus is the Son of God. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
Mining the Scriptures: 1 Timothy 1:16-17
After admitting that he was chief among sinners (15), Paul then writes that despite his low state he received mercy from God. This truth can be seen both in his conversion in Acts 9, and in his many personal explanations of that conversion to Christ.
Here he states why that mercy was shown to him. So that in him Jesus Christ’s longsuffering could be demonstrated. If God was willing to save the most violent and zealous enemy of the faith, and then use him as a preeminent apologist for that same faith, it is obvious that anyone who accepts Christ can be forgiven. This is a truth that gives hope to all.
It is for this reason in verse 17 Paul praises God so graciously in this spontaneous expression of praise. He is eternal and immortal — without beginning or end. He is invisible—indicating His spiritual and divine nature. And He is wise to an extent that defies comparison.
For these reasons He is worthy of the praise of our lips and pens.
Sermon: God’s Greatness Examined (Psalm 145)
A study of Psalm 145, showing the wondrous attributes of God, and our proper response to them.
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Sermon: But Now After You Have Known God (Galatians 4:8-9)
Jehovah God is knowable through His person and His actions. It is an honor to know Him. Question is, does He know you?
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Sermon: Rejoice in Goodness
Stan uses the book of Psalms to explain the passage in 2 Chronicles 6:41, where at the dedication of the temple, King Solomon asked God to “let Your saints rejoice in goodness.”
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Mining the Scriptures: Jude 24-25
Jude ends here with a doxology. A doxology is an expression of praise and glory to God. It is fitting that this conclusion is given at the end of an epistle that exhorts all to contend for the faith. The false teachers Jude warned about in the epistle were in their doctrine undermining God.
Redemption is possible only through God’s grace. Praise Him. He is able to expunge our sin through the sacrifice of His Son, and we can be reconciled to Him for eternity with such purity.
God is the One who saves us. God is the One who is wise. This is clearly seen in His revealed scheme of redeeming us, formed before our very creation, as indicated in Ephesians 1:3-14.
It is only right and proper that we praise Him. We ascribe to him glory, majesty, dominion and power. We acknowledge that such a preeminent position is well deserved (as our Creator), and as our Savior. It is a position that is eternal, and one we rejoice in. There is no other God, “Both now and forever. Amen”
Wait Quietly
As Jeremiah lamented the rebellion of Judah, and the chastisement of his God, he nevertheless acknowledged God’s judgement was righteous and that His nature was merciful and good. And so he wrote, “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth” (Lamentations 3:25-27).
There are a couple of truths in this passage that are worthy of examination. Taking the last words first, we should acknowledge that it “is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.” While burdens, chastisements and distress are never easy, they do build character. The prophet knew that the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and God’s judgment of the people was, though harsh, very much deserved. To live through this would help the young know of the consequences of rebellion, and cause a turn to righteousness and steadfastness as the lesson was learned.
The second truth is that God does His own will in His own time. It is not appropriate for us to complain about these things. Job did , and even to the degree of his suffering, the answer of God was basically, “How dare you?” So, when things are going bad with us, little or big, and we chafe at trouble, let us not murmur and complain. Instead, let us “wait quietly for the LORD.” He is the preeminent Creator. As His people, let us not be presumptuous!
Sermon: Psalm 10
A lesson that discusses the teaching of Psalm 10, showing the care and protection of the righteous by God.
God is Light, Love, Life
The first epistle of John is a wonderful letter, giving us insight into God and His beneficent Person as it relates to men.
God is Light
For example, John wrote in (1:5), “This is the message which we have learned from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is not darkness at all.” There are many truths impacted by this declaration. First, we rejoice in God’s light, as it is the illumination of eternity! (cf. Revelation 2:23). While hell is described as a horrendous place of eternal darkness (cf. Jude 13), heaven is place of light, without the need of outer illumination.
However, the chief point of John in his epistle is that for us to walk as God would have it (“in the light”, cf. 6), we must have fellowship with God. Or, explained differently, walking in darkness severs our fellowship with God (6).
God is Love
In 1 John 4:8 the apostle also writes, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Another declaration about God. It helps to establish God’s nature, especially as we read what love is like in Paul’s discourse of 1 Corinthians 13. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” (13:4-8).
This does such a good job of describing God, but it also indicates the importance of the concept in our faith, and the type of people we are to be! As John put it, our love for God is the litmus test regarding our fellowship with Him. “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:4-6).
God is Life
Finally, John wrote, “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20). The Supreme Being in the universe, the One who created us, and all things material, is the One who is from eternity, the One true God. As Jesus wrote, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” says the Lord, “Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8). God is eternal, and so is the Giver of eternal life. We must come to Him to have eternal life!
Sermon: Truly God is Good
Psalm 73 is used by guest speaker Jeremiah Cox to show that through our darkness and doubt, God offers us faith and hope, and shows His goodness toward us.
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Sermon: Pilate’s Limited Authority
(John 19:1-16) It is evident by Jesus’ statement in verse 11 of our text, that Pilate greatly exaggerated his own authority. All men only have authority granted to them by the Almighty Himself.
I Thought God Doesn’t Change?
People today do not understand the nature of God. They take issue with the clear Bible teaching that God is unchanging in His nature. This is a central aspect of our Christian faith, as it promises a consistency we depend upon to assure our eternal reward as He has promised. They declare Him to be inconsistent, and take issue with such passages as James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning”; and Malachi 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I do not change…” What these passages and others actually indicate is that you can depend upon God. It doesn’t mean that He can’t change His mind depending upon circumstances (cf. Exodus 32:14; Jonah 3:10), or that a change in covenant indicates a change in character or any wavering in His dealing with mankind. Continue reading “I Thought God Doesn’t Change?”
Mining the Scriptures: 2 Peter 2:4-11
This section of Peter’s epistle uses several examples from scripture to note God’s judgment. First is the angels who sinned, of which we know little beyond speculation. However, this judgment seems to be the first meted out by God. We are familiar with the flood, and the judgment of the ancient world. Next are Sodom and Gomorrah, who God destroyed with fire and brimstone. He states these two cities serve as an “example to those who afterward would live ungodly” (6).
In the midst of such judgment of evil stood righteous men like Moses and Lot, who were oppressed by the evil which surrounded them. But, they were spared by God.
This is to let us know today that “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment” (9).
As always, your standing before God and treatment by Him depends upon your own obedience or disobedience. God treats us all fairly because God is just!
The Pleasure of God
What makes God happy? This is an important question, and one that most people do not understand. In fact, such misunderstanding has been used as an argument against either God’s existence, or at the least His goodness. Such arguments are shallow, and do not accord with what we understand and apply to other parts of our society. Regardless, a proper discussion of the matter is important to establish some important truths. Continue reading “The Pleasure of God”
