Fellowshipping With The Father And The Son - Part 4

Review

(1 John 1:5 NKJV) This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

The imagery or concept of God as "light" pictures God's self-revelation (cf. John 8:12; 9:5; 12:35, 36). The truth of the matter is that if God hadn't revealed Himself to us, we would still be groping about in the darkness.

Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

The Bible says that we did not reach out for God, He first reached out to us. 1 John 4:19, "We love Him because He first loved us."

The Psalmist concurs with this truth:

(Psa 14:2 NKJV) The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

(Psa 14:3 NKJV) They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.

Paul in Romans reminds us in the New Testament that we did not have God in our minds or heart to serve Him:

(Rom 3:11 NKJV) There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.

Because man is not inclined to seek after God, God had to take the first step towards a relationship with man by disclosing or revealing Himself to man. The Apostle Paul writes:

(Rom 1:20 NKJV) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

*invisible attributes - characteristics of God

*clearly seen - to the one who responds to God's prompting or "light"

*understood - as man thinks, ponders and inquires

*the things that are made - God's creation

*His eternal power and Godhead - i.e. Jesus and the Trinity

Paul answers the age old question by the scoffer, "Will God judge the heathen in the deepest, darkest tribe of Africa who hasn't heard the Gospel?" YES!!!

Illust: One day Deb and I played a game with children where we hid candy and had little pieces of paper with clues to where the candy was hidden. As our kids discovered each clue they learned more about where the candy was.

God has placed clues about Himself in His creation for everyone to see. As one finds a clue and responds to it, God reveals more about Himself, eventually leading the person to Himself.

Hebrews 1:1-2 speaks of this process:

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds…

Creation => The Law => Prophets => His Son, Jesus

Since God is "light," that is, since God has revealed Himself to us, last time we began to look at the some of the attributes or characteristics of God as taught in His Word.

Last time we learned:

God is Spirit - God is a non-material personal being; He is self-conscious and self-determining. John 4:24 says, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

God is Life - God has absolute life in Himself and is the source of all life. Life is the vital principle, or breath of life, which God imparted to man, making him a living soul. 1 John 5:11 says, "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son."

God is Infinite - There is no way to fully understand the vast greatness of God. Infinity is the term man uses to describe something that cannot be counted or measured and God is surely immeasurable. Paul in Romans 11:33 writes, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"

God is Immutable - The immutability of God means that God is devoid of all change in essence, attributes, consciousness, will, and promises. No cause for change in God exists, either in Himself or outside of Him. There is no reason for God to change because there is no change that would make Him better. In Mal 3:6 God says, "For I am the LORD, I do not change…"

God is Truth - The word "truth" suggests an integration of character, and allegiance to virtue. The concept of truth is derived from the character of God, and is the exact opposite of the concept of lying. The Bible teaches in Hebrews 6:18, "It is impossible for God to lie."