Knowing God Series #2
“Our Infinitely Great God”
Introduction
Proverbs clearly declares that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. If you want more wisdom and understanding you MUST give attention to knowing God. Just like any relationship, knowing God takes time and energy and intention. It doesn’t just happen. The Bible identified the secret of success for many people of the Bible by this phrase: “They set their heart to seek the Lord”. That means that they made a conscious decision to get to know God better. Perhaps this might be a theme verse for our series on knowing God better.
Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Psalm 105:1-4 (ESV)
DISCLAIMER
First I do not claim to be where I want to be but aspire to where I could be.
Second, I am fully aware that I am attempting to explain the unexplainable, to comprehend the incomprehensible; to engage the infinite.
God is a self-reveling God who not only wants us to know Him but to asks us to seek Him.
God has imbedded knowledge of Himself in every creature made in His image – His signature.
God reveals Himself in what He has made.
God reveals Himself through the Holy Spirit inspired written word.
God revealed Himself through Jesus the Living Word.
Knowledge not only engages the intellect and captivates the senses but involves spiritual senses.
We worship (responds to revelations) in spirit and truth. (Intellect / Spirit)
I. The nature of God
A. God is Spirit
In opposition to the views of materialism, we understand that the Godhead is in essence spirit. He is not limited by physical constraints. Jesus took on flesh and physical attributes only at the incarnation to help us better understand the invisible and ourselves. Technically, we are both material and immaterial. There is a part of us that can be distinguished by the five senses.
There is another part of us that cannot be perceived by the 5 senses. When you die, the physical body rots but and the immaterial part called the soul/spirit rises as a distinct everlasting individual consciousness. God’s true essence is discerned and perceived on a spirit level even though His activity may be observed and contemplated on a material level.
B. God is personal
God is a person, not a force or an impersonal influence. That includes the Holy Spirit.
C. God is a Triunity (three in one)
We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. Athaniasian Creed (year 318)
D. God is infinite
Novatian wrote this, “At the contemplation and utterance of His majesty all eloquence is rightly dumb, all mental effort is feeble. For God is greater than mind itself. His greatness cannot be conceived. Nay, could we conceive of His greatness He would be less than the human mind which could from the conception. He is greater than all language, and no statement can express Him. Indeed, if any statement could express Him, He would be less than human speech which could by such statement comprehend and gather up all that He is. All our thoughts about Him will be less than He, and our loftiest utterances will be trivialities in comparison with Him.”
This is true of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Godhead is infinitely infinite. He exists without limits, without boundaries, without measure of any kind.
Current culture uses the word infinite improperly. “Infinite patience” “Unlimited resources”
“Boundless energy” “Measureless sea”
Rightly this term finds its highest application in regard to God alone. God alone defies measurement. There are no rulers big enough to measure infinity. Measurement is the way we attempt to explain and analyze our world. God defies measurement because He is infinite. God is without measure growth or development. He will never be less than He is. He will never be more than He is. He is what He is in Himself beyond all manner of human explanation.
Anytime we think we have Him figured out, we end up with a mere image of the real thing an idol fabricated in the mind. All the books and literature that have ever been written and all the teaching that has ever been taught and all the thoughts that have ever been thought from the beginning of time until now could not begin to adequately explain the true nature of God.
Fortunately we do have some information revealed by God Himself in order that we might grasp at least some idea as to His nature and attributes.
II. The Attributes of God
We refer to the specific truths we learn through study and observation of creation and the Bible “attributes.” An attribute is anything that God has in any way revealed as being true of Himself.
We need to remember that these are not things that God has but they are things he is.
He does not have wisdom, He IS wisdom.
He does not have love, He IS love.
He enlightens because He IS light.
What He does flows out of who He is.
He cannot be nor do other than who He is in his essential nature. Who he is, He always will be.
Last week I suggested that all of the attributes normally isolated for study could be deduced from just three foundational attributes.
A. God is infinitely great in His ability / capacity
B. God is infinitely pure in His morality
C. God is infinitely good in His relationships
These three attributes make up the foundation for all the others; infinite greatness, purity and goodness! The psalmist understood these three foundational attributes which performed the basis for his praise.
I will extol You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
And men shall speak of the power of Your awesome acts; and I will tell of Your greatness.
They shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness,
and shall shout joyfully of Your righteousness.
Psalm 145:1-7
Since God is infinitely great or unlimited in His ability and capacity…
He would be unlimited as to time – Eternal
He would be unlimited as to His relationship to anyone or anything else – Self-existent.
He would have no need of anyone or anything – Self-sufficient.
He would have no reason to change since He is infinite – Immutable (unchangeable)
He would have unlimited power – Omnipotent
He would have unlimited knowledge – Omniscient
He would have no limitation as to space – Omnipresent.
He would be far beyond human comprehension – Incomprehensible
Since God is infinitely pure…
He would perfectly conform to His own standard – Righteous / Just
He would be infinitely separated from all that is contrary to His own moral law -- Holy
He would perfectly respond to evil – Anger/Wrath
He would demand absolute Justice for violation of His standard – Sovereign judge
He would always act according to truth – Truth
He would not tolerate rebellion or rejection of His -- Jealous
Since God is infinitely good in all His relationships…
He would perfectly love -- Love
He would enthusiastically extend grace to sinners -- Grace
He would compassionately extend mercy to the miserable -- Mercy
He would naturally be kind and gentle -- Kind and Gentle
He would graciously exercise long-suffering in His dealings with sinners–Longsuffering
He would willingly forgive -- Forgiving
He would never fail to keep a promise -- Faithful
A. God is infinitely great in His ability / capacity
Our infinitely great God exists with abilities and capacities without measure or limits. This lack of limitation applies to every aspect of His nature. The infinite greatness of God appears as the firm foundation for rich praise and worship all throughout the Bible. Our hymn, “How Great Thou Art” remains as a worthy tribute to the greatness of God.
Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. Psalm 147:5
Certain of God’s attributes bear some correspondence to attributes also found in His creation such as love, mercy, intellectual capacities and relational capacities. Others may be observed in relation to God alone.
1. God is self-existent
This attribute is close in concept to the eternality of God. This one focuses on the concept of existence and life. The other focuses on that life in relation to time. Absolutely everything that exists around us owes its existence to something else. Absolutely everything began its existence at some point in time. Everything celebrates a birthday or manufacturing date.
For centuries, philosophers have struggled to answer the monumental question of origin.
Where did we come from? Apart from God, they have been unable to sufficiently answer the question of origin let alone destination. The theories of evolution did not arise because of the discovery of new data that necessitate new theories but from the rejection of longstanding revelation. The basis of evolution is not scientific but philosophic and moral. In order to escape accountability to a higher power, new explanations for the existence of the marvels of creation had to be proposed. The new philosophy forced man to find some other way to explain the existence of things created by an infinitely creative designer God besides an infinitely great designer God. A continual problem arises when we attempt to trace life back to some point of origin without ridiculously sounding theories such as the “Big Bang” which expects us to believe that first there was nothing and then it exploded. An interviewer kept pushing one famous evolutionary scientist back as far as the emergence of a single living cell by asking, “Where did that original cell come from?” He eventually admitted that he didn’t know postulating that perhaps it might have been planted here by aliens. Of course, that triggers a whole new line of inquiry concerning the origin of the aliens.
The Bible clearly asserts that everything finds its origin in a self-existent God.
“There was a time, if “time” it could be called, when God, in the unity of His nature dwelt all alone. There was no heaven, where His glory is manifested. There was no earth to engage His attention. There were no angels to hymn His praises; no universe to be upheld by the word of His power. There was nothing, no one, but God; and that, not for a day, a year, or an age, but “from everlasting.” During a past eternity, God was alone; self-contained, self-sufficient, self-satisfied; in need of nothing.”
This concept is imbedded in the covenant name given to Abraham.
Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Exodus 3:13-14 (NASB)
God told Moses to remind the people that the eternal self-existent God sent him. He is the eternal I AM existing from eternity from whom all existence owes its existence. Life exists in God.
"For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. John 5:26-27
All things came into being through Jesus, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. John 1:3-4 (NASB)
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3 (NASB)
All life and conscious existence finds its origin in God.
Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. Genesis 2:7 (ESV)
God imbedded the essence of His own life into His creation.
The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth… Acts 17:24
This holds true regarding each member of the Godhead. Jesus reminded His disciples that apart from Him there is no life. No one has life in themselves apart from God.
So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. John 6:53 (NASB)
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 1 John 5:11-12 (NASB)
The life God gives us at the moment of belief in His Son is His eternal life. It is not current human life extended into the future (everlasting life). It is the very life of God. Paul reminded the Ephesians (4:18) that the unbelievers are darkened in their understanding and EXCLUDED from the life of God.
The Son gives life.
It is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:45 (NASB)
The Spirit gives life.
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. John 6:63 (NASB)
The Father gives life.
But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT (man lives) ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" Matthew 4:4 (NASB)
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. John 5:39-40 (NASB)
People today are still unwilling to come to Jesus for true life. True life, true existence can only come from the self-existent Triunity.
2. God is Eternal
This Self-existent God has always existed and always will.
Before the mountains were born, or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Psalm 90:2
The life that God enjoys has always been and will ever be. Before time and space, the self-existent Triunity enjoyed perfect community without beginning and will be without out end.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with (intimate relationship) God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. John 1:1-2 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 17:5
Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. Psalm 93:2
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen, and Amen. Psalm 41:13
For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15 (NASB)
The hymn writer eloquently captures this concept.
O God our help in ages past our hope for years to come.
Be Thou our guide while life shall last and our eternal home.
Before the hills in order stood, or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God, to endless years the same.
When heaven and earth were yet unmade, when time was yet unknown,
Thou in Thy bliss and majesty didst live and love alone!
Thou wert not born; there was no fount from which Thy being flowed;
There is no end which Thou canst reach: But Thou art simply God.
Time came into existence at the creation of matter. Time and space came into being simultaneously. Where matter exists, time must exist. Measurement is an integral element of matter. How big is it? How long? How heavy? How far? How many? How high?
In the beginning refers not only to creation but time. God spoke matter into existence escorted by time.
“God does not have now, that which He did not have formerly; He shall not have afterwards that which He does not have now; He is in every moment that which He was, and will be in all moments of time; nothing can be added to Him, nothing can be detracted from Him; there is nothing superior to Him and nothing desirable to add.”
God perfectly and completely exists outside of time in the eternal now. He sees everything at once. Everything else must exist within the framework of time. Wherever you have matter, you must have time. We will continue to communicate with time words. Then, next, when, after, before, while. Only God lives outside of any constraints of time. His eternity will be celebrated throughout all time.
And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME." Revelation 4:8 (NASB)
The eternity of God and necessity of drawing life from Him runs through Scripture like a majestic mountain range from the beginning to end. In this age, time represents aging, deterioration, weakness, limitation and eventually death. We resent the passing of time. Yet it holds both lessons of the past and hopes for the future as well as blessing in the present to those who have been granted the eternal life of God. God is the perfect example of perfect existence without the deterioration of time. At our future resurrection to new life, we will praise God for the unlimited time to continually develop and become more and more like the One who created us as we continue to behold His glory.
Brief life is here our portion, Brief sorrow, short-lived care;
The life that knows no ending, The tearless life is there.
There God, our King and Portion, In fullness of His grace,
We then shall see forever, And worship face to face.
How long is forever? In a land far away a mountain towers above the earth 1,000 miles square.
Once every thousand years a little bird comes to sharpen its beak on the mountain. When eventually the little bird has worn the mountain to a single rock it will account for the first day of forever.
That is the amount of time we will have to get to know our infinitely Great God and enjoy intimate relationship with the community of the Trinity and all who belong to Him through faith in Jesus. For those who do not come to Him for life, it will be the amount of time to regret not having come to Him for life and dread conflict with the unholy trinity (the devil, the beast and the false prophet) and with all those who followed them into everlasting torment.
Implications and Applications
God alone is the ONLY source of true existence / life -- come to Him for Life
Jesus came to give us life and give it to the fullest extent possible. What are we doing with that life? We came into existence THROUGH Him and FOR Him. Adam and Eve chose to try to live on their own without God and look the mess they stirred up. Any other source of life is counterfeit and will ultimately fail. You need HIS life.
God has been and always will be around – Count on Him.
Trust Him with your future. Trust Him with your life. He isn’t going anywhere. God has seen it all – Consult Him. He sees the past, the present and the future so do you think He knows the next step?
God is the infinitely great uncaused cause – Worship Him.
Worship Him as Creator, Lord, Giver of life, Sovereign Lord of the universe which He made.
Are we living like that? How much thought and attention do we even give such a great God in our daily? Only as we draw closer to Him do we come to know and experience life as He intended. How big is your God?
