This morning, we conclude our study of what is God like? We are not saying that we will have a full understanding of what God is like, but we at least have a better understanding of what the Bible, God’s own revelation, says about what He is like.
Someone tells about a dyslexic insomniac staying awake all night wondering if there is a dog. I’m not trying to make fun of those with dyslexia or insomnia, but the truth is, all of us at one time or another wonder if there really is a God. Sometimes we wish there weren’t, so that we can be our own god, doing as we please. Other times, we wish there were a god, because we’ve tried everything else, and we still can’t make sense or meaning out of life.
Before we begin our last message on what is God like, let me propose to you that there really is God, and that He can be known. Darwin speculated about the origin of species, but the Bible declares the origin of all there is in the first sentence, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)."
If all that we have and are is the result of an infinite series of cause and effect, there still must be a first Cause, namely God. Something does not come from nothing. Furthermore, we live in a world where complex design runs through and through. Such design presupposes an intelligent Designer, namely God.
There are also experiential reasons for believing in God. If a handful of people told you that eating watermelon prevents cancer, you would be right to doubt. But if more than 4 billion people tell you that eating watermelon prevents cancer, wouldn’t you think there was some validity. Now the watermelon illustration isn’t true, but there are more than 4 billion people in this world agreeing that there is a God. And more than 2 billion of these people would tell you that God came in the form of man, Jesus Christ.
Finally, if there is not a God, then there is no absolute value. In other words, Hitler could be right and Mother Teresa could be wrong. It all depends on your civilization and your cultural values. But because there is a God, killing innocent people is wrong, and helping the poor and dying is right. Universal and absolute values point to the reality of the Value-giver, namely God.
All this being said, the only assurance we have of knowing God is not our intellect but God’s promise, when He said, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13)." So if you’re seeking a relationship with God, you will find Him. That’s His promise to each of us.
In the remaining time, I want to cover the last three attributes from our list of nine attributes of God.
The first attribute we will look at this morning is the attribute of God is immutable. When theologians say that God is immutable, they mean that God does not change. Since God is perfect in His being and wisdom, He does not need to change Himself or His mind. God also does not decay or die. Let’s look at some verses in the Bible to help us understand God’s immutability.
Numbers 23:19 states, "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" What God says He will do, He will.
God speaks through Malachi 3:6-7, "I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you." God is clarifying that it only looks like He has changed, but it is really we who have changed.
Hebrews 6:16-17 reads, "Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath."
James 1:17 tells us, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." God does not believe in situational ethics. He is the same at all times and places.
Before we talk about what difference does God’s immutability make in our lives, I want to address the question, "Why are there passages in the Bible that suggest God has changed His mind?"
Someone gave the example, "If you were riding a bike against the wind, and then you stopped and turned around, you might think that the wind changed. After all, the wind went from working against you to helping you. In actuality the wind didn’t change, you did."
In the same way, we can mistaken what we read in the Bible by thinking that God changed His mind, while in reality, people have changed their decisions or directions. And in other cases where God appears to have changed His plans, we may be seeing the progressive revealing of His plans from Old to New Testament.
But why should you care that God is unchanging in His being and His Word?
A man walking down the street saw a sign: "Talking dog for sale. $10." Out of curiosity, he followed the sign into a backyard to find an ordinary dog and a little boy.
The man asked, "I saw your sign, so I’m here to check out your dog. What’s the story?"
Before the boy could answer, the dog spoke up: "Well, here’s the story. Five years ago, people discovered that I could understand human language and that I could talk. Immediately, the CIA put me to work. I was put into top-secret meetings as a spy dog to repeat what I heard to the CIA.
"After two years, that got old. So I looked into work with airport security. I went through the airport listening to conversations and reporting suspicious people.
"After two years of that, I resigned. Every human year is seven dog years, you know. So I decided to settle down and be a family pet. And I’ve been with this boy for the past year, but now he wants to sell me."
The man, amazed at what he heard, asked the boy, "Why would you want to sell this dog?"
The boy replied, "Mister, he is such a liar. He’s never done any of that!"
You might be thinking, "Who cares if he’s lying. He’s a talking dog!"
Similarly, you might be thinking, "Who cares if God changes His mind. He’s the Creator. He’s all-powerful. He can do whatever He wants to do!"
But we have to remember. God sets the rules for life and eternity. If God changes like science, with each new discovery, or He changes like culture, with each new generation, what He said was true or right three or two thousand years ago may no long be true or right today.
Yet, because God is immutable, what He said in the Bible two or three thousand years ago still holds true. The 10 Commandments do not have an expiration date. His plan to provide mankind a way back to Himself always was dependent upon His effort and not ours. We only need to put our trust in Him.
God does not change when you go from America to Asia. God does not have one set of expectations for a capitalist society and another set of expectations for a communist society. God will not change, even if we change. Knowing this gives us consistency and confidence in living.
The second attribute we will look at this morning is the attribute of God is good. When theologians say that God is good, they are saying that He is the measure of goodness, which balances love and justice. Let’s look at some verses in the Bible to help us understand God’s goodness.
In Genesis 50:19-20, Joseph said to the brothers who sold him into slavery, "Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Joseph understood that the God we worship is able to bring good even out of evil.
The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 86:5, "You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you."
Romans 3:23-26 reminds us, "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished -- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." In other words, God’s goodness didn’t give us what we deserve, but His goodness gave us Jesus Christ as a sacrifice to cover our sins. God not only is just, but He also pays our penalty to justify us.
2 Peter 3:9 tells us, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Peter is letting us know that God doesn’t intervene sometimes because He is even giving evildoers a chance to turn from evil and to turn toward God.
Before we look at why we should care that God is good, let me address a common question, "If God is good, why does He allow evil in this world?
Most of us define goodness as the presence of love and justice. God defines goodness as love holding back justice until the set time for judgment. God is not a reactionary parent. He instructs and waits patiently, not wanting any to perish. But there will come a time, when the waiting will be over, and judgment will be meted out.
A man once put God to the test, "If there is a God, may He prove Himself by striking me dead right now." After a moment, the man proudly said, "You see, there is no God." But his friend replied, "You’ve only proved that God is good."
So why should we care that God is good? Let me answer this with the words of Corrie Ten Boon:
"Often I have heard people say, ’How good God is! We prayed that it would not rain for our church picnic, and look at the lovely weather!’ Yes, God is good when He sends good weather. But God was also good when He allowed my sister, Betsie, to starve to death before my eyes in a German concentration camp. I remember one occasion when I was very discouraged there. Everything around us was dark, and there was darkness in my heart. I remember telling Betsie that I thought God had forgotten us."
"’No, Corrie,’ said Betsie, ’He has not forgotten us. Remember His Word: "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.’"
Because we know God’s full goodness is not displayed at the current time, but will be fully revealed at a set time, we can endure evil and suffering with confidence and positive anticipation.
The third and final attribute we will look at is the attribute of God is near. When theologians say that God is near, they are saying that God is although everywhere and separate from us, He is a God who bends down low to identify with us and to be with us. Let’s look at some verses in the Bible to help us understand God’s nearness.
In Deuteronomy 4:7, Moses asked the question, "What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?" Moses understood that our God bends down low, like a father to his child, to listen to our prayers.
The Psalmist confess in Psalm 139:7-10 that God is always with him, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast."
Matthew 1:3 tells us that the birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s coming, "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel --which means, ’God with us.’"
James 4:8 tells us, "Come near to God and he will come near to you."
Joseph Damien was a missionary in the 19th century. He ministered to people with leprosy on Molokai, Hawaii. Those suffering from leprosy greatly appreciated his ministry and sacrifice. But even Joseph Damien didn’t know the sacrifice he would soon make.
One morning, Joseph Damien filled his cup with hot water, and some of the water fell on his bare foot. It took him awhile to realize that he did not feel the hot water. Fear of what this could mean, he poured more boiling water on the same spot. No feeling at all.
Damien then knew what had happened. As he walked to lead in daily worship, tears filled his eyes. Before this morning, his opening line for every sermon was, "My fellow believers." But this morning, he began with, "My fellow lepers."
Damien identified with the lepers in a way that God identified with mankind. God didn’t just come near to observe and teach mankind. God identified with us.
Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Why should we care that God is near? When you think God doesn’t understand, He understands. He knows what it feels like to be alone, to be ridiculed, to be tempted, to be robbed, to be betrayed. Though messed up, this world is not God-forsaken. Though we ignore God and disobey Him, we are not God-forsaken. God is near. He is only a prayer away from our hearts and hurts.
When we moved, we had to throw out and give away many things. I went along with Susan on most decisions, but I was adamant about keeping one wall hanging that Susan wanted to throw out. It was old, stained and torn, but it contained the Footprints. Let me read it to you in closing:
"One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he notices two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you the most you would leave me."
The Lord replied, "My son, My precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
Our God has not changed. He is good, and He is near.
