Author: Brett Baggett

A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, POWER, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6,7; 1 Tim. 1:17)

GOD IS…INFINITE, ETERNAL, AND UNCHANGEABLE…IN POWER

PSALM 147:5 “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power.”

JEREMIAH 32:17 “Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”

THE SCRIPTURES SPEAK OF GOD’S POWER IN THREE WAYS: 

1) POSITIVELY: Genesis 17:1 “I am God Almighty.”

2) NEGATIVELY: Luke 1:37 “Nothing is impossible with God.”

3) COMPARATIVELY: Matthew 19:26 “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

God’s infinite, eternal, and unchangeable power is clearly set forth in at least 5 ways: His I) Creating, II) Preserving, III) Governing, IV) Redeeming, and V) Judging.

I. CREATING POWER

Psalm 33:9 “Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”

Romans 1:20 “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”

He breathed out planets and stars; he spoke oceans and mountains into existence; He exhaled man, beasts, and birds!

II. PRESERVING POWER

Hebrews 1:3 “[Jesus] upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

III. GOVERNING POWER

1) Elements

Deuteronomy 4:36-38 “And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power.”

Mark 4:37-41 “37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’ 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’”

2) Men

Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”

Exodus 9:16 “But for this purpose I have raised you up (Pharoah), to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”

3) Demons

Matthew 8:31 “And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.”

4) Wicked men

Isaiah 37:29 “Because you have raged against me and your complacency has come to my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came.’”

Daniel 4:35 “all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

IV. REDEEMING POWER

I) The virgin birth of Jesus Christ

Luke 1:35 “And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.’” 

II) Jesus’ resurrection from the dead

Romans 1:4 “[Jesus Christ our Lord] was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead”

III) Taking dead sinners and converting them to living saints through the preaching of the gospel

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

IV) Empowering Christians to be witnesses for Jesus

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

V) Guarding Christians through faith

1 Peter 1:5 “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

VI) In giving His saints resurrected bodies

1 Corinthians 6:14 “And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.”

Philippians 3:20-21 “20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

V. JUDGING POWER

I) In judging unrepentant sinners

Romans 9:22 “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction.”

Romans 2:4-5 “4 …do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Answer: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6,7; 1 Tim. 1:17)

GOD IS INFINITE, ETERNAL, AND UNCHANGEABLE IN WISDOM

ROMANS 16:27 “to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”

I. GOD’S WISDOM IS SEEN IN HIS INFINITE INTELLIGENCE

PSALM 147:5 “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.”

DANIEL 2:28 “there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.”

PSALM 94:11 “the LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath.”

II. GOD’S WISDOM IS SEEN IN HIS WORKS

We see the wisdom of God as we consider his works of I) Creation, II) Redemption, and III) Providence.

I) CREATION

PSALM 104:24 “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”

II) REDEMPTION

ROMANS 3:23-26 “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

ROMANS 11:33-36 “33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’ 35‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

III) PROVIDENCE

EPHESIANS 1:11 “God works all things according to the counsel of His will.” 

GENESIS 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

ACTS 2:23 “[Jesus], delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”

ROMANS 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

ANSWER: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6,7; 1 Tim. 1:17)

Q. What do you believe about God?

I. GOD IS A SPIRIT

JOHN 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

II. GOD IS INFINITE

PSALM 147:5 “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.”

ISAIAH 40:28 “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”

ROMANS 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”

JEREMIAH 23:24 “Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.”

JOHN 1:16 “For from [Jesus’] fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

III. GOD IS ETERNAL

PSALM 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

IV. GOD IS UNCHANGEABLE

PSALM 102:25-27 “25 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, 27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.”

JAMES 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

MALACHI 3:6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

HEBREWS 6:17-18 “17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man. (2 Tim. 3:16,17; John 20:31; Acts 24:14; 1 Cor. 10:11; Eccles. 12:13)

I. THE SCRIPTURES PRINCIPALLY TEACH WHAT MAN IS TO BELIEVE CONCERNING GOD

GENESIS 1:1
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

EXODUS 34:6-7
“6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…”

HEBREWS 1:1-3
“1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

REVELATION 22:1-5
“1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

“The man who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of 10,000 temporal problems.” — A.W. Tozer

Would you relieve yourself of 10,000 problems? Get a right belief about God. That’s what the Scriptures principally teach.

II. THE SCRIPTURES PRINCIPALLY TEACH WHAT DUTY GOD REQUIRES OF MAN

DEUTERONOMY 29:29
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

What duty does God require of man? Here are 8 main duties the Lord Jesus requires of us in Scripture.

I) It is your duty to love the LORD with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength

MARK 12:29-30
29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

II) It is your duty to love your neighbor as yourself

MARK 12:31
“The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Have you done that? I can tell you with absolute certainty you have not done that and I have not done that.

ROMANS 3:22-23
22 For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”

Our problem is that there is no small sin because there is no small God to sin against. There is only the infinitely holy One who created us, upholds us, gives all gifts of life to us. He has clearly revealed in our conscience and in the Bible what He requires of us, yet we have all gladly rebelled against Him.We have preferred our way to His, our kingship to His, our rules to His, our path to His, our glory to His. Will what is made say to it’s maker, “You have no right to tell me what to do”? Not with impunity. Sin is cosmic treason.

GALATIANS 3:10, 13
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”. . . 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.”

The gospel is the good news that what God requires, He provides in Jesus Christ. Whom He provides for by Christ, He purifies by the Holy Spirit. Whom He purifies by the Spirit, He protects by His providence. And whom He protects by His providence, He will one day perfect in His presence.

III) As a sinner who is in the path of the wrath of God, it is your duty to repent and believe the gospel

MARK 1:14-15
14 Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

JOHN 6:28-29
28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

IV) In Christ, your duty is to take up your cross and follow Jesus

MARK 8:34-38
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Recommendation: John Piper’s book What Jesus Demands from the World.

V) In Christ, it is our duty to make disciples of all nations

MATTHEW 28:19-20
“18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

VI) In Christ, it is your duty to act and speak in order to glorify God in all of life

1 CORINTHIANS 10:31
“whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

MATTHEW 5:16
“let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

VII) In Christ, it is your duty to worship God in all of life, especially as a member of a local church

HEBREWS 10:24-25
“24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

VIII) In Christ, it is your duty to be anxious for nothing, casting all your anxieties on Him 

PHILIPPIANS 4:6
“do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

1 PETER 5:6-7
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

ROMANS 8:32-34
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 

“To withhold Scripture from anyone is an act of ecclesiastical robbery as well as spiritual murder.” — Wilhelmus A. Brakel

ANSWER. All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted, to read, hear, and understand the Scriptures. (John 5:39; Luke 16:29; Acts 8:28-30; 17:11)

I. ALL MEN ARE NOT ONLY PERMITTED

We are permitted to make use of the Scriptures. In fact, Jesus expects us to!

Matthew 12:3 He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him:

Matthew 12:5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?

Matthew 19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,

Matthew 22:31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:

Mark 12:10 Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;

Mark 12:26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

Luke 6:3 And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:

My question to you is this: Have you read?

II. BUT COMMANDED AND EXHORTED

We are commanded and exhorted explicitly:

Isaiah 8:20 “To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”

2 Peter 1:19 “we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.”

Luke‬ ‭16:29‬ “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’”

We are commanded and exhorted by example:

Mark‬ ‭12:24 “Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?”

Acts 17:11-12‬ “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.”

III. READ, HEAR, AND UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES

Psalm 119:97-105

97 Oh how I love your law!
 It is my meditation all the day. 
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
 for it is ever with me.
 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
 for your testimonies are my meditation.
 100 I understand more than the aged,
 for I keep your precepts. 
101 I hold back my feet from every evil way,
 in order to keep your word. 102 I do not turn aside from your rules,
 for you have taught me. 
103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through your precepts I get understanding;
 therefore I hate every false way.
 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
 and a light to my path.

NOTICE THE MANY WAYS GOD COMMUNICATES TO US IN HIS WORD.

Look at Psalm 119:97-105 and see the variety of words he uses to describe what we simply call “The Bible.

Your Law (v.97)
Your Commandment (v.98)
Your Testimonies (v.99)
Your Precepts (v.100)
Your Word (v.101)
Your Rules (v.102)
Your Words (v.103)
Your Precepts, again (v.104)
Your Word, again (v.105)

WHAT MUST WE DO WITH GOD’S WORD?

I) Read / Study (implied in every verse)

II) Meditate / Reflect / Think (v.97, 99)

III) Memorize (v.98 “for they are ever with me”)

Jesus modeled this for us perfectly in his earthly ministry. Almost every time there is a problem or someone has a question Jesus would say either, “Have you not read?” or “Gegrapeti!” which means “It is written.”

IV) Keep/Obey (v.100-102)

Jesus himself says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” To Keep Gods Word is also part of our Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus also commands us through his earthly brother James, “Do not be hearers of the Word only, but doers!” What must we do with God’s Word? We must be readers, meditators, memorizers, and keepers.

WHAT DOES GOD DO TO US THROUGH HIS WORD?

Through His word, God gives us:
His Teaching (102)
Wisdom (v.98)
Understanding (v.99,100,104)
Holiness and Hatred of sin (v.101-102, 104-105)
Joy (v.103)

Jeremiah the Prophet says it like this: “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” – Jeremiah 15:16

Why joy? Because the main thing God is communicating to us in His word is Jesus.

THE WHOLE BIBLE IS ABOUT JESUS.

In Genesis, Jesus is the Seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent.

In Exodus, Jesus is the Passover Lamb, slain so the LORD’s people can be spared justice.

In Leviticus, Jesus is our true High Priest offering a better sacrifice than the others.

In Numbers, Jesus is the Pillar of cloud by day and the Pillar of fire by night, leading His people to the Promised Land.

In Deuteronomy, Jesus is the Prophet like Moses whom we must listen to or perish.

In Joshua, Jesus is the Captain of the LORD’s army, making war on His enemies.

In Judges, Jesus is the Judge we long for to correct our rebellious hearts.

In Ruth, Jesus is our Kinsman Redeemer.

In 1st and 2nd Samuel, Jesus is our trusted Prophet, revealing God perfectly to us.

In Kings and Chronicles, Jesus is the King we long for who will rule righteously forever.

In Ezra, Jesus is the Rebuilder of the broken down walls of the city of God.

In Esther, Jesus is the one who doesn’t simply RISK his life, but GIVES his life to save his people.

In Job, Jesus is our ever-living Redeemer.

In Psalms, Jesus is the Son we must Kiss and our Good Shepherd.

In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Jesus is the very embodiment of wisdom.

In the Song of Solomon, Jesus is the Church’s Loving Bridegroom.

In Isaiah, Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the Gospel Preacher, and the Suffering Servant.

In Jeremiah, Jesus is the Righteous Branch.

In Lamentations, Jesus is the better Weeping Prophet—who doesn’t simply weep for sin but kills sin by letting himself be killed in the place of sinners.

In Ezekiel, Jesus is the wonderful Four-Faced man.

In Daniel, Jesus is the fourth Man in the fiery furnace with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, he’s the One who closes the lion’s mouths for Daniel, and He is the Son of Man given an eternal Kingdom after His ascension.

In Hosea, Jesus is the Faithful Husband, forever married to the backslider.

In Joel, Jesus is the baptizer with the Holy Spirit.

In Amos, Jesus is our true Burden-Bearer.

In Obadiah, Jesus is the One Mighty to Save.

In Jonah, Jesus is the better one that was thrown into the sea of God’s wrath so those on board would be spared.

In Micah, Jesus is the Messenger with beautiful feet.

In Nahum, Jesus is the Avenger of God’s elect.

In Habakkuk, Jesus is God’s evangelist.

In Zephaniah, Jesus is our Saviour.

In Haggai, Jesus is the restorer of God’s lost heritage.

In Zechariah, Jesus is the fountain opened up in the house of David for sin and uncleanness.

In Malachi, Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness, rising with healing in His wings.

In the Gospel Accounts, Jesus is the God-Man come to save sinners by grace.

In Acts, we see what Jesus continued to do the first 30 years after He ascended to Heaven.

All the Letters of the New Testament clarify who He is, what His gospel means, how we should live for Him, and to watch out for those who teach contrary to His Prophets and Apostles.

In Revelation, Jesus is our coming King—He will slay men who refuse to come to Him and remain in their sin; He will perfect His people who trust Him by faith and He will perfect the entire world. Those who refuse to repent and believe on Jesus and His gospel will be thrown in the fiery pit of hell to be punished for their sin for all eternity. Those who belong to Jesus in this life will belong to Him forever in the perfect life to come, where we will enjoy Him forever for His glory and our gladness!