Doctrines of the Bible Module 2A - The Greatness of God Lesson 1

Lesson 1 The Greatness of God

“And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.………………..”  (Ex 3:14)

God is personal, all-powerful, eternal, spirit, present everywhere within his creation and unchanging in his perfection.

Spirituality

(John 4:24) God is spirit. He does not possess a physical nature
(John 4:21) He is not limited to a particular geographical location.
(Luke 24:39) A spirit does not have flesh and bones.

God cannot be represented by any physical object because He is spirit. Therefore the worship and use of idols to represent God is totally unbiblical. This is why it is condemned in the Second Commandment (Exodus 20:4).

Personality

(Ex 3:14) When Moses wonders how he should respond when the Israelites ask the name of the God who has sent him, God identifies himself as “I AM” (Yahweh, Jehovah, the Lord). God has a name.
(Gen 4:26) Men began to call on the name of the Lord.
(Gen 12:8) Abraham built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
(Gen 3) God comes to and talks with Adam and Eve. He has all the attributes of personality such as knowing, feeling, willing and acting.

Because God is a person, our relationship with Him must have elements of warmth and understanding. He is pictured as our Father. He can be approached. He can be spoken to, and he in turn speaks. God is to be treated as a being. He is of value to us for what he is in himself, not merely for what he does.

Life

(Ex 3:14) His very name “I AM” indicates that he is a living God.
(Heb 11:6) Existence is considered a most basic aspect of his nature.
(John 5:26) God has life in Himself.
(1 Thess 1:9) The Thessalonians turned from idols to serve the living and true God.

God is complete without us. However, he has chosen to use us to accomplish his purposes. He relates to us by choice not by need. He does not need us but he chooses to use us for his glory. The fact that God has given us this privilege to serve him should evoke in us a sense of gratitude to him and love for him.

Infinity

(Acts 17:24-25) God created the world. God is the one who brought space into being. He, therefore, is not limited by space.
(Jer 23:24) God is everywhere (omnipresence). No one can hide from him.
(Ps 139:7-12) The psalmist found that he could not flee from the presence of God. Wherever the psalmist went, God would be there.

On a positive note, the omnipresence of God means that he is available to us wherever we may be. God is not localized. He can be found anywhere if we diligently seek him.

(Ps 90:1-2) He was before time began. God is the one who always
(Jude 25) is. He was, he is, he will be.

God is timeless. However, he is conscious of the succession of points of time. He knows what is occurring in human experience in terms of a past, present and future. Yet he is aware of these events (past, present and future) at one and the same time.

(Ps 147:5) His understanding is immeasurable.
(Prov 15:30) The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
(Matt 10:29-30) Not a sparrow can fall to the ground without the Father’s will, and even the hairs of the disciples’ heads are all numbered.

God knows all truth. He is omniscient.

(Gen 17:1) When God appeared to Abraham to reaffirm his covenant, he identified himself by saying , “I am God Almighty”. His name shows that he is all-powerful.
(Matt 19:26) Here Jesus affirms that with God all things are possible.

This power of God is manifested in several different ways. God has power over nature, to determine the course of human history and to change human nature.

Constancy

(Ps 102:26-27) God will always remain the same.
(Ps 33:11) God’s thoughts are permanent.
(Mal 3:6) God does not change.

God cannot increase or decrease in anything because he is already perfection. The nature of God does not change. Therefore, God does not change his mind, plans or actions.

Conclusion

God is a great God.

Review questions

1. The Mormons maintain that both God the Son and God the Father have a physical body. How do we refute this claim?
2. Are we to put God first in our lives because of what he has done for us or because of who he is?
3. How does the fact that God is all-knowing and all-powerful give us assurance as children of God?
4. If God is unchanging, how do we explain passages where God seems to change his mind ? (for example Jonah 3)