Articles - God

   Suppose you were in prison with only a narrow window. You gaze out this window on the outside world. You can see the Sun, moon, stars, trees, birds, etc. Everything you see may be true, but at the same time it is very limited. Now suppose that you are free from your imprisonment. Your view is now enlarged as you walk outdoors, but it is limited by the horizon of some ten or twelve miles in distance. You climb a mountain or you look through the powerful 100” (2.5m) Hooker reflecting telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory near Los Angles and your distance is pushed out accordingly; however, you still see only a small fraction of the total world and universe, though your observations are real and true. Our comprehension of God Almighty is comparable. We can know much that is true about God even though we do not and cannot know all there is to know about Him.

“Our whole being by its very nature is one vast need . . . crying for Him” (Lewis 13).  

The Christian has need for guidance in all of life. “[L]ead us not into temptation” suggests dealing with our daily trials by praying for God’s guidance. “Lead us not” (eisenegkes) means “Do not let us fall victim” (Rogers and Rogers 13). “Temptation” (peirasmos) has a twofold meaning with the context determining the meaning. Temptation means (1) “trial, proving . . . of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy” and (2) “An enticement to sin, temptation, whether arising from the desires or from outward circumstances” (Thayer 498). We will discuss the first meaning in this chapter and the second meaning in the following chapter.

   A few years ago, a well-known gospel preacher advertised a sermon during his gospel meeting as “The Existence of God.” I went intending to hear a faith building lesson but came home disappointed in the speaker and his material.

The Majesty of God (8: 1, 2, 9)

   The Psalmist marvels at the glory of God. God is worthy of every man’s adoration and praise. David calls God “Lord” from the Hebrew, adonai. The term occurs about 300 times in the Old Testament.

   Its meaning is “master, sir, lord” and signifies “ownership or mastership” and indicates the great “truth that God is the owner of each member of the human family, and that He consequently claims the unrestricted obedience of all” (Girdlestone, Old Testament Synonyms, 59). Thus, included is the amenability of man to God and His law.

   When the term is used of men, it is always singular, adon. When used of God, it is almost always plural, adonai, and possessive, meaning “my Lord’s.” Being plural, it confirms the idea of the Godhead, as in the name, Elohim.

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). This text emphasizes the importance of man’s relationship to God. Our relationship with God is all-important. We are to love God with the totality of our being (Matthew 22:37). Man’s relationship with God is the vital matter of all matters as our eternity depends upon it.

The planet earth is our earthly home. We ask often, “Why things happen as they do?” This is a fair question. This is a deep question. To begin to answer the question, we reason there are several active players. We may not admit all of them, but they all exist. Denying any of the players exist is poor reasoning and produces an unclear picture of the cause and effect in life. Consider the players: First, God who created all things. Second, man is the apex and made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). Man is created a free moral agent; therefore, man is capable of good as well as bad. God gives man a biblical worldview adapted to the dispensation in which he lives, yet working in harmony to its ultimate end—Christianity. Third, Satan who rebels against God (Revelation 12:7-9) and who opposes God’s plan and man (Genesis 3; John 8:44; 1 John 5:19). He will do so until the final judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).

     God reveals Himself by two divine books of revelation: (1) General Revelation which focuses on the evidences of God in nature, and (2) Special Revelation which focuses on His written word, the Bible. In the following article, we set forth apologetics evidence of God revealing Himself in the clouds of the Heavens that are seen almost daily by all. The psalmist states that it is God “who covers the heavens with clouds, who prepares the rains for the earth, who makes the grass to grow on the mountain” (147:8, NKJ).

The words “God is” occur 157 times in both the Old and New Testaments. It is a tremendous affirmation. So much is held dear in the words “God is.” We do not have to look too far to see just how important are the words “God is.” Negatively, if “God is not,” then there would be no Creation. If “God is not,” then we would have no Word of God. If “God is not,” then we would have no Son of God and Savior. If “God is not,” then the church has no reason to exist. If “God is not,” then we would be lost forever.

No nation can continue to exist without both acknowledgment and devotion to God. “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). The Hebrew nation recognized God Almighty and observed great days of prayer and worship. Building on the religious understanding from the Bible, our Founding Fathers, from the beginning, set forth the role and importance of God and national days of prayer and thanksgiving. Such emphasis on God and prayer gives the nation’s culture a rich religious influence. Initially the citizens exalted God and observed these days with great solemnity and respect.

One reason for using a dictionary is to know the meaning of a word. The Reader's Digest features a section titled, "It Pays to Enrich Your Word Power." I highly recommend that you be concerned about the meaning of words because they relate to all facets of life. What influence do the words of others have on me? What influence do my words have on others? What influence do the words of God have on us? A Christian ought to know words used to describe the various aspects of God's nature.