SESSION 5

Opening Thoughts

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• Speaking on the doctrine of God is holy ground; we approach with reverence.

• Holiness of God: Angels declare, "holy, holy, holy" continuously.

• Thinking Deeply: A.W. Tozer: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones: False thinking about God is the worst sin of all.
   

Reflecting on Our Views of God
 

• Challenge: What comes into your mind when you think about God?

  • Common perceptions: distant creator, old man, heavenly policeman, easy-going father, or loving, gracious father.

• Caution: We often reshape God into our own image.

• Darrell Johnson: True worship requires deep thinking about God, even if it’s challenging.
   

Knowing God
 

1. General Revelation:

   • Creation reveals God.

   • Psalm 19:1-4: “The heavens declare the glory of God… their words to the ends of the world.”

   • Romans 1:20: “For his invisible attributes… have been clearly seen since the creation of the world.”

2. Specific or Supernatural Revelation:

   • Direct communication (e.g., Abraham, Moses), the unfolding story, and the revelation of God in Jesus.

   • Jesus as Revelation:

     • John 1:14: “The Word was made flesh.”

     • Colossians 1:15: “He is the image of the invisible God.”

     • Hebrews 1:3: “The exact representation of his being.”

     • John 14:9: “The one who has seen me has seen the Father.”

     • John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.”
        

Attributes of God (Five-Group Classification)
 

1. His Being:

   • Spirit: Invisible but reveals through creation.

   • Personality: Knowable, named Yahweh (Exodus 6:3, 3:14).

   • Life: God has life in himself (John 5:26).

   • Self-existence: Not constrained by time or space.

2. Infinity:

   • Eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and immutable.

3. Moral Perfection:

   • Holy: Unique, pure.

   • Righteous: Standard of right and wrong.

   • Good, Trustworthy, Just: God is peace and hates sin.

4. Love:

   • God is love within himself (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and towards creation, shown in mercy, grace, patience.

5. Glory:

   • The sum total of God’s attributes, making him utterly unique and worthy of worship.

• Unity of God: God’s attributes are not separate ingredients but one essence. Psalm 113:5-6: “Who is like the LORD our God…?”
   

Questions for Reflection

• How might knowing God’s attributes help you as a Christian?
   

The Trinity
 

• “It’s critical for Christians to understand God’s triune nature because God’s triune nature distinguishes the living God from idols.” Michael Reeves

• Tri-unity: God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19: “Go… baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

• Mistaken Ideas:

  • Modalism: One God who appears in different forms at different times (Sabellius).

  • Subordinationism (e.g., Arianism): Denies the equality of persons within the Trinity.

  • Tritheism: Views the Father, Son, and Spirit as three separate gods.

• Scripture on the Trinity:

  1. One God: Isaiah 45:5: “I am the LORD and there is no other.” Deuteronomy 6:4: “The LORD is one.”

  2. Community of Being: God as a community of Father, Son, and Spirit (e.g., Genesis 1:26; Psalm 110).

  3. Each Person Unique: Not to be confused; Father is not the Son or Spirit, etc.

  4. God as Love: Love requires relationship. The Trinity shows eternal, self-giving love within God.

• Perichoresis: The intimate union and self-giving within the Trinity. Each person exists in relation to the others, creating a dynamic of love and life that overflows into creation, redemption, and renewal.
   

Final Reflections
 

• Transformation Through the Trinity: Trinitarian understanding reshapes our lives and relationships in all spheres (personal, family, church, society).
   

• Questions for Discussion:

  • How does knowing God as Father, Son, and Spirit impact life and relationships?

  • Do you focus on one person of the Trinity more than another?

• Scripture for Reflection: Ephesians 1:1-14