I- The Doctrine Of God
1. Q. Who is God?
ANSWER: God is Yahweh, the One (Dt. 6:4), ultimate (Ps.97:9; Isa. 40:12-31), eternal Being (Ps. 90:2), who created (Gen. 1:1), rules (Ps.115:3), and sustains all that exists (Job 38; Acts 17:24-28). Countless religious substitutes divert worship to themselves. But there is only one Creator and Savior.
2. Q. How do we know there is God?
ANSWER: The wonders of nature witness to His existence as Creator (Ps. 19:1-4). The inner voice of our conscience testifies to His existence as Lawgiver and Judge (Rom. 1:18-32; 2:12-16). And the love of Christ reveals His existence as Savior and Friend (Jn. 1:1-18; 15:15).
3. Q. How can we define or describe God?
ANSWER: God is the one and only (Isa. 44:6), infinite (1 Ki. 8:27), holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16), loving (1 Jn. 4:8-16), and truthful in all that He does (Jn. 3:33). He has lived from all eternity as one God in three distinct persons (Mt. 28:19), and in the course of time He visited us as God in the flesh (Jesus) (Jn. 1:1-4). He can be described truthfully and adequately, but never exhaustively.
4. Q. Where do we get the idea that God is one God in three persons?
ANSWER: The Bible emphasizes the unity of God (Dt. 6:4; Gal. 3:20; 1 Tim. 2:5; Jas. 2:19), but it also describes Him as three distinct persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- all of whom are fully and equally God (Mt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:8; 1 Pet. 1:2).
5. Q. What do we mean when we say that God is infinite?
ANSWER: God is vastly different from the goods of Eastern mystics or Western materialists. He is only limited the sense that He cannot do anything inconsistent with His own goodness (Tit. 1:2; Jas, 1:13). God is infinite in that He is unlimited (Lk. 1:37). He is unrestricted by time, space, or circumstance. He is eternally timeless (Ps. 90:2; Rev. 22:13), all powerful (Mt. 19:26), all-knowing (Job 37:16), and present everywhere (Ps. 139:7-12; Mt, 28:20).
6. Q. What is the comfort of believing that this true God is the Creator and Sustainer of everything?
ANSWER: This assurance enables us to be patient in trouble (Rom. 5:3-4; Jas. 1:2-4), thankful in prosperity (Phil. 4:10-13), and joyful even in the face of death (Rom. 8:29-39; 2 Cor. 4:7-5:9). God is ultimately all that we need. While our tendency is to seek satisfaction and significance in lesser persons or pursuits, God alone offers us lasting hope and life.
ANSWER: God is Yahweh, the One (Dt. 6:4), ultimate (Ps.97:9; Isa. 40:12-31), eternal Being (Ps. 90:2), who created (Gen. 1:1), rules (Ps.115:3), and sustains all that exists (Job 38; Acts 17:24-28). Countless religious substitutes divert worship to themselves. But there is only one Creator and Savior.
2. Q. How do we know there is God?
ANSWER: The wonders of nature witness to His existence as Creator (Ps. 19:1-4). The inner voice of our conscience testifies to His existence as Lawgiver and Judge (Rom. 1:18-32; 2:12-16). And the love of Christ reveals His existence as Savior and Friend (Jn. 1:1-18; 15:15).
3. Q. How can we define or describe God?
ANSWER: God is the one and only (Isa. 44:6), infinite (1 Ki. 8:27), holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16), loving (1 Jn. 4:8-16), and truthful in all that He does (Jn. 3:33). He has lived from all eternity as one God in three distinct persons (Mt. 28:19), and in the course of time He visited us as God in the flesh (Jesus) (Jn. 1:1-4). He can be described truthfully and adequately, but never exhaustively.
4. Q. Where do we get the idea that God is one God in three persons?
ANSWER: The Bible emphasizes the unity of God (Dt. 6:4; Gal. 3:20; 1 Tim. 2:5; Jas. 2:19), but it also describes Him as three distinct persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit- all of whom are fully and equally God (Mt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:8; 1 Pet. 1:2).
5. Q. What do we mean when we say that God is infinite?
ANSWER: God is vastly different from the goods of Eastern mystics or Western materialists. He is only limited the sense that He cannot do anything inconsistent with His own goodness (Tit. 1:2; Jas, 1:13). God is infinite in that He is unlimited (Lk. 1:37). He is unrestricted by time, space, or circumstance. He is eternally timeless (Ps. 90:2; Rev. 22:13), all powerful (Mt. 19:26), all-knowing (Job 37:16), and present everywhere (Ps. 139:7-12; Mt, 28:20).
6. Q. What is the comfort of believing that this true God is the Creator and Sustainer of everything?
ANSWER: This assurance enables us to be patient in trouble (Rom. 5:3-4; Jas. 1:2-4), thankful in prosperity (Phil. 4:10-13), and joyful even in the face of death (Rom. 8:29-39; 2 Cor. 4:7-5:9). God is ultimately all that we need. While our tendency is to seek satisfaction and significance in lesser persons or pursuits, God alone offers us lasting hope and life.