GOD
His Divine Nature
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Roberta Watson has been leading adults in Bible study for more than twenty years. She completed a Master of Arts in Christian Education from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, focusing on learning styles and curriculum design. Following her heart’s call to lead others into God’s Word, she has written extensively for Life Bible Study and other national publications. She has served as a writer and editor with Life Bible Study since 2004. In addition to contributing to both youth and adult curriculum lines, she has written four Bible study books for Life Bible Study. She currently studies with a wonderful group of adults at Madison First United Methodist Church in Madison, Georgia. She and her husband, Todd, have been married for nearly thirty years and have two adult children.
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EDITORIAL & DESIGN STAFF Publisher John Herring
Editor Margie Williamson
Graphic Design
Kayla Holsomback
Publishing Assistant Bradley Isbell
STATEMENTS OF FAITH
and eternal salvation. Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return in power and glory.
As Christians, there are some essential truths we believe. All of these truths are found in the Bible. At Life Bible Study, we believe there are eight truths that are essential for every Christian to know and understand. These eight statements are presented below with descriptions of the biblical truths. They have been developed to help you talk about your faith and will help you know what you believe.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD AND EMPOWERER As a member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is God’s presence in the world. The Holy Spirit convicts individuals of sin, baptizes believers into the Body of Christ, uses God’s Word to mature believers into Christ-likeness, and secures them until Christ’s return. Through His indwelling presence and by equipping believers with spiritual gifts, the Holy Spirit empowers us for bold witness and effective ministry as we serve Him.
GOD IS Only one true and living God exists, perfect in all His attributes, holy in character, and righteous in all His works. He is the Creator of the universe, eternally existing in three Persons—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each equally deserving of humanity’s worship and obedience. As the Lord of all creation, God’s power, knowledge, wisdom, and presence ensure His sovereign will is exercised over all nations and kingdoms throughout all ages.
SALVATION IS BY FAITH ALONE Every person has willfully disobeyed God—an act known as sin—thus inheriting both physical and spiritual death and the need for salvation. Salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the shed blood of Jesus Christ and not on the basis of human works. When people repent of their sins by placing their faith in Jesus Christ, they receive forgiveness for sin, abundant life on earth, and the promise of eternal life in heaven.
THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD The Bible is God’s written revelation to people, divinely given through human authors who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is entirely true. The Bible is totally sufficient and completely authoritative for matters of life and faith. The goal of God’s Word is the restoration of humanity into His image.
THE CHURCH IS GOD’S PLAN The Holy Spirit immediately places all people who put their faith in Jesus Christ into one united spiritual body, the Church, of which Christ is the head. The primary expression of the Church on earth is the local gathering of believers. The purpose of the Church is to glorify God by taking the gospel to the entire world and by building its members in Christ-likeness through the instruction of God’s Word, fellowship, service, worship, and prayer.
PEOPLE ARE GOD’S TREASURE God created people in His image and for His glory. Because people are the crowning work of His creation, God made them stewards over His creation. People were created to live in relationship with God, so He has given everyone the ability to communicate with Him through prayer. God wants people to lovingly care for each other and He has given families the special responsibility of teaching children about God. God desires for people to live eternally with Him in heaven.
THE FUTURE IS IN GOD’S HANDS God is actively involved in our lives and our future. Through His prophets, God announced His plans for the future redemption of His people through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son. With the call of the disciples, God prepared the way for the future of His Church. In Scripture, God promised that Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth to resurrect and judge the saved and unsaved. As the all-knowing and allpowerful Creator and Judge, God can and should be trusted today, and with our future.
JESUS IS GOD AND SAVIOR Jesus is both fully God and fully human. He is Christ, the Son of God, and is one of the three persons of the Trinity. Born of a virgin, He lived a sinless life and performed many miracles. He died on the cross to provide people forgiveness of sin 4
TRI:UNITY Series Tri:Unity is a three-unit study that focuses on the Trinity: God––and His glory, God the Son––who gave His life for us, and God the Holy Spirit––who lives within us. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? But have you tried to explain how these three exist as One? And how each has different roles, different identities? Although we prefer things that are easily understood, the Trinity defies complete understanding because He isn’t limited by any of the things that limit us. The Triune God has all knowledge, all power, and is everywhere. God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each completely God. And there is only One God. This is your opportunity…to study each One of the Trinity separately, and to see how each One interacts in your life in different ways. Check out the products offered for both teenagers and adults for this study of Tri:Unity. • 31 Verses Every Believer Should Know: Tri:Unity––A book that leads your devotional time during the study of the Trinity. • God: His Divine Nature––A six-week study with on-line teaching materials and a companion learner’s book that focuses on the attributes of God the Father. • Jesus: Image of the Invisible––A six-week study with on-line teaching materials and a companion learner’s book that focuses on how Jesus Christ revealed Himself to us. • Sealed: The Mark of the Holy Spirit––A six week student with on-line teaching materials and a companion learner’s book that focuses on the roles of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
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week 1
GOD IS SELF-EXISTENT AND SELF-SUFFICIENT Biblical Passage: Genesis 1:1-5, Acts 17:22-28 Supporting Passages: Job 38; Psalm 8:3-9; 33:6-9, 18-22;
Revelation 1:4-8; 4:9-11 Memory Verse: Romans 1:20 Biblical Truth: God existed before anything else and needs nothing.
CONSIDER‌ Since the beginning of recorded history, people have searched for a relationship with God. Ancient cultures worshipped deities whom they believed controlled life and nature. The Egyptians worshipped a number of gods, and their ruler, Pharaoh, was considered a god on earth who served as the mediator between people and the gods in the heavens. The ancient Greeks worshipped a pantheon of gods, known as the Olympic gods, who controlled aspects of human affairs and/or served as patrons of Greek cities. The Romans worshipped a ruling trio of gods as well as lesser gods, but they also worshipped the gods of all the nations they conquered, such as the Greek gods to whom they assigned Roman names. Today some people still continue to search for God, while others simply deny the existence of any god. Some people assume the role of God within their own lives, while others worship the contemporary gods of power, wealth, and fame. In this six-week study, we will examine what the Bible reveals about God. Because it would be impossible to comprehend everything Scripture reveals about God in an entire lifetime, much less only six weeks of study, this study will focus on ten attributes or characteristics of God’s divine nature. As you work through each chapter, you will examine selected passages of Scripture describing one or two of these attributes. As you learn more about the God who created you for a relationship with Him, may the primary purpose of you life become worshipping and serving Him.
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GOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN
The Bible reveals God as the self-existent first Being who owes His existence to no other being. Though He is Spirit and lives apart from humanity, God has made Himself known to us. Yet, because mankind is separated from Him, both physically and spiritually, believers may wonder if is it possible to know Him intimately. Some may even wonder if He cares for us or the condition of our world. Scripture assures us that God is not aloof and uncaring, but that He loves us more than we can even imagine. The passages below examine what the world was like before God acted upon it. Reading through portions of the creation account will help you better understand God’s purpose in creating mankind. You have the opportunity to ponder how you can respond to the God who rules over all creation and gives life and breath to all people.
DAY 1 REFLECTION ALPHA AND OMEGA Read Revelation 1:4-8. When the apostle John recorded his vision of heaven, he described God on His throne, and Jesus Christ and the seven Spirits before the throne. In his vision, God said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” As you journal below, consider: Why is this description of God significant? How do His words emphasize God’s existence before, throughout, and beyond the existence of our world?
PAUSE TO PRAY Praise Almighty God as the Creator and Ruler of all things. Thank Jesus Christ for releasing you from your sins by His blood, thereby granting you eternal life with Him in heaven.
GOD EXISTED BEFORE CREATION (Gen. 1:1-5)
Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The Bible emphasizes that God existed before creating the heavens and the earth, an activity that God performed at a specific point in time. The Hebrew term Elohim, which Jewish rabbis consider descriptive of God’s role as the Creator, Sustainer, and Provider of all life, further emphasizes that, without God, nothing would exist. Prior to God’s work, the earth was “formless and 9
Created (bara) In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word bara is used exclusively to describe God’s creative activity, and implies that God willed everything into existence. When comparing the creation account in Genesis 1 to other biblical passages describing God’s creative activity, believers understand that God spoke (fiat) all of creation into existence from nothing (ex nihilo).
void”—completely unable to sustain life—and “darkness”— chaos—was over the surface of the deep. God “moved over” (a Hebrew phrase often used to describe the brooding nurture of a mother bird hatching an egg) this nothingness to bring forth order and life. By the power of His spoken word, God brought forth the structure necessary for establishing and maintaining life. First, God said, “Let there be light,” which He declared “good,” before separating the light from darkness. In His first action, God set the formula He would use for each step of creation: He created something and then declared that creation to be “good,” meaning it was without flaw and totally suited to fulfill its purpose. After separating the light from the darkness, God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” By pronouncing the evening and morning to be one day, God established the beginning of time as well as the method by which time would henceforth be marked. Furthermore, by naming these created elements, God declared His ownership over His creation.
Read Genesis 1 and complete the chart below to understand how God brought order and structure to His creation by systematically creating all elements necessary for sustaining life.
Day 1: _______________________________________________________________________ Day 2: _______________________________________________________________________ Day 3: _______________________________________________________________________ Day 4: _______________________________________________________________________ Day 5: _______________________________________________________________________ Day 6: _______________________________________________________________________ What did God’s systematic approach to creation reveal about His divine nature? About His desire to create a world specifically designed to sustain human life?
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DAY 2 REFLECTION GOD AS CREATOR Read Job 38. In this passage, God confirmed to Job His role in creation. God “laid the foundation…enclosed the sea…commanded the morning…walked in the recesses of the deep…entered the storehouses of the snow…brought rain on a land without people.” As you journal below, consider: How does every aspect of our world point to its Creator? How can you use aspects of creation to point others to God?
PAUSE TO PRAY Praise God for revealing Himself through the world He designed especially for us. Thank Him for using His creation to remind you of His loving care. Pray that people from all nations would seek the God of creation.
GOD SUSTAINS ALL LIFE (Acts 17:22-25)
When Paul entered Athens, Greece, he discovered a city dedicated to worshipping idols. Deeply troubled, Paul boldly proclaimed God in the synagogue and among the philosophers in the marketplace. As a result, Paul was invited to the Areopagus to share his message with the leading men of Athens. Paul acknowledged the men as “very religious in all aspects.” Their fear of the gods, and their subsequent desire to avoid offending any deity and thereby inciting his/her wrath, led these men to construct many altars, including the altar labeled, “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.” Seizing the opportunity to identify the god the Greeks worshipped in ignorance, Paul introduced the one true God and told the men many things about Him. First, God Is the self-existent God who made the world and everything in it. Unlike the deities the Greeks worshipped, God existed before everything else and He personally spoke the world and everything in it into being. Second, God’s creative work makes Him the Lord of heaven and 11
Aeropagus Located on a hill northwest of Athens, the Areopagus contained stone seats where council members sat while advising Athenian kings. During Paul’s day, the Areopagus functioned as a judiciary or court of law as well as a place where philosophers and religious people exchanged ideas. Having heard Paul preaching about Jesus and His resurrection among the people, the leaders invited Paul share his “new teaching” before the Areopagus.
earth, and all things are subject to His will. In contrast, the Greeks believed that each deity in the Greek pantheon was responsible for only a portion of creation. Third, God, who gives all people life and breath, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is He served by human hands. By comparison, the Greeks believed that temples were the places where they could feed and care for their gods. What gods are commonly worshipped in our world today? How can you challenge people who worship those gods to turn to the God who created them for a relationship with Him?
DAY 3 REFLECTION WHAT IS MAN? Read Psalm 8:3-9. While watching over his sheep at night, David had many opportunities to ponder God’s splendor displayed in the heavens above him and to recognize humanity’s humble state before God. He praised God for granting people relationship with Him and appointing them as stewards over His world. As you journal below, consider: What aspects of creation lead you to worship God? What portions of His creation has God given into your care? How can you honor Him in that responsibility?
PAUSE TO PRAY Praise God for creating you for a relationship with Him. Thank Him for caring for you by providing for all your needs. Ask Him to help you serve as a good steward over His creation.
GOD NEEDS NOTHING (Acts 17:25-28)
By stating that God does not dwell in temples made by human hands, Paul pointed out the foolishness of thinking that the God who created the universe would need people to build a temple for Him. Likewise, because God Is self-sufficient, what could He possibly need to receive from humanity? Instead, God Himself gives life and breath and all things to all people, those who worship Him as well as those who do not know Him. Paul addressed the unity of humanity, another common Greek philosophy, by emphasizing that God brought forth all the nations on the earth from one man, Adam. For this reason, all people share a
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common bond because they are created by God and in the image of God. As their Creator, God knew when and where each nation, and even each person, would exist. Paul stressed that this God, who was unknown to the Greeks, wanted the people He had created to seek Him, to “grope for Him.” With this choice of words, Paul created the image of a person trapped in darkness struggling to find his way. With their altar for an unknown god, the Greeks philosophers and religious leaders had revealed their struggle to find God. Because the deities worshipped by the Greeks separated themselves from humans and did not allow humans to approach them, Paul emphasized that God wanted to be known and was never far away. Paul summarized this teaching by pointing out, “in Him we live and move and exist.” In fact, this God cares so much for the people He created that His followers are considered children of God.
THINK ABOUT IT Paul stood before the leading thinkers of Athens on the hill named for Ares, the Greek god of war, to proclaim that the Self-Existent, Self-Sufficient, One and Only God created every person in the world for a relationship with Him. This same God, unlike the deities the Greeks worshipped, encourages people to seek Him, promising they will find Him because He is never far away. In what unusual places has God created an opportunity for you to share Him with others? Did you, like Paul, speak with great boldness? If not, what did you learn from this study that will give you courage to share God when future opportunities arise?
DAY 4 REFLECTION WORTHY OF WORSHIP Read Revelation 4:9-11. In this vision, the apostle John saw God seated on His throne in heaven. Whenever the four living creatures gave glory, honor, and thanks to God, the twentyfour elders fell prostrate before Him in worship. As you journal below, consider: When you recognize God as the Creator and Sustainer of your life, how do you respond to Him? When you pause to worship God each day, how does that time of worship sustain you spiritually throughout the events of the day?
PAUSE TO PRAY Praise God as the Creator of all things. Thank Him for giving you life and everything you need for living. Pray for opportunities to share with others that God is worthy of all worship and praise. 13
“God Himself has no origin, but He is the originator of everything else. He is the uncaused Cause of everything.…As the uncaused one, God is absolutely self-sufficient in Himself and needs nothing from anyone.—A. W. Tozer, The Attributes of God, vol. 2. God’s self-sufficiency simply means that He needs nothing outside of Himself. For God to suffer a need of any kind would disqualify him from being God.”—A. W. Tozer, He Dwelt Among Us.
CONCLUSION
Even before the foundation of the world, God existed. As the first Being, the One who owes His existence to no other source, God is completely self-sufficient. By the power of His command, all things were created. Humanity has a unique place among creation, as only humans were created in the image of God and designed for a relationship with God. He knows each person intimately and has determined the time and place in which they will live. God has revealed Himself to humanity through His works of creation. Because God desires for all people to know Him, He promises to make Himself known to those who seek Him. This self-sufficient God requires nothing from people to maintain His existence; rather He is the source of all life and all things necessary to sustain life.
REVIEW
God Is the self-existent Creator of all things. He owes His existence to no other source nor does He require anything from another source to maintain His existence. God is the selfsufficient Lord of all creation. All things belong to Him and He has need of nothing.
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DAY 5 REFLECTION GOD SEES AND SAVES Read Psalm 33:6-9,18-22. God spoke and the world—the heavens, the waters, and the earth—was created. When we consider the works of His hands, we stand in awe of Him. In His lovingkindness, He keeps His eye on those who fear, rejoice, and trust in Him to save their souls from death. As you journal below, consider: What does it mean to fear the Lord? Describe the ways your heart rejoices in Him. How do you demonstrate to others your trust in Him?
PAUSE TO PRAY Write out your prayer expressing your fear (reverence and awe) of God. Ask God for the faith necessary to completely entrust your life to Him. Thank Him for saving your soul from death.
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