100 BIBLE LESSONS By Alban Douglas LESSON ONE INTRODUCTION

[Pages:307]100 BIBLE LESSONS By Alban Douglas

LESSON ONE

The Existence of God

INTRODUCTION To begin our study in Bible doctrine, we ought to begin with God. We are constantly challenged by atheists, sceptics and hecklers to prove that there is a God. It is difficult for natural man to believe in something that he cannot see, touch or feel (I Cor. 2 :14). . . The problem for the Christian is solved with the first verse of the Bible, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). The Bible is not a textbook that attempts to prove the existence of God-the Bible opens with a positive fact that God does exist. It did not occur to any other writer of the Bible to prove this fact. The Bible plainly states that it is the fool who denies the existence of God. Psa. 14 :1, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Anyone with any intelligence would acknowledge the evident fact of a living God. The greatest proof apart from Scripture of the existence of God is our daily fellowship with Him in prayer. I know that there is a God because I talked to Him today and He heard and answered the prayer of my heart though it was only whispered silently.

I. PROOF FROM SCRIPTURE Psa. 19 :1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork." The beauty and glory of the heavens speak loudly saying, "God exists." . Rom. 1 :20 goes farther and suggests that creation even teaches about the eternal power of the Godhead, "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." The man who accepts Scripture will readily acknowledge the existence of God. Let us study some other less convincing but nevertheless powerful arguments.

II. PROOF FROM CONSCIENCE Man is born with a universal belief in a supreme Being; no tribe has yet been discovered that lacks this. They know that some Being creates and controls. Rom. 2 :15, "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another." The existence of God is written in the human conscience. Acts 17 :23, "For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To the Unknown God." Conscience told them that there was a God though they did not know Him personally. Some atheists may claim that their conscience does not tell them about God. It is doubtful if a genuine atheist can be found for at best they are men who have stilled conscience by blatant unbelief. Some men are so blind that they may deny the existence of the sun in the sky but that does not alter the fact that the sun exists, rises and sets each day.

None are so blind as those who refuse to see. The honest man will find that the inner still small voice says that God exists and is alive today. Men deny the existence of God not because they cannot find Him but because they are afraid to face the responsibility of being accountable to Him after death. Atheism is one of the devil's tools to put men to sleep without accepting salvation. If there is no God then I am not responsible to anyone and I can live and die as I please. But in the quieter moments of reflection the conscience of every man whispers, "There is a God" and only fools deny it. To look up and see a plane and not see the pilot and say that the plane is pilotless is as ridiculous as looking into the heavens and saying that there is no God simply because we cannot see Him. Few of us have ever seen our brains, yet we believe that we possess them because of a centralized control system in the body. Because we see creation, we believe in God.

III. THE ARGUMENT FROM CAUSE (Cosmological) The world is here. It must have come from somewhere. Somebody or something must have caused it to come into being at one time or another. Here is a book. Someone must have written it. No printing press can of itself produce a book, be it ever so modern a press with the latest electrical gadgets. Someone built the building. Someone created the trees. Someone operates the universe. If all the pieces of a watch were placed in a can and the can shaken gently for a million years the watch would not be "accidentally" put together and running. The only sensible answer to the problem of the existence of the world is the existence of an intelligent Being whom we call God.

IV. THE ARGUMENT FROM DESIGN (Teleological) . A watch not only exists but it has a designer. It was planned for a specific purpose. A watch was not designed for mosquitoes to live in. It was designed by a keen mind for the purpose of accurately telling the time. An examination of the world and the things large and small shows that each is designed by an intelligent mind for a specific purpose in life. . The colours of the bird and means of defence of the animals are not accidents. They are the result of a plan of a superior planning mind of the originator.

V. THE MORAL ARGUMENT (Anthropological) Man has an intellectual and moral nature showing that the Creator must not be merely an inanimate force but a living, intelligent moral Being. Gen. 1:26, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Gen. 1:27, God created man in the image and likeness of God, that is, patterned after Him. Psa. 94:9, "He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see?" God has given to man ears, eyes, knowledge, intelligence, and will power for these are the things that He possesses. Conscience teaches man right and wrong, good and bad; for the Creator is a moral Being that is holy, and loves righteousness but abhors evil.

VI. THE LIFE ARGUMENT Life comes from life and the original life must have come from a Being possessing eternal life, that is, life that existed before physical life was created.

Where can such life be found? It can only be found in God who possesses eternal life. Psa. 36:9, "For with Thee is the fountain (source) of life." The apple tree gets its life from the parent tree, the lamb from the mother sheep. But where did they get life from? We go back to the original creation. Jesus said in John 11 :25, "I am... life," also in John 14 :6, "I am . . . life," and in John 10:28, "And I give unto them eternal life." All life proceeds from God. The theory of spontaneous generation has been proved false and completely unacceptable to authoritative science. Life must have a beginning. The only logical answer is that beginning was with God.

VII. THE ARGUMENT FROM CONGRUITY The theory of atheism solves no problems but only multiplies unsolved mysteries. The acceptance of the existence of God as Creator of the world is like a magic key that fits all the facts of Scripture, revelation, knowledge and science. This irrefutable doctrine is held tenaciously by multitudes of souls who are willing both to live and die in the consolation of this assurance.

CONCLUSION Atheism which is only giant doubt and unbelief can only lead to darkness and despair for the one accepting it. Acceptance of Gen. 1 :1, "In the beginning God," leads a sincere seeker into the path of a fuller revelation of God Himself. . Heb. 11 :6, "He that cometh to God must believe that He is [exists]." Let us come as children in simple faith, based on the revelation of God in Scripture and nature, believing and trusting Him completely.

REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Did God write the Bible as a textbook to prove His existence? Explain. 2. What is an atheist in the eyes of the Lord? 3. Give two Scriptures to prove the existence of God. 4. Why in Acts 17 :23 had the people of Athens built an altar to the unknown God? 5. What is the atheist's real purpose in denying the existence of God? 6. What is the argument from cause to prove the existence of God? 7. What is the argument from design to prove God's existence? 8. How do we know that God is not an inanimate force? 9. What is the life argument that proves God's existence? 10. What is a prerequisite for faith in God?

LESSONS ABOUT GOD THE FATHER LESSON TWO

The Person of God

INTRODUCTION The study of God has been the ambition of philosophers, etc., for millenniums. Some sit and meditate and try to think into the realm of the eternal Being. The only true knowledge about God can be gained from the Bible. John 1:18, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him." I John 4 :12, "No man hath seen God at any time." Ex. 33:20 (God speaking to Moses), "And He said, Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see Me, and live." Ex. 33 :23, "And I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts : but My face shall not be seen." Moses talked to God and saw a part of Him but did not see the Lord's face. Jesus who is God's Son came from heaven to reveal the Father God to us. Jesus speaking to Philip, John 14:7-11, says that Jesus is the revelation of God. Pagan wisdom says, "Man, know thyself," but Jesus says, "Man, learn of the Father." John 17:3 tells us that to know God and Christ His Son is to have eternal life, "And' this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent."

I. GOD'S PERSONALITY Personality is characterized by possessing knowledge, feeling and will power. An idol is devoid of personality for it neither knows, feels nor responds. Our God is an individual that is living and has definite characteristics. God is a Person. He is not an influence or unseen force or power like electricity. Jer. 10:10, "But the Lord is the true God, He is the living God." Acts 14:15, ". . . turn from these vanities unto the living God." I Thess. 1 :9, ". . . how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." II Chr. 16:9, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect. " The moving eyes denote life and personality unknown to idols or. false gods. Psa. 94:11, "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man," that is, He has knowledge.

II. GOD'S NATURE God is a Spirit. A spirit is a ghost - it has neither flesh, bones nor blood. Luke 24:39, "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself: handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have." John 4:24, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth." I Tim. 1:17, "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God." I Tim. 6 :16, speaking of God, ". . . who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see."

III. GOD'S UNITY The Lord our God is one God in contrast to the plurality of pagan gods. Deut. 6 :4, "Hear, 0 Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord." Isa. 44:6, "Thus saith the Lord the king of Israel, and His Redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God."

Isa. 45:21, ". . . and there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me."

IV. GOD'S NATURAL ATTRIBUTES An attribute is a quality, property or unique characteristic of something. We reason that to be God, He must possess certain basic qualities. These include the following:

1. He is eternal. To be the true God He must have neither beginning nor ending. An idol is disqualified for it was made by someone, thus it had a beginning. Psa. 90:2, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God." I Tim. 1:17, "Now unto the King eternal, immortal" cf. Psa. 102 :24,27; Isa. 57 :15. Gen. 1:1, "In the beginning God. . ." God has always existed.

2. He is unchangeable. God is so constituted that He cannot change. I Sam. 15 :29, "And, also the Strength of lane I will not lie nor repent: for He is not a man, that He should repent. " Mal. 3 :6, "For I am the Lord, I change not. ,> Jas. 1 :17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom Is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. " .

3. He possesses all power (omnipotent). To lack this He could not be God. Gen. 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."- creative power. Gen. 1 :3, "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." Power by speaking. Man makes things out of existing materials. God creates out of non-existent materials, objects that are good and perfect. Gen. 1 :4, "It was good? Job 42:2, "I know that Thou canst do every thing." Job speaking to God. Psa. 33:9, "For He spake and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast?. Jer. 32:27, "Behold I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?" Certainly not, for He can do anything or everything.

4. He is present everywhere at one and the same time (omnipresent), I Kings 8 :27. Psa. 139:7-9, "Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me." Jer. 23 :23, "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off?" Eph. 1 :23, "Which is His body, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all."

5. He has all knowledge (Omniscient). Nothing is hidden from the Lord. I Chr. 28 :9, ". . . know thou the God of thy father. . . for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts." II Chr. 16:9, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect." Psa. 94:11, "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man." Dan. 2 :20, "Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are His." Job 42 :2, "No thought can be withholden from Thee." Isa. 40:28, "There is no searching of His understanding."

V. GOD'S MORAL ATTRIBUTES 1. God is holy - Ex. 15:11; I Sam. 2:2; Isa. 6:3; I Pet. 1:16. 2. God is righteous - Psa. 116:5; Ezra 9:15; Psa. 145:17; Jer. 12:1. 3. God is merciful - Psa. 103 :81 Deut. 4 :31; Psa. 86 :15; Rom. 9 :18. 4. God is love - I John 4:8-16; John 3:16; I John 3:16; John 16:27. 5. God is faithful- I Cor. 1:9; II Tim. 2:13; Deut. 7:9; Deut. 32:4. Also God is Glorious-Ex. 15:11; Psa. 145:5. Gracious - Ex. 34:6; Psa. 116:5. Longsuffering- Num. 14:18; Micah 7:18. Jealous - Josh. 24:19; Nahum 1:2. Compassionate- I Kings 8:23. Great- II Chr. 2:5; Psa. 86:10. Unsearchable - Job 11:7; Psa. 145:3. Invisible - Job 23:8,9; I Tim. 1:17. Good- Psa. 25:8; Psa. 119:68. Upright- Psa. 25:8; Psa. 92:15. Immutable-- Psa. 102:26,27; Jas. 1:17. Light - Isa.60:19; I John 1.:5. True - Jer. 10 :10. Perfect - Matt. 5 :48. Incorruptible- Rom. 1:23. Immortal- I Tim. 1:17; 6:16. Consuming fire - Heb. 12 :29. None like Him-Ex. 9 :14; Deut. 33 :26.

CONCLUSION Love Him. Worship Him. Serve Him. Obey Him. Fear Him.

REVIEW QUESTIONS 11. Where can reliable information be obtained about God? 12. What do we mean when we say that God has a personality.? 13. What is the nature of God? 14. Is God a plurality or a single unit? Give one Scripture. 15, What is meant by the word 'attribute'? 16. List five natural attributes of God. 17. Give one Scripture to prove that God is eternal. 18. Why do we believe that God is all-powerful? 19. How can God be present at all places at the same time? 20. Prove that God knows everything.

LESSONS ABOUT GOD THE FATHER

LESSON THREE

God is a Balanced Being

INTRODUCTION God is holy, loving, merciful, faithful, yet just and righteous. Many people today have a lopsided view of God. Some overemphasize His love and forget that He is just and holy at the same time. The love of God allows Him to forgive sin and show mercy to a repentant sinner. The holiness and justice of God demand that sin must be punished to the full extent of the law. Rom. 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death." Ex. 18:20. If God were a mere human being He would be completely frustrated with incompatible emotions and desires with the two sides in constant conflict. However God is not a man and these two opposing emotions work together in perfect harmony for the one becomes a balance for the other. To argue that hell is impossible, for a loving merciful God could not send a helpless human being there forever and ever, is an unbalanced view of God. To understand the horrors of hell and the blackout at Calvary meditate much on the holiness and severity of God's wrath against sin (II Cor. 5:11). The holiness of God demands that we be holy. The law of God pronounces eternal damnation on the guilty sinner in accordance with the justice of God. One of the greatest marvels of our age is that God found a way of salvation that satisfied both the holiness of God and the love of God. This solution also satisfied the law, yet left man a creature with a free will who could choose salvation or damnation, heaven or hell.

I. GOD IS HOLY We cannot imagine a God who could be anything but perfect holiness. To be holy means to be free from all defilement, to be pure. God is absolutely pure. Hab. 1:13, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity?. God turned from His own Son dying on Calvary. Ex. 15:11, "Who is like unto Thee, 0 Lord. . . glorious in holiness." I Sam. 2:2, "There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside Thee." Isa. 6:3, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts." I Pet. 1:15,16, "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy." The holiness of God separated Him from fallen man. Eph. 2:13, "But now in Christ " Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." The only way that man can approach this holy God is through the blood of Christ. God is holy. God hates sin. His holy wrath must punish sin. This is the explanation of Isa 53 :6, when the Father forsook and punished His Son on Calvary. God's love to sinners will never be appreciated until seen in the light of His blazing wrath against sin. The holiness of God demanded punishment for sin. This demand was voluntarily assumed by the Saviour on the cross and completely satisfied the Father.

II. GOD IS LOVE I John 4 :8, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

This is not only a verb saying that God loves but a noun for God is love. If God lives in my heart by conversion then I must love for I'm indwelt by LOVE. I John 4:7, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." What is love? Love is a desire for and delight in the welfare of the one on whom the love is bestowed. True love even loves sinners and enemies (Matt. 5:44,45). The love of God is manifested toward the Son and all believers in particular. Jn 16:27, "For the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God." God loves the world (John 3:16), which caused Him to think of a plan of salvation to give men the opportunity to escape wrath and damnation. God as a loving Father manifests His love to the Christian by chastening (Heb. 12:6).

III. GOD IS FAITHFUL Cor. 1 :9, "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship." Deut. 7:9, "Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God." What does the word faithful mean? It means someone who can be safely trusted, who is reliable and dependable. God is faithful for He is honest and never changes. How great is God's faithfulness? It reaches to the skies. Psa. 36:5, "Thy mercy, 0 Lord, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds." Ul of God's work is done in faithfulness. Psa. 33 :4, "For the Word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth." God's faithfulness is manifested in keeping His promises and fulfilling every Word that He has spoken; God is unchangeable for He neither lies nor repents. God will keep every promise to protect, assist and guide His child in need. I Tim. 2:13, "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself." I Cor. 10:13, "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it?.

IV. GOD IS MERCIFUL Psa. 103:8, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." Deut. 4 :31, "For the Lord thy God is a merciful God; He will not forsake thee." instead of inflicting pain and death as punishment for sin the Lord is merciful and gives us many blessings - health, comforts and earthly joys to saved and lost. Matt. 5:45, "He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust". God is sovereign and can choose to whom He desires to show this mercy (Rom. 9:15,18). The mercy of God can be shown to the multitudes. Ex. 20:6, "And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments." How great is the mercy of God? Psa. 103:11,17, "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him." The Lord extends mercy to those who trust in Him. Psa. 32:10, "He that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about." When the repentant sinner comes to Jesus for forgiveness he claims not merit but throws himself upon the mercy of the Lord. Psa. 51:1, "Have mercy upon me, 0 God, according to Thy lovingkindness."

V. GOD IS JUST Deut. 32:4, ". . . a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He." Psa. 19:9, "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." Our God is just and righteous and will mete out just judgment to each individual.

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