Archive for June, 2011

  • 10 Jun

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    GOD IS HOLY

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    “For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
    Leviticus 11:45

    No word more fully addresses the moral attributes of God than the word holy. The primary meaning of the word holy is separate. Because God is holy, He is distinct – far above and beyond all others in His character and nature. Holiness is the opposite of common or profane. To be holy is also to be morally pure. Holiness is the absence of sin. Everything about God is holy. His name is holy. His Word is holy. His tithe is holy. His church is holy.

    We live in a day of great compromise and moral weakness. Sacred things are treated as being profane. The reverence for God that was once common is hardly found. Worship has become man-centered rather than God-centered. The sacred music of the churches has been replaced with sounds of entertainment. The call for holiness has given way to, “Come as you are. Be as you wish.” God has not changed. He is still holy. To judge by the saddening trends of contemporary religion, one would gather that the God of the Bible has been given a complete makeover and has redesigned His nature for the current generation. Obviously, this is not true. The image portrayed by the modern generation of celebrity preachers is a false image and is not the holy God of the Bible.

    Not only does God exhibit holiness, He also requires holiness in His children. “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity” (Habakkuk 1:13). “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (Hebrews 12:14). “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8). Personal holiness begins with salvation. No one is holy apart from Jesus Christ. When one turns from his sin and trusts Christ completely as Savior, his sins are forgiven. At that moment, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the new believer; and God’s Word gives him the title of saint. Those who are saved are set apart to God as members of His forever family.

    Personal holiness should also continue in our lives as we grow in grace, meaning that we are to be set apart to God and set apart from sin. God calls His children to live holy lives. Holiness should be reflected both in the desires of the heart and in the decisions of the life. Because He is holy, it is our desire and destiny to be holy.

  • 09 Jun

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    GOD IS FAITHFUL

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    “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.”
    Deuteronomy 7:9

    Faithfulness is defined as “firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty.” Faithfulness is God’s attribute of utter dependability. He is always faithful. He will never let us down. He will never break a promise. He will never forget. The foundation of our faith is the faithfulness of God. God can always and absolutely be trusted. God’s faithfulness is a testimony to His steadfastness and stability, and our faith rests in His trustworthiness.

    The Lord is faithful in assuring us of our salvation. Our confidence and security in our faith is based on the unwavering promises of God. Titus 1:2 records, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” If God promises that all who trust in Christ as Savior are the recipients of eternal life, His Word can be trusted. He is faithful in providing victory for us. He is faithful in supplying our needs, forgiving our sins, and being our ever present companion. Even if we are unfaithful, God’s faithfulness remains. We may make promises we cannot keep or find ourselves unable to fulfill our best intentions, but God’s faithfulness is sure. He will faithfully enable us to perform all that He requires of us, promising, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (I Thessalonians 5:24).

    Our Lord is always and in every way faithful. As the great hymn writer stated it, “Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not; as Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.” God’s faithfulness should serve as an example and motivation for our own faithfulness. There is no question that dependability, trustworthiness, or faithfulness among men is in great shortage. “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?” (Proverbs 20:6). According to the Word of God, this is one of the primary attributes God is looking for in His children. It is required that His servants be found faithful. We will one day be judged and rewarded, in great part, for our personal faithfulness. May the constant faithfulness of our great God serve to strengthen our faith in Him and our personal steadfastness.

  • 08 Jun

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    GOD IS SOVEREIGN

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    “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?”
    Daniel 4:35

    Who is ultimately in control of our individual lives and destinies, as well as nations and international affairs? Does the future of the world depend only upon the military and governmental super powers? What about Satan? Does the devil have the ability to do as he pleases? The Bible is clear on this matter. God is sovereign, meaning that He is supreme in power, dominion, and authority. God is the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords. He exercises absolute authority over Satan and his kingdom. Before Satan could get to Job, he had to get God’s permission. God is sovereign, and He rules in the affairs of men and nations. Because God is sovereign, His Word is to be the final and absolute authority.

    For many people, the God they claim to know and love is a creation in their own minds. They have made and fashioned their own idea of what God should be like. Some want God to be there when they need help but are not interested in His dominion or Lordship. They say their God will one day take them to Heaven, but they do not think He is concerned with their selfish and immoral lives. That is a form of idolatry.

    God’s Word reveals the character and will of Almighty God. Our responsibility is not to debate and seek to change His sovereign will, but to take heed to it. Because He is sovereign, we are to obey His will. We must take His commands seriously. Also, we accept His will. God may permit things in our lives that we find difficult and seemingly unreasonable, but because God is sovereign, we know that His will is right and best for us. By faith, we submit to God’s perfect will.

    God’s sovereignty is a source of great assurance to His children. The fact that He is sovereign means that He is in control of all things, including those things which make their way into our lives. He permits every trial and measures its intensity, as well as its duration. Some resist God’s supremacy and authority like those in Jesus’ day who said, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14). We gladly and sincerely submit to His authority and will for our lives. The winds and the waves obey His command. Should we not do the same?

  • 07 Jun

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    GOD IS UNCHANGING

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    “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
    Malachi 3:6

    God is immutable. He will never change. He is sometimes referred to as, or compared to, a Rock. There is no variableness or fluctuation in His nature or in His character. People change and circumstances change, but God will not and cannot change. God may reverse an action toward men because of their response to Him, but His character will never change. Men may change their positions, opinions, priorities, or moods; but God is unchanging. This is a great comfort to those who love and trust in the Lord. Men may let us down or make promises they cannot or do not keep, but God is unchanging.

    God’s immutability provides tremendous security for His children. Our emotions may change from day to day. Our level of sincerity and commitment will surely vary from time to time. Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). These are perilous times. We see many changes in our culture, and most are not beneficial. Traditions change and values change, but there is a constant for every one of us. God never changes.

    The immutability of God has powerful and practical implications for each of us. In the matter of the Word of God, the unchanging nature of God dictates that His Word is always relevant and applicable. Man should quit tampering with the Word of God. It is forever “settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). The irreverence that men have toward the Scriptures reveals a failure to understand His unchanging nature. God’s commandments and standards do not change. He is not going to redefine His moral expectations. What they have been, they forever will be. We have witnessed the increasing acceptance of moral perversion as though wrong has now become right.

    God’s plan of salvation will never change. It is solely through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Repentant sinners are saved by grace through faith. That is the only plan of redemption God has. Men try to add good works such as baptism and church membership as requirements for salvation. Our unchanging God has an unchanging provision for our eternal forgiveness. God’s immutability also provides a pattern for our personal lives. His unchangeableness encourages us to be more consistent in our commitments and convictions.

  • 06 Jun

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    GOD IS ETERNAL

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    “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
    Psalm 90:1, 2

    God has always been and will always be. He was when nothing else was. Before there was an earth or sea or any living creature, there was God. He has no beginning. He is “from everlasting to everlasting.” Time has no affect on God. He causes time and controls time, but He is not subject to time. To God, a thousand years is as a day, and a day is as a thousand years. Because God is eternal, all of His attributes are eternal. His nature is without beginning or end. God always will be what He always has been. God could not be infinitely perfect, immutable or unchanging if He were not eternal. God could not be the Creator of all if He were not eternal. He is the cause of all things. Because God is eternal, past, present, and future are the same for Him.

    It is natural for man to think primarily in terms of time, rather than eternity. We are uncertain about what the future holds, but God knows tomorrow as well as He knows today or yesterday. God will never be surprised. We can trust Him completely with our tomorrows because He is eternal. The eternality of God brings into focus the brevity of mortal life. Compared to eternity, our earthly lives are too short to measure.

    There is much in the Bible that encourages us to think more in terms of eternity. When we begin to make decisions for eternity rather than time, we will be living more as we should live in this life. We must train our minds to think and live in light of eternity. For instance, Jesus tells us not to lay up for ourselves treasures upon earth, but to lay up treasures in Heaven.

    The eternity of God also helps us appreciate the providence that dictated that we would be living in this generation. Why are we here at this moment of time? Because God is eternal, He could have had us live in any generation of time. But in His wisdom, He destined us to be alive today.

    Because God is eternal, He is able to bestow upon His creation the great gift of eternal life. Because He has no end, His promises to us are eternal. His covenant of eternal life is founded on His eternal being. Because of His grace, we have assurance of an eternity in the glory of His eternal presence.

  • 05 Jun

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    GOD IS OMNISCIENT

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    “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.”
    Psalm 139:1, 2

    David understood that there was nothing about himself that God did not know. God knew when His servant sat down and when He rose up, and He knew every thought of his mind. Not only did God know David thoroughly, He knows every individual in the same way. He knows everything there is to know about everything, everyone, and every place. God has perfect and complete knowledge. God knows us better than we know ourselves. Nothing has ever occurred that God did not know about. As a matter of fact, He knew it would happen thousands of years before it ever happened, and it happened exactly as He knew it would happen.

    God is omniscient. Because of His omniscience, we can certainly trust God. We can have confidence that He knows what we do not know; He knows what is best, He is aware of everything in the future and knows how every decision of ours will affect us years from now. Jesus directed His disciples to sail across a lake. As they sailed, He went to sleep. Before reaching the other side, they found themselves in a frightful storm. Terrified, the disciples cried out to Jesus, “Master, we perish” (Luke 8:24). They forgot one simple fact. Their omniscient Savior knew they would go into a storm. If Jesus told them to go to the other side of the lake, then they could be assured they would not perish.

    We sometimes forget that God knows everything. He knows everything about the past, the present, and the future. He knows when every sparrow falls, and He knows how many hairs there are on our heads. Because of His omniscience, we certainly cannot fool Him. It is unwise to think that we can deceive the Lord. We might deceive ourselves and even fool others, but God is omniscient. In the New Testament, Jesus refused to commit Himself to certain men because the Bible says that He “needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man” (John 2:25). Jesus warned Peter that he would deny the Lord, but Peter refused to believe that it was possible. What Jesus said of Peter was true. He has infinite knowledge. We can believe and obey Him confidently, convinced that He knows all things perfectly.

  • 04 Jun

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    GOD IS OMNIPRESENT

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    “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?”
    Psalm 139:7

    There is no place you or I can go that God is not already there. Omnipresence means that He is present in all places at all times. He was with Paul and Silas in prison and in the fiery furnace with the three Hebrew servants. At the same time, He was comforting His troubled churches in the Book of Acts; He was confronting and converting Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. He is everywhere. He indwells every true saint of God, is seated in glory in Heaven, and fills the universe – all at the same time. He watches over some as they sleep while seeing others as they serve, and hearing others as they worship.

    God is omnipresent. We are always in His presence. For those who love Him and want to please Him, that is a most comforting reality. He is always near. He sees our needs, hears our cries, and knows our troubles. For those who are more interested in mischief and rebellion, the omnipresence of God can be a disturbing thought. We are never out of His presence. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” God’s omnipresence fosters a healthy fear of God. The Lord God sees every action, hears every word, and knows every thought. He is with us when we lay down to sleep, watches over us as we slumber, is there when we awake, and we never leave His care. No righteous deed goes unnoticed to His all seeing watch. I Peter 3:12 reminds us, “the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.”

    How foolish it is to try to run from God. We have heard the testimony of those who sought to escape from the presence of God. It is not possible. The prodigal son found God’s convicting presence in the hog pen, and Jonah found Him in the belly of the whale. Achan could not get by with his secret sin because there is One that sees all. How many times this has brought assurance and peace to our hearts! We are not alone.

    You may not feel His presence or see evidence that He is there, but be confident He is near. How absolutely wonderful God is! If you could travel to the farthest star in Heaven or the lowest part of the ocean, if you could go to the remotest part of the jungle, He would be there awaiting you. Give thanks and praise to our omnipresent God.

  • 03 Jun

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    GOD IS OMNIPOTENT

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    “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”
    Jeremiah 32:27

    Only God is omnipotent. The word omnipotent means “having unlimited power or complete authority.” God is all-powerful. There is nothing too difficult for God to do. The miracles of God testify to His omnipotence. He created the worlds with His Words. He fashioned man from the dust of the earth. He divided the Red Sea for His children to pass through on dry ground. He became a man without a human father, born of a virgin. He raised people from the dead and healed every manner of sickness. He lived a sinless life on this earth and then died as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the entire human race. Then, He rose from the dead three days later. He will one day take His children to Heaven with Him and will forever banish Satan to an eternity in the Lake of Fire. Only an omnipotent God could do these things. What a mighty God we serve!

    What about our problems? Let’s think about our needs for a moment. Can God help people get their emotions under control? Can God help us with our personal financial problems? How about that fractured relationship that needs to be made right? What about that matter in the past that we have never been able to forgive? Can God help us overcome that addiction or stubborn habit in our life? Is God able to help us become a better student, wife, or father? Can our sins, all of our sins, really be forgiven to be remembered against us no more?

    With God, all things are possible. People doubt the miracles of God because they do not understand or accept His omnipotence. When a person accepts the lie that his problems are too much for God to handle, he is failing to understand His omnipotence. The disciples had a similar difficulty in remembering God’s omnipotence and relating it to their needs. They witnessed when He fed tens of thousands with two fish and five loaves of bread, but were full of fear when they found themselves in a severe storm. They saw God raise many people from the dead but could not believe it when they were told that He was raised from the dead.

    We need to get this simple fact settled in our hearts. There is nothing too hard for God to do. God specializes in things thought impossible. We limit God through our lack of faith, but He is never limited by His lack of ability.

  • 02 Jun

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    GOD IS INFINITE

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    “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?”
    I Kings 8:27

    The word infinite means “without limits or bounds.” This is the God that we know and love; He is in every way immeasurable. In all of His attributes, God is limitless and endless. When you consider His love, mercy, holiness, wisdom, justice, wrath, knowledge, etc., the Lord is boundless. God is not restricted by time or space. He fills eternity from everlasting to everlasting.

    Sometimes people act and speak as if we could exhaust His mercy or love. I have heard people in their prayers apologize for bothering God with their burdens or needs as though He is limited in the number of prayers He is able to hear or understand. It is sometimes difficult for finite creatures to relate to God in His infinity. Annie Johnson Flint expressed the essence of His infinity in these words of the song, “He Giveth More Grace.” “He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength as our labors increase; To added afflictions He addeth His mercy, To multiplied trials He multiplies peace. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth and giveth again.”

    God be praised for His fathomless resources! The infinity of God means that He is not limited. He has all the grace that we need, and then some. His love cannot be exhausted. His mercy endures forever. His wisdom knows no end. His ability to answer our prayers and work in our lives is only limited by our faith and His will. We sometimes measure the probability of answered prayer by our imagination, and yet He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).

    Unbelievers struggle with God’s nature because they cannot comprehend the God Who has always existed, has never changed, and will be the same – millions of years from now – as He was before there was time. Skeptics question the Bible account of creation because they do not understand how God could create everything out of nothing in six literal days. Others wonder how Christ could take the sins of the whole world on His body on the cross at one time. They do not understand nor appreciate our God Who is infinite.

  • 01 Jun

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    GOD IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE

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    “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
    Isaiah 55:8, 9

    It will never be possible in this life for finite man to fully comprehend God Who is infinite. This is part of the great adventure of life – learning to know God Who is so wonderful that we will never know Him completely. One of the common mistakes of man is to think that God is like us in His attributes and character. Normally, we do not think like God, feel like God, or see things the way He does. We certainly do not always know what God is doing or why He is doing it. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We all have heard people question and blame God concerning certain events as though we know better than God. In reality, God is often doing things or allowing things for purposes that we do not fully comprehend. God is so mighty, so immense, and so perfect that we will never exhaust the need to continue in our lifelong pursuit of knowing Him.

    We are introduced to the Almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe at the time of salvation. The unconverted man cannot know Him nor understand His ways. The natural man cannot receive the things of God nor can he know them because they must be spiritually discerned. When we were without Christ, we did not have the capacity to know God. We could learn things about God, but we could not have a personal relationship with Him. When a person is born again, he is instantly indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God Who is with us to teach us and guide us into truth. The Spirit of God enables us to understand spiritual reality.

    As Christians, we are instructed to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). The more we read and learn about God in the Bible, the more we comprehend about His character and His ways. One reason that this should be a priority in our lives is because God wants us to become more like Him. Throughout our lives, we exchange our views and opinions for His truth, and our ways for His ways. Though we will never fully know Him in this life, our purpose is to increase in the knowledge of God and grow in our understanding of Him.

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