DATE: – SUNDAY 5TH JANUARY, 2020
TOPIC: – THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (Part 1)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Psalm 139:1-24
MEMORY VERSE: – “Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? Or wither shall I flea from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.
INTRODUCTION: – The existence of God needs no proving for the Bible clearly states that only the fool would thing (say) in his heart that God does not exist (Psalm 14:1). The Bible explicitly describes the numerous attributes and character traits of God. Many of these are uniques to Him only as God, while some others can be seen in human beings as a result of being created in God’s image.
LESSON OUTLINES
- God is Omnipresent: – God is present everywhere every moment. God is everywhere at the
same time, no matter where we god, God is present (Ps.139:7-12, Jer.23:23-24, Acts 17:27-28). This means that He sees and is aware of everything we think or speak or do at any time.
2. God is Omniscient: – This means God knows everything (Psalm 139:1-6; 147:5). He possesses complete and perfect knowledge of all and everything. He knows perfectly the manifest detail of all things. He knows not only our actions but also our thoughts (1Sam.16:7, 1Kgs 8:39, Ps.44:21, Jer.17:9-10). God’s knowledge is infinite. When the Bible speaks of God’s fore-knowledge (Isa.42:9, Acts 2:23, 1Pet.1:2), it means that He knows all possibilities in any situation; He knows precisely what could have happened and what will happen. He declares the end from the beginning. God is aware of everything that has taken place in the past and everything that will happen in the future. Nothing is hidden from Him. All the things God has destined and prophesied have either been fulfilled or will yet be to be fulfilled with absolute certainty (1Sam.23:10-13, Jer.23:10-13, Jer.38:17-20). This does not suggest what some scholars call “Philosophical determination” i.e. God causes everything to happen that He knows will happen, including our choices and actions. God has given us a free will to make our own decisions, which means that people are still responsible for their choices and the consequences of their choices. The fact that God knows everything does not mean that He is limited by His own free knowledge. He remains free to after His purposes in time and history, depending on what He wants to accomplish and what He knows is best (Num.14:11-20, 2Kings 20:1-7).
3. God is Omni Potent: – This means that God is all-powerful and has the highest authority over all things and all creatures (Ps.147:13-18, Jer.32:17, Mt.19:26, Lk.1:37). In practical terms, God has the ability to do anything; absolutely nothing is difficult for Him to do-no impossibility with God. This does not mean, however that God uses all of His power and authority at all times. For example, God has the power to destroy all sin (which require eliminating human imperfection), but He has chosen not to do so until the end of history (1Jh.5:19). This safeguards all of human way of destruction and reject what is right if they so desire. In many cases, God limits His power by working through His faithful people only as they pray and depend on Him (2Corint.12:7-10). In this respect, He exercises His power depending on each person’s degree of availability and submission to Him (Eph.3:20).
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
That God is Omnipresent should boost our confidence that He is always with us and such we need not fear anything or anyone (Isa.41:10, Matt:28:20, Heb.13:5-6).
And His Omniscience should create in us a godly fear and thereby we run from sin (1Thess.522).
While His Omnipotent should stir up our faith that He can do all things for us especially when we seek diligently to do His will at all times (Mark 9:23, Luke 1:37, Eph.3:2).
QUESTIONS
- What does the Omnipresence of God teaches you?
- What does the Omnipotent of God mean to you?
DATE: – SUNDAY 12TH JANUARY, 2020
TOPIC: – THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (Part 2)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Isaiah 40:22 – 31
MEMORY VERSE: – “It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants there of are as grasshoppers, that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in” (Isaiah 40:22).
INTRODUCTION: – God has no compassion. His attributes as God are very unique and cannot be found in any other. That is why He is called God and beside Him, there is no other (1Sam.2:2).
LESSON OUTLINES
1) God is Eternal: – This means, God has no beginning and He has no end (Ps.90:1-2, 102:12, Isa.57:15). There was never a time either in the past or in the future, when God did not and will not exist. That is why He describes Himself by the title “I AM” (Ex.3:14, John 8:58) expressing a continual, infinite and eternal existence.
2) God is unlimited: – This means that God is not bound by human time and space (Josh. 10:12-19, Ps.90:4, 2pet.3:8). God revealed Himself to Abram when He was Ninety Nine Years Old as the “Almighty God” (Heb. El-Shaddai) meaning that God is all sufficient or all breasted and nothing is impossible with Him (Gen.17:1). He is unlimited so He can fulfill His promises even when there seems to be no natural way to fulfill them. He is able to do whatsoever He says He will do. He can make a way, where there seems to be no way. God is unlimited in strength (Isa.40:28-30). He can never grow weak or weary, He neither slumbers nor sleeps (Ps.121:4-5).
God is unlimited in resources, He owns the whole heavens and the earth with all the fullness thereof (Ps.24:1, Haggai 2:8). That is why He could make a fish in the sea an ATM (Matt.17:24-27).
God is unlimited in Love (John 3:16), that is why He demonstrated His love both to saints and sinners alike (Rom.5:8). His love both to saints and sinners alike (Rom.5:8)
God is unlimited in Mercy (Ps.103:11, Lam.3:22-24, Matt.8:1-3, Rom.9:15).
God is unlimited in Grace (Rom.5:17Eph.2:5-9).
And God is unlimitedly generous (2Chr.1:6-12, 1Tim.1:14).
3) God is unchangeable – This means, there is no change in the attributes of God, in His perfection, or in His purpose for human kind (Num.23:19, Ps.102:26-28, Isa.41:4, Mal.3:6, Heb.1:11-12, Jas.1:17). This does not mean however, that God never alters His temporary purposes in response to people’s actions (Eze.3:18-21).
That is to say, God let us make choices and then works His perfect plans through and around those choices (Jonah 36-10). Also God is free to respond to people’s needs and prayers in the way and time He chooses. The Bible often speaks of God changing His mind or redirecting His plans as a result of godly continued prayers (Num.14:1-20), 2Kings 20:26, Isa.38:2-6, Lk.18:1-8).
In some cases, God states what will happen if people s not change what they are doing. If they respond positively, God will change His stated course of actions. At other times, God desires to do certain things a one point but waits for His faithful people to pray and make themselves available before He takes His desired course of action.
However, God’s word and His standard remain unchangeable through all the ages (Ps.119:89, 2Tim.2:19).
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
God is unlimited in wisdom, greatness, majesty, life and power (Isa.4012-30). This should inspire us, His people, to trust Him even more. He is the one who can help and rescue us in any situation; and His Kingdom will last forever.
QUESTIONS
- Describe the unlimitedness of God?
- Can God for any reason change His mind?
DATE: – SUNDAY 19TH JANUARY, 2020
TOPIC: – THE ATRIBUTES OF GOD (Part 3)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Job 36:2-13
MEMORY VERSE: – “Behold, God is great, and we know Him not neither can the number of His years be searched out.” (Job 36:26).
INTRODUCTION: – Our God is great and His greatness is unsearchable. He is incomparable to no one. A good knowledge of His attributes will help us to have unshakable confidence in Him and propel us to worship Him better as God.
LESSON OUTLINES
1) God is Transcendent: – This means that God is different and independent from His creation (Exd.24:9-18, Isa.6:1-3; 55:8:-9). The essence (i.e. core or basic make up) and nature of His being and existence are fir greater and higher than anything He has created (1Kngs.8:27; Isa.66:1-2; Acts 17:24-25). He himself was not created, He existed before the creation even before the beginning. He has been from eternity and remains to and through eternity (1Tim.6:16). Transcendence does not mean, however, that god is incapable of living among His people and interacting with them on a personal level (Lev.26:11-12; Eze.37:27; 43:7, 2corint.6:16).
2) God is Perfect and Holy: – God is pure and complete in character, totally without sin and absolutely right in everything He thinks and does (Lev.11:44-45, Ps.85:13, 145:17, Matt.5:48). It also means that He is separated from evil. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God – without sin (Gen.1:31); but because of their free will (which was part of God’s perfect creation, allowing people to choose whether to love and follow Him, they had the ability to sin. God however, cannot sin (Num.23:19; 2Tim.2:13; Tit.1:2; Heb.6:18). His Holiness also includes His complete dedication to carrying out His plans and purposes always for the highest good of humankind.
3) God Trivine: – This means that He is one God, a single Being (Deut.6:4; Isa.45:21; 1Corint.8:5-6, Eph.4:6; 1Tim.2:5); who has revealed Himself in three distinct (not separated) but interrelated and complete unified persons Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Mtt.3:17; 2Corint.13:14, 1Pt.1:2). Each person is fully divine and equal with the other two; yet they are not three Gods, but one (Matt.3:17). Another way of this concept has been described is “Three persons, one in essence.” We must be careful not to misinterpret this as if one God has simply revealed Himself in three “modes” or expressions at different times throughout history as if God the father of the Old Testament was the Jesus Christ in the New Testament and is the Holy Spirit . Through the centuries such false teaching has brought division in the Church. The correct teaching is that all the three persons of the Godhead exist uniquely at the same time (Mtt.3:16-17).This concept of one God in three distinct, interrelated and unified persons called Trinity (though has not parallel or equivalent in the human world) is absolutely scriptural and essential to a proper understanding of the complex and multi-faceted nature of God.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
All these unique attributes of God are only possess by the God head and no other persons or being has any of these not even the angels. This one God exists in three persons from eternity past and through eternity to come, perfect, unified, a complete love, an absolute knowledge and faultless interrelationship within and among the three persons of what is called the “Godhead”.
QUESTIONS
- What does the transcendence of God mean?
- Explain the trinity.
DATE: – SUNDAY 26TH JANUARY, 2020
TOPIC: – ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (Part 4)
BIBLE PASSAGE: – Nahum 1:1 – 9
MEMORY VERSE: – “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust Him.” (Nahum 1:7)
INTRODUCTION: – Having discussed the attributes that are unique to God only. It is important we also discuss His moral attributes, many of which are similar to human qualities. However, God possesses these traits on a higher degree that is unmatched in any human. For example, even though both God and man possess the ability to love, no human is capable of loving to the degree and depth that god does. We must also have in mind that our ability to exercise these traits is related to our being created in god’s own image (Gen.1:26-27). In other words, we are like Him; He is not like us.
LESSON OUTLINES
1) God is Good – (Ps.25:8; 106:1; Mk.10:18). All that god originally created was good because it was an extension of His own nature (Gen.4:10,12,18,25,31). He continues to be good to His creation by caring and providing for all His creatures (Ps.104:10-28; 145:9). He even provides for the ungodly (Mt.5:45; Acts 14:17). God is specially good to people who sincerely trust Him (Ps.145:18-20).
2) God is Love – (1Jh.4:8). God’s love is a completely selfless, sacrificial, practical and pure. His love embraces the entire world of sinful people (Jh.3:16, Rm.5:8). The greatest expression of that love was how He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so as to satisfy complete the penalty for our rebellion against God (Jh.4:9-10) and repair our broken relationship with Him. In addition, God has a special family type of love for those who personally accept Jesus’ sacrifice for themselves who are forgiven and restored to a right relationship with god. God takes special care of those who love Him and remain loyal to Him even while enduring trouble in this world. Our love for Jesus allows us to experience the Father’s affection for u (John 16:27, 33). Love responds to love.
3) God is Merciful and Gracious – (Ex.34:6, Deut.4:31; 2Chr.30:9; Ps.103:8; 145:8; Joel2:13). Grace could be described as God giving us the benefits of salvation that we do not deserve while the mercy of God can be defined as God saving us from the punishment our sin deserves. God does not reject or destroy humanity as our rebellion against Him deserves (Ps.103:10). Instead, He offers forgiveness as a free gift that we receive by faith in Christ Jesus (Ps.103:11-12, Rm.6:23; 1Corint.1:3-4; Eph.2:8-9, Tit.2:11; 3:4-5).
God shows mercy to those who truly honour and respect them for His power, judgment and intolerance of evil.
4) God is Compassionate: – (2Kgs.13:23; Ps.86:15; 111:4). To be compassionate means to feel sorrow for someone else’s sufferings, with a desire and an effort to help. True compassion requires action out of his compassion for humanity, God provided the only effective means of forgiveness and salvation ((Ps.78:38) through the life, death and resurrection of his dear Son, Jesus Christ. In the same way, Jesus showed compassion for the crowd when He delivered His good news to the poor, healed the broken hearted, proclaimed liberty for prisoners, gave sight to the blind and released people from their spiritual oppression (Lk.4:18; Mk.9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; Mk.1:41; 6:34).
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Jonah in his protest against God’s mercy and grace towards the Ninevites said “……for I know that Thou are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger and great kindness, and repentest thee of evil” (Jonah 4:2). These attributes of God are revealed throughout the Bible. Out of His love flow out His goodness, grace and mercy, and His compassion. For this reason God expects us to let these not to stop at us but we should allow them to freely flow to all others around us (Ps.133:2).
QUESTIONS
- Describe the Love of God.
What does it mean to be compassionate?