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Triune God

Week 6

October 6, 2013

● Attributes of God

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● What do we mean when we refer to God's “attributes”?

● “Something attributed as belonging to a person, thing, group, etc.; a quality, character, characteristic, or property: Sensitivity is one of his attributes.”

● The nature of his very being.

● Can we really understand or fully appreciate the nature of God's being?

● Isaiah 55:9● "Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts."

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● "Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,”

● Mymv shamayim shaw-mah’- yim

● From an unused root meaning to be lofty;● Heaven, heavens, sky● Visible heavens, sky

● as abode of the stars● as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere,

etc

● Hbg gabahh gaw-bah’

● To be high, be exalted.● As the visible universe is exalted from the earth,

So God's thoughts and ways are above ours.● How big of a distance is that?

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● The furthest part of the visible universe is approximately 12 billion light years away.

● How far is that?● Light travels at approximately 186,000 miles per

second.● 11,160,000 miles per minute.● 66,9600,000 miles per hour.● 16,070,400,000 miles per day.● 5,869,713,600,000 miles per year.

● So, 12 billion light years is:● 70,436,563,200,000,000,000,000 miles.● Seventy sixtillion, four hundred and thirty-six

quintillion, five hundred and sixty-three quadrillion, two hundred trillion miles.

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● So, the difference between God and us is somewhat analogous as the difference of a human and an achaea microbe, only greater.

● An aomeba is about 2000 times the size of an achaea microbe.

● Does the fact that we humans can not possibly fully comprehend God's nature, mean that we can know nothing about God's nature?

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● In Scripture, God tells us about some of the aspects of his nature, in ways that we can understand.

● Deuteronomy 6:4● “ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one

LORD:”● Elohyim and echad. Plurality in unity.

● John 17:11● “ I won’t be in the world much longer, but they

are in the world, and I’m coming back to you. Holy Father, keep them safe by the power of your name, the name that you gave me, so that their unity may be like ours.”

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● John 11:21-23● I pray that all of these people continue to have

unity in the way that you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they may be united with us so that the world will believe that you have sent me.

● I have given them the glory that you gave me. I did this so that they are united in the same way we are.

● I am in them, and you are in me. So they are completely united. In this way the world knows that you have sent me and that you have loved them in the same way you have loved me.

● The Greek word translated in these versus as united is i9ev which properly means one.

● Again we see reference to plurality in unity.

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● John 4:24● “God is a spirit. Those who worship him must

worship in spirit and truth."

● Romans 11:33-36● “ God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so

deep that it is impossible to explain his decisions or to understand his ways.”

● "Who knows how the Lord thinks? Who can become his adviser?"

● “Who gave the Lord something which the Lord must pay back?”

● “Everything is from him and by him and for him. Glory belongs to him forever! Amen!”

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● Wisdom, and knowledge● Wisdom sofia● Knowledge gnosiv

● Anecereunhtov Unsearchable. From an old word meaning to thoroughly investigate.

● 1 Peter 3:22● “Christ has gone to heaven where he has the

highest position that God gives. Angels, rulers, and powers have been placed under his authority.”

● Made subject u9potassw A Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden".

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● Psalm 145:3● “The LORD is great, and he should be highly

praised. His gr eatness is unsearchable.”● Great lwdg gadowl gaw-dole’ great or greatness

● Greatness hlwdg gᵉduwlah ghed-oo-law’

related to gadowl.

● Revelation 1:17-18● “When I saw him, I fell down at his feet like a

dead man. Then he laid his right hand on me and said, "Don’t be afraid! I am the first and the last, the living one. I was dead, but now I am alive forever. I have the keys of death and hell.

● First and last e0gw/ ei0mi/ o9 prwtov kai esxatov

● The living one kai o9 zwn

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● Psalm 90:2● “Before the mountains were born, before you

gave birth to the earth and the world, you were God. You are God from everlasting to everlasting.”

● Everlasting mlw[ ‘owlam o-lawm’

● Continuous existence, perpetual● Everlasting, indefinite or unending future,

eternity

● Ephesians 1:21● “He is far above all rulers, authorities, powers,

lords, and all other names that can be named, not only in this present world but also in the world to come.”

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● Jeremiah 23:24● "No one can hide so that I can’t see him,"

declares the LORD. "I fill heaven and earth!" declares the LORD.”

● Psalm 139:7-8● “Where can I go to get away from your Spirit?

Where can I run to get away from you?● If I go up to heaven, you are there. If I make my

bed in hell, you are there.”

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● Deuteronomy 32:3-4● “I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Give our

God the greatness he deserves!● He is a rock. What he does is perfect. All his

ways are fair. He is a faithful God, who does no wrong. He is honorable and reliable.”

● 1 John 4:5● “The person who doesn’t love doesn’t know

God, because God is love.”

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● Malachi 3:6● “I, the LORD, never change. That is why you

descendants of Jacob haven’t been destroyed yet.”

● Hebrews 13:8● “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and

forever.”● Robertson Word Pictures

● “Forever” (eis tous aiōnas) is eternity as well as the Greek can say it. Jesus Christ is eternally “the same” (Heb_1:12) and the revelation of God in him (Heb_1:1.) is final and never to be superseded or supplemented (Moffatt).

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● John 17:17● "Use the truth to make them holy. Your words

are truth.”

● John 14:6● “Jesus answered him, "I am the way, the truth,

and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me.”

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● Hebrews 10:31● “Falling into the hands of the living God is a

terrifying thing.”

● Hebrews 4:13● “No creature can hide from God. Everything is

uncovered and exposed for him to see. We must answer to him.”

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● Luke 12:5-6● “Aren’t five sparrows sold for two cents? God

doesn’t forget any of them.● Even every hair on your head has been

counted. Don’t be afraid! You are worth more than many sparrows.”

● Hebrews 8:12● “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And their

sins will I remember no more.”

● I9lewv propitious, merciful.

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● Hebrews 10:17● Then he adds, "I will no longer hold their sins

and their disobedience against them."

● Leviticus 11:44-45● "Here is the reason: I am the LORD your God.

You must live holy lives. Be holy because I am holy. Never become unclean by touching anything that swarms or crawls on the ground.

● Here is the reason again: I am the LORD. I brought you out of Egypt to be your God. Be holy because I am holy.”

● Holy Hebrew vwdq ka-dowsh

● Pure or clean, seperate from impurity.

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● 1 Peter 1:16● “ Scripture says, "Be holy, because I am holy."● A9giov pure, holy.