Q4. What do you know about God?

Introduction

The definition of who God is has been a contention since the fall of man. In fact,
the biggest wars that have been fought in our time, has been in the name of
God. Religions differ from each other from the fact of who the creator is or the
name they give their god. So who is God? Is there one God, regardless of the
religion?

Who Does He Claim to Be?

He's been described as everything from an impersonal life-force to a
benevolent, personal, almighty Creator. He has been called by many names,
including: "Zeus," "Jupiter," "Brahma," "Allah," "Ra," "Odin," "Ashur," "Izanagi,"
"Viracocha," "Ahura Mazda," and "the Great Spirit" to name just a few. He's
seen by some as "Mother Nature" and by others as "Father God." But who is He
really? Who does He claim to be?

Who Is God - Father God or Mother Nature?

Who is God? What has He revealed about Himself? To begin with, whenever
He refers to Himself in parental terms, He always addresses Himself as
"Father," never "Mother." He calls Himself "a Father to Israel," (Jeremiah 31:9
NKJV) and in one instance, when His "children" were particularly disrespectful
to Him, He said to them, "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If
then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My
reverence?" 2 (Malachi 1:6 NIV) His prophets acknowledged Him as Father by
saying, "You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; And all of us
are the work of Your hand," (Isaiah 64:8 NKJV) and "do we not all have one
Father? Has not one God created us?" (Malachi 2:10 NASB) Never once does
God refer to Himself as "Mother" and never once is He called such by the
prophets to whom He spoke. Calling God "Mother Nature" is comparable to
calling your earthly father "Mom."

SCRIPTURE READING: Isaiah 46:9

1. In your own words, who is God?

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2. For us to know God, He has to reveal himself to us. How has God revealed
himself to you? (Roman 1:18,19; 1 Corinthians 1:21)

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3. Can we truly know and understand God? How? (Read these verses: 1
Corinthians 2:10-12; Jeremiah 9:23-24)
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4. Can you list some of the attributes that define God, with examples from your life
or from the Bible.
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5. Here are some of God’s attributes as seen in some chapters of the Bible.

Who is God... He is Knowable

God, who created the universe in all of its magnitude and creative details, is able to be
known, by us. He tells us about himself, but even goes beyond that. He welcomes us into a
relationship, so that we personally can get to know him. Not only can we know about him, we
can know him, intimately.

"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom

or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord,
who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight," declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23,24)

Who is God... He is Approachable.

God invites us to talk to him and engage him in what concerns us. We don't have to get our
act together first. Neither do we need to be polite, theologically correct or holy. It is his nature
to be loving and accepting when we go to him.

"The Lord is near to all who call on him,

to all who call on him in truth." (Psalms 145:18)

Who is God... He is Creative.

Everything we make is put together with existing materials or built on previous thoughts. God
has the capacity of speaking things into existence, not just galaxies and life forms, but

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solutions to today's problems. God is creative, for us. His power is something he wants us to
be aware of and to rely on.

"Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

his understanding has no limit." (Psalms 147:5)

"...where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalms 121:1,2)

Who is God... He is Forgiving.

We sin. We tend to do things our way instead of God's way. And he sees it and knows it.
God does not merely overlook such sin, but is prepared to judge and condemn people for
their sin. However, God is forgiving and will forgive us from the moment we begin a
relationship with him. Jesus, the Son of God, paid for our sin with his death on a cross. He
rose from the dead and offers us this forgiveness.

"We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And
we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done... We are
made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us."
(Romans 3:22,25)

Who is God... He is Honest.

Just like a person who lets you know their thoughts and feelings, God clearly tells us about
himself, the possible difference being, he is always honest. Everything he says about
himself, or about us, is reliable information. Truer than our feelings, thoughts, and
perception, God is totally accurate and honest in what he says. Every promise he makes to
us can be fully counted on, he means it. We can take him at his word.

"The unfolding of your words gives light;

it gives understanding to the simple.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path." (Psalms 119:130,105)

Who is God... He is Capable.

How would you like to be always 100% right, about everything? God is. His wisdom is
unlimited. He understands all the elements of a situation, including the history and future
events related to it. We do not have to update him, counsel him or persuade him to do the
right thing. He will, because he is capable and his motives are pure. If we trust him, he will
never make a mistake, never undercut us or deceive us. He can be fully trusted to do what is
right, in all circumstances, at all times.

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 "No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame..." (Psalms 25:3)

6. When you think about the tragedies that hit our world today, even in our
personal lives, the questions we usually ask is: “Where is God when we need
Him?” Where is He?
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7. Have you ever felt that God has let you down? What attributes did He not
manifest in your situation? (Relate your answers to the verses below)
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(Psalm 46:1; Nahum 1:7; Psalms 145:18-19;)

8. What are the ways we get to know God more?

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The “Not So Good Side” of God

9. In the Old Testament, God is known to have punished and avenged for
transgressions in terrible ways, which some scholars have concluded that God
does not love. How do you understand this side of God? Read these verses:
Joshua 24: 19-20; Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 6:15; Deuteronomy 32:21-22; Exodus
32: 9-10)

10. In all these instances, God has been “provoked” to punish and consume those
who do iniquities. He is not moved to anger as His first nature. It is what we do
that angers Him. Read the following chapter and ponder on who God is and
what He has in store for us as our Father. Deuteronomy 28: 1-30.

11. Considering the numerous laws set out in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy and the Books of the New Testament, do you think Christians can
fully obey God’s laws?

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More Attributes about God
 Dt. 4:24 God is a jealous god.
 2 Chr 2:5: God is greater than other gods.
 2 Chr 3:9: God is gracious and merciful.
 Job 36:5: God is mighty.
 Job 36:22 God is exalted.
 Ps 7:10: God is my shield.
 Ps 7:11: God is a righteous judge.
 Ps 46:1 God is my refuge and strength.
 Ps 47:7 God is the king of all the earth.
 Ps. 54:4 God is my helper
 Ps 68:19 God is our salvation.
 Ps 73:1 God is good to the upright.
 Ps 76:1 In Judah God is known.
 Ps 84:11 God is a sun and shield.
 Ps. 99:9 God is holy.
 Dan 9:14: God is right in all he has done.
 Nahum 1:2 God is jealous and avenging and wrathful.
 Jn 3:33 God is true.
 Jn 4:24 God is spirit.
 Rom 3:30 God is one.
 1 Cor 1:9; God is faithful
 1 Cor 11:3 God is the head of Christ
 Heb 12:29 God is a consuming fire.
 1 Jn 1:5 God is light.
 1 Jn 4:8 God is love.
 Dt. 4:31. God is a merciful God.