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The following is a short lecture on the definition of God based upon the 4th Q+A of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. If you would like to listen to this video lecture (about 9 minutes), then visit this link:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 2954&hl=en
Calvinism: What is God?
By
Monty L. Collier
Geneva
Dutch Calvinist Church
Kingsport, Tennessee
Welcome to the Westminster Shorter Catechism My name is Monty Collier, and I am the teaching elder of Geneva Dutch Calvinist Church, Kingsport, Tennessee.
In this lecture we will briefly examine Calvinism’s definition of God. We find this in Question and Answer 4 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Let’s get started.
Question 4. What is God?
Answer: God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
God is a spirit, so he does not have a body like humans and animals. The Lord does not have a physical essence. Since Jehovah does not have a body, we are unable to detect Him with our senses. Nevertheless, God can make Himself known to us by the Word of His power whenever He pleases. The Bible records various manifestations of God to man, which we call theophanies. Angels are spirits also, but they are not like God. People are also spirits who dwell in a body, but they too are not like Jehovah, for God’s spiritual essence is infinitely greater than that of angels and humans. The Bible says, “God is a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth†John 4:24.
God is infinite. There is nothing in creation that can limit Jehovah. Nothing in creation can contain God, for He is omnipresent. Nothing can limit God’s knowledge or power, for He is the supreme sovereign God. The Bible says, “Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built†1 Kings 8:27.
God is eternal. There was never a time when Jehovah did not exist. He is uncreated. The Lord is the necessary, and not a contingent being. He is the living God, dependent upon nothing. The Bible quotes God saying, “I am that I am†Exodus 3:14.
God is unchangeable. God cannot be changed by His creation, just as He can not be limited by it. The created things of the universe are not capable of changing the will or intentions of Jehovah. Indeed, the omniscience and omnipotence of God imply the immutability of God. Another fact that can be inferred from the immutability of God is that the Lord is impassible. That is, God almighty does not possess the subjective and ever changing emotions of human beings, for the Lord is immutable. The Bible says, “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed†MalachI 3:6. Also we read, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning†James 1:17.
God is wise. The wisdom of God not only refers to His omniscience, but it also points to the way God thinks. The great Calvinist theologian Gordon H. Clark correctly stated that logic is the way God thinks. In other words, Jehovah thinks logically. The Lord does not contradict Himself, and, as a result, the inspired infallible Scriptures do not and can not err. The Bible does not contain any logical contradictions within it. Let us note here that the opposite of logical consistency is confusion., and the Bible clearly states in 1st Corinthians 14:33 that, “God is not the author of confusion.†Christ, who is God, uses logic to refute his opponents throughout the Gospel narratives. Jesus’ disputes with the Pharisees demonstrate this nicely.
The Apostle Paul also made use of logic in his New Testament writings as well. For example, Paul uses logic to refute the argument of a false teacher in the Book of Titus. Paul assumes the general premise of the false teachers argument, then Paul adds the false teacher’s particular premise to it, and then Paul simply follows those premises to their logical conclusion, which is absurdity. The Bible says, “One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are always liars…this witness is true†Titus 1:12 and 13. Again, Paul has assumed the Cretian prophet’s general premise, “all Cretians are always liars,†and has concluded from that premise that the Cretian prophet who spoke it was indeed a liar and cannot be trusted or believed. This is just one example in Scripture of how the Holy Spirit uses logic through the Apostles.
God is almighty. The God of the Bible is omnipotent. He is all powerful, and there is nothing too hard for the Lord. Jehovah is able to know everything, which implies His omnipotence. Jehovah always accomplishes whatsoever He desires. The Bible says, “But He is in one mind, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, even that he doeth†Job 23:13. Only one who is omnipotent can always accomplish His desires. Humans can wish for many things and fall short of their goals, but not with God. The Bible says, “Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He, in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and in all the deep places†Pslam 135:6.
God is holy. The Lord, and only the Lord, is worthy of our complete worship and adoration. Jehovah is deserving of our continuous worship. The God of the Bible is perfect goodness and His word is the standard for all goodness. The Bible gives us a wonderful example of the holiness of God in the Book of Revelation. We read there, “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth forever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou has created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created†Revelation 4:8-11.
God is just. The Lord is fair and just when He judges the world and us. Jehovah will have His law kept perfectly, and those who do not keep God’s law must be punished, or one must be punished in their place. Those that are condemned to eternal punishment are justly damned, for they have sinned against God’s Holy Law. Those that are saved by grace are not simply pardoned, but those that believe the Gospel have their sins imputed to Christ their substitute. Christ, having the sins of the elect reckoned to Him, expiates their sins and propitiates the wrath of God for the elect. Christ fully satisfies God’s law for us. The righteousness of Christ is reckoned to the elect, and the elect are given title to eternal life. Therefore, those saved by grace are justly saved. Again, the law of God is perfectly satisfied in Christ our substitute. The Bible says, “ Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us†Romans 8:33-34.
Finally, the Lord is truth. The Bible is that part of the mind of God revealed to men in written form. It is the sole source of truth for us. The Bible says, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth†John 17:17. Not only is Scripture called truth, but so is Jesus. We read, “Jesus saith unto Him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me†John 14:6.
This has been a definition and brief introduction to the attributes of God. I hope that this will encourage you to study deeper into the source of all truth, that is, the Bible alone.
Sola Fide
Red Beetle
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 2954&hl=en
Calvinism: What is God?
By
Monty L. Collier
Geneva
Dutch Calvinist Church
Kingsport, Tennessee
Welcome to the Westminster Shorter Catechism My name is Monty Collier, and I am the teaching elder of Geneva Dutch Calvinist Church, Kingsport, Tennessee.
In this lecture we will briefly examine Calvinism’s definition of God. We find this in Question and Answer 4 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Let’s get started.
Question 4. What is God?
Answer: God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
God is a spirit, so he does not have a body like humans and animals. The Lord does not have a physical essence. Since Jehovah does not have a body, we are unable to detect Him with our senses. Nevertheless, God can make Himself known to us by the Word of His power whenever He pleases. The Bible records various manifestations of God to man, which we call theophanies. Angels are spirits also, but they are not like God. People are also spirits who dwell in a body, but they too are not like Jehovah, for God’s spiritual essence is infinitely greater than that of angels and humans. The Bible says, “God is a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth†John 4:24.
God is infinite. There is nothing in creation that can limit Jehovah. Nothing in creation can contain God, for He is omnipresent. Nothing can limit God’s knowledge or power, for He is the supreme sovereign God. The Bible says, “Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have built†1 Kings 8:27.
God is eternal. There was never a time when Jehovah did not exist. He is uncreated. The Lord is the necessary, and not a contingent being. He is the living God, dependent upon nothing. The Bible quotes God saying, “I am that I am†Exodus 3:14.
God is unchangeable. God cannot be changed by His creation, just as He can not be limited by it. The created things of the universe are not capable of changing the will or intentions of Jehovah. Indeed, the omniscience and omnipotence of God imply the immutability of God. Another fact that can be inferred from the immutability of God is that the Lord is impassible. That is, God almighty does not possess the subjective and ever changing emotions of human beings, for the Lord is immutable. The Bible says, “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed†MalachI 3:6. Also we read, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning†James 1:17.
God is wise. The wisdom of God not only refers to His omniscience, but it also points to the way God thinks. The great Calvinist theologian Gordon H. Clark correctly stated that logic is the way God thinks. In other words, Jehovah thinks logically. The Lord does not contradict Himself, and, as a result, the inspired infallible Scriptures do not and can not err. The Bible does not contain any logical contradictions within it. Let us note here that the opposite of logical consistency is confusion., and the Bible clearly states in 1st Corinthians 14:33 that, “God is not the author of confusion.†Christ, who is God, uses logic to refute his opponents throughout the Gospel narratives. Jesus’ disputes with the Pharisees demonstrate this nicely.
The Apostle Paul also made use of logic in his New Testament writings as well. For example, Paul uses logic to refute the argument of a false teacher in the Book of Titus. Paul assumes the general premise of the false teachers argument, then Paul adds the false teacher’s particular premise to it, and then Paul simply follows those premises to their logical conclusion, which is absurdity. The Bible says, “One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are always liars…this witness is true†Titus 1:12 and 13. Again, Paul has assumed the Cretian prophet’s general premise, “all Cretians are always liars,†and has concluded from that premise that the Cretian prophet who spoke it was indeed a liar and cannot be trusted or believed. This is just one example in Scripture of how the Holy Spirit uses logic through the Apostles.
God is almighty. The God of the Bible is omnipotent. He is all powerful, and there is nothing too hard for the Lord. Jehovah is able to know everything, which implies His omnipotence. Jehovah always accomplishes whatsoever He desires. The Bible says, “But He is in one mind, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, even that he doeth†Job 23:13. Only one who is omnipotent can always accomplish His desires. Humans can wish for many things and fall short of their goals, but not with God. The Bible says, “Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He, in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and in all the deep places†Pslam 135:6.
God is holy. The Lord, and only the Lord, is worthy of our complete worship and adoration. Jehovah is deserving of our continuous worship. The God of the Bible is perfect goodness and His word is the standard for all goodness. The Bible gives us a wonderful example of the holiness of God in the Book of Revelation. We read there, “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth forever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou has created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created†Revelation 4:8-11.
God is just. The Lord is fair and just when He judges the world and us. Jehovah will have His law kept perfectly, and those who do not keep God’s law must be punished, or one must be punished in their place. Those that are condemned to eternal punishment are justly damned, for they have sinned against God’s Holy Law. Those that are saved by grace are not simply pardoned, but those that believe the Gospel have their sins imputed to Christ their substitute. Christ, having the sins of the elect reckoned to Him, expiates their sins and propitiates the wrath of God for the elect. Christ fully satisfies God’s law for us. The righteousness of Christ is reckoned to the elect, and the elect are given title to eternal life. Therefore, those saved by grace are justly saved. Again, the law of God is perfectly satisfied in Christ our substitute. The Bible says, “ Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us†Romans 8:33-34.
Finally, the Lord is truth. The Bible is that part of the mind of God revealed to men in written form. It is the sole source of truth for us. The Bible says, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth†John 17:17. Not only is Scripture called truth, but so is Jesus. We read, “Jesus saith unto Him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me†John 14:6.
This has been a definition and brief introduction to the attributes of God. I hope that this will encourage you to study deeper into the source of all truth, that is, the Bible alone.
Sola Fide
Red Beetle