The Doctrine of God

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The Doctrine of God

• Survey of Christian Doctrine

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Current Challenges

• Eastern Religions (Hinduism Buddhism)gtPantheism,
  Non-Personal God
• New Age Movementgt Pantheism, Panentheism,
  Non-Personal God
• IslamgtNon-Trinitarian,
• MormonismgtNon-Trinitarian, Polytheism
  Materialism
• Jehovahs WitnessesgtNon-Trinitarian

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What is God Like?

• I. God is Transcendent (Jer 2324 Isa 6 1 55
  8f)
• A. God transcends Creation.
• B. An example of the transcendence of God is the
  act of Creation from outside it.
• II. God is Immanent (Isa 63).
•   A. God is present and active within His
  Creation.
•   B. An example of the immanence of God is the
  incarnation of God in Christ.
•  
•  

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The Bible is BOTH AND

• The Islamic view is more transcendent than the
  Biblical view
• The Hindu view is more pantheistic than the
  Bible
• God is not EITHER Transcendent OR Immanent, BUT
  God is BOTH Transcendent AND Immanent

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The Natural Attributes of God

• A. Spirit (Jn 424 Jn 118 1 Tim 117 615f)
• B. Alive (Brute Existence) (Ex 314 Heb 116).
• C. Personal (Ex 314 Gen 3) (God knows, feels,
  wills, acts).
• D. Constant (Immutable, Unchanging) (Ps 102
  26-27 Mal 36).
• E. Infinite (Unlimited).

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Infinite means

• 1. God is NOT limited by Space (Omnipresent) (Ps
  139 7-12).
• 2. God is NOT limited by Time (Eternal) (Ps
  901-2 Jude 25).
• 3. God is NOT limited in Knowledge (Omniscient)
  (Ps 1475).
• 4. God is NOT limited in Power (Omnipotent) (Gen
  171 Mat 1926).

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The moral attributes of God 1

• HOLY
• Morally Pure.
• Righteous
• Just (fair in the administration of His law).
• Integral (He has integrity, is truthful).
• Genuine (is true, real, not fabricated, not an
  illusion).
• Veracious (tells the truth).
• Faithful

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The moral attributes of God 2

• LOVE
• Benevolent (cares for and provides for those He
  loves).
• Gracious (deals with man on the basis of His
  love, not mans merit or worth).
• Merciful (tenderhearted toward needy).
• Persistent (patient to withhold judgment while
  continuing to offer salvation).

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Truth in both extremes

• Gods Love and Moral Purity are NOT in conflict.
  The atonement of Christ is Gods great act of
  Love that also satisfies His Moral Purity.
• (And neither Gods Power or Benevolence are
  compromised by the existence of Evil.)

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God is Trinity

• 1. The Father is God (1 Cor 84, 6 1 Tim 25f)
• 2. The Son is God (Jn 1 Heb 1 Col 1 Phil 2)
• 3. The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5 Jn 14-16 )
• 4. God is ONE (Ex 202-3 Deut 64 Jas 219)
• 5. The Bible is True and Truth Does not
  Contradict Itself.
•  6. The Tri-Unity is a Unique Mystery with NO
  Exact Analogy.

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The Doctrine is NOT

1. Three Gods with one Purpose only (Mormons).
2. One God known by three titles Father, Son, H.S.,
   (Like one man known as Father, Son and Brother).
3. One whole God that can be divided into three
   absolutely distinct parts (Like an Egg or a Pie).
4. One God in three Modes, (like water in three
   states of matter liquid, solid, gas).
5. Expressed well by Formula 1 x 1 x 1 1.
6. Expressed well by the Formula 31.

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Trinity is best expressed

• by the Formula 3 1, (God is Three Personal
  Consciousnesses AND One God).
• 1. God is Three with reference to Personal
  Consciousness a. The Eternal Personal
  Consciousness of the Father. b. The Eternal
  Personal Consciousness of the Son. c. The Eternal
  Personal Consciousness of the Holy Spirit.
• 2. God is One with reference to Essence (Being
  or Nature).

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Think about it

• Most Christians live as practical unitarians.
• The doctrine of the Trinity is not Biblical and
  so is irrelevant.
• What do you think?