Who is God?

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God, as Maker and Sustainer of all, has the divine right of absolute definition giver. God has the absolute right to say what everything or anything is, ought to be, and is for.

Notes
Transcript
Opening:
Good-afternoon! I am so glad you have come to join us at this young adult retreat. For those of you unfamiliar with me, my name is Jonathan Hansen. I am the pastor and planter of the Connection Church in Lead. I am honored to be able to come and speak to you over this weekend. I pray God will speak through me and impact your lives for His glory over this weekend.

Introduction of the Topic of Identity:

When Dylan and I began talking about me speaking to you, I was curious about the topic. What is it that I should talk to you about? What do you need to hear in our day and age? Well, as we narrowed it down, we landed on the concept of Identity. We live in a day and age obsessed with the concept of identity.
We Live in a Day Obsessed With the Concept of Identity.
You cannot go even an hour anymore without being bombarded with articles, news broadcasts, college lectures, Facebook posts, tweets, tiktoks, or any other kind of communication regarding identity. Specifically regarding sexuality and gender identity. We live in an unprecedented time of sexual and gender insanity. This is why I am titling my talks over this weekend, “Identifying Your Identity in an Unidentifiable Age of Identity Politics.” A mouthful, I know. However, I think this is what we need. We need to know how to identify our own identity in the midst of this age of darkness.
We naturally have questions. The gender confused age we live in seems to have sprung out of no-where. But I believe there are answers to our questions. I believe we can navigate the troubled waters of our day. But to do so we must understand what is happening, and we must understand the core of how to answer the ultimate questions of life. I know, it’s a big task, answering the ultimate questions of life over the course of four sessions on a weekend. But I assure you, we are up to the task.
Transition:
To begin, let me set the stage. There is a common list of four questions that are considered to be the four ultimate questions.

Four ultimate questions.

These are questions that your worldview will inevitably answer. You may not consciously answer them, but you will answer them. The way you live displays your answer. These questions are as follows:
Who am I? Where did I come from? What am I doing here? Where am I going when I die?
These are the questions. And obviously they relate to our concept of identity. They relate to how you handle everything. Who am I? Who are you? Are you a victim in a society that seeks to oppress you? Does this entitle you to do horrible things in the name of equity? How you answer the question of who you are will shape how you live.
Where did you come from? Are you meaningless protoplasm that somehow gained consciousness and evolved to become bipedal? If this is so, then you have no value and you might as well live out whatever makes you happy.
What are you doing here? What is your purpose? Is your purpose to gain influence and status? Is your purpose to be happy? Is your purpose to find as much pleasure as possible before facing the grip of death?
Speaking of death, what happens when you die? Is judgement day real? Does death just release you into the nothingness of eternity? If so, then live it up now. Eat, drink, be merry, for tomorrow you die.
All of these questions have a direct impact on how we live out every aspect of our lives. And if you notice, every single one of those questions stems from the question of “who am I?” How you answer the question “who am I” will shape how you answer every single one of those other questions. This has led to the idea that the ultimate question is “who am I?” And we see this lived out in our culture. Everything is centered on the idea of who you are. What is your identity?
But this is the wrong ultimate question.

The Wrong Ultimate Question: Who Am I?

Now, I agree this question is important, but it is far from being THE ultimate question. It is not the most important question. There is one question that is yet even more important than the question of who you are. It directly affects how you answer the question of who you are. So what is that question? The ultimate question to understanding all of reality and life is this: Who is God?

The Right Ultimate Question: Who Is God?

This is THE ultimate question. How you answer this question will affect and shape all of how you understand every other aspect of your life. It will shape how you understand reality itself. Before we even get to scratching the surface of who we are, we have to understand who God is. The reality is, you cannot know who you are until you know who God is.

You Cannot Know Who You Are Until You Know Who God Is.

Is God real? Is He involved in life? Does He care what we do? Does He care about us? Does He have any commands we must obey? What does He want? Did He make us? You cannot even begin to understand the first thing about yourself until you first know who God is. So, who is God?

Who Is God?

There are many ways we can attempt to answer this question. We can go outside and scream at the sky hoping for an answer. We can pull out a microscope and study the minute details of the universe. We can climb onto a rocket and attempt to explore the heavens. However, all these fall short. If you want to know who someone is, you must listen to them. And thankfully, God has given us His word to reveal Himself to us. He has told us who He is. So who is God? He has described Himself to us in Scripture. And Scripture gives us many definitions and attributes of God. Just for starters, let me list a few:
God is Ruler of all.
God is the moral standard of all.
God is King over all.
God is Love.
God is Just.
God is Sovereign.
God is judge.
God is righteous.
God is omnipotent.
God is benevolent.
God is omnipresent.
God is truth.
Scripture has many definitions of God’s character. And there are many ways of looking at which of these definitions are most important. Perhaps we should look at what Scripture gives as the pre-emanate attribute of God. There is only one that fits this description. It is the holiness of God. It is the only attribute of God raised to the third degree. Scripture may describe God as love. But it nowhere says God is love, love, love. Nor does it say God is just, just, just. Now God is love, and God is just. But Scripture makes it clear that His prime attribute is His holiness.
God is Holy, Holy, Holy.
So what does this mean? It means He is completely set apart. He is perfectly righteous, untouched by evil or sin. There is no darkness in Him. He is totally set apart as righteous and perfect. This is the defining trait of God. He is not just holy. He is not even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. He is above us, beyond us, separate from us, other than us.
But even before this, we must understand something else about God. We must go back to the very beginning. What is it Scripture tells us about God first? What is the first thing we learn about Him? God is not just a being floating out there in space who is holy and just and loving. No, Scripture introduces us to God as creator. First, we must understand that God is the maker and sustainer of all.

First, we must understand that God is the maker and the sustainer of all.

The very first verse of the Bible introduces us to God. Genesis 1:1, “1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” He is shown to us as the creator. He is the one made all. This theme is the underflow of the entire narrative. God is not just a god. No, God is the maker. He is the ultimate. John opens his gospel this way. John 1:1-3, “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John here ties Jesus to the act of creation. God is creator. Jesus is the Word. Jesus is the Creator. Jesus is God. As John continues, John 1:10 “10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.”
You cannot understand God outside of His role as Creator. Christ, God the Son, is the creator of all. But He is more than this. Colossians 1:15-17 “15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
God, is the maker of all. He made all things. In fact, without Him was not anything made. This means He made it all. He is the divine originator. He is the one who set all in motion. He spoke all things into being. But He is more than that. He is not just the maker. He did not just make everything and then let is slip into it’s own control. He did not make everything and then pull back His power to let it go as it wishes. No, He made all, and He now holds all together. He is the creating force of the universe, and He is the sustaining force of the universe.
This means that if God removed His sustaining hand from creation even for a moment, all things would simply cease to exist. Poof, the universe would be gone just as it was before the beginning. God is the one who made it all, and God is the one who holds it all together by His infinite will.
So why does this matter so much? Why is it so central to understanding all of life and reality? Let me put it simply, God, as maker and sustainer of all, has the divine right of absolute definition giver.

God, as Maker and Sustainer of all, has the divine right of absolute definition giver.

This may seem straight forward, but we must grasp this. God holds the patent on the universe. He is the one who spoke all of reality into existence and it is His will that keeps it going. This gives Him the absolute right to define things.
If you invent something, you get to say what it is and what it is for. You are the boss. You own it. You own the intellectual idea of it. You are the one who gets to say, “this is a ________.” So God made all or reality. That means God is the boss. God is the one who has ultimate authority. God is the sovereign one. He is in charge. All things are as He says they are. No one get’s to say, “God, you’re wrong about this. I know you made it. I know you are the reason it exists and keeps existing, but I know better than you.” This is what I mean when I say, God has the divine right of absolute definition giver. It means God has the absolute right to say what everything or anything is, ought to be, is to do, and is for.

God has the absolute right to say what everything or anything is, ought to be, is to do, and is for.

I am very careful with my words here. Think about it. God has the absolute right. We could just stop here. God has the right to do or say whatever He wants. He’s God. God has all rights. He is absolute. He is the one who made everything. He is the boss, period. But more than this, He has the ultimate say over everything. He has rights over the entire universe. But this is not just broad rights over the generic mass of creation. No, He has specific rights over the individual pieces of creation. God has the right to say what everything as a whole, or individually is.

“IS.”

What do I mean when I say the word “is?” Here the philosophers raise their heads. One says, “This is a taco.” And the others chime and say, “Ah, yes, a taco. But what is a taco.” C.S. Lewis used a great word for this concept. He used the word “Quiddity.” What is quiddity? Quiddity is what makes something what it is. It is the definition identity. It is the”this-ness” of something. It is a form of an ancient word that means the essence of something. It is what makes it what it is. It is what I like to call a concrete word or a weighty word. It is earthy.
We can discuss the hypothetical concept of what something is, but the quiddity is what is there in front of you. It is difference between the concept of farmers pond used to water the cattle and the reality of the pond I used to walk to in order to skip rocks on summer days. It is the heat and reflection rising off the water as I stood on the bank. It is the reality of a thing. It is the very real, very core, very earthly reality of that small pond that took up so much time of my younger years.
So when I say God has the complete right to say what everything is, I mean this: God has the right to define exactly what all things are. He defines their being, their essence, their reality, their quiddity. When God speaks, whatever He says is the exact reality of His words. All things find their reality in God. And this is the central idea of why God can do this. God has the right to define what all things are because all thins find their existence and continuance in Him.

God has this right because all things find their existence and continuance in Him.

Think again about Colossians 1:15-17. Hear these words. “15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
All things were created through Him, Him being Christ. God made all things by the power of His Word. This gives Him complete ownership. All things were made for Him. He is the divine reason. All things hold together in Him. These three reality make it God’s word, God’s thoughts, God’s definitions that matter. The only reason anything is is because God is. All things are from Him. All things are through Him. All things find reality in Him. Therefore, if anything is, it is because of God. He therefore has the right to say what it is.
Transition:
But God’s rights as maker and sustainer extend beyond just the makeup of something. God’s right extends to defining what all things ought to be.

“OUGHT TO BE.”

If God made it all, it is obvious He can say what something is. He can say, “This is a horse.” But God can do more than this. God can say, “This is a horse and this is what a horse ought to be like.” You see, God’s right extends beyond just the present reality into the realm of the ideal, stating not just what things are but also setting the standard of what they ought to be.

God’s right extends beyond just the present reality into the realm of the ideal, stating not just what things are but also setting the standard of what they ought to be.

God sets the reality and the standards. God can say what the ideal is. God defines what things should be like. This is why God can say in His Word that mankind is wicked and fallen into sin while simultaneously commanding them that they ought to be holy.
Transition:
God has the divine right to define not just the reality and the ideal, but also the action. God defines what everything is to do.

“IS TO DO.”

This idea is contained in the specific commands of God. God has the absolute right to say, “this is a horse,” “this is what a horse ought to be,” and “this is what a horse ought to do.” A Horse ought to do the things that pertain to how God made horses and what He has given them to do. And obviously this extends beyond just equestrian matters. God has the complete authority to command obedience and dictate what everything or anything is to do.

God has the complete authority to command obedience and dictate what everything or anything is to do.

God can command obedience. As maker and sustainer of all, He has the right to say, “Do this and do not do that.” He made all, He sustains all, He defines all, He gives life to all, He commands obedience of all. This is right and good. God sets the standard for what all things are to do. He commands the Sun to shine. He commands the path of the moon. He commands the height of the tides. He commands the life of the forest animals. He commands the swimming patterns and routes of the whales.
However, He is not always obeyed. We don’t have time to discuss the decreative will of God versus the moral will of God. But God has the right to command that we live righteously and that we do not sin. God also has the right to define what is righteous and what is sin. And when anything disobeys God, it is in the act of cosmic treason. God has the only right to say “This is what is to be done and this is what is not to be done.” When God has spoken, all other mouths must be silent save in agreement and praise.
Transition:
Finally, I want to emphasize that God has the right to define what all things are for.

“IS FOR.”

God has the complete authority to define the purpose of all things. And this logically follows the others. If God made something, He has the right to say why He made it. He alone has this right. God alone has the right to say, “I made horses for this reason.” This is a clear logical understanding of who God is. Perhaps it isn’t this simple but I split the way God gives definitions into two categories. I define them as the ultimate and the temporal purposes. What does this mean? It means that God has the absolute right to say the ultimate purpose of anything. He also has the right to give lesser or earthly purposes as to why He made something.

The Ultimate Purpose:

The ultimate purpose of all things is for the glory and honor of God. God does all He does, makes all He makes in order to bring Himself honor. There are countless verses that prove this, but perhaps Revelation 4:11 is one of clearest for our purposes. “11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”” This is the cry of the beings in heaven. The very fact of creation is purposed to give God glory and honor.
But God has more than just this one purpose for things. Yes the primary purpose of all is to glorify God. However, God gives many secondary purposes for things.

The Temporal Purpose:

What is the temporal purpose? Well, perhaps an illustration is needed. Why do we drink liquid? Well, Scripture is our guide and answers all our questions. So what does Scripture say? Well, 1 Corinthians 10:31 says “31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” We see here that the ultimate purpose God has even for drinking is to bring Himself glory. But is this God’s only reason for giving us the ability to drink liquid? Obviously not. That may be it’s ultimate purpose, but drinking liquid is also to supply our bodies nourishment. However, Scripture itself gives another reason for drinking. Psalm 104:14-15 says “14 You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth 15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.” The temporal purpose of food and wine here is said to make the heart glad. Sure, drinking water, wine, soda, coffee, or any other beverage is to be done to the glory of God first and foremost, but it is also for our joy. There is an ultimate purpose and a temporal purpose.
Transition:
So what does this mean for our discussion of identity? Well, here is the conclusion of the matter. The definitional identity of all things (the quiddity) is entirely found in God. Any discrepancy between God’s definition with that of any other definition reveals the error and sin of the the other definition and definition giver.

Conclusion: The definitional identity of all things (the quiddity) is entirely found in God. Any discrepancy between God’s definition with that of any other definition reveals the error and sin of the the other definition and definition giver.

God is the great definer. He is the one who has final authority to say what anything is, ought to be, is to do, and is for. There is no room for disagreement here. Where God has spoken, you and I must simply say amen. We have no right to disagree with God. In fact, no one here on earth has the right to disagree with God. All people of all times are bound to what God has said. But you say, “I don’t like that.” Well, in short, God is right, you are wrong.

In Short, God is right, you are wrong.

Think of this, you, a finite being disagree with God. Let me be blunt, who cares what you think? Honestly, what does your opinion matter when compared to the Word of God. You stand up and say, “God, I don’t like that.” So what? Who are you? Who do you think you are to disagree with the maker of all reality? What weight does your opinion have? None. But it is even worse than this. It is not just that your opinion does not matter when compared to God’s. In fact, to disagree with God is to sin. To disagree with God’s definition of anything is to sin.

To disagree with God’s definition of anything is to sin.

Think of it. God almighty, the one who made all and sustains all by the power of His will, says what something is. Then here come mortal man and man says, “Excuse me God, but you must be stupid. This is not actual what that is.” Is there possibly a more arrogant or prideful statement on earth? No! Of course there isn’t. Disagreement with God is pride, arrogance, dishonesty, self idolatry, and blasphemy all rolled into one. This is a huge deal. What gives us the right to say anything in response to God? Nothing! We do not have the right to answer back to God when He acts or speaks.
Allow me to demonstrate this from the account of Job.
Demonstrated from the account of Job.
For those of you unfamiliar with the book of Job, let me catch you up. The book of Job opens with a description of man named Job, hence the name of the book. Job lived at the time of the patriarchs, around the same time as Abraham, and the account indicates that Job was the greatest and wealthiest man in east. The account also indicates that Job was an incredibly godly man. We then transition to a scene in heaven where the angels are gathered and reporting to God. Satan is also present there and begins to tell God how he has been going all over the earth. God then asks Satan if he has considered Job and how righteous job is.
Satan is in essence bragging about all those who are following him. And God responds, “But have you not seen Job? How he is righteous and obeys me and loves me.” And Satan’s response is basically, “Of course he follows you, you have protected him and blessed him. If you let me at Job, I would have him cursing your name in no time.” So God gives Satan His blessing to take everything away from Job. So Satan makes war on Job. Job loses all his servants, all his livestock, his health, even all his children. Job loses everything. And here we see Job’s righteousness displayed. Job, upon hearing this does the unthinkable. Job 1:20-21 “20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.””
This is incredible. What a fantastic prayer. Then, after losing everything, Job has three friends for come to him. Job is sitting in the garbage, scraping the sores on his skin with broken pottery. One would think his friends would come to comfort him. But sadly, that is not the case. Job’s three friends come to him and basically accuse him of some unknown and horrible sin. They make a one to one correlation between sin and suffering. They see Job suffering more than anyone they have ever known, and they assume this means he has sinned more heinously than anyone ever. Now we know sin and suffering are somewhat linked. Suffering only came into the world because of sin. But it is not a one to one comparison. I sin, I suffer. We know this because it is entirely possible to suffer for righteousness sake.
But Job’s friends come to him and tell him that the only solution is to repent. Job however, legitimately does not know what to repent of. He holds up his hands and asks what he did wrong? “I don’t know what I did. How can I repent?” They then accuse him of pride and demand he repent all the more. This goes on for over twenty chapters. Back and forth, back and forth. Finally, the “friends” leave and job holds his fist up to heaven and cries out to God basically saying “Why are you doing this God?!” I think we can all understand the feeling Job must be feeling. And Job’s cry is in essence, “God, this isn’t fair.” We understand that emotion. But here is what Job is doing. Job is saying that God has acted unjustly. Job is here in the position of the scoffer in Romans 9, saying “God has acted unjustly!” And Job has the most terrifying experience humanly possible. He cries out to God saying, “This is not fair!” In essence saying that God is wrong, and God answers.
Job 38:1-11 “1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 8 “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, 9 when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, 10 and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, 11 and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?”
God carries on for two chapters. But God looks down fro heaven at Job’s cry and says, “Hold on! Stop the music! Who are you?! Who do you think you are?! Who are you that you would come to me with foolish, idiotic, stupid words? Gird your loins, man up, Because I have questions for you. You say I am acting unfairly. You are crying out at me? Who are you? Where were you when I made all things? Is it your power that holds all reality together?” For two chapters God demands Job answer and Job is absolutely silent until chapter 40.
Job 40:1-5 “1 And the Lord said to Job: 2 “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” 3 Then Job answered the Lord and said: 4 “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. 5 I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.””
Job looks up at heaven and says “I am vile.” Now Job get’s it. He says, “I see now. I am nothing. I lock my hand over my mouth. I spoke rashly! But no more! I am shut up.” So God calms down and says, “that’s okay Job, I know you’ve been through a lot and it’s only natural to be upset with me. Maybe I could have been a little more kind to you.” No! God cries out again from the whirlwind.
Job 40:6-14 “6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: 7 “Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. 8 Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right? 9 Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? 10 “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor. 11 Pour out the overflowings of your anger, and look on everyone who is proud and abase him. 12 Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked where they stand. 13 Hide them all in the dust together; bind their faces in the world below. 14 Then will I also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you.”
God cries out against Job and asks, “Who do you think you are that you would find fault with me? You think you can stand in judgement over me? You think you can freely say I am wrong? Are you God? You think you can just disagree with me and say that I am at fault? Finally, as God ends, Job answers.
Job 42:1-6 “1 Then Job answered the Lord and said: 2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ 5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6 therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.””
Job has now seen the truth. You see, Job’s friends were wrong. It was not a one to one ratio. Job had not sinned a specific sin that caused God to curse his life. But Job too was wrong. Job cried out that he was faultless and that his punishment was unfair. Job disagreed with God and accused God of injustice. And now Job sees. He is a sinner. And God is the one who is always right, always righteous, always without fault.
You see, we are so quick to flippantly accuse God of being wrong. God says one thing and we in our utter arrogance and pride say, “That’s great God, but here’s what I think.” We have no concept of who it is we are speaking against. We have no concept of what it is we are doing. God has the right to say and do whatever He wishes, and we are to do as Job. We are to lock our hands over our mouths and speak not even one word against the Almighty.
I fully believe the greatest threat facing the church today is that we have no idea who God is. We do not have a clue who God is. We have no fear of God. We say things like “I believe God created all things” without the first thought of what that means. We say things like “Jesus is the Lord,” without even considering the consequences. We say we believe the Bible and then in the next breath deny what God has clearly said in Scripture. We object to God’s clear hatred of sin. We object to God’s clear hatred of sinful man. We object to doctrines that we don’t like. The church on the broad scale is rapidly affirming the bastardization of marriage. It is affirming the sin of homosexuality and gender confusion. It is denying the wonder and beauty of the roles God laid out for men and women. We see what God has said, but we disagree.
Hear me very clearly. You and I have no right to disagree with God about anything. May we never be accused of being so prideful as to accuse the God of all. When God speaks, we say, “amen.” God alone has the absolute right to define all things. He alone has the divine right to say what all things are, ought to be, are to do, and are for. This includes us. God has the absolute right to tell us what we are, ought to be, are to do, and are for.
And this is where we will pick up tomorrow. God defines our identity. God defines who I am, not me. But tonight, as you get ready for bed, I have a challenge for you. Open to the book of Job. Turn to chapter 38. Read the questions God asks Job. Crush all pride within yourself. Read those chapters and be in awe of who God is and how small we are. And then, come back tomorrow and let us see who God says we are.
Let’s pray.
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