The One True God
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17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
All of the Bible is one great story that reveals the nature of God.
In creation, OT covenants, interactions with patriarchs, the life and ministry of Jesus, prophecies concerning His return for His bride
The story is told in the pages of God’s word of how our creator thinks, responds, his expectations, his passions - it tell of who he is.
Paul would teach about His nature:
In Paul’s ministry, he would travel some 10k miles on foot and donkey - traveling throughout modern day Israel, Syria, Turkey and Greece.
He would write at least 13 books of the NT.
He would not only evangelize but maintain leadership roles in the churches he established.
The book of 2 Corinthians is considered the 4th letter to the church at Corinth, Greece.
The church had struggled with immortality and division and in order to deal with this, he would teach to them about who their savior was and His transforming power!
First Understanding of God: He is a Spirit.
Omnipresent
Everywhere at the same time!
Paul began with the concept that God is BIG - bigger than we can comprehend!
AND this BIG God wants to get to know you and I as friend, counselor, healer, guide, and so much more!
Paul begins 2 Corinthians by taking the church back to the beginning…
GOD’S REVELATION OF HIS IDENTITY
God said He is the Holy One, and apart from Him there is no other God. In Scripture we learn who God says He is and that His oneness is a foundational truth of great significance.
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
a. Why do you think God spoke light into darkness? (G1:3)
This is the basic principle in the nature of God.
The first thing he did!
Speak light into darkness!
What you see in the physical is a representation of what is taking place in the spiritual...
That is God’s sole motivation - speak light into dark!
b. Who does God say he is? (D6.4)
c. How does this initial act of God function as a principle He want to continue in the lives of His people today?
Who is God?
Monotheists believe in one God
Atheist believe there is no God
Agnostics are not sure if there is a God
Pantheists believe that everything is a god
Polytheists believe that there are many gods
But what does the bible say?
2. JESUS: GOD ON DISPLAY
God made himself into a sinless human to live among His people. People didn’t understand who He was, so Jesus quoted Scripture often to reveal His identity. To find out who Jesus is, we still look to Scripture today.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
How can the Child be the Mighty God?
How can the Child be the Everlasting Father?
Gen 1:26 - we are created in the image of God (Physical vs. Spiritual)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
a. Who would be called the mighty God and everlasting Father? (Is 9:6)
b. Who was the Light the shone in darkness? (John 1:11; 14_
c. Who was God in the flesh? (John 1:14
Before God spoke the world into being...
Before he created the first human...
He knew he would redeem mankind.
18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
So how would he do that?
Think about the problem...
God is an omnipresent spirit - how do you take something that is everywhere at the same time and put in on a cross?
Heb 10:5 tells us that "...a body hast thou created…”
Gal 4:4 tells us the same
3. JESUS: FULLY GOD AND FULLY HUMAN
Christ Jesus was one hundred percent God and one hundred percent human. Jesus fully acknowledged and embraced both His humanity by natural things, such as eating and sleeping, and His deity by performing miracles and forgiving sins.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
a. Can a pure faith in Jesus be spoiled by religious philosophies or traditions? (v8)
Doctrine of the trinity is a damnable doctrine developed by man.
Terms like three separate, coequals are not biblical
b. How much of the divine nature of God dwelled in Jesus? (v9)
c. Why is it important that Jesus Christ was both human and divine?
If he had been born of Joseph and filled with the spirit (like we are) then he could not have been sinless because sin is passed from father to son!
This is why the scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and she concieved.
(Why isn’t the Father the father?)
BUT if he was not fully human, he would not have been able to be the perfect sacrifice.
4. THE GOD WHO IS TO COME
Jesus declared Himself the One which is, which was, and which is to come. He has conquered death and secured victory for His people, and we will seem Him face to face when He returns for us.
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
a. Who is Alpha and Omega, beginning and the ending?
b. Can there be more than one Almighty?
The bible speaks of God as Father, Son and Holy Ghost - BUT never speaks of “three person’s”.
The OT presents God as our creator, Father of all.
The Gospels present God as the Son, redeemer.
The Epistles present God as our Regenerator or re creator - remember; physical vs spiritual.
c. How does it feel to know the one true victorious God is returning for us?
CLOSING DISCUSSION
How does knowing the name of Jesus as the revelation of the name of God, the Creator and Savior, cause you to think about the importance of praying and baptizing in His name?