Lesson 7
(1) Theological Definition: God is the infinite and perfect Spirit in whom all things have their source, support, and end.
* He is infinite in that there is no end of Him and no limit as to what He can do.
* He is perfect Spirit in that He has no flaws, no sinfulness, makes no mistakes, and never has a time when He is confused or worried.
* He is the Source of all things in that He is the creator so that anything that exists or did exist owes its origin to Him.
* He is the sustainer of all things so that not only does He create them, but then He supports them by sustaining them for His purposes.
* He is the end of all things in that He brings everything to completion in order to accomplish His perfect will.
(2) Scriptural Definitions Of God:
* God is Spirit - John 4:24
* God is Light - I John 1:5
* God is Love - I John 4:8; 4:16
* God is a Consuming Fire - Hebrews 12:25-29
II. DEFENDING THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
(Arguments Even Outside of Scripture)
1) Cosmological Argument - Everything in the universe owes its existence to a cause which is equal to its production (and that cause is God).
2) Teleological Argument - Since order and design pervades the universe, there must exist an intelligence adequate to direct this order to useful ends (and that intelligence is God ) Romans 1:18-20.
3) Anthropological Argument
* Since man is a moral and intelligent being,he must have had a maker who is also a moral and intelligent being (and that Being is God) Genesis 1:26, 27
* Man's conscience indicates there must be a holy lawgiver and judge (and that holy lawgiver and judge is God) ...cp. Romans 2:14-16.
4) Ontological Argument - Since man can think of a being who is absolutely perfect (meaning God). He must therefore exist.
5) Christological Argument
* The fulfillment of prophecy must be accounted for: Fulfilled prophecy showed Jesus was someone special. He came to show us what God the Father was like, and since He came to show us what God the Father was like, God the Father must therefore exist.
* Miracles must be accounted for - Miracles showed that something supernatural had occurred. And since something supernatural occurred, there must be somebody supernatural that made it occur.
* The Divine Mission of Christ must be accounted for - Jesus came to bear mans' sins, and thus satisfy the wrath of God because of sin. And by virtue of Him coming as a substitute for mans' sin to satisfy God, God must therefore exist.
* The Fact of Conversion and Spiritual Change in Man must be accounted for - Once we come to Christ in salvation we are different (2 Cor. 5:17). We also become partakers of His divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). And we begin to think differently, act differently, love differently, forgive differently, etc. And the very fact that there is such a noticeable change to make us want to think like God, act like God, love like God, and forgive like God, simply adds credence to the fact that God exists.
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