Vox Institute – Christian Theology – Session 3

Focus … Knowing God and knowing ourselves … inhibitors to true knowledge of God … incomprehensibility and knowability … incommunicable and communicable attributes … God’s two wills … purpose of redemption … problem of evil … God’s independence … unity of attributes at the cross … assignments

Big Framing Questions

1. Who is God
2. Who am I as a result

• What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us… Tozer
• Scripture is the story of God making Himself known… our identity flows from His self-revelation (Jeremiah 9:23 to 24 … John 17:3 … 1 Peter 2:9 to 10)

Highlights … quoted in class

• Our hearts were made for you O God… they are restless until they find their rest in you… Augustine
• What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us… A. W. Tozer
• The two most important questions people will ever wrestle with… who is God… and therefore who am I as a result… Speaker 1
• God made us in His image… and then we decided to return the favor and make Him in ours… author quoted by Speaker 1 (Genesis 1:26 to 27 … Romans 1:23 to 25)
• Let him who glories glory in this… that he understands and knows me… that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love… justice… righteousness in the earth… for in these things I delight… says the Lord (Jeremiah 9:23 to 24)
• This is eternal life… that they know you… the only true God… and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3)
• Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4)
• What if God was one of us… Joan Osborne lyric used for contrast
• You are not the point… He is the point… Rick Warren (Colossians 1:16 to 18 … Romans 11:36)

The Importance of Knowing God

• The interrelationship of who is God and who am I is the whole ballgame (Exodus 34:6 to 7 … Psalm 100:3)
• If I deny God… I redefine self (Psalm 14:1 … Romans 1:21 to 22)
• The greatest commandment… love the Lord your God with heart… soul… mind… invitation to rest (Deuteronomy 6:5 … Matthew 22:37 to 39 … Matthew 11:28 to 29)
• As affection for God grows… satisfaction in our actual life grows (Psalm 16:11 … Psalm 37:4 … Philippians 4:11 to 13)

Inhibitors to Knowing God

• Sin and truth suppression… people know God yet suppress the truth (Romans 1:18 to 23)
• Why suppression… desire to be God (Genesis 3:4 to 6 … Romans 1:25)
• Result… futile thinking… foolish hearts darkened (Romans 1:21 to 22)
• Human finiteness… the finite cannot comprehend the infinite (Ecclesiastes 3:11 … Job 11:7 to 9 … Isaiah 55:8 to 9)
• Human immaturity… I want to know Christ… keep growing (Philippians 3:8 to 14 … 2 Peter 3:18)
• Self-preoccupation… remaking God in our image (Psalm 115:4 to 8 … Romans 1:23)

Incomprehensibility and Knowability

• We truly know God because He reveals… yet never exhaustively (Deuteronomy 29:29 … 1 Corinthians 13:9 to 12 … John 1:18)
• Incommunicable attributes… the really God-stuff (Psalm 90:2 … Malachi 3:6 … 1 Timothy 1:17)
• Communicable attributes… shared analogically (Exodus 34:6 to 7 … Leviticus 19:2 … 1 John 4:7 to 8)
• Analogical knowledge… Father language is true yet limited (Psalm 103:13 … Matthew 7:9 to 11)
• Infinite qualitative distinction… Kierkegaard’s phrase… seen biblically (Isaiah 40:12 to 31 … Hosea 11:9)

God’s Desire To Be Known

• God delights to be known (Jeremiah 9:23 to 24)
• Eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son (John 17:3)
• God pursues the knowledge of Himself among the nations (Habakkuk 2:14 … Psalm 46:10)

Incommunicable Attributes … focus this week

Eternality

• God eternal now… outside created time (Psalm 90:2 … Isaiah 46:9 to 10)
• Steps into time in the incarnation (John 1:14 … Galatians 4:4 to 5)

Omnipresence

• God is here… fills heaven and earth (Jeremiah 23:23 to 24 … Psalm 139:7 to 12)
• Special promise with gathered believers (Matthew 18:20)
• Spirit’s presence is God’s presence (John 14:16 to 18 … 2 Corinthians 3:17)

Omniscience

• God knows all things (Psalm 147:5 … 1 John 3:20 … Hebrews 4:13)
• His knowledge comforts repentant hearts (Psalm 103:10 to 14 … 1 John 1:9)

Omnipotence

• All things possible with God… in harmony with His nature (Luke 1:37 … Matthew 19:26 … 2 Timothy 2:13 … Hebrews 6:18)

Two Wills Of God … Command and Decree

• Will of command… what God calls us to obey (Deuteronomy 5:6 to 21 … 1 Thessalonians 4:3)
• Will of decree… His sovereign plan cannot be thwarted (Isaiah 46:10 … Ephesians 1:11)
• Judas and the cross… foreknown and foreordained… humans still responsible (Acts 2:23 … Acts 4:27 to 28 … Luke 22:22)

The Primary Purpose Of Redemption

• The Father glorifies the Son at the center of the story (John 17:1 to 5 … Colossians 1:18 to 20)
• The Lamb at the heart from before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8 … 1 Peter 1:18 to 20)
• God’s love to us flows from His God-centered purpose (Ephesians 1:3 to 6 … Romans 11:36)

The Problem Of Evil and Suffering

• The tension posed by the omnis (Psalm 73 … Psalm 13 … Habakkuk 1:2 to 4)
• Sanctuary turn in Psalm 73 (Psalm 73:16 to 17)
• Seasons that do not quickly resolve (Psalm 88 … noting class mention of Psalm 83)
• The cross proves it is not lack of love or nearness (Romans 5:6 to 8 … Hebrews 2:14 to 18 … Isaiah 53:3 to 6)

God’s Independence and Self-Existence

• God needs nothing… gives everything (Exodus 3:14 … Acts 17:24 to 25 … Psalm 50:7 to 15)
• Our everlasting satisfaction is in the self-sufficient Giver (Psalm 36:7 to 9 … John 4:13 to 14)

God’s Glory and Human Joy

• God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him… summary phrase aligned with (Psalm 16:11 … Philippians 3:8 … John 15:9 to 11)
• God acts for His name’s sake (Isaiah 48:9 to 11 … Ezekiel 36:22 to 27)
• Enjoy gifts by enjoying God more (James 1:17 … 1 Timothy 6:17)

Arrogance vs God’s Worthiness

• Human self-exaltation is a lie (Proverbs 27:2 … Jeremiah 9:23)
• God’s self-exaltation is truth and love (Psalm 115:1 … Isaiah 42:8)
• Do not demand a spouse or friend to complete you… only God can satisfy (Psalm 62:1 to 2 … Jeremiah 2:13)
• God’s Godness restores right-sized awe (Job 38:1 to 11)

Immutability

• God does not change in being… character… purpose (Malachi 3:6 … James 1:17 … Psalm 102:25 to 27)
• His counsel stands (Isaiah 46:9 to 10 … Numbers 23:19)

Communicable Attributes … samples

Spirituality

• Humans as spiritual image-bearers (Genesis 1:26 to 27 … John 4:24)
• Spiritual truth is Spirit-taught… not self-generated (1 Corinthians 2:12 to 14 … Colossians 1:9 to 10)

Wisdom

• God always chooses the best ends and means (Romans 11:33 … Jude 25)
• He gives wisdom generously (James 1:5 … Proverbs 2:6)
• Solomon’s request from humility (1 Kings 3:7 to 12)

The Unity Of God’s Attributes

• Holiness… righteousness… wrath… love… not rivals (Exodus 34:6 to 7 … Nahum 1:2 to 3 … 1 John 4:8 … Psalm 97:2)
• Parental discipline as love (Hebrews 12:5 to 11)
• Wrath as the execution of truth (Romans 1:18 … Revelation 19:1 to 2)

Romans 3:21 to 26 … The Gospel’s Deep Center

• Righteousness of God manifested apart from the law… witnessed by Law and Prophets
• Righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe
• All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
• Justified freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus
• God put Christ forward as a propitiation by His blood… received by faith… to demonstrate His righteousness
• So that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:21 to 26 … with echoes of Isaiah 53:4 to 6)

Linked Soteriology Texts Mentioned Across Sessions

• Election and purpose (Ephesians 1:3 to 6 … Ephesians 1:11 … Romans 9:10 to 16)
• Definite atonement texts often cited (John 10:11 … Matthew 1:21 … Romans 8:32 to 34)
• Effectual call and drawing (John 6:37 … John 6:44 … Romans 8:30)
• Perseverance and assurance (John 10:27 to 30 … Philippians 1:6 … 1 Peter 1:3 to 5)
• Warnings as means (Hebrews 3:12 to 14)

Class Reminders and Assignments

• Go back through every Scripture on the slides… circle and check them in context (Acts 17:11)
• Meditate this week on Romans 3:21 to 26 … read slowly aloud three times a day
• Reflection prompt… write two sentences answering
  1. Who is God… name one attribute from tonight and a text
  2. Who am I as a result… one implication for how you will speak… act… prioritize… spend time this week (James 1:22 to 25)

Discussion Starters for Small Groups

• Where do you most feel the pull to suppress truth about God… how does Romans 1 re-center you (Romans 1:18 to 25)
• Which attribute… omnipresence… omniscience… omnipotence… most comforts you and why (Psalm 139:7 to 12 … 1 John 3:20 … Luke 1:37)
• How does Isaiah 48 reshape instincts about God’s God-centeredness and your joy (Isaiah 48:9 to 11)
• In suffering… which Psalm voice do you need today… Psalm 73’s sanctuary turn or Psalm 88’s honest ache (Psalm 73:16 to 17 … Psalm 88:1 to 18)
• Where have you asked a spouse… friend… work… to complete what only God can complete (Jeremiah 2:13 … Psalm 62:1 to 2)