CHAPTER 1
I.) THE EXISTENCE OF GOD: (Heb. 11:5-6).
(V.5) By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death: and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this Testimony, that he pleased God. (Genesis 5:22 and also II Kings 2:11).
(V.6) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
The word "translated" here in verse 5 used is to show that without proof, Enoch believed so much that God (changed him from one place, position, or condition to another) so that he did not see death, in the meaning of this word we see that there is no in-between when one is taken from the natural and changed to the spiritual without passing through death.
The Bible nowhere attempts to prove or argue the existence of God, "FOR HE THAT COMETH TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS." The existence of God is a fact taken for granted by the writers of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. "IN THE BEGINNING GOD" (Gen. 1:1) the Bible opens by announcing the sublime fact of God and His existence, there are argument for the existence of God: they are not conclusive, but are food for thought.
(A.) Universal belief in God comes from within man, it is innate in man, and comes from rational intuition.
(B.) The argument from "cause and effect" everything that began owes its existence to a cause, we have a watch: we must have a watchmaker, we have a building: we must have a builder, we have a creation: we must have a creator. This creation could not have come into existence without an intelligent, Personal creator, any more than the alphabet, could produce a book itself without an author.
(C.) The argument from anthropology, man's moral and intellectual nature argues for a moral and intellectual creator.
(D.) The Bible and the Christ that it reveals, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His vicarious death and bodily resurrection, all of this and much more - argue for the existence of God.
II.) THE PERSONALITY OF GOD: (I Thessalonians 1:9)
(V.9) For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God. Now (Acts 3:19) Says, "REPENT YE THEREFORE, AND BE CONVERTED THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE BLOTTED OUT, WHEN THE TIME OF REFRESHING COME FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD:"
The Bible reveals God as a personality, He is called "THE LIVING AND TRUE GOD" one possessing self consciousness and self-determination, His personality is shown in what He does, such as:
(1) GOD LOVES, God so loved the world (John 3:16),
(2) GOD HATES, these six things doth the Lord hate (Prov. 6:16),
(3) GOD CARES, He careth for you (I Peter 5:7),
(4) GOD GRIEVES, It grieved Him at His heart (Gen. 6:6),
Only a personality can love, hate, care, and grieve: therefore God must be a living, breathing, eternal personal, being. . .
III.) THE NATURE OF GOD: (I John 4:8)
(V.8) He that loveth not knoweth not God: for God is Love.
In this chapter of Understanding The Holy Ghost, we must understand God, because the Holy Ghost is God, the study of the nature of God will help us understand the Holy Ghost much more, there are four definitions of God in the Bible, since God cannot be defined, they are incomplete, however, they do throw light upon the nature of God, they are:
(1.) GOD IS LOVE, - This is the nature of God in His divine compassion (I John 4:8).
(2.) GOD IS LIGHT, - This is the nature of God in His divine character: IN HIM THERE IS NO DARKNESS. (I John 1:5).
(3.) GOD IS CONSUMING FIRE, - This is the nature of God in His divine holiness (Heb. 12:29).
(4.) GOD IS SPIRIT, - This is the nature of God in His divine essence (John 4:24).
The attributes of God reveals His nature, do not think of His characteristics as not being concrete, but as vital mediums through which His holy nature is revealed as belonging to Him, such as:
(A.) LIFE IS ASCRIBED TO GOD, (John 5:26).
(B.) ALL KNOWLEDGE IS ASCRIBED TO GOD, (Ps. 147:5)
(C.) ALL POWER IS ASCRIBED TO GOD, (Rev. 19:6).
(D.) FILLING THE UNIVERSE WITH HIS PRESENCE IS ASCRIBED TO GOD, (Ps. 139:7).
GOD is (omnipresent) everywhere present BUT HE IS NOT IN EVERYTHING, if God were in everything, man could worship any object and he would be worshipping God, God is Spirit being and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth.
IV.) THE GRACE OF GOD: (Eph. 2:8-9)
(V.8) For by grace are ye saved though faith: and that not of yourself: it is the gift of God (II Tim. 1:9 also Rom. 4:16 and Matt. 16:17).
(V.9) NOT of works, lest any man should boast.
Grace is the love and mercy of God in action, mercy is negative and love is positive: both together means grace, to show mercy in love, is grace, God showed mercy in Love when he sent His son to bear our sins in His own body on the cross (John 3:16, 17).
THE GRACE OF GOD IS A SAVING FORCE (Rom. 8:38-39).
(1) The grace of God is unconditional: that is, we are not saved on the condition that we "hold out unto the end" or that we "fail not" or that we "do our best" we are saved by the grace of God, apart from works.
(2) The grace of God is sufficient (II Cor. 12:9).
(3) The grace of God makes no discrimination (Rev. 22:17).
(4) The grace of God is justified (Rom. 3:23-24).
(5) The grace of God makes every believer an heir (Titus 3:7).
(6) The grace of God teaches the believer how to live (Titus 2:11-12).
The grace of God is nothing more than the unlimited love of God, expressed in the gift of His son, our savior, it is the undeserved love of God toward sinners.
V.) THE TRINITY OF GOD: (Matthew 3:16-17)
(V.16) And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and Lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him:
(V.17) And Lo, a voice from heaven, saying this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.
(St. John 12:28) Father glorify thy name, then came there a voice from heaven saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again, (also Ps. 2:7) I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, thou art my son: this day have I begotten thee. (And Luke 9:35) And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, this is my beloved son hear Him. (also Col. 1:13) who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear son....
As we said, God is a personality and therefore the study of Him is incomplete, the Holy Ghost is God and without an understanding of God one cannot understand the Holy Ghost, the scriptures begin with the sublime statement, "In the beginning GOD" Gen. 1:1; this statement indicates the full working of the trinity.
The infinite mind cannot grasp the thought that there was a time when there was absolutely nothing but GOD. Whether the Father existed at first alone, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit proceeded from Him, thus making the divine three, is not clear. If the expression - "I will pray the Father and He will give you another comforter," Jesus made in John 14:16 is to be taken literally then the Holy Spirit was co-existent with the Father from the beginning as with the Son, making them both eternal.
MEMORY TEXT:
"In the beginning God. . ." (Gen. 1:1)
