The name “God” is the Bible’s name for the divine nature which is possessed by the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The purpose of this series of lessons is to add to our knowledge of how great our God is.
Before beginning this study, we are aware that a full knowledge of this subject is unattainable to us, because His greatness is far beyond human comprehension. Notice David’s disclaimer under the title above, Psalm 139:6. However, we can understand many things that we may not have known before.
We associate daily with people whose conversation indicates they do not give God a second thought. For Christians, Sunday is a special day on which we worship God.
Seemingly, most people never seem to give God a single thought on this special day. To many, Sunday is considered a day you can do anything you want to do, from watching a ball game on TV, mowing the lawn, sleeping late, going fishing, visiting friends and relatives, etc., etc.
In our present contemporary culture, many religious groups are seeing a decline in attendance. Many feel America has now reached what they call the post-Christian age.
Even among active Christians, some have not come to the realisation of just how great our God is. The name “God” can become nothing more than just a word. We have not learned as much as we could have learned.
Our lack of knowledge about God may be due in part to the fact that many of us are not frequent readers of the Bible. Paul reminds us that our faith comes about by hearing His word, Romans 10:13. This includes reading also.
Our purpose in this series will be to expand our knowledge of how great and loving our God is. There will always remain many things we would like to know, but we can expand our knowledge on certain things that we may not have thought of before.
This series of lessons on “How Great Thou Art” hopefully will leave us with a desire to give Him greater honour and respect because of who He is. God himself reminds us in the following verse.
The apostle Paul declares the following.
This takes away any bragging we might boast about our knowledge and understanding of the Godhead. Again, we must remind ourselves that it is impossible to fully grasp and articulate the full awesomeness of God. While God is beyond our ability to fully comprehend, this must not deter us from learning all that we can.
Robert Herrick wrote the following.
‘Tis hard to find God, but to comprehend Him, as He is, is labour without end.’
Great hymns such as, “How Great Thou Art”, plus many other great hymns, help us to express our admiration for God’s greatness and what he has done for us. When we finish this series, hopefully, we will be able to sing with greater feeling, show more respect for His word, and express more awe for what he did for us on the cross. We need to progress from factual knowledge to a deeper spiritual outlook.
Worship can be the most meaningful time of the week for us. For example, Hymns tend to stir our emotions and make us feel closer to the Lord. Hymns tend to move us to greater spiritual heights. They are more than just words that come from the mouth. It is a recognition of the greatness of God. Take a look at one of the great hymns we often sing.
As we talk to God in prayer, there is a feeling of security within us simply knowing He is listening and welcomes our petitions. God also appreciates our expressions of thanksgiving for all He does for us.
He knows that we rely on Him for our very existence. There is something humbling and cleansing as we partake of the Lord’s Supper each week. The time we spend in partaking of the Lord’s Supper lets the Lord know that we will never forget the great sacrifice He made that we might be cleansed from our sins.
He knows we are keeping alive and fresh in our memories His crucifixion. The death of Jesus on the cross is the very heart and core of the Gospel. He is pleased when He sees us read with great respect for His Word.
The preaching of the gospel is special in that it strengthens us as well as brings those outside of Christ into fellowship with Him by hearing His word declared and submitting themselves to His will. Our giving is special to Him as it shows that we want to see the gospel carried into all the world.
Worship is a great privilege. We should look forward to worship. It can be one of the most difficult responsibilities we engage in. It requires concentration. It is so easy for our minds to wander; thus, we fail to really enjoy worship. We are to worship God “in spirit and truth,” John 4:24.
Sometimes we fail to worship in the Spirit. There will always be unavoidable distractions at times during worship. But we need to prompt ourselves and refocus our minds back to worship. Also, some look upon worship as a duty and thus miss out on the spirit of worship. Duty can rob us of the joy of worship.
Are we glad when we know worship is approaching? Like David, we need to rejoice when we see that the hour of worship is approaching, Hebrews 10:23-25. God is called by many Hebrew names in the Bible. Many of these names might be designated as descriptive names. They help us to understand who God is. A few are listed below.
Adonai, the LORD, my great LORD. He is our total authority, Isaiah 40:3-5.
El, the strong one. more powerful than any pagan god, Exodus 15:2.
El Elyon, the God of Israel. The name Abraham gave to an altar, Genesis 33:20.
Elohim, the all-powerful one, the creator, Genesis 1:1.
El Olam, the eternal God, the everlasting God, Genesis 21:33.
Immanuel, God with us. “I Am,” Matthew 1:23.
Jehovah, the one who is the self-existent one. God never changes, Exodus 3:14.
Jehovah-Jireh, the lord will provide, Genesis 3:14.
Yah-weh, god’s personal name, Exodus 3:14-15.
The Jews felt His name to sacred to be pronounced. They used the name Adonai.
The phrase “I Am who I Am” has received much attention through the ages as to its exact meaning and has been debated. The name, “I Am,” became so revered by the Jews that they refused to speak it.
It was so sacred that they feared that they might show irreverence by speaking it as they might pronounce it improperly. In most English versions, it is translated as the Lord.
Transliterated, it is Yahweh. Originally, it was composed of four consonants, YHWH, with vowels added later on. Again, to the Jews, the name was too sacred to pronounce.
The name “Lord” is used more than six thousand eight hundred times in the Hebrew text of the Bible. There are some other interesting names that God is known by. He is referred to as a rock.
He is looked upon as a king. Isaiah saw the Lord seated upon a throne and exclaimed, “My eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty,” Isaiah 6:5. He is referred to as a Shepherd. He is called the Shepherd of Israel, Ezekiel 34. He is called the First and Last in Isaiah 44:6. God uses this name to affirm that there are no other gods.
He is also called Master and Owner. These denote absolute ownership. God’s name is to be treated with the greatest reverence and respect.
The son of an Israelite woman blasphemed the name of God. We are told that they brought him to Moses and put him in custody until the will of God was made clear to them. The Lord responded as follows.
God expects the utmost respect when we use His name. After Israel worshipped the golden calf at the foot of Mount Sinai, Moses pleaded with God not to destroy the people. God’s answer to Moses was, “Do not worship any other God for the Lord; whose name is Jealous, He is a jealous God,” Exodus 34:14.
It disturbs God when man turns to lifeless images and gives them the praise, adoration and respect that they should be giving to Him only. God is a jealous God. He is the only one who should be worshipped.
It is common today to hear God’s name used in a disrespectful way. One expression we often hear is when someone sees something that excites or thrills them, they often respond with the expression “Oh My God.”
God’s name must be respected and not used as a response to something frivolous. Often, God’s name is used as a curse word by someone who is angry or agitated at something or someone. God’s name is often used in a flippant way, as in a joke or a funny story someone is telling. Again, this is disrespectful to the eternal God who created us.
We owe everything to the Lord, even our existence. He deserves our greatest respect.
God should be the object of all our desires, the end of all our actions, the principle of all our affections, and the governing power of our whole souls. Jean Baptiste Massillon
One of the most difficult things for us to comprehend is the relationship between God, Space and Time. We might begin this study with a question: What is time? Where did it come from?
Man has divided the earth into 24 time zones. The International Date Line has been set in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. On the west side of that line, a new day begins, whereas on the east side of that line, the day ends.
As an example, if you are living in Texas and place a phone call to Australia at 11 a.m. Tuesday morning, then at the same moment a person in Australia picks up the phone to answer, the time will be 2 a.m. Tuesday.
During WW II, I actually went completely around the world backwards, and when crossing the International Date Line, I lost a complete day out of my life, which I have never regained.
So, what is this thing we call time? It was created by God for the use of man. It is an abstract concept, so we do not expect an answer that adequately tells us all we would like to know. It is the universal frame in which God sees all events that have happened as well as those yet to take place.
It is as if God can look down from heaven and see all events that have happened and those yet to happen. Time had a beginning, and eventually it will have an end. We would not be able to function effectively without time to tell us when to carry out our earthly plans.
Without time, we would have total confusion, as all our earthly actions would be very dysfunctional. Without time, everything would happen all at once. So, God made time strictly for the benefit of mankind.
There are certain passages that tell us when time began and also when time will end. Genesis 1:1 tells us emphatically when time began. “In the beginning God created the heavens and earth.” Before this, there was no time, only eternity.
Time was inserted within eternity by God for man’s convenience. The Bible also tells us when time will come to an end. “And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” No one can give a date for its beginning or a date for its ending. There has been much speculation, but only God knows the answers.
Thus, time will cease to exist. God divided the day into two units: day and night. The Babylonians began their day at sunrise. For the Jews, their new day began at sunset.
The Egyptians and Romans began their day at midnight. This is the time that we and most other nations begin our day. A day has been divided into twenty-four hours. This was probably done by the ancient Babylonians. They also divided the hour into sixty minutes, and a minute has been divided into 60 seconds.
It is clear that the origin of the week rests squarely on God’s sovereign choice to create all things in six days and then rest on the seventh day. The Roman Army had its nights divided into “watches” of three hours.
At first, sundials seem to have been the main method of determining what time of the day it was, but they would have been useless at night. It would be difficult, if not impossible, for society to function in today’s world without time. The modern-day atomic clock makes it possible to be more accurate than any other physical device.
God dwells eternally in heaven. He lives outside of time and space.
This is why He can be our judge because he can always see everything men think, say, and do. It also explains why he could inspire the prophets to foretell events in the future because he can see every event that has happened and every event that will happen.
Since he dwells in heaven, this is the same as saying he lives in eternity. God sees all of mankind and everything they are doing. Also, remember God is Omniscient, which is a subject we will study later. To God, time means nothing. One thousand years is a day to God, and a thousand years is the same as a day as far as God is concerned.
Thus, God lives eternally. He lives in eternity, for heaven is eternity. God can and does choose to come to earth and enter time for special occasions, but He is not bound by time. Jesus surrendered to God’s thoughts and ways, which are not always the same as our thoughts and ways.
Time only affects us in the physical world, but not God and all other beings who are in heaven, such as the Godhead and all the angels who are also in the spiritual world.
God, then, is outside of time. With God, it is always NOW. This is one of those difficult concepts that is hard for us to grasp. Difficult as it may be, the correct basis for our understanding of time is to realise that God is outside of time.
What about space? You cannot have space without time. Neither can you have space and time without God. Space is just as real as the sun, moon and stars. Is there an edge to space? Is space circular so that if you departed from a point, then in time you would arrive back at the same point where you started your space trip?
Some scientists would say space is nothingness, while others claim that it is a greyish matter of some kind that fills in around the billions of celestial bodies that make up our universe! If it were possible to reach the edge of space, what then would you find beyond space?
Does space continue on beyond what we can see through telescopes? Our modern telescopes delve into the deepest parts of space, but they can only go so far. As you can see, we are getting in way over our heads.
Only God, who created space, knows the answer to all our questions about space. We can only look in amazement at what our God has done. Truly, we can sing, How Great Thou Art. The creation of the universe should cause us to have the greatest awe and respect for our God.
How does Christ relate to space, time and matter?
The Holy Spirit was involved in creation, as He is mentioned as having a part in the creation.
Standing first in the Godhead is God the Father. It is difficult to discuss God with accuracy as we are limited to using finite words to describe Him. The word “eternal” is a term beyond our comprehension. There is neither beginning nor is there and ending for God.
God existed before time and will exist after time comes to an end. We have already noticed that God created time for man’s use.
The word omniscient does not appear in the Bible, but it can apply to God. It simply means “without limitations.” He is without any limits in his knowledge. He knows the height of the mountains, the number of hairs on our head, the cause of cancer, how long the world will last, etc.
Any discovery of man, God already knows about it because he created it to begin with. God our father knows every move we will ever make. He knows our hearts, thoughts and motives.
The father’s providence rests upon his omniscience. Joseph is a good example. Joseph told his brothers, “God sent me before you to preserve life,” Genesis 45:5. With the Psalmist, we must say, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot obtain it,” Psalm 139:6.
This means the Father is limitless in power. It is impossible to conceive of God being limited in any way except that he can limit himself. His power brings to our minds the creation of the universe.
Just think, he spoke it into existence, the universe from nothing. The vastness of space boggles our minds. In our Galaxy alone (Milky Way), there are at least 8.8 billion stars.
Billions of planets about the size of the Earth orbit stars just as our sun. There are thousands of other Galaxies. The Hebrew writer speaks of God “upholding all things by the word of his power,” Hebrews 1:3.
Just as quickly, he can end all things, 2 Peter 3:7-12. Also, there is his spiritual creation. This brings to mind heaven, the angels, that part Jesus is preparing for the redeemed.
While this word is not found in the Bible, it describes a characteristic of God. It means that God is present everywhere at once.
We are surrounded with pictures and words we cannot see, feel or hear. Our incapacity to see them does not mean they do not exist. They reach us by invisible waves such as radio, TV, and cell phones. We need special receivers to receive these signals.
Our incapacity to see, hear or feel God’s presence does not mean He is not near at this moment. It is his decision not to reveal himself in some visible form and speak in audible languages.
His written word is sufficient. It does require faith on our part. This, to some, seems hard to believe since we cannot see, feel, hear or know that God is present.
The indwelling of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in us can be better understood when we accept the omnipresence of God. I accept the fact that cell phone, radio and TV waves are all around me.
It is just as easy to believe in the indwelling of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The important question for us is what this indwelling does for us, or do we reject it?
If God is in total control and has already planned all things according to his purpose, how can man be free to choose? The Bible teaches that while God is in control of his creation, he has given man the freedom to choose his own actions.
Even though God is in complete control of his creation, he never forces anyone to do anything against their will. God incorporated freedom of choice into his creation, but the best choice is the recommendation of Jesus, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” Matthew 11:28.
If God has planned all things according to his purpose, how can prayer change things?
God is able to “Declare the end from the beginning,” because both appear simultaneously to him. Remember it is always ‘now’ with God. Nothing that happens surprises him or catches him off guard. He saw every event before the world was created. Thus, He considered our requests before we ever uttered them.
God has made full allowance for our prayers. He allows our prayers to be a part of his plan and purpose. He can allow our prayers to enter into events and also arrange the events to fit the request of our prayers. What about unanswered prayers? God has taken all prayers into account and how others might be affected by our requests.
The population of our world has now reached seven and a half billion. It is simply amazing that He knows about me, just a little speck on this earth. Yet He hears my prayers and knows all that I do. What is the best answer to your prayers?
A no answer must be accepted in faith. By answering no, it may in some way bring about good to many whom we do not even know about. God hears and knows the best answer.
By faith, we accept his answer, even though we may not know why we do not always get the answer we want. We may get a yes answer, but it is being delayed for a purpose we do not know about.
We have been discussing the prayers that we offer up to God and how prayer can change everything, but sometimes an opposite event occurs when we have prayed for something we feel is important.
When an opposite event occurs, your prayer has not been ignored. It has been considered and possibly refused for your ultimate good and the good of the entire universe.
When I pray, I feel it is just the Father and me, which is true. I forget that at the same moment, there are thousands of other prayers that are going up to our God, some at the same time.
Mine may conflict with someone else. He has to take into account all requests that are made. My special request may not be best for me or someone else or for others.
There are alternative answers to any request that we may ask. Christ’s death on the cross is one of the greatest examples that we can give. His request was, “Father, if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me,” Luke 22:42, meaning his death on the cross.
In this case, there was no other alternative but for Jesus to die if men were to be rescued from sin. Note that Jesus takes into account God’s will over his own will, even though he was the son of God.
The Christian receives joy in knowing every prayer he or she utters is heard by God! God answers by giving us what is best for us at the time, and everyone else who may be involved. It is no wonder that Paul said to “pray without ceasing,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17. He wants to hear our requests.
One thing we know about the divine essence of God is that God is love. This is not all, but certainly one of his reigning attributes. In fact, love originated with God. We would never know what love is if he had not loved us.
If God is love, then why has he allowed sin, evil, pain, suffering, sickness and death to exist in the world? Can these things be reconciled with love? From Genesis 1 / Genesis 2, it is evident that man was created with the freedom to choose good or evil, to believe or disbelieve, obey or disobey, to love or hate.
To create a world without all of these choices would have made man a robot incapable of manifesting any love to anyone. He would only do what he was programmed to do.
Because man was given the freedom of choice, unfortunately, he has chosen to live in violation of God’s will. In giving man the freedom of choice, God had to risk the probability of man’s rebelling against his creator.
So why place man here in the first place? God knew very well what man would do. Thus, before man came into existence, God planned for man’s redemption. The answer is found in Ephesians.
But shouldn’t the eternal death of one person be too much for a loving God to endure? Why didn’t he drop his plan of creation since man would turn out to be so rebellious? God has not told us why. The answer to this may lie in the depths of God’s eternal love. An illustration may help.
On our wedding day, we make vows of commitment to someone we truly love for life. This includes all the sickness and health that may come. At some point, there will be death, which separates us. Thus, we make our commitments already knowing there will be difficult times.
We accept this kind of uncertain future because we believe the present moment of giving ourselves to one another in love is worth any loss or hardships we may suffer in the future. God could have felt our love for him would be worth far more than what he would lose. Love far surpasses our losses.
Also, we know God is able to bring about blessings out of hardships. The sin that brought about the terrible crucifixion of our Lord caused our redemption. God chose the very best plan.
Again, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,” Psalm 139:6. Truly, God’s knowledge is beyond our comprehension. However, we believe and trust him to cause all things to work together for our good
1. Realise that human sufferings can have a meaningful purpose which we cannot always fathom.
2. Realise it will only be temporary, Romans 8:18.
3. We should expect some suffering simply because men have set themselves up in opposition to God’s divine will, 1 Peter 4:12-14.
Christians living in our nation have not experienced such hardships as existed in the first century, but we may be getting closer than we realise.
4. Finally, we should rejoice that God will turn it all into good, Romans 8:28.
5. Again, remember that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts nor are his ways like our ways, Isaiah 55:8-9.
We cannot think on the same level that God thinks on. There are many things that we cannot understand which will happen to us. We accept them because knowing that we have a loving God who loves us very much and will do what is best for us. We trust him because he will never fail us.
6. God gives us a choice, Deuteronomy 30:19.
We may think we know better than God, but we don’t. We recognise that God’s truth is absolute and without any fault. We can be assured he is doing what is best for us.
Having considered God, the Father, we turn our attention to God the Son. It may feel a little strange to say, “God the Son”, as we tend to think of the Father only as being God and that Jesus is not on the same level as God the Father.
But Jesus was just as much God as was the Father. We specifically assign unto him the work of incarnation. The literal meaning of “incarnate” is to embody the flesh. This is the event whereby the Eternal Word (God) would embody flesh.
He appeared on earth being 100% human, possessing all the faculties of manhood.
A very important passage which reveals this truth is the following.
This one act in itself deserves our eternal praise and admiration. In becoming flesh, He left heaven and all its glories. This meant that during his earthly sojourn, it was necessary for him to live under human limitations. This involved the miraculous conception and virgin birth of Jesus foretold in Isaiah 7:14.
In becoming flesh, Jesus assumed more than a human body. He assumed human nature as well. He had human flesh and blood, a human mind, human emotions, human blood and flesh, a soul, and a spirit. So, Jesus was not only 100% God, but he was also 100% man, too, and he gave up his divine nature to take on human nature.
This is just one of the amazing facets of the Godhead that is difficult for us to understand. How could he be both? When we come into contact with the many facets of the Godhead which are beyond our ability to comprehend, it should humble us and, at the same time, increase our appreciation for who our God is!
When we come across such attributes of greatness, we are made to realise he deserves our praise and honour throughout eternity. One day we shall meet our God and see him in all his glory. What a day that will be.
Just think about what he did. The Son was willing to deny himself the use of his divine attributes. He relinquished the glory that he had with the Father and the Holy Spirit. His glory, which he had in heaven, became veiled with human flesh just as a bright light can be diminished by a filter.
The filter does not make the light itself any less bright but simply limits the extent to which it can be used. Philippians 2:8 says that Jesus “humbled himself.” He was willing to give up the glory he had in heaven and to receive rejection on earth, even to being abused and made to suffer shamefully on a Roman cross. He loved us so much that he was willing to become a sacrifice for our sins by dying on the cross.
While his divine attributes were always present, only occasionally did they show, such as the time when he was transfigured on the mountain. He admonished the three disciples who were with him at the time not to tell anyone what they had witnessed. He did not seek fame and the praise of men.
It was decided by the Godhead even before the foundation (creation) of the world “that we (the redeemed) should be holy and without blame before Him in love,” Ephesians 1:4. How could this become possible?
He had to enter the world by his birth to a young woman who did not understand what was happening, but accepted it because it was the Holy Spirit that would bring the child into this world.
He had to grow up as a child, learning and developing all the time as he grew into manhood. He allowed himself to become flesh to the extent he could be tempted, just as we are tempted by none other than Satan himself, Matthew 4:1-11.
Man’s only hope was to be reconciled to God. This was possible only through the Word becoming flesh.
Another word that is most fitting to describe the Lord’s mission is the word “redemption.” To redeem is to repurchase. It can mean to buy something back. This is precisely what had to be done for man. He had to be brought back to God. Because of his sins, he had drifted away from God. He was lost, unsaved and needed to be redeemed.
Another important word that is associated with God the Son is the word “atonement.” When offences are committed, justice must be satisfied. Under Old Testament law, when man offended God and his law, there had to be something sufficient to meet and satisfy the claims of justice. For centuries, this was the mystery of mysteries. Only the blood of Christ, the only begotten of God the Father, could satisfy this need for justice.
Thus, it was the responsibility of the second person in the Godhead to accomplish this great feat through His incarnation and his death on the cross. This work was distinctively that of the God the Son. This work will continue until death is destroyed.
His final work will be to sit in judgment.
Again, we must say, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,” Psalm 139:6.
God, the Holy Spirit, is one of the most important subjects in the Bible. It is also one of the most controversial and neglected subjects in the Bible. Part of this is because it has been difficult for some to think of the Holy Spirit as being God. Thus, less attention is given to the Holy Spirit.
There are many who think the subject of the Holy Spirit should be left alone because there are too many mysteries concerning the Spirit. There are so many false teachings about the Spirit that many, no doubt, are very confused and wish to leave the subject alone.
But the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit in numerous passages. While there are many mysteries, there is much to be learned about who he is and what his work is.
1. We need to recognise that the Holy Spirit is God.
The Holy Spirit is a person. John speaks directly about this truth.
In these verses, the Holy Spirit is referred to nine times by the use of the personal pronoun, masculine gender, singular number. The Holy Spirit, then, is not an “it” or a “thing.” The Holy Spirit is a Divine being, the third person in the Godhead.
Jesus has commanded us to be baptised in “The name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19. In 2 Corinthians 13:14, we have the apostle Paul invoking “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit” upon the Corinthians.
Then at the baptism of Christ, we have “The Spirit of God descending like a dove, a voice from heaven saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:16-17. It should be clear that the Holy Spirit is God, a part of the Godhead who is a coequal person, yet distinct in personality.
Some say the Godhead is a threefold manifestation of one person. This would make the Godhead one person. Others would say there are three Gods, but this ignores the unity of the Godhead.
There is one Divine essence (substance), but there are three who possess this one essence. Certainly, this is difficult to understand, but nevertheless, we accept it by faith.
Even if God had revealed this mystery in detail, it is doubtful our finite minds could comprehend how three can be one. God has revealed all he wants us to know on this subject. For the present and we must be willing to be satisfied with what he has revealed, even though we cannot comprehend it.
We will have to be patient and wait until we get to heaven to understand the divine essence of the Godhead. One of the exciting things about heaven is that we shall see, hear and understand so much more than we do now. For the present, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,” Psalm 139:6.
The expression “Baptism of the Holy Spirit” is a figure of speech. So is the expression “I will pour forth of my Spirit.” There is no literal pouring since he is not a liquid. Baptism is an overwhelming, submerging, it was simply overwhelming by the Holy Spirit.
It was strictly a promise made primarily to the apostles. John the Baptist said the following.
Jesus said the following.
Just before ascending to heaven, Jesus gave some parting words to his disciples on the Mount of Olives.
The results of this baptism were twofold. First, it served to convince the people that the apostles spoke the truth.
2. With the coming of the Holy Spirit on the apostles, the Holy Spirit would enable them not only to speak in their own dialect but to speak in languages which they had never learned.
3. The Spirit enabled them to speak the truth.
Jesus had promised them that the Holy Spirit would “Guide you into all truth”, John 16:13. No one was ever commanded to be baptised in the Holy Spirit. It was only a promise. It never made anyone a Christian. Jesus referred to it as the “Promise of the Father”, Acts 1:4.
There are only two times that it is recorded as happening. The apostles used this promise when they spoke to the people on the day of Pentecost. There were at least fifteen nations represented there, Acts 2:5-11. When the apostles spoke, each person understood in their own native language.
There were other miraculous things that happened, such as the sound of a powerful wind. We see this gift happening again in Acts 10 when Peter spoke to the household of Cornelius (Gentiles).
We are told that the people who had come to hear Peter speak of Jesus soon began to “speak in tongues and also to magnify God,” Acts 10:46-47. This convinced Peter that the Lord accepted the Gentiles and wanted them to hear the gospel as well as the Jews.
In the beginning, the Jews avoided the Gentiles, but God is making it clear that he wants all people to have the opportunity to hear the gospel preached. In time, there would be far more Gentiles who would become Christians and Jews. The day before this, Peter would not have gone to the Gentiles.
Later on, Peter was called in by the Jews to explain his actions. After he explained the situation, the Jewish brethren also came to believe that God wanted the Gentiles to hear the gospel.
Prejudice is often very hard to break down, but the household of Cornelius speaking in tongues was clear evidence that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles.
All the gifts of the Holy Spirit eventually would pass away by the time the New Testament was completed. These gifts of the Holy Spirit would no longer be essential.
People could read for themselves or have someone read to them from the inspired word, which was by now in written form (scrolls) by the end of the century forming the New Testament.
Since they did not have printing presses, they could not have produced a large number of New Testaments because they were handwritten. At first, various letters were circulated among the different churches. In time, all the books would be brought together to form the New Testament.
Later on, some individuals would become owners of a New Testament even though they would have been expensive to purchase. The New Testament was probably completed after the book of Revelation was written, but it would take time to get all the books into circulation among the churches.
At first, there would have been a need for interpreters (inspired men) to give the meaning of the many apocalyptic words and phrases found in this great book, Revelation 1:3.
Jesus speaks of these different gifts in giving the great commission to go and preach the gospel to all the world.
The important thing to notice in these verses is that “these signs shall follow them.” These gifts would be their credentials. They would be proof that those preaching the gospel were preaching the truth.
In 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul makes an interesting remark. “Trophimus have I left at Miletus sick.” Since Paul had the power to heal, why didn’t he heal Trophimus? Obviously, because the purpose of this particular gift was not for every sick person.
It was for the purpose of verifying or confirming the word of God. The same was true with all those who went out to preach the gospel. They had signs, wonders, and miracles to prove that God was guiding them as they preached the gospel.
Nicodemus, in speaking with Jesus, said the following.
The same was true with those who later went out to preach the gospel. They had signs, wonders, and miracles to prove that God was with them as they spoke the gospel.
In 1 Corinthians 12:4, Paul said there was a “diversity of gifts” given by the Holy Spirit to the church. In its infancy, without the written word (the New Testament), there was a special need for these gifts. Paul names nine distinct gifts that were in use as the gospel began to spread.
1. Word of wisdom, 1 Corinthians 12:8, doctrines of the gospel as possessed by the apostles and evangelists, Ephesians 4:11.
2. Word of knowledge, 1 Corinthians 12:8, given to preachers to reveal the mystery hidden since before the foundations of the world, Ephesians 1:9-10.
3. Faith, 1 Corinthians 12:9, a special faith that enabled one to do miracles.
4. Gifts of healing, 1 Corinthians 12:9, miraculous healing of diseases.
5. Working of miracles, 1 Corinthians 12:10, probably greater things than healings.
6. Prophesying, 1 Corinthians 12:10, the ability to foretell future events, such as Agabus, Acts 11:27-30 / Acts 21:10-14.
7. Discerning of spirits, 1 Corinthians 12:10, the ability to identify and expose false teachers.
8. The ability to speak in languages they did not know, 1 Corinthians 12:10.
This would be valuable on distant mission fields where you might not know their native tongue.
9. Interpretation of tongues, 1 Corinthians 12:10, often this was necessary for those who did not understand the tongues being spoken.
It is interesting that among those who make the claim that the gifts of the Holy Spirit still exist today, only two of the nine gifts listed by Paul are supposedly performed today. Since nine gifts are mentioned by Paul shouldn’t all nine of them be in existence today?
It should be observed that these gifts listed by Paul were bestowed on Christians by the laying on of the hands of the apostles. Acts 8:15-17 is very clear on this matter.
Philip, who was an evangelist, was in need of assistance in his work of preaching to the people of Samaria. The converts had increased to the point that there was a need for the Holy Spirit to come upon some of the new converts so they could now assist Philip.
Peter and John were dispatched from Jerusalem to help the situation.
Acts 19:6 tells us that Paul ran into some who had only been baptized into John’s baptism. Seeing their error, they “were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
Paul said that these gifts of the Holy Spirit were to last, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, Ephesians 4:13.
To the Corinthians, he wrote, “Whether there be prophecies, they shall vanish away……but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away,” 1 Corinthians 13:8 / 1 Corinthians 13:10. That which is perfect is the “perfect law of liberty” mentioned in James 1:25.
With the completion of the New Testament, there would no longer be any need for these gifts to prove the speaker’s words were true. The day would come when they would have the complete word for their proof.
The gifts served their purpose; there was no need for them. When the last apostle died, there was no one left to bestow these gifts. These gifts were always bestowed by the laying on of the hands of the apostles.
The awesomeness of our God is tremendous. His works are so profound that they are beyond our comprehension. In a negative sense, the word “awesome” can be intense fear mixed with trembling, as was the case of Saul when he realised that the one he had been persecuting was Jesus speaking to him, Acts 9:5-6.
Awesome can also be used in a good sense, as in Philippians 2:12, where Paul writes, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Salvation is a serious matter and should be treated with the greatest amount of respect.
God went to great lengths to make it possible for man to have salvation. His plan took many years to be completed, as it originated in heaven even before the world came into existence.
When it finally became available, many accepted it with great joy and appreciation, while others rejected it and scoffed at those who risked their lives to carry the gospel into all the world.
It seems evident that Satan himself had no idea what God was up to when he gave so much emphasis to the Old Testament sacrificial laws that He gave to the Jews.
Then, when Jesus came, Satan did what he could to prevent Jesus from accomplishing any mission he might be on when he came to earth. Even right up to the time when Jesus was crucified on the cross, I believe Satan did not understand what God’s plan was to redeem mankind.
The prophets foretold many things about the coming of Jesus, even His death on the cross, but even the prophets themselves did not understand all that was involved in their prophecies. It must have been a strange experience to write about things you did not know what you were writing about.
No one can outguess God and His word. The word “Awe” has the meaning of showing respectful fear and wonder at God. The word “AWE” itself carries with it the idea of respectful fear, wonder and reverence. It suggests a submissive and admiring fear of God and all of his works. Awe is fear mingled with reverence.
Unfortunately, the word “awesome” has been trivialised by its use for any event or accomplishment that has nothing to do with God and His wisdom. The scriptures extol an awesome God. Only God is awesome. He needs to be viewed in this way.
There were six hundred thousand men plus their families and their livestock, a total of two million people. They crossed the Red Sea in one night, Exodus 14:21-29.
It has been estimated that it would have required an opening of three miles and then have five thousand people to walk abreast to get everyone over in one night.
This is not possible from a human standpoint. But suppose God tinkered with time, stretching it long enough to allow the people time to get across with all their animals? Once God made the sun stand still, Joshua 10:12-14. Could he not make the night longer? This was a miraculous event.
God is not controlled by time; He controls time. God does not have to use time to accomplish his purposes. We really don’t know how this was accomplished, but God’s power is so great that He could have accomplished it without any problems.
When Israel arrived at Mount Sinai, it had been some six hundred and thirty-five years since God had promised Abraham that he would make his descendants a great nation. Why so long?
It seems obvious that God accomplishes his purposes without having to use time to determine when certain events will occur. Remember God lives outside of time. He dwells in heaven, which is eternal in nature, having no beginning or ending.
For those who believe that God is all-knowing, and is all-powerful, and can be present at any place at any time, then it is reasonable that we are indebted to show proper respect to the creator of our universe.
The dictionary defines fear as dread or terror. However, in this verse, the writer is speaking specifically of reverential fear. It is a controlling motive of life in matters spiritual and moral.
It is not a fear of God’s power and righteous retribution. It is a dread of displeasing Him. We want to please Him, and when we do things that are wrong, we realise we have sinned against God. We are determined not to oppose Him.
It is our sincere desire to please Him simply because of who God is, the Creator of the universe and mankind. We do not want to do anything that would oppose His will. We will not hesitate to do His will.
Abraham is a great example of someone who had Godly fear. God tested Abraham by commanding him to offer his only son as a sacrifice.
Abraham did not hesitate to do what God asked him to do. Abraham took Isaac, some wood, a donkey and two servants and travelled to the place God had designated for Isaac to be sacrificed.
Isaac did not know the real intention of this trip. Little did he recognise he was to be the sacrifice himself. He even inquired where they would get an animal, Genesis 22:7-8.
When they arrived, Abraham put the wood on Isaac and drew his knife to kill him. Can you imagine what Abraham was thinking all this time, but he did not want to oppose God’s command? What was Isaac thinking? Was he willing to be a sacrifice?
He drew his knife to plunge it into the body of Isaac, but suddenly an angel called out to him from heaven. Abraham! Abraham. Here I am he replied. Do not lay a hand on the boy, he said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son, Genesis 22:11-12.
All mankind is told to fear God and keep his commandments. Moses, speaking to the Israelites, said the following.
At the Red Sea, Moses spoke to the Israelites and told them, “Do not be afraid, God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning,” Exodus 20:20.
Peter encourages Christians by telling them the following.
While on earth, Jesus displayed Godly fear.
Paul instructed the saints about fear.
In Acts 9:31, we learn that the churches throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria were living “in the fear of the Lord.” Paul writes to the Christians in Corinth, encouraging them to perfect their reverence for God.
Ecclesiastes gives some very good advice.
We are surrounded by all kinds of fear in our everyday lives. The only way to get rid of this kind of fear is to respect God by respecting what has been given to us by the Holy Spirit. Godly fear is a healthy spiritual ingredient which we need on a daily basis. We learn that Jesus had Godly fear (fear of failing God).
The Lord has to be especially careful how he conducts himself in the flesh. One mistake could result in a failure of God’s plan to redeem mankind. We are told by Luke that the “church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace.
It was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit; it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord,” Acts 9:31. Reverent respect for the Lord, his Word and the church will result in good things.
We often sing the hymn “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come,” Revelation 4:8. I don’t think there is any way we can overdo our praise of God. The word “Holy” means bright, pure, perfect, untainted, deserving of our highest respect.
God is separated from anything that is vile or evil. It would be impossible for him to be evil. Unfortunately, there have always been those who are angry at God and want to accuse Him of hurting them in some way.
Many feel God did not answer their prayers and thus resent him. Such people do not realise that God is completely separated from anything evil or harmful to someone. If He gives no answer to our prayer, it may be the best answer one could receive.
Certainly, God would keep us from defilement or immorality by answering dangerous requests people make. He would keep us from false worship, heathen idolatry, if by doing so he does not go against their free will. God created us with free will to run our lives as we want to. He does not force us to obey him.
Unfortunately, we clamour for things that could make us engage in sinful acts. Our freedom allows us to make very bad decisions and violate His law. Holiness in the Old Testament and in the New Testament is applied in the highest sense to God. No one is above or supersedes our God.
His perfection is the most beautiful sight to be seen. He is the most beautiful example of moral excellence and perfection that we can find. We sing, “Oh to be like Him.” Why? Because of who He is.
His perfect character serves as a model for us. Wouldn’t we all like to be like him! It is a challenge because we are so frail and weak at times that it is hard for us to be exactly like him. But we have a model we can be constantly looking at with the greatest admiration.
His holiness is like a magnet. It draws us closer to His side. We also sing, “More about Jesus would I know.” Why? To be like Jesus is a wonderful achievement. To feel clean and free from sin and its results is a feeling like no other. To be a part of the redeemed and experience the fellowship of those of like precious faith makes life fulfilling as nothing else we might do.
To profane is to show a lack of respect for God. It is to pollute; defile; the very opposite of sacred; unhallowed. We can see from the above scripture that God is very displeased when men profane His great name. Remember, the name of God in Hebrew was considered so sacred that the Jews would not pronounce it.
Think of justice, not vindication. Getting even contradicts God’s nature; judgment (justice) does not. The holiness of God requires that He pronounce justice.
If He neglects justice by overlooking sin, He would not be a holy God. God does not “get even” by overlooking sin. He would not be a holy God. God does not “get even.” He is implying being holy by punishing sin.
How should Christians respond to God’s holiness? Christians must be separated to God or set apart to God. In passages from Romans and Hebrews, we learn how important holiness is to an individual.
At some point, God created the Universe (heavens and the earth) and Time. The first verse in the Bible tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” Genesis 1:1. To set a time when it began is futile, for time did not exist until the creation.
Both the universe and time had a beginning and will eventually have an end. Eternity never had a beginning and will never have an ending. It has always been so.
This is where the Godhead and the angels exist. What is time? Where did it come from? When did it start? When will it end? We want to address these questions in this lesson as best as we can.
Presently, notice that on the opposite side of this sheet, you will be looking at a blank sheet. In the middle of the blank sheet is a small blocked area. The blocked area represents the place where time, the earth, the universe and space exist.
All four will cease to exist, leaving only the heavenly eternity. This is a clumsy illustration. It is very difficult to understand these things because we cannot think on the same level as God.
When we get to heaven, we probably will, as the song says, we will “Understand it better by and by.” At present, our faith keeps us from any doubts about creation, heaven and eternity.
1. Eternity is beyond our comprehension.
The study of eternity is difficult because it is not something mortal man can go and inspect and then come back and write about it. The dictionary says eternity has infinite duration, is everlasting, without intermission, is perpetual, seemingly endless, existing at all times.
All we can say is what I used to say as a boy, that it is forever and ever and ever and ever and will never have an end. There never was a beginning, and there will never be an end.
By faith, we accept the above poor illustration because we cannot describe it with human words. Heaven exists only in eternity. This is where God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Angels dwell. Someday, all the redeemed will also dwell there for eternity.
Jesus told his disciples the following.
This is one of the most comforting passages in the Bible, yet we still do not know what it will be like. Jesus assures His disciples that He will prepare a place for them. When God brings the world and time to an end, all the redeemed will join Him to dwell there forever.
Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you!” Where is this place? We know it will be in heaven, but where is heaven? Probably the best answer is that it will be in eternity. This boggles the mind.
We really have no words to explain it. Paul says he knew of a man who was caught up into heaven (probably Paul himself) and saw things that cannot be uttered.
The Jews had three heavens. The first one was the area where men and flying creatures live. Second, there was the area where all the stars exist. Third was heaven itself, which, like us, they knew little about. It cannot be seen from the Earth. It is beyond the universe. This is the place where God will dwell with us.
2. With God, time has nothing to do with heaven.
Time no longer exists. There is only eternity. On earth, we need time; without time, everything would happen all at once. There would be no minutes, hours, days, or years to separate events.
Since God created time, He can and does choose to come to earth, thus entering time for special occasions, but He is not bound by time by being on the earth. He has chosen to enter time on occasions when He felt His presence was needed. His entering time may have included such events as the crossing of the Red Sea and the forty days he met with Moses on Mt. Sinai.
This seems to have been His longest earthly stay, which was about thirty-three years. God has audibly spoken to man from heaven, as there was no need for Him to enter time (earth).
3. The little block in the middle of the blank sheet opposite this sheet represents time.
When did it come into existence? It was on the first day of creation in the beginning.
Time had its first 24 hours on the first day of creation.
4. What about space?
Space is a part of the universe. Space appears to be empty. It is called a false vacuum, yet we know it contains quantum particles. When viewed from Earth, the stars (celestial bodies) appear to be close to each other, but with the modern telescope, it can be seen that the stars are millions of light-years away from the Earth and from each other.
Space is unavoidable when we consider that the stars are so far apart. When the earth and everything in it is destroyed, does that include time and space? The answer is yes. Time is essential to space, and space is essential to time. You cannot have one without the other.
If there were no space, the universe with all its celestial bodies would collapse onto each other, and there would be no universe. Since God will destroy the universe, maybe he will let it collapse and burn itself up. The little box in the middle of the blank sheet will be removed, and only eternity and heaven will remain. What about hell? God has not revealed its location.
The ultimate motivation for our becoming Christians is to go to heaven, where there is no sickness or death. Of course, there are other reasons, such as relief from sins, and being united with God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Also, to be with the angels and all the redeemed from all ages. It will include loved ones we left behind and former friends. There will be no sickness or death there, Revelation 21:4.
Think about it, heaven is where we will see God, Christ and the holy angels. Its beauty is spoken of in highly figurative language, which makes us realise it will be the most beautiful place we can imagine, far more beautiful than we can imagine.
We would like to know more, but the Lord has chosen not to furnish all the information we would like to have. The answer may be found when Paul writes the following.
If the most gifted orator were to try to describe heaven using human speech, he would utterly fail. Paul implies that the one caught up to heaven was not permitted to express what he saw. We will just have to wait till we get there. It will be worth the wait.
The last two chapters of Revelation give us a description of the “crown of life” by using human words to describe heaven and all its glories. It sits on twelve foundations, each of a different precious stone, Revelation 21:19-20.
Rising from its foundation is a solid wall of jasper with twelve gates of pearl, Revelation 21:18-21. The holy city lies foursquare, but it is also 1,500 miles wide, high and long, Revelation 21:15-17, which roughly is one half the size of the U.S.
But remember this is human language we are reading, not the spiritual language spoken by the inhabitants of Heaven. We do not have to learn a new language, as we will be capable of speaking the language found there.
John says that the city appears as a bride adorned for her husband, Revelation 21:2. Nothing can enter this “Holy City” that would defile it, Revelation 21:27. Its street is pure gold but also appears to be crystal, Revelation 21:21.
The tree of life is there, Revelation 22:2, which at first was in the Garden of Eden, Genesis 2:9, but is now transplanted in heaven. There will be no tears there, no death, no sorrow, no crying, nor any pain, Revelation 21:4.
As far as we know, God never allowed any human being to see him. Moses made a request to see God’s glory, but God did not allow him to see Him. He did allow Moses to see his back after he had passed by. Moses went up to the top of Mount Sinai and spent forty days there receiving God’s law, but evidently, he was not allowed to see God’s face, Exodus 33:20.
When he came down from the mountain, Moses’ face glowed to such an extent that he had to put on a veil so that the glory of God would not reflect off of Moses onto any of the people, Exodus 34:29-35. Being in the presence of God caused Moses’ face to radiate some of God’s glory.
There is evidence that His glory is so great and wonderful that humans would die if they looked upon God’s face. Jesus says that the angels all see the face of God, Matthew 18:10. This is because they have spiritual bodies. We, too, will have spiritual bodies when we get to heaven, and we will see the face of God.
Life in heaven will be far different and superior to life here on earth. God has chosen to tell us about heaven using earthly metaphors and figures of speech, which tell us something of heaven’s splendour.
These words and phrases make us aware that heaven is the most beautiful and glorious place we can imagine. Even greater is the fact that it will be for eternity. There will be no end to heaven.
In view of what lies ahead for the Christian, Paul has admonished us to “Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth,” Colossians 3:2. But the truth is, few are not in a big rush to get there. The reason is that we have a fear of death and the unknown associated with death. No one has ever come back from death to tell us what it was like.
It is true that death is an enemy of man. Jesus tells us that “the last enemy to be destroyed is death,” 1 Corinthians 15:26. However, for the Christian, there are some things that take away a lot of the fear of death. Paul says, as we live the Christian life, we reach the point where we can say, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55.
Just think! In heaven, there will be no more temptations. Christians are aware that they must constantly fight against temptation. Paul addresses this problem in Romans 7:15-25.
To sum up these verses, Paul says, “I really want to do right, but I don’t. I do what I don’t want to do. I know it’s wrong, but I do it anyway. When I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. My problem is that sin has me in its grasp.”
Often, it seems like a constant uphill battle. When we overcome one sin, another sin comes. When you think you have conquered something, it suddenly returns! This is because Satan never lets up. Thank God, when we get to heaven, there will be no more temptations from Satan, and there will be no more Satan.
Guilt takes a heavy toll on a person. Guilt is behind many physical and mental disorders. Even faithful Christians often are the victims of guilt. Since God is so forgiving, we often feel we are getting off too easily, so we punish ourselves.
No sin exists in heaven. Thus, we will be free of sin. In heaven, there will be no more disappointments. Often it is someone we dearly love. Sometimes it is someone who, on the outside, appears to be very spiritual.
It may be a teacher, a close friend, or a great leader, etc. Sometimes it happens in our families. It usually hurts here more than any other way. Few are those who have not had someone in the family tree to prove an embarrassment or a disappointment.
In heaven, there will be no more heartaches because all our tears shall be wiped away. In heaven, there will be no more pain, disease or mental disorders. Revelation 21:4 assures us that there will no longer be any pain.
Some suffer pain constantly in this life, but it will not exist in heaven. There will be no need for doctors, nurses, nursing homes, hospitals or mental institutions. In heaven, there will be no more death. This “last enemy of man” will be swallowed up in victory.
Even the Lord prayed to the Father, “Father, let this cup pass from me,” Matthew 26:39. We prefer not to talk about it. Satan’s temptation of Adam and Eve and their fall brought death to the human race. When Satan and his angels are ushered into hell, there will be no more death.