THEOLOGY PROPERTHEOLOGY PROPER

THEOLOGY PROPERTHEOLOGY PROPER

Theology

Theos Logos

Theology

Theos Logos

GOD

What is Systematic Theology?

Theology

Theos Logos

GOD Study/Rational Expression

What is Systematic Theology?

Theology

Theos Logos

GOD Study/Rational Expression

Theology = the study of the rational and logical expression of God

Systematic Theology ◦ “Systematic theology is any study that answers

the question, ‘What does the whole Bible teach us today?’ about any given topic.”

--John Frame

Study and Learn for Worship! ◦ Psalm 139:17: “How precious to me are your

thoughts, O God!”

Meet the God of your

theology!

The Necessity of Revelation: ◦ Matthew 11:27: “No one knows the Son except

the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

The Necessity of Revelation: ◦ If we are to know anything about God, it must be

God who reveals Himself to us

Knowing God: ◦ The meaning of eternal life: ◦ John 17:3: “And this is eternal life, that they

know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

We cannot comprehend God fully and exhaustively, but why?

Why can’t we comprehend God fully?1. God is One of a kind, foreign, and unique ◦ Isaiah 46:9: “For I am God, and there is no

other; I am God, and there is no one like Me.”

Why can’t we comprehend God fully?1. God is One of a kind, foreign, and unique2. God is Transcendent

Psalm 145:3: “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, His greatness is unsearchable.”

Why can’t we comprehend God fully?1. God is One of a kind, foreign, and unique2. God is Transcendent3. God keeps secrets from us

Deut 29:29: “The secrets of God belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us.”

Incomprehensibility Comprehensibility

Postmodernity/Emerging Church/Agnostics

Hegel/Speculative School/Ancient Philosophy

Biblical Truth

What we know about God is still true about God

What is an attribute? ◦C.C. Ryrie: “Attributes are qualities that are

inherent to a subject. They identify, distinguish, or analyze the subject.”

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. Man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God…there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble thoughts about God.”

--A.W. Tozer

Omnipresence

Love Justice Holiness

Mercy Wrath Knowledge

Wisom Omnipotence

Freedom Eternity

Independence Goodness

Omnipresence

Love Justice Holiness

MercyWrath

Knowledge

Wisdom Omnipotence

Freedom Eternity

Independence Goodness

Love Justice Holiness

MercyWrath

Omnipresence

LoveJustice Holiness

Mercy Wrath Knowledge

Wisdom Omnipotence

Freedom Eternity

Independence Goodness

Omnipresence

Love Justice Holiness

Mercy Wrath Knowledge

Wisom Omnipotence

Freedom Eternity

Independence Goodness

We need a Scripturally Balanced View of God’s Attributes

“The fairest face on earth, with the most comely features, would soon become ugly and unsightly, if one member continued growing while others remained undeveloped. Beauty is, primarily, a matter of proportion. Thus it is with the Word of God: its beauty and blessedness are best perceived when its manifold wisdom is exhibited in its true proportions. Here is where so many have failed in the past. A single phase of God’s Truth has so impressed this man or that, that he has concentrated his attention upon it, almost to the exclusion of everything else.”

--A.W. Pink

Definition: “God depends on nothing other than himself for existence.”

--John Feinberg

Colossians 1:17: “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”

Definition of the Eternity of God: ◦ “God has always existed in the past and always

will exist in the future. He never began to be, knows no growth or age, nor will he ever cease to be.”

--Robert Raymond

Exodus 3:14: Moses asks: “Who shall I say sent me? What is His name? God said to Moses: I AM WHO I AM.”

From Latin “omni” meaning “all”◦ God is present everywhere, at all points in space,

with the totality of His being

Psalm 139:7-10: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.”

Definition (Grudem): ◦ “God is unchanging in his being, perfections,

purposes, promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels differently in response to different situations.”

Malachi 3:6: “I, the Lord, do not change.”

“Omni”—all “Science”—knowledge God is “all knowing”

1 John 3:20: “God…knows all things.”

Definition of God’s omniscience: ◦ “That perfection of God whereby He, in an entirely

unique manner, knows Himself and all things possible and actual in one eternal and most simple act.”

--Berkhof

Definition of God’s Wisdom◦“God’s wisdom means that God always

chooses the best goals and the best means to those goals.”

--Wayne Grudem

◦God uses the best possible means to produce the best possible result for the best possible end, His glory.

Romans 16:27: calls God the “only wise God.”

Truthfulness of God

Truthfulness of God

Genuineness of GodGod is a true, genuine, authentic God

Truthfulness of God

Genuineness of GodGod is a true, genuine, authentic God

Veracity of GodWhatever God says is trueand accurate

The Truthfulness of God

Truthfulness of God

Genuineness of GodGod is a true, genuine, authentic God

Veracity of GodWhatever God says is trueand accurate

The Faithfulness of God

From Latin: ◦ Omni: “all” ◦ Potens: “powerful” ◦ God is all-powerful

God is all-powerful and able to do whatever He wants to do. ◦ Psalm 115:3: “Our God is in the heavens, He

does whatever He pleases.”

Patience Grace

Mercy

GOODNESS

Often seen as stemming from God’s Goodness

Definition of the Goodness of God:◦ “That perfection of the divine nature which

prompts him to deal bountifully and kindly with all his creatures.”

--Robert Raymond

Definition of God’s Mercy: ◦ Berkhof: “the goodness of God shown to those

who are in misery or distress. Matthew 9:36 : “Seeing the people, Jesus felt

compassion (mercy) for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.”

Definition of the Grace of God:◦ The goodness of God toward those who are

undeserving.

Definition of the Grace of God:◦ The goodness of God toward those who are

undeserving. 1 Peter 5:10: “the God of all grace”

Definition of the Patience of God:◦ “God is…withholding judgment and continuing to

offer salvation and grace over long periods of time.”

--Millard Erickson

2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord…is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.”

Definition of Love: ◦ Love is an unconditional commitment to give the

highest good to the object loved in a self-sacrificial manner.

Love is an unconditional commitment to give the highest good to the object loved in a self-sacrificial manner.

The highest

good = GOD

Love is an

unconditional

commitment

TO GIVE GOD

to the object loved

in a self-sacrificial

manner.

Definition of the Love of God: God’s love is an unconditional commitment to give Himself to the object loved in a self-sacrificial manner.

Romans 5:8-10: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us …for if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son.”

Self-Sacrifice

The highest good

1 Peter 3:18: “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.”

Self-Sacrifice

The highest good

Definition of the Holiness of God:◦ God is distinct or separate from everything else. ◦ God is separate or set apart in his moral purity

and perfection.

The only way to flee from the holiness of God is into the holiness of God

God always acts in accordance with what is right and is Himself the final standard for what is right◦ 1 Peter 3:18: Jesus is the “righteous one”

God requires all to meet His standard of righteousness ◦ Deuteronomy 32:4: “The Lord is the Rock, his

works are perfect, and all His ways are just.”

God’s glory speaks of His brilliance, honor, and excellent reputation and God is worthy to be given superlative honor and excellent reputation by everything in the universe

Glory speaks of brilliance, honor, and excellent reputation and God is worthy to be given superlative honor and excellent reputation by everything in the universe◦ Revelation 4:15: “Worthy are You, our Lord and

our God, to receive glory and honor and power.”

The Cross of Jesus Christ

Isaiah 40:9: “Get you up to a high mountain, O zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news, lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah,

“BEHOLD YOUR GOD!”