Attributes of God

“An unknown God can neither be trusted, served, or worshiped.” 

Holy (transcendent and pure)

Definition: God is exalted* and sinless pure.   *in the sense that He is separate from and above everything else

Key verses: Psalm 24:3-4a “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart…”

Explanation: This verse shows the two parts of God’s holiness.  He is far above us and He is without any sin. The part that talks about “ascending into the hill of the Lord” emphasizes that God is above and beyond us.  The part that talks about “clean hands and a pure heart” shows that God cannot sin or be around sin.

Good (Love, Mercy, Grace)

Definition: God desires to do good things for us.

Key verses: “O give thanks to the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.” Psalm 118:1; 136:1 (Psalm 100:5; 106:1; 118:29; 145:9 are have close to the same wording)

Explanation: God is full of good will toward men. (It may not be very theological, but the word “kind” is one that the children will understand.) God’s goodness and benevolence are shown in at least three ways: His Love: (others are His primary concern.),   His Mercy (compassionate), and His Grace (giving gifts even when we do not deserve it).

True (faithful)

Definition:  Everything that God says will happen.

Key verse:  Psalm 33:4 “For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth.”

Explanation:  Emphasize that God speaks the truth and keeps His word. Numbers 23:19 and Titus 1:2 both say that God cannot lie. However, God is not only accurate in what he says. He is also steady and faithful in what he does and how he keeps His word. 

Just (righteousness)

Definition:  God does what is right and rewards everyone for what they do.

Key verses:  Proverbs 21:2b-3 “... the Lord weighs the hearts. To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”

Explanation:  This verse doesn’t follow the “God is …” formula often used to proof text an attribute of God, but it helps us emphasize two things.  First, God is considering (“weighs the heart”) our actions, words and thoughts.  Second, being righteous and just is important to God.

Eternal

Definition:  God has no beginning or ending.

Key verse:  “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come...” Revelation 1:8

Explanation:   "There is a difference between being immortal and being eternal. Man is immortal—that is, his soul will never die; but God is eternal—He has neither beginning nor ending.”   Jesus said “Before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:59)  The laws of time do not affect God.

Immutable

Definition:  God never changes..

Key verses:  Malachi 3:6a “...I the Lord do not change…”

Explanation:    God is unchanging in His being (what He is), His perfections, His purposes, and His promises.  He responds to events and choices we make, but is always consistent in His response.  Immutable does not mean immobile.

Infinite (Omniscience, Omnipresent, Omnipotent)

Definition:  God cannot be measured.

Key verses:  "Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven--what can you do?” Job 11:7b-8a

Explanation:   God is without any limits. There is no end or limits to his knowledge, strength, location and other perfections. Emphasize the “omni” terms and their meanings. (omniscient-all knowing), (omnipotent-nothing is too hard for God, even though He chooses not to do some things.) (omnipresent-God does not fill up the universe like water fills a glass, but he is present everywhere we are or can be.),

Sovereign

Definition:  God does all that He pleases.

Key verses:  “I am God, and there is no other... My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,”  Isaiah 46:9-10

Explanation:  God governs the world and works through our choices to accomplish His purposes. God has the ability, the authority and the freedom to do everything He chooses.

Inerrancy Lesson - Carpenter Flock Notes - 150118

I. The Statement
I. The Bible (Bibliology)

A. Inspiration  (2 Timothy 3:15-16; 2 Peter 1:17-20)

B. Inerrancy and Authority

We teach that Scriptures are absolutely without error (inerrant),¹ misstatement, or defect of any kind in their moral and spiritual teachings and record of historical facts and science in the original documents. They are infallible² and God-breathed;³ the only rule of faith and practice for the believer and in the church.⁴

Matthew 5:18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. NKJV

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. NKJV

¹ John 16:12-13; 17:17  ² John 10:35  ³ 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17   ⁴Matthew 5:18;   24:35;  John 10:35; 16:12-13; 17:17; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2  Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 3:16

C. Hermeneutics (Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics)  http://www.bible-researcher.com/chicago2.html

II. Notes: 
A. Christ on  the Scriptures 
Jesus trusted the Scriptures completely, and He revealed His trust in a number of ways. One is the way He treated the Old Testament’s historical accounts. He always treated them as trustworthy facts, even the events that many people today consider to be myths.

Jesus acknowledged that Adam and Eve were the first married couple (Matthew 19:3–6; Mark 10:3–9) and Abel was the first prophet and was martyred (Luke 11:50–51). He believed the accounts of Noah and the Flood (Matthew 24:37–39), Lot and his wife (Luke 17:28–32), Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 10:15), Moses and the serpent in the wilderness (John 3:14), the manna from heaven (John 6:32– 33, 6:49), the miracles of Elijah (Luke 4:25–27), Jonah and the big fish (Matthew 12:40–41)—the list goes on.

Jesus did not allegorize these accounts but took them as real events that actually happened just as the Old Testament describes. He used these past events to reassure His disciples that the future events of His own death, Resurrection, and Second Coming would likewise certainly happen in time-space reality.

https://answersingenesis.org/is-the-bible-true/embracing-christs-view-of-scripture/

The Extent of the Old Testament's Authority. It Extends to:

     A. The Words -- Matthew 22:43; (cf. 1 Cor. 2:13)

     B. The Tenses of Verbs -- Matthew 22:32; (cf. Gal. 3:16)

     C. The Smallest Parts of the Words -- Matthew 5:17,18

http://www.answering-islam.org/Case/case5.html

B. Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy:

(1) Received:  They are not chosen by the Church.  The church displays their willingness to submit to what they regard to be already the Word of God.

(2) Supreme: Our consciences are justly bound to lesser authorities only when they are in conformity to the Word of God.

(3) Objective: Here the Bible is seen not merely as a catalyst for revelation, but as revelation itself.

(10) Autographs:  We do not argue for inerrant transmission of the text but with extensive documentation we have not legitimate basis for disobeying a mandate of Scripture where the text is not in doubt.

(11) Infallible: This term is often used by those who would deny inerrancy to refer to the fact that believe that Scripture will not fail to accomplish it’s purpose.

(13) Qualifications: Inerrancy is not negated by biblical phenomena such as a lack of modern technical precision, irregularities of grammar or spelling, observational descriptions of nature, the reporting of falsehoods, the use of hyperbole and round numbers, the topical arrangement of material, variant selections of material in parallel accounts, or the use of free citations.

(14) Grammatical—Historical: The grammatical and literary structures and time periods of the written texts should be taken seriously as we interpret them. 

III. Applications and Discussion:

· How, in your spiritual journey, did you come to believe that the Bible is true?

· When is the last time you looked at a passage in the Bible to determine if what some said or preached was really accurate?

· Do you usually come to the Scriptures to validate what you believe or to receive instruction ? How can you tell?

· How serious is it to reject the inerrancy of the Scriptures?  the authority of the Scriptures? Why?

Minor        Confusing                 Dangerous            Damnable

   1      2       3       4       5       6       7        8       9       10

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

http://www.isca-apologetics.org/sites/default/files/Explaining%20Biblical%20Inerrancy.pdf