A Study of the Attributes of God:

“Let Me See Thy Glory”

 (Job 22:21 NIV)  "Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.

 (Jeremiah 9:23 NIV)  This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.”

 A spiritual and saving knowledge of God is the greatest need of every human creature.

 The foundation of all true knowledge of God must be a clear mental apprehension of His perfections as revealed in Scripture. An unknown God can neither be trusted, served, nor worshipped.

 Something more than a theoretical knowledge of God is needed by us. God is only truly known in the soul as we yield ourselves to Him, submit to His authority, and regulate all the details of our lives by His holy precepts and commandments.

 (Dan 11:32 NIV)  With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.

 (Hosea 6:3 NIV)  Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

 (John 7:17 NIV)  If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

 Christianity is a spiritual religion. How God feels toward man and how man feels toward God is important. We need to study God himself, as well as his will. One needs to understand his personal relation to the personal God.

 Remember the greatest and first commandment? (Mat 22:36-38)  ""Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" {37} Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' {38} This is the first and greatest commandment."

 Mere academic knowledge of God is not enough. Everyone needs to be impressed with His personal relation to the personal God.

 They shall be taught by God

The words of Jesus are quite amazing, really! Listen: (John 6:45)  "It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me."

 But God teaches concerning himself. Also, Jesus came to reveal the Father. The Son is the great and ultimate exegate (interpreter) of God.

 (John 1:18)  "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known."

 Note the importance of knowing God. (John 17:3)  "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

 God does not exist merely to point us to the Bible. But the Bible exists to lead us to the Father and to the Son. God and His word belong together. God apart from his Word is God concealed. God with His word is God revealed. The Bible apart from the personal God is like a letter without the author. We sing “Beyond the sacred page we seek thee, Lord.”

 God’s attitude toward man

The basis of God’s interest in man is the fact that man was created in the divine image. We see His attitude toward us in the very beginning (note man’s superiority over the animal kingdom): (Gen 1:26-27)  "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." {27} So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

 No suitable companion for man was found among the animal kingdom. (Gen 2:18-24)  "The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." {19} Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. {20} So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. {21} So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. {22} Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. {23} The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out of man." {24} For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."

 God is mindful of man. (Heb 2:6-8)  "But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? {7} You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor {8} and put everything under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him."

 God provided for man’s welfare. (Gen 1:29-30)  "Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. {30} And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it was so."

 Safeguards were thrown around man. (Gen 3:1-3)  "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" {2} The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, {3} but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'""

 God treated man as a moral being. God cares for us! (1 Pet 5:7)  "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

 Man’s attitude toward God

Many fail to recognize God as God. (Rom 1:21)  "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened."

 Millions forget God. (Jer 2:32)  "Does a maiden forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number."

 Some deliberately reject God. (Rom 1:28)  "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done." Others exchange God for idols.

 Still others consider God a handicap. (Gen 3:1-6)  "Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" {2} The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, {3} but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" {4} "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. {5} "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." {6} When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it."

 Contrast these responses with that of David:

(Psa 42:1-2)  " As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. {2} My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?"

 (Psa 46:1)  " God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

 (Psa 46:7)  "The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah"

(Psa 63:1-2)  "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. {2} I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory."

 Look at the response of Paul. (Rom 1:8)  "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world."

 Most of us have sadly neglected the study of God. We have separated God from the Bible too long. His word is sacred, but only because it is His word. Is our religion more bibliolatry than the worship  of the “true and living God?”

 THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

The existence of God is the foundation of all religion. Moses begins with the Author of creation, before he treats of the promise of redemption. Paul preached God as creator (Acts 17:24) before he preached Christ as mediator...The devil directs his fiercest batteries against those doctrines in the Word, and those graces in the heart, which most exalt God and bring men to the lowest subjection to their Creator...Sin unlinks the dependence between God the Sovereign and man the subject. Sin endeavors to subject God to the wills of men. God is deposed, and man is enthroned; God made a slave, and man a sovereign above Him.

 The nature of God

Nearly everyone believes there is a God. Only the fool has said in his heart, “there is no God.” But, what is God like? Not every god worshipped by men can be the true God. Even among professing Christians there are different “gods.” There is only one source of truth concerning the character of God, and that is the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. What sort of God do the Scriptures present?

 The nature of God is incomprehensible to us. Paul writes that God dwells, “in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see.” (1 Tim. 6:16) This should not surprise us, for how could a creature ever understand his Creator. A god that men can understand is no god at all. But, even though we cannot comprehend God, there are some things we can know about God.

 As to God’s essential nature, the Lord Jesus said, “God is Spirit.” (John 4:24) What is spirit? It is absolute person-ness. The God of the Bible is a Person, not a mere force or influence. Nor is He merely the sum total of all creation as some of the Eastern religions would say. Being a person, He has will, purpose, and action. His will forms His purpose, which dictates His actions. Being a Person, He can speak and be spoken to and can enter into relationships with other persons.

 What are the primary characteristics of this Person? The Book of Psalms mentions two things essential to the concept of God:

1) That He is Creator, “For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.” (Psalm 96:5) The Bible begins with declaring the creative acts of God, emphasizing the importance of this truth. Over the last 150 years, there has been a concerted effort to use the tools of human science to overthrow this basic Scriptural truth, that God made the heavens and the earth. We will leave the scientific aspects of this debate to scientists, but the Scriptures say, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Heb. 11:3) God simply spoke and things came into being. The book of Genesis says that creation took place in six days, and there is no reason to believe otherwise. Even in the law of the Sabbath day it is declared, “For in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is…” Since the Lord was setting up a weekly calendar in this passage, we must assume that the first week of Genesis is a normal week, as we know it. To deny the Createrhood of God is to deny the God of the Bible and to declare that He is nothing more than an idol.

 2.) The Psalms also assert that absolute sovereignty is necessary to the understanding of God: “Wherefore should the heathen say, ‘Where is now their God?’ But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” (Ps. 115:2,3) We often fail in our purposes due to lack of strength or wisdom. But God is lacking in neither of these qualities. He has the power and the right to do as He wills, and no one even has the right to call Him into question over His works, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, ‘What doest thou?’” (Dan 4:35) He sovereignly rules over all things from the largest to the smallest events, from the orbits of planets to the orbits of sub-atomic particles. He even rules over salvation: “He is gracious to whom He will be gracious.” To deny the absolute sovereignty of God in all things is to deny the God of the Bible.

 To what can we liken Him?

What can we say of the glories and beauties of our Lord? To what can we liken Him? A believer sees His glory as through a dark glass; but even the little he sees is beyond his ability to express. Among other believers, he make speak of such things and, though his words fall short of the truth, he is able to communicate his heart on the matter. But there is no way that human words can fully tell the glory of the Heavenly Word.

 Shall we call Him friend? That is but a shadow of the what He really is to us. Shall we call Him Brother? That He is, but in a way that no other is a brother. Shall we call Him Lord and King? He is both; but we can point to no other who is such a Lord and King as to be able to rule ALL things for the good of His subjects. Shall we call Him Prophet? Moses with his glowing face cannot be compared in glory to Christ, our Prophet anymore than a house can rival the glory of its builder. Is He our Priest? Yes, and so glorious in His priesthood that it seems a shame to call even Aaron in all His priestly robes a priest. The woman in Song of Solomon described Him in overflowing words concluding with "altogether lovely." There is nothing unattractive in Christ to those who know Him. Trying to describe his glory in words is like throwing rocks at the moon. Often I have opened my mouth to give some description of the glory of Christ, but could find no words to tell out what I could see by faith. Maybe this is something of what is meant in the Scripture, "Praise [is silent] for Thee in Zion." Psalm 65:1 ("is silent" is the root meaning of the word translated "waiteth.")

 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"  Prov. 1:7

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 1:7). Happy the soul that has been awed by a view of God's majesty, that has had a vision of God's awful greatness, His ineffable holiness, His perfect righteousness, His irresistible power, His sovereign grace. Does someone say, "But it is only the unsaved, those outside of Christ, who need to fear God"? Then the sufficient answer is that the saved, those who are in Christ, are admonished to work out their own salvation with "fear and trembling." Time was when it was the general custom to speak of a believer as a "God-fearing man." That such an appellation has become nearly extinct only serves to show whither we have drifted. Nevertheless, it still stands written, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him" (Psalm 103:13).

 When we speak of godly fear, of course we do not mean a servile fear, such as prevails among the heathen in connection with their gods. No, we mean that spirit which Jehovah is pledged to bless, that spirit to which the prophet referred when he said, "To this man will I (the Lord) look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word" (Isa. 66:2). It was this the apostle had in view when he wrote, "Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king" (I Pet: 2:17). And nothing will foster this godly fear like a recognition of the Sovereign Majesty of God.

 Knowing God and Christ

1. Knowing God through creation.

(Psa 8:1)  "For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens."

 (Psa 19:1)  "For the director of music. A psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

 (Rom 1:18-22) “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, {19} since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. {20} For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. {21} For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. {22} Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools"

 2. Knowing God through revelation

 (1 Cor 1:9-12)   "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. {10} I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. {11} My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. {12} What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas "; still another, "I follow Christ.""

 This is, of course, the chief way of knowing God. It is the only way through which we can know his will and what he has done on our behalf. This is generally admitted and understood.

 3. Knowing God experimentally

We cannot do better than to let the great apostle of love speak on this point:

(1 John 4:7-8)  "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. {8} Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

 Love is an outstanding characteristic of God. God would not be God apart from this attribute. It is in this respect that God peculiarly opposes Satan. Just as there is no truth in Satan, he is also completely devoid of love. And just as God is love, Satan is hate.

 But not only is God characterized by love, so are his children. To be begotten of God or to be a child of God is to be godly. Paul teaches that the love of God hath been shed abroad in our heart through the Holy Spirit he has given us (Rom. 5:5). Love is the motivating principle of the child of God.

 (1 Cor 16:14)  "Do everything in love."

 ALL THINGS ARE OF HIM!

"For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen." Romans 11:36

 1. "OF HIM"-

Are all things truly of God? As difficult as it may be for us to understand the reason why some things 'happen,' there should be no doubt as to how they come to pass, and who sends them. It is true that God is not the author of sin, but HE IS THE MASTER OF IT.

 The death of the Lord Jesus Christ by crucifixion was the most heinous crime man could ever commit. Yet, the Word attributes it to "Him being delivered by THE DETERMINATE COUNSEL OF GOD," Acts 2:23. Those who slew the Prince of Glory did nothing more or less than what God the Father determined before hand, Acts 4:28. The death of Christ was foreordained before the creation of the world, 1 Peter 1:19,20, Through it, God has purposed to save His elect. Because God has ordered it, then it is sure that every one whom Christ redeemed by His death shall most certainly be brought to Him in faith, by the Holy Spirit, through the Gospel, John 6:37.

 2. "THROUGH HIM"-

Are all things truly through (by means of) God? Whatever second causes we can point to for bringing tragedy into the world, whether a school shooting, a bomb blast, war, famine, riot, or disease, we know that none of this takes place apart from God sending it. The believer's consolation is that "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord," Job 1:21.

 Satan put his hand on Job to try him, but it was the Lord who granted him the permission, whether a band of roaming Sabeans killing his servants and stealing his cattle, or lightening striking a field and burning up man and beast, or Chaldean range thieves stealing camels and killing servants, or a storm killing all ten children instantly. What was Job's response? Although grieving, He WORSHIPPED God! Job 1:20.

 3. "TO HIM"

God gets the glory in life and death. Death is the means to bring His elect, redeemed ones to Himself, Ps. 116:15. Death is also His sentence upon the unbelieving who die in their sins, Luke 12:20. The Lord kills or makes alive, I Samuel 2:6.

 All Things Are For God -- Nothing is more delightful and nothing more comforting to God’s saints in this world than the realization that all things are under the absolute control of our great and glorious God. And nothing inspires us to bear our trials and troubles, sicknesses, sorrows, and bereavements here with patience like the fact that all things are for the glory of our God.

 In Proverbs 16:4 we are told that ALL THINGS ARE FOR GOD, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. "The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil." I do not presently see what God is doing in all things; but I am assured that in all things the Lord is making for himself an everlasting and a glorious name. Isaiah tells us that the Lord God led Israel "by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them." And he did so " to make himself an everlasting name." He "led them through the deep, as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble, as a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name" (Isa. 63:12-14).

 This is what I want you to see - In everything that is, has been, or shall hereafter be, the Lord our God is making himself an everlasting and glorious name. He who raised up Pharaoh and cast him down in the Red Sea for the glory of his own great name brings all things to pass exactly as he has purposed for the everlasting praise and glory of his great name. All things are for God.

 Frequently, people point to specific things and say, "How can that bring glory to God?" Unbelieving people point to sickness, war, famine, pestilence, crimes, and other evils and say, "If there is a God in heaven, how can these things be?’ Once, I even heard a preacher say, after considering a great disaster, "God has a lot of things to answer for." What a horrible statement! The very thought of man calling God Almighty to the bar of human judgment is incredibly blasphemous!

 I readily acknowledge that I do not see and cannot explain how isolated events, considered by themselves will bring glory to God. But I do understand what God says in his Word. And I rejoice to believe him. Somehow, when everything that must be has been, when all the purpose of our great God has been perfectly fulfilled, everything will render praise and honor to him.

 It was this understanding of God’s sovereign purpose and providence which inspired the hymn writer, William Cowper to write, "God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform.He plants His footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never failing skill, He treasures up His bright designs, And works His sovereign will. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy, and shall break In blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace. Behind the frowning providence He hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour. The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower. Blind unbelief is sure to err, And scan His work in vain.God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain."

In Ephesians 1:10-11 the Holy Spirit informs us that ALL THINGS ARE DISPOSED OF BY GOD IN TIME ACCORDING TO HIS OWN PURPOSE OF GRACE IN ETERNITY IN DIVINE PREDESTINATION. Listen to the words of inspiration in this passage as he tells us that it is the purpose of our God "That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."

 The essence of all that is this - Everything that comes to pass in time was predestinated by God in eternity, and is brought to pass according to God’s purpose for the salvation of his elect and the glory of his own great name. Happy is that soul which has learned to trust and rest in the purpose and providence of God. All things come to pass exactly according to the eternal purpose of our God for the glory of our God. AMEN.

 All Things Are Of God (2 Corinthians 5:18)

(2 Cor 5:18)  "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:"

 Some of God’s saints seem to have trials and temptations, one upon the heels of another. Usually those believers who have the most difficult and most constant trials seem to bear them well. They are always an encouragement to me. In the light of the heavy, heavy trials some believers bear with such grace, I get a little disturbed when people get all bent out of shape and complain about hangnails and dripping faucets!

 As I thought about, and tried to pray for and help some troubled friends this week, my heart and mind have been once more directed to meditate almost constantly upon the gracious, wise, and adorable providence of our God.

 When trials and temptations assail our souls, nothing is more helpful and comforting than the blessed knowledge of God’s all-wise, universal providence.

 Two words are used throughout the Word of God in relation to God’s providence and grace. The two words I have in mind are "all things". These two words are used together in the Word of God two hundred and twenty times. More often than not, they are used in some connection with the Lord our God. Whenever we read these words in Holy Scripture, or think about them in relation to our God, we ought always to remember that when God says "all things," he means "all things." He does not mean some things, or most things, or even all good things. He means all things.

 This is a message that will thrill the heart of every believer, comfort your soul, encourage your faith, and strengthen your spirit, if God the Holy Spirit will graciously deliver it to your soul. It is a message that I trust may also be used of him to cause some of you who are yet without life before God to live and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. May God now cause you to hear wondrous things out of his Word. I want you to see that the Word of God asserts emphatically and constantly that "all things" are under the absolute control of the Lord our God.

"ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD." Just how far are we to take Paul’s statement here? Think about that for a minute. "All things are of God." How far do you take that? Let me tell you. If I understand what this Book teaches, at all, you can carry those words just as far, just as high, just as deep, just as wide as your imagination will carry you. And when you have reached the utmost end of your imagination, as someone once said, you will only have "begun to commence, to get started!"

 Take this blessed, inspired declaration just as far back as eternity past, and just as far forward as eternity future. Take it up to the highest heaven. Take down to the lowest hell. Take it around the world, through the world, and through all the ages of time. When all that is, has been, and shall be has been considered, write this title over the picture and this explanation for the story - "ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD."

 In the creation of the universe, "all things are of God." It is written in Revelation 4:11, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." In the wise and orderly disposition of providence, "all things are of God." In Romans 11:36 the Spirit of God declares, "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen." In the salvation of our souls, "all things are of God." Here in 2 Corinthians 5, that is obviously what Paul is specifically talking about. Look at any one aspect of salvation, or look at the whole package of grace. However you look at it, "Salvation is of the Lord!" Election, predestination, and redemption are of the Lord. Forgiveness, pardon, and justification are of the Lord. Reconciliation, regeneration, and sanctification are of the Lord. Repentance, faith, and conversion are of the Lord. Preservation, resurrection, and glorification are of the Lord.

 Take this word from God with you through the day. May God himself grant you faith in his Son and give you the blessed rest that comes from the realization of his absolute, total dominion over all things. Rejoice in this and rest in it. "All things are of God!" Everything that is, has been, or shall hereafter be is of God. Let every child of God rejoice. All things are under the dominion of and come to pass according to the will of our heavenly Father.

 God Cannot Be Changed, and He Needs No Change Ecclesiastes 3:14-15

"I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him." (Eccl. 3:14)

 We cannot change God, and He needs no changing. If all of the saints from all generations were to pray in unison asking God to change an eternal decree, we would plead in vain. That He cannot be changed is one truth, and that He doesn't need to change is the other truth. The first truth destroys all confidence in our prayers and our ability to manipulate God with tears. The second glorifies God as we cast ourselves upon His goodness and promises in Jesus Christ the Risen King. Expect what He has promised– good and evil (Job 2:9-10), joy and pain (Eccl. 3:1-8), laughter and tears, embracing and refraining from embracing.  

• Major sources: “Let Me See Thy Glory” by Bob Deffinbaugh, ThM., Biblical Studies Press, 1995 ; he Attributes of God by Arthur W. Pink,  God Is by John Bisagno, and  Attributes of God, The Living Word series, a Sweet Publication.

Last modified: July 10, 2008