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The God of the Bible describes himself as holy or "set apart." He is
not like any created object or being - and is not to be represented by
them. Though he created humans (in his "image" - Genesis 1:26-27) to be
a "reflection" of who he is, he is far greater than anything we can
comprehend. He is not merely a "super human."
In the Old Testament, God revealed his name by the
consonants "YHWH" - perhaps pronounced as "Yahweh." (Old Testament
Hebrews did not have vowels in their alphabet.) Some Bible translations use the name "Jehovah,"
but most use the word "LORD" (all capital letters) to represent his
name, following the example of early Greek translations of the Old
Testament.
The Bible tells us that there is no God except the God who
is revealed in the Bible - which is his Word to us. Any other "god" is a counterfeit - a pretension of
human origin. It is idolatry.
We need God's Word, in order to understand what God
is like, for any other perspective is a distortion of his character and
nature - a form of idolatry. People have a tendency to
have a "God concept" that is influenced by personal experiences and
desires, rather than by the Bible. Some may view God as a "loving God" who closes his eyes to sin,
and who would never punish a person for wrongdoings. Others may view him
as a mean, unloving tyrant, ready to strike us down for the tiniest
"mistake." It is only as we allow God's revelation to mold our minds and
hearts, that our "God concept" can become "godly."
This section focuses on some of the issues dealt with in the first
two of the 10 Commandments:
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Who is God? (There is only one God, and we must have no other.)
- What is God like? (We must not invent our own
"interpretations" of who he is, but must accept in full
what the Scriptures reveal about him.)
[These two commands are also indirectly dealt with in the
section about "Idolatry." However, the
third and fourth commands, which focus more on our response to God, are included under the main topic, "Love
for God."]
The Most High God (or The
Most High Lord) |
This is an outline of the verses where the phrase
"Most High God" (or "Most High Lord") occurs, based on the NIV translation. Part 1 = Who He Is? Part 2 =
What is His Relationship to People? |
HTML / PDF |
The "Mighty God" |
A look at the seven places where the phrase "Mighty
God" occurs in the Old Testament. In these verses, we learn a
lot about God, about human nature, and about Jesus Christ.
Each reference is a separate study, and has questions for reflection
and application of what was learned. |
HTML / PDF |
God's Dominion |
An extensive list of Scripture passages, which focus on
God's dominion, power and rule over creation. It contains verse
references and a short summary of each verse.
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HTML / PDF |
Reflections on Revelation 4 and God's Holiness |
God's holiness should influence all that we do. |
HTML / PDF |
GOD - Mysterious, Yet Trustworthy |
A few comments about the way God does things. We
often don't understand why he does things... but we know we can trust
him to do what is right and ultimately best for us. |
HTML / PDF |
God: What is He Like? How
Does He Interact With Us? |
The relationship between God and people is one of
profound mystery, yet God has revealed to us many things about that
relationship. He interacts with us on our level - the level of
created beings and human responsibility. But he also reveals
something about his interaction with us from his level - the
level of Creator and God's sovereignty. He reveals both of
these to us for our benefit - and we do not need to be afraid to
openly acknowledge both. |
HTML / PDF |
Some Comments about God's Sovereignty and Human
Events |
A collection of comments related to this topic.
It was written as part of a study on the relationship between God's
sovereignty and the fulfillment of prophecy; but it is not limited to that
issue. |
HTML /
PDF |
God's Sovereignty / Human Responsibility |
An article five chapters long, which explores this
issue in-depth. It also explains some of the reasons that people have
difficulty in understanding these concepts. Also examined are the
role of God's mercy, and the issue of "assurance of
salvation" (how we can know if we are among the "elect").
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HTML / To the PDF |
A Random Collection of Thoughts
on the Topics of "Human Responsibility" and "God's
Sovereignty / Election" as They Relate to a Person's "Works" |
This is probably the longest title I will ever have
for an article - but it's still shorter than the titles of some of
the old "theological classics," written a few centuries
ago! With a title that long, I probably don't have to explain what
the article is about!
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HTML / To the PDF |
(More Articles about Sovereignty and
Responsibility) |
Every now and then, something comes up that
results in another article on this topic. Rather than having separate links
on this page, they are all grouped here, in one place.
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GROUP OF ARTICLES |
The GOODNESS and KINDNESS of GOD! |
A look at some verses about God's goodness/kindness...
and how we should respond. |
HTML / PDF |
A Look at God's Kindness,
Forbearance and Patience (Romans 2:4) |
A short article that looks at the verses in the book
of Romans, where these three words are found. |
HTML / PDF |
Things God Hates |
This is an aspect of God that many people don't want to
accept. They like the idea that "God is love," but they don't want
to hear about this complementary character trait. Yet when we are not willing to pay attention to
all that God reveals about himself, we end up with less than
the
God of the Bible. [Such distortions tend to lead to half-truths, false
teaching and heresy.] |
HTML / PDF |
See also: Some other
studies related to the word "Hate" |
God described himself in this way...
"I am the Lord, I am the Lord, the merciful and gracious God. I am slow to
anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness. I show this unfailing
love to many thousands by forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. Even so
I do not leave sin unpunished, but I punish the children for the sins of
their parents to the third and fourth generations." (Exodus 34:6b-7)
Moses demonstrated the only right way for us to respond...
Moses immediately fell to the ground and worshiped. (Exodus 34:8)
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