Basic Bible Doctrine Series--the Doctrine of God

“Theology” means the study of God. In general usage the word covers all Bible doctrine, but specifically theology proper is the study of the person and work of God. God is the perfect and infinite Spirit. I. The Existence of God. The Bible begins and ends with the unproven assertion and assumption of God’s existence (Genesis 1:1). It simply declares to man what he already knows in his heart—that God is. The Bible has no formal arguments or “proofs” for God’s existence. Therefore this study will omit the philosophical approach. People know that there is a God and they are born hating Him. A. Reasons for the Inadequacy of the Rational “Proofs.” 1. They fail to lead to the God of the Bible, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. They assert no more than the existence of a powerful Being who is greater than the universe. 3. They assert no more than the “probable” existence of God. 4. They still require a rational “leap” to God. They leave one with the necessity of faith, except that the faith is grounded on the proof and not on the Bible. B. False Ideas about God. 1. Deism—the belief that God created and wound up the universe like a clock and then left. It denies any present relationship of God to the world. 2. Atheism—the belief that there is no God. 3. Skepticism—the belief that one cannot be sure about the existence of God. 4. Agnosticism—the belief that one cannot know if there is a God. 5. Pantheism—the belief that everything is God and God is everything. All that appears is only a manifestation of God. 6. Polytheism—the belief in many gods. 7. Monotheism—the belief in one God. 8. Henotheism—the worship of one god among the many gods. 9. Fetishism—the worship of an inanimate object thought to hold the spirit of a god. 10. Animism—the belief that all nature is alive with spirits. 11. Dynamism—the belief in some kind of all pervading energy that can be tapped for good or evil purposes. II. The Self-Revelation of God. A. In the Created Universe (the material and animal creation). 1. Biblical Proof. Psalm 19:1-4 (God’s glory) “the heavens declare the glory of God.” Romans 1:19-20 (God’s power and deity) Acts 14:17 (God’s goodness) 2. Limitations. a. It is accessible to all but actually received by none because of inbred sin (Romans 1:18). b. It does not lead anyone to be saved because it does not show God’s love or anything about Christ, faith and repentance. It is condemnatory in function (to render men “without excuse”). Romans 1:20 B. In Man (his nature and constitution). 1. Biblical Proof. Genesis 1:26-27 (the image of God) (The image of God is what makes man personal, rational, moral and spiritual. Only man can say “I am; I know; I ought; I will.”) Romans 2:15-conscience, all men have conscience Acts 17:28-29 2. Limitation—the image of God in man is marred (though not obliterated) by sin and thus this revelation is obscured. C. By Direct Revelation. 1. Biblical Proof. Genesis 6:13 “God said to…” 3000 such references in the Old Testament. 2. Limitations. a. It was only partial—Hebrews 1:1 b. The tradition of the revelation became corrupted. c. It was not available to all. Note: God does not speak directly today to men. Claims of visions and revelations are not Biblical. God has closed His revelatory process for this dispensation (Revelation 22:18-19). Otherwise, who would know who had the latest word from God? D. In God’s mighty acts (His miraculous and providential works). 1. Biblical Proof. Exodus 5:1-2 (the miracles in Egypt) Numbers 14:11 (the signs to Israel) Joshua 4:23-24 (crossing the Jordan) 2. Limitations. The revelation was accessible only to those who saw the mighty acts or read the record. God’s mighty acts needed an infallible interpreter present; without him the miracles were always misinterpreted (cf. John 12:28-29). E. In the lives of God’s people. 1. Biblical Proof. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 and 4:6-11 1 Peter 2:9 This avenue reveals the personality of God, as well as His love and something of His character. 2. Limitations—Christians misrepresent God many times. F. In the Bible. The Bible assumes the existence of God. The idea is that if God has spoken then He exists. 1. Biblical Proof. John 5:39 Romans 1:2 Hebrews 1:1 2. Limitations. a. It doesn’t tell everything there is about God. However, it does reveal many, many things—enough to enable man to know Him personally. b. It is limited to those who can read or at least understand the Bible. G. In Jesus Christ. 1. Biblical Proof. Matthew 1:23 John 1:18 and 12:45 2. The Nature of this Revelation. a. Complete—Colossians 2:9. b. Perfect—Hebrews 1:2-3. c. Final—John 14:8-9. Believers will know more of God when they see Christ, but they will never learn more of God apart from Jesus (cf. Revelation 22:4—“they shall see his face”). God is still incomprehensible (He cannot be fully known by a finite mind) even when revealed in Jesus. This is why eternity (an infinite amount of time) will be needed to learn of the infinite God in the face of Jesus. 3. The values of this Revelation. a. It makes god concrete and real to man. Note the Old Testament desire—Isaiah 64:1. b. It guards against lopsided views of God. c. It gives us assurance that we really know the true God—I John 5:20. 4. The Present Status of this Revelation. Ultimately all revelation is through Jesus Christ. He created the universe, He made man, He spoke to men, He appeared to men, etc. Cf. John 1:1. But until Christ comes again, the Bible is the highest form of God’s revelation—for several reasons: a. It includes the revelation from all the other sources. b. It gives the correct interpretation of the revelation from all the other sources. c. It presents the only authentic disclosure of Jesus. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

There are Pretenders Among Us

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.” (I John 3:1-10). The U. S. Treasury Dept. has a special group of men whose job it is to track down counterfeiters. How do these men learn to identify fake bills? They learn by studying the real ones. They can become so familiar with authentic bills they can spot a counterfeit by looking at it or simply by feeling it. This is the approach in I John 3, which warns us that in today’s world there are counterfeit Christians, , children of the devil,” (v.10). The Scripture gives us a clear description of God’s children. The contrast between the two is obvious. It is clear that no Christian is sinless, but God expects a true believer to sin less, not to sin habitually. An unsaved person lives a life of habitual sin. Sin, especially the sin of unbelief is the normal thing in his life. Because the true Christian knows God, he lives a life of obedience and he does not practice sin. John gives three reasons for living a holy life. The first reason for living a holy life is because God the Father loves us (3:1-3). The whole wonderful plan of salvation begins with the love of God, (John 3:16). Verse one of I John 3, tells us what we shall be. God’s love continues throughout our lives and takes us right up to the return of Jesus Christ. When Jesus appears, all true believers will become like Him. In the same passage verse three tells us what we should be. In view of the return of the Lord we should keep our lives clean. The unbeliever sins against law; the believer sins against love. The second reason for living a holy life is because the Son of God died for us (3:4-8). John turns here from the future appearing of Jesus to His past appearing. John gives two reasons why Jesus came and died. He died to take away our sins (vv. 4-6). Sin is basically a matter of the will. We sin when we assert our will against God’s will, this is called rebellion. The child of God cannot practice lawlessness. John’s epistle defines sin as lawlessness, defilement, and here he views it as defiance. The emphasis is on sin (singular). Sin is the root of which sins are the fruit. He identified with the sinless Christ. Jesus died to take away our sins. The whole work of the cross is denied when a professed Christian practices deliberate sin. The Cross broke the power of the sin principle in our lives (see Romans 6: and Galatians 2:20). Christ appeared to destroy the works of the devil (3:7-8). The logic here is clear, if a man knows God he will obey God; if he belongs to the devil, he will obey the devil. John accepts the reality of a personal devil. The word “destroy” means to rob of power. After World War II, Japanese troops were discovered hiding in caves and in the jungles of the Pacific Islands. When they were told the war was over, they quickly surrendered. Satan may win a few battles, but he has already lost the war. The Christian has no desire to obey Satan and live like a rebel. The person who can live in deliberate sin and doesn’t feel convicted had better examine himself to see whether or not he is really born of God. The third reason we are to live a holy life, is the Holy Spirit of God lives in us (3:9-10). Salvation brings tremendous spiritual changes. There is a new standing-justification. We have a new position-sanctification. We experience regeneration-a new nature, God’s nature. In the natural world, physical life produces physical life. In the spiritual world, spiritual life produces spiritual life. Let’s compare the outer man with the inner man. The outer man needs food, the inner man need the Word of God. The outer man needs cleansing; the inner man needs examination, confession and repentance. The outer man needs exercise, the inner man exercises by sharing Christ, Christian service, and building others up in the body of Christ. There were false teachers who taught that only the body sinned and in no way affected the spirit. In reality the body is neutral. Do I have the diving nature within me or am I merely pretending to be a Christian? Do I purposely cultivate this divine nature by daily Bible reading and prayer? Has any unconfessed sin defiled my inner man? Do I allow my old habits to control my thoughts and desires? When temptation comes do I “play with it” or flee from it? Do I immediately yield to the diving nature within me? The life that is real is honest with God about these vital issues. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Helmet of Salvation

The fifth piece of armor is the helmet of salvation. The helmet, of course, protects the head from attack. It signifies the hope of deliverance in trouble and ultimately from hell. It protects my mind from enemy attacks suggesting that I'm not really saved, that I will not make it to heaven, and that God does not love me. Satan targets our minds here because he knows the power of keeping us unaware of God's truth. If the enemy can control the mind, he can control us. However, if Satan cannot take control of all your mind, he will control whatever he can find. He knows that if you surrender some of your mind today, more will follow. We need the helmet because a wound to the mind can cause serious damage. Through our minds we grow in holiness, character, love, and faith. That's one reason Paul asked believers to "set your mind on things above" (Colossians 3:2). For us to grow spiritually and have real victory, our minds must be fixed on things above. Only when the mind, heart, and will are working together can we serve the Lord as we ought. In earthly battle, the two most vulnerable targets are the heart and the head. A soldier who is wounded in either of these places usually dies. For this reason no soldier would go into battle without his helmet or his breastplate on. When we have that helmet on, we: 1. are assured of our salvation; 2. have confidence that death, if it comes, is the door to heaven; 3. know that God ultimately is in control, even if we are not; 4. can trust in God even when things go wrong; and 5. become willing to sacrifice our all for His kingdom. Melvin found the helmet indispensable against Satan's attacks. I had counseled with Melvin one hour per month for five years. For several years he had been in the homosexual community, and one day I had the privilege of leading him to Christ. He grew quickly as a new believer; the Word fed his soul and he would grasp large portions of the Bible daily. Melvin said during one session, "I love to bite off a large chunk of the Bible in the morning and chew it all day." Melvin reconciled with his parents, who had rejected him for his previous sexual orientation, and joined their church. He was warmly received by the members of the congregation and now actively serves the Lord there. One day Melvin came to counseling with a perplexing problem. The enemy was attacking his mind by saying, "You're not saved. You had a lustful though about a man, and that shows who you really are. You have lost your salvation." The great deceiver had clearly planted that thought. Satan's number one strategy is to suggest thoughts to us. When the lustful though came, Melvin took it captive and confessed it, but Satan still accused him of being a sinner God had not truly saved. That was when I encouraged Melvin to put on the helmet of salvation each day (along with all the armor). As I explained the fact that we are saved apart from any any works we might do, I also explained that the helmet of salvation protects our mind from the lies the enemy tries to tell us concerning our salvation. "By the helmet we are reminded that we are delivered from the wrath to come," I told him. "As blood-bought children of God, we are saved from the penalty of sin and the power of sin in this world. One day in heaven we will be saved from the presence of sin;" Melvin grasped the helmet and put it on. Later, recalling our session, he told me, "From that day forward I have put on the whole armor of God daily. The helmet of salvation reminds me that I am secure in Christ because He has won and given me salvation, not because I've earned it. I am truly saved because of Calvary." The helmet protects our minds, the very point at which Satan most often strikes. Over and over, as I've helped Christians understand this amazing piece of equipment, I have seen them change from saints in a pit to saints with a peace. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Your Mission

Paul wrote to the Colossians because there was heresy being brought into the church. In order to destroy false teaching he taught them the truth. "We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me." (Colossians 1:28,29). Before his conversion to Christ Paul had been a member of the Sanhedrin. He had been a strict Jew of the sect of the Pharisees. Paul really knew what bad new was, it was living as a legalistic Pharisee, apart from God. Once Paul received the revelation of the grace of God it became the theme of every conversation. He couldn't stop talking about Jesus and what the Lord was doing in him. Being led by the Holy Spirit, he would warn (counsel) and teach (instruct) everyone in the wisdom of God, with the purpose of presenting them to the Lord as mature (perfect) believers. Paul didn't just preach the gospel, he preached the whole counsel of God. Paul proclaimed a person (we proclaim Him), not just a philosophy. Paul had to expend physical, mental and spiritual energy toiling to this end. The entire statement shows that through faith in Christ we can link our life with a source of strength that enables us to rise above our natural limitations. This was a total change from his Pharisaical days when religious duties were performed in the flesh. We live in a day when good is called evil and evil is called good. Anyone who stands for the truth taught in the Scriptures is likely to be castigated by being labeled intolerant. Paul knew it takes Biblical truth to change a life and he wasn't afraid to stand up and declare it. How about you, are you willing to proclaim Christ, that others might come to know Him? Are you helping others grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ? Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Facts About Faith

Hebrews tells us that "faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen." Our faith is no better than the object of our faith. I can believe in something with all my heart but if I am believing a lie, my faith is worthless. The Scriptures are God's truth. What God says is absolutely true. My eternal salvation is based on the Gospel as revealed in the Word. My faith must be placed in God and the truth of His Word. The fact is God backs up everything He promises, there is not a promise or statement in the Scriptures that He will not honor. Thus we trust in Him and in none other. The Scripture say "Cursed is the man who trusts in man." God is my Father and He takes responsibility for me. He has made it quite clear that He is more than willing to provide for me and He calls on me to trust Him. "My God shall supply all your needs through His riches in glory." Everyone of us will come to the place of desperation in life. During this time it seems as if everything we touch falls apart. There are times we can readily identify with the Prophets of old who would lament the day they lived in. Jeremiah cursed the day he was born. Habakkuk asked the Lord why He would allow a people far more wicked than the children of Israel to conquer them. The most interesting thing is when the Prophet was through crying out his lament to God he would invariability break out in praise. Crying out to God seems to help us get our priorities straight. In the process of crying out we tend to see Jesus. The Author of Hebrews tell us to "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." I am reminded of the Scripture that says "If you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small." We are reminded in the Bible "The battle belongs to the Lord." The Christian life is a faith life, fleshed out in trust. Is your faith growing or diminishing in your present trial?

Making The Right Choices

Each new day comes with a multitude of choices. Will I get up the first time the alarm clock ringsm or will I hit the sloth button? What will I wear? Choices concerning breakfast, what will I eat, or will I eat at all? How will I drive on my way to work? What will I do concerning that rude driver who cut me off? What route will I take. Will I break the speed limit, flow with traffic, or lead the pack. What will my attitude be like at work? Will I snub the co-worker who threw me under the bus (figuratively speaking) last week? Will I do my best, and work harder and smarter? Or will I be a complainer like some others are, always griping about something that doesn't suit me? King David made a bold statement about his daily choices. The said, “I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws,” (Psalm 119:30). Choosing the "way of truth." begins with knowing the One who is the "Way, the Truth and the Life." When we know Jesus then we are attracted to the Word of Truth which is the Scriptures. Walking in the Word is necessary in order to know what truth is. As we surrender to the Lord we are filled with the Spirit of Truth, The Spirit of Truth is the Holy Spirit. He is the One who Jesus said would "Teach us all things." We are also to be a part of the Local Church which is the "Pillar and ground of the Truth." Freedom comes from knowing God's Truth. "You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free." This speaks of an experiential knowledge of the truth. In other words it is more than a head knowledge, it is knowledge that lives in the heart. Years ago there was a gospel tract called "He missed heaven by 18 inches." The idea was a man knew all about Jesus and the blood of the cross in his head, but he had not received Jesus in his heart. David went on to state "I have set my heart on your laws." The laws of God are good. Why? Because God's law points out violations of love. Jesus said the Great Commandment was to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself, on these two commandment hang all the Law and Prophets." How did King David come to the conclusion that choosing the way (path) of truth is best? He learned this by experience. There were times he wandered from the path of truth and paid a terrible price. One thing remarkable about David, he always repented and returned to the path of truth. The questions each of us must face daily is what path will I choose to walk on today. For the believer that path must be the "Way of Truth."