Lesson 5

Theology Proper - Who is God?

(6) A study of the attributes of God enhances our worship.

Observations on Worship

1. True worship is based on an understanding of the worth of God!

True worship by its very nature then is theo-centric!

2. Worship in the Bible, is usually public and verbal.

Good hymns are to be doctrinally solid.

3. Worship then is a positive response to revealed truth about God that is known.

In those that are predominantly praise or worship Psalms there is almost a pattern to them;

- First revealed truth is understood; that truth is interacted with; hopefully a positive response; if it is positive, result is worship.

Examples:

Psalm 33

Psalm 135

So Worship is an appreciative response to truth about God verbalized!

(7) A study of the attributes of God should enhance our prayer life.

1 Jn 5:14-15; Heb 4:15-16

(8) When we focus on the attributes of God, we begin to view life from a new perspective--from God's perspective.

In Psalm 73, Asaph confesses that when he began to view his life from God's perspective he saw things in an entirely different light; (73:21-28) totally changed his perspective.

Phil 3:8-10; also 1 Pet. 1:6-8

Think of the account of Mary and Martha in the Gospel of Luke 10:38-42.

When knowing God becomes our priority, serving Him becomes an outworking of our devotion, not a hindrance to it.

Who is GOD - His Essence

We will approach it by looking at several different aspects of God.

- Existence

- knowability, that is If He exists, can God be known

- If He can be known, How, His revelation.

- His names; and their importance in communicating who He is and how He relates to man.

- What makes up His character/attributes.

A. The Existence of God

1. What are the scriptural proofs for God?

a. There are none!!

b. Scripture assumes there is a God - it does not argue the point Gen. 1:1; Heb 11:6; 1 Cor. 8:6