GOD

God is far too great for us to fully understand. He has no beginning and He has no end.
There is no place where, His presence is not felt. The Bible asks in Job 11 Verse 7, “Can
you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything about the Almighty?”

God Lives in Heaven and He rules over the whole earth. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 66
Verse 1, “This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my
footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a
resting place?”

Acts 11 Verse 49, 50: “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you
build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord. ‘Could you build me such a resting
place? Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’”

Even the beautiful Temple in Jerusalem was woefully inadequate for a God who is
present everywhere. God cannot be confined to any Human Structure. God will lift up
the humble, judge all people, destroy the wicked, bring all believers together, and
establish new heavens and the new earth. Let this hope encourage you each day.

2 Chronicles 6 Verse 18 to 21, “But will God really live on earth among people? Why,
even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!
Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the
prayer that your servant is making to you. May you watch over this Temple day and
night, this place where you have said you would put your name. May you always hear
the prayers I make toward this place. May you hear the humble and earnest requests
from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from
heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.

Solomon marveled that God would be willing to live on earth among sinful people. We
marvel that God, through His son Jesus, lived among us in human form to reveal His
eternal purposes to us. God was reaching out to us in love. God wants us to reach out
to Him in return in order to know Him and to love Him with all our heart. Don’t simply
marvel at His power, take time to get to know Him.

Psalm 47 Verse 8, “God reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne.”

In this study we are going to be looking at the special truths about God, there are facts
about God’s unchanging character. Through these you will understand more of what
God is like. You will come to understand God and how he cares for you personally.
A. WHAT ID GOD LIKE?
God Is The Creator of Everything:
Nehemiah 9 Verse 6: “You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and
all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve
them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.”

Psalm 139 Verse 13 to 15:“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit
me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being
formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.”

God’s Character goes into the creation of every person. When you feel worthless or
even begin to hate yourself remember that God’s spirit is ready and willing to work
within you. We should have as much respect for ourselves as our maker has for us.

God Is All Powerful:

Roman’s 9 Verses 19 to 21: “Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people
for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?” No, don’t say
that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was
created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” When a
potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to
make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?”

With this illustration in verse 21, Paul is not saying that some of us are worth more
than others but the creator has control over the created object. The created object,
therefore has no right to demand anything from its Creator. Its very existence depends
on Him. Keeping this perspective removes any temptation to have pride in personal
achievement.

1 Chronicles 29 Verses 10 to 15: “Then David praised the Lord in the presence of the
whole assembly: “O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever
and ever! Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the
majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your
kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from
you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your
discretion people are made great and given strength.
“O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! But who am I, and who are
my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from
you, and we give you only what you first gave us! We are here for only a moment,
visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth
are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.””

In Verse 15 David contrasts God’s everlasting nature with the fleeting lives of His
people. Nothing lasts until it is rooted in God’s unchanging character. If our most
impressive deeds fade to dust before God, where would we place our confidence?
Only in relationship with God can we find anything permanent. His love never fades
and nothing can take it away.
Ephesians 3 Verse 20: “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at
work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

God Is All Knowing:

Hebrews 4 Verse 13: “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked
and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.”

Nothing can be hidden from God. He knows about everyone everywhere, and
everything about us is wide open to his all-seeing eyes. God sees all we do and knows
all we think. Even when we are unaware of His presence He is there. When we try to
hide from Him He sees us. We can have no secrets from God. It is comforting to realize
that although God knows us intimately, He still loves us.

1 John 3 Verse 19, 20: “Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will
be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our
feelings, and he knows everything.”

Many are afraid that they don’t love other’s as they should. They feel guilty because
they think they are not doing enough to show proper love to Christ. Their
consequences bother them. John has these people in mind in this letter. How do we
escape the gnawing accusations of our consequences? Not by ignoring them or
rationalizing our behavior but by setting our heart on God’s Love. When we feel guilty
we should remind ourselves that God knows our motives as well as our actions. His
voice of assurance is stronger than the accusing voice of our conscience. If we are in
Christ, He will not condemn us.

Romans 8 Verse 1: So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ
Jesus.

“Not Guilty”, let him go free. What would those words mean if you were on death
row? The fact is that the whole human race is on death row, justly condemned for
repeatedly breaking God’s Holy law. Without Jesus we would have no hope at all. But
thank God! He has declared us not guilty and has offered us freedom from sin and
power to do His will.

Hebrews 9 Verse 14, 15: “Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our
consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power
of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so
that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For
Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that
first covenant.”

Sinful deeds are more than just wrong actions; ironically these also include our
attempts to reach God by being good enough! Our culture glorifies self-effort and
personal achievement. It defines a successful person as one who obtains certain goals:
financial security, health and fitness, and the respect of others. But here the Bible
gives us a different picture of successful living: accept Jesus sacrifice for your sin,
abandon the futility of sinful deeds, and let the Blood of Christ Purify your conscience.

People in the Old Testament times were saved through Christ’s sacrifice, although the
sacrifice had not happened. In offering unblemished animal sacrifices, they were
anticipating Christ’s coming and His death for our sins. There was no point in returning
to the sacrificial system now that Christ had come and had become the final, perfect
sacrifice.

Hebrews 10 Verse 19 to 22: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter
heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a
new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we
have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence
of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been
sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with
pure water.”

The most holy place in the temple was sealed from view by a curtain. Only the high
priest could enter the holy room, and he did so only once a year on the Day of
Atonement when he offered the sacrifice for the nations sins. But Jesus’s death
removed the curtain, and all believers may walk into God’s presence at any time.

How is it possible for us to go right into the presence of God? We come not half
heartedly or with improper motives or with pretense, but with pure individual, and
sincere worship. We can know that we have “sincere hearts” if we evaluate our
thoughts and motives according to His word. Us followers of Christ can approach God
Boldly, free from our “guilty consciences” and in full assurance because of the work of
Jesus Christ. We can go to God without doubting, knowing that he will hear and
answer us. Under the new covenant, our hearts and consciences are cleansed
completely, not partially or temporarily. Our clean consciences allow us to enter God’s
presence with boldness. Finally the imagery of our bodies having been “washed with
pure water” actually pictures an inward cleansing, just as baptism is an outward sign
that represents purification that Christ does inside us, so this washing speaks of an
internal cleansing from sin. Once cleansed we can approach God.

So if you are living for the Lord and you are feeling that you are not good enough,
remind yourself that God is greater than the conscience.

God Is Holy
1 Samuel 2 Verse 2: “No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is
no Rock like our God.”

Hannah praised God for being a Rock – firm, strong and unchanging. In our fast paced
world, friends come and go, and circumstances change. It’s difficult to find a solid
foundation that will not change. Those who devote their lives to achievements, causes
or possessions have as their security, that which is finite and changeable. The
possessions that we work hard to obtain will all pass away. But God is always present.
Hope in Him, He will never fail.

God Is A Spirit
John 4 Verse 24: “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit
and in truth.”

God is not a physical being limited to one place. He is present everywhere, and he can
be worshiped anywhere, at anytime. It is not where we worship that counts but how
we worship. Is your worship genuine and true? Do you have the Holy Spirit’s help?
How does the Holy Spirit help us worship?
The Holy Spirit Prays for us.

Romans 8 Verse 26, 27: “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we
don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with
groaning’s that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts
knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with
God’s own will.”

As a believer, you are not left to your own resources to cope with problems. Even
when you don’t know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with you and for
you, and God answers. With God Helping you to pray you don’t be afraid to come
before Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you “in harmony with Gods own will.”
Then, when you bring requests to God, trust that He will always do what is best.

The Holy Spirit teaches us the words of Christ, and tells us we are loved

John 14 Verse 26: “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—
that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything
I have told you.”

Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them remember what he
had been teaching them. This promise ensures the validity of the New Testament. The
disciples were eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and teachings and the Holy Spirit helped
them remember without taking away their individual perspectives. We can be
confident that the Gospels are accurate records of what Jesus taught and did.

1 Corinthians 2 Verses 10 to16: “But it was to us that God revealed these things by his
Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one
can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know
God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the
world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom.
Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain
spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s
Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are
spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate
all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For,

“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts?

Who knows enough to teach him?”

But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.”

The Holy Spirit can help us the same way. As we study the Bible, we can trust him and
plant truth in our mind., convince us of God’s will, and remind us when we stray from
it.

The Holy Spirit tells us that we are loved.

Romans 5 Verse 5, 6: “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how
dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his
love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us
sinners.”

All three members of the Trinity are involved in salvation. The Father loved us so much
that he sent His Son to bridge the gap between us.

John 3 Verse 16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life”

The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit to fill our life with love and to enable us
to live by His power.

Acts 1 Verse 8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And
you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

With all this loving care, how can we do less than serve Him completely!

We were weak and helpless because we could do nothing on our own to save
ourselves. Someone had to come and rescue us. Christ came exactly at the right time
in history – according toe God’s own schedule. God controls all history, and he
controlled the timing, method and events surrounding Jesus’ death.

God Is A Person You Can Know

James 4 Verses 7 to 10: “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will
flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands,
you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let
there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves
before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”

Although God and the devil are at war; we don’t have to wait until the end to see who
will win. God has already defeated Satan, and when Christ returns, the devil and all he
stands for will be eliminated forever.

Revelation 12 Verses 10 to 12: “Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,
“It has come at last — salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the
authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth — the one
who accuses them before our God day and night.

And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.
And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice!
But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in
great anger, knowing that he has little time.”

Many believe that until this time Satan still had access to God. But here his access is
forever barred. He can no longer accuse people before God.

The critical blow to Satan came when the Lamb, Jesus Christ, Shed His blood for our
sins. The victory is won by sacrifice – Christ’s death in our place to pay the penalty for
our sin, and the sacrifices we make because of our faith in Him. As we face the battle
with Satan, we should not fear or try to escape from it, but we should loyally serve
Christ, who brings victory.

Romans 8 Verses 31 to 39: “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?
If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son
but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us
whom God has chosen for his own? No one — for God himself has given us right
standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one — for Christ Jesus died for
us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right
hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us
if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger,
or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every
day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming
victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death
nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about
tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power
in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be
able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The devil begins to step up his persecution because he knows that “he has little time.”
We are living in the last days, and Satan’s work has become more intense. Even though
the devil is very powerful, as we can see by the condition of our world, he is always
under God’s control. One of the reasons God allows Satan to work evil and bring
temptation is so that those who pretend to be Christ’s followers will be weeded out
from Christ’s true believers. Knowing that the last great confrontation with Jesus is
near, Satan is desperately trying to recruit as great an enemy force as possible for this
final battle.

Revelation 20 Verses 10 to 15: “Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown
into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they
will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Final Judgment

And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from
his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small,
standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life.
And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.
The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were
judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake
of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found
recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Satan’s power is not eternal – he will meet his doom. He began his evil work in people
at the beginning and continues it today, but he will be destroyed when he is thrown
into the fiery burning sulfur.

Genesis 3 Verses 1 to 7: “The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the
Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not
eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s
only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat.
God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will
be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked
delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit
and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.
At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their
nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.”

The devil will be released from the bottomless pit, but he will never be released from
the fiery lake. He will never be a threat to anyone again.

At the judgment books will be opened. The book of Life contains the names of those
who have put their trust in Christ to save them. These books also contain the recorded
deeds of everyone, good or evil. Everyone’s life will be reviewed or evaluated. No one
is saved by deeds but deeds are seen as clear evidence of a person’s actual relationship
with God. Jesus will look how we have handled gifts opportunities and responsibilities.
God’s gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful
obedience and service. Each of us must serve Christ in the best way we know and live
each day knowing the books will one day be opened.

Satan is here now, however, and he is trying to win us over to his evil cause. With the
Holy Spirits power, we can resist the devil, and he will flee from us.

How can you come close to God? According to James there are 5 ways.

1. James 4 verse 7: Yield to His authority and will, commit your life to him and his
control, and be willing to follow Him.
2. James 4 verse 7: Don’t allow Satan to entice and tempt you.
3. James 4 verse 8: Lead a pure life. Be cleansed from sin, replacing your desire
to sin with your desire to experience God’s purity.
4. James 4 verse 9: Don’t be afraid to express deep heartfelt sorrow for what you
have done.
5. James 4 verse 10: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in
honor.
Bowing in humility before the Lord means recognizing that our worth comes from God
alone. To be humble involves leaning on his power and his guidance, and not going
our own independent way. Although we do not deserve God’s favor, He wants to lift
us up, and give us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings.

Psalm 145 Verse 18: “The Lord is close to all who call on Him, yes, to all who call on
Him in truth.”

God Is A Loving Father

1 John 3 Verse 1: “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children,
and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that
we are God’s children because they don’t know him.”

As believers our self worth is based on the fact that God loves us and calls us His
children. We are His children now, not just sometime in the near future. Knowing that
we are His children should encourage us to live as Jesus did.

We are a part of Gods family:

Romans 8 Verses 14 to 17: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received
God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba,
Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And
since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of
God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.”
Paul uses adoption to illustrate the believers new relationship with God. In Roman
culture, the adopted person lost all rights in his old family and gained the rights of a
legitimate child in his new family. He became a full heir to his new father’s estate.
Likewise, when a person becomes a Christian, he or she gains privileges and
responsibilities of a child in God’s family. One of these outstanding privileges, is being
led by the spirit.

Galatians 4 Verse 5, 6: “God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the
law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his
children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out,
“Abba, Father.””

We may not always feel as though we belong to God, but the Holy Spirit is our witness.
His inward presence reminds us of who we are and encourages us with God’s love.

Galatians 5 Verse 5: “But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the
righteousness God has promised to us.”

We are no longer like fearful slaves, instead we are the Master’ children. What a
privilege! Because we are God’s children, we share in great treasures as co – heirs.
God has already given us His best gifts: His Son, His Holy Spirit, forgiveness and eternal
life; and he encourages us to ask him for whatever we need.

There is a price for being identified with Jesus. Along with being “heirs of God’s glory,”
Paul also mentions suffering that Christians must face. What kind of suffering are we
to endure? For first century believers, there was economic and social persecution, and
some even faced death. We, too, must pay price for following Jesus. In many parts of
today’s world, Christians face pressures just as severe as those faced by Christ’s first
followers. Even in countries where Christianity is tolerated or encouraged, Christians
must not become complacent. To live as Jesus did – serving others, give up ones rights,
resisting pressures to conform to the world – always exacts a price. Nothing we suffer,
however, can compare to the great price that Jesus paid to save us.

Galatians 3 Verse 26, 27: “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on
new clothes.”

Galatians 4 Verses 5 to 7: “God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the
law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his
children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out,
“Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are
his child, God has made you his heir.”

Under Roman law an adopted child was guaranteed all legal rights to his father’s
property, even if he was formerly a slave. He was not a second – class son; he was
equal to all other sons, biological or adopted, in his father’s family. As adopted
children of God, we share with Jesus all rights to God’s resources. As God’s heirs, we
can claim what he has provide for us – our full identity as His children as mentioned
above in Romans 8 verses 14 to 17.

B. GOD IS TOO GREAT TO LIVE IN TEMPLES.

Acts 17 Verses 22 to 31: “So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as
follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was
walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on
it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m
telling you about.

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and
earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—
for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies
every need. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He
decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their
boundaries.

His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward
him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move
and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ And since this
is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver
or stone.

God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he
commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set
a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved
to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

Paul was prepared to speak to this group. He came from Tarsus, an educational center
and had the training and knowledge to present his beliefs clearly and persuasively.
Paul was a rabbi, taught by the finest scholar of his day. Gamaliel and he had spent
much of his life thinking and reasoning through the scriptures.

It is not enough to teach or preach with conviction. Like Paul, we must be prepared.
The more we know about the Bible, what it means and how to apply it to life, the more
convincing our words will be. This does not mean that we should avoid presenting
Good News until we are absolutely prepared. We should use what we have learned
but always seek to know more in order to be an effective witness and be able to
respond to peoples questions and arguments.

Paul’s address is a good example of how to communicate the Good News. Paul did not
begin by reciting Jewish history as he usually did, for this would have been
meaningless to his Greek audience. He began by building a case for the one true God,
using examples they understood. The Athenians had built an idol to the unknown god
for the fear of missing blessings or receiving punishments. Paul’s opening statements
to the men of Athens was about their unknown god. Then he established common
ground by emphasizing what they agreed on about God. Finally, he moved his
message to the person of Christ, centering on the Resurrection. When you witness to
other’s use Paul’s approach: Use examples, establish common ground, and then move
people towards a decision about Christ.

Paul explained the one true God to these educated men of Athens; although these
men were, in general very religious, they did not know God. Today we have a Christian
society, but to most people God is still unknown. We need to proclaim who He is and
make clear what he did for everyone through His Son, Jesus Christ. We cannot assume
that even religious people around us truly know Jesus or understand the importance
of faith in Him.

God is in His creation and close to every one of us. But He is not trapped in His creation
– He is transcendent. God is the creator, not the creation. This means that God is
sovereign and in control, while at the same time He is close and personal. Let the
creator of the universe rule your life.

Paul did not leave his message unfinished. He confronted his listeners with Jesus’
resurrection and its meaning to all people – either blessing or punishment. The Greeks
had no concept of judgment. Most of them preferred worshiping many gods instead
of just one, and the concept of resurrection was unbelievable and offensive to them.
Paul did not hold back the truth, however, however what they might think of it. Paul
often changed his approach to fit his audience, but he never changed his basic
message.

C. WE ARE -
Created by God.
Psalm 139 Verses 13 to 16:
“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my
mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven
together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”

God’s character goes into the creation of every person. When you feel worthless
or even begin to hate yourselves, remember that God’s Spirit is ready and willing
to work within you. We should have as much respect for ourselves as our maker
has for us.

Owned by God
1 Corinthians 6 Verse 19, 20: “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the
Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to
yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your
body.”
 What did Paul mean when he said that our body belongs to God? Many people
say they have the right to do whatever they want with their own bodies. Although
they think this is freedom, they are really enslaved to their own desires. When we
become Christians the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. Therefore we no longer own
our bodies. That God bought us “with a high price” refers to slaves purchased at
an auction. Christ’s death freed us from sin but also obligates us to His service. If
you live in a building owned by someone else you try not to violate the building
rules. Because your body belongs to God, you must not violate his standards for
living.

Called to Worship God.

Revelation 4 Verse 11:
“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

All creatures in heaven and earth will praise and honor God because he is the
creator and sustainer of everything.

D. MAKE A DECISION
Matthew 22 Verse 37: “Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all
your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”

The Bible tells us about a man called Joshua. He was a great leader of the nation
of Israel. The people had been wandering for 40 years in the wilderness, without
a land of their own. Joshua, under God’s direction, led them in victory against the
evil nations living in Canaan, and possessed their land for the homeless nation of
Israel. Joshua then challenged all people to make a decision as mentioned in the
verse below.

Joshua 24 Verse 14, 15: “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away
forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates
River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then
choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors
served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land
you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

The people had to decide whether they would obey the Lord, who had proven his
trustworthiness, or obey the local gods, which were only handmade idols. It’s easy
to slip into a quit religion – going about life in your own way. But the time comes
when you have to choose who or what will control you. The choice is yours. Will
it be God, your own limited personality, or another imperfect substitute? Once
you have chosen to be controlled by God’s spirit, reaffirm your choice everyday.

In taking a definite stand for the Lord, Joshua again displayed his spiritual
leadership. Regardless of what others decided, because Joshua had made a
commitment to God, he was determined to set an example of living by that
decision. The way we live shows the strength of our commitment to serving God.

The same challenge comes to each of us. Will you make the same commitment as
Joshua this day?

MY COMMITMENT
This day I give my worship to the only true God of heaven and earth, and surrender
my will, my life and possessions to Him. From this day I determine never to worship
any other gods. My worship is for Him only, and I will teach others the truths about
God.

A FINAL WORD
Remember the law of multiplying the Kingdom of God. It is your turn to teach
someone else about God and teach them to teach another person.