Unit I : We Are Christians A. The Churchs God. LORD = YHWH, related to the verb,to be. God IS! The Name of God God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. And He.

Humanity’s Inner Sense of God

• Everyone has an inner awareness of God.• God is known to all people through Nature.

“...that which is known about God is evident within [humans]; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Rom 1:19-21)

GOD

MAN

The Bible’s First Assumption

Creation of the

Heavens

Michelangelo,

Sistine Chapel

God was there “in the beginning.”

God is still around.

A Second Assumption

“Aseity” = Self-Existence

“But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. ...He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain, and brings out the wind from His storehouses. ”

Jer. 10:10, 13

Definition of God

According to Q. 4, Westminster Catechism:“God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being,

wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.”

Infinite Eternal Unchangeable

Being Wisdom Power Holiness Justice Goodness Truth

Definition of God

Actually, there can be no definition of God.• “‘To whom then will you liken Me, that I

should be his equal?’ says the Holy One.” Isaiah 40:25

• God is “wholly other,” that is, unique.

GODGOD

Definition of God

To speak about God, we must use analogy.• “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face

continually.” Ps. 105:4

• God can be found. He has revealed himself to us.

• He is said to have a “face”: anthropomorphic language.

GODGODAnalogical Language

Existence of God

God’s existence is revealed in:General Revelation

The Majesty of Creation

The Design of Creation

Special Revelation

“And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’; and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Ex. 3:14

NOTE:

God’s own self-

revelation is necessary

for us to know him. We cannot know him

on our own.

Existence of God

• Every effect has a cause.

• There cannot be an infinite regress of causes.

• There must be an uncaused Cause.

• This being is God.

His existence is shown in theistic proofs.1. The Cosmological Argument

Existence of God

• “Telos” means purpose or goal.

• The universe exhibits intentional design.

• This cannot be self-produced.

• A Designer must have made the universe!

His existence is shown in theistic proofs.2. The Teleological Argument

Existence of God

His existence is shown in theistic proofs.3. The Anthropological Argument

• Our spiritual aspect points us to something beyond ourselves, and that is God.

• Man is “fearfully and wonderfully made,” (Ps. 139:14), both spiritually and physically.

Existence of God

• Everyone has a sense of “ought,” that is, of right and wrong.

• For example, most cultures understand murder is wrong. Man abhors this crime.

• Where does this universal moral sense come from?

• There must be an exterior Judge.

His existence is shown in theistic proofs.4. The Moral Argument

Existence of God

• We have the idea of the “greatest being” in our minds.

• What attributes would the “greatest being” have? Actual existence would certainly be one.

• Therefore, the greatest being must exist.

• The greatest being is called God!

His existence is shown in theistic proofs.5. The Ontological Argument

God

Ontological Argument

• a priori – self-evident propositions, apart from observed facts: Ontological (Anselm of Canterbury)

Concept of God requires the

existence of God

• a posteriori – reasoning from observed facts

Thomas Aquinas’ five proofs