SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

DOCTRINES II

By

Pastor Ken Banda

Central Africa Baptist University

PO Box 21891, Kitwe, Zambia

Phone: 097-741-5011

[email protected]

1
 The Doctrine of God: Theology Proper

I. Introduction

The doctrine of God is one of great importance, because when you have a wrong view of
who God is, then your whole life is going to be founded upon a wrong foundation.
Wrong views of God lead to wrong view of life. Right doctrine is ______________________ to
right conduct and vice versa. John Gill wrote, “Doctrine has an _________________ upon
practice, especially evangelical doctrine, spiritually understood, affectionately
embraced, and powerfully and feelingly experienced.” (Gill 1995). We must never study
Theology simply for the sake of filling our heads with Biblical facts without godliness in
our lives, but rather we must study Theology for the purpose of sanctification. “our
posture must be worship, and our theology the fuel of doxology, just as Paul’s deepest
theological reflections propelled him into praise.” (Beeke and Smalley 2019)

II. Our Goal of Theology

A. Our Theology must be _______________________: It should be Christ-centered.
1. A __________ _________________ is the _______________ of good theology: The
whole purpose of theology is to transform our character in the
likeness of Christ.
2. A right heart is the ________________of good theology: The goal of
theology is knowing and loving God.
B. Our Theology must be ________________________: There are connections in
theology. One change in one point, affects other parts.
C. Our Theology must be _______________________: It must be formulated with an
eye on to the past. The past is the eye for leaning. “Knowing how theology
was done, will help us not to invent the wheel.”1
III. THEORIES OF THEISM
_____________________: It is a belief that everything has spirits in them and are
actually alive. “it teaches that nothing is ultimately inanimate.” (McCune
2009). There is a connection between material and immaterial.
______________________: It is belief that a spirit may sometimes dwell
temporarily in an inanimate object and cause that object to be sacred and
worthy of worship because the spirit lives there. (McCune,2009)

1
Bauder Kevin. Central Baptist Theological seminary class notes 2021. Professor of Systematic Theology.

2
 __________________: This is a belief that everything is god and god is
everything.
_____________________: It is belief that physical matter and god are
interdependent with each other. God need the universe and the universe
need god.
______________________: This is a belief that there exists many gods in the
world, however, there is one among them all who is greater than them all
and hence deserves to be worshiped at the expense of others. Example;
Molech among the Ammonites, Chemosh among the Moabites and Baal
among the Canaanites and Marduk among the Babylonians.
___________________________: It is a belief in many gods who all deserve equal
worship. The worship of many gods requires a medium.
________________________: It is a belief that there are two gods, one is good and
the other is evil. These two gods are equal and eternal and are locked in
eternal battle.
_________________: It is a belief that God is transcendent but not imminent.
There are no miracles.
_____________________: This is a belief in one god, who alone deserves
worship. This God is distinct and unique who is outside of his universe
but act and work within the universe. E.g. Judaism, Islam, &
Trinitarianism.
IV. THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
A. Theories of the existence of God
1. _________________: We can be sure God does not exist
2. ___________________: We can’t be sure if God exist. We cannot affirm the
existence of God
3. _____________________: Whether God exist or not does not matter
4. __________________: There is a God

3
 B. Definition:
1. Theology proper: is the doctrine of the existence and being of God.
C. Contents of Theology proper.
1. God’s existence. [ Note] that, Theology proper does not seek to prove
the existence of God, but rather show that Holy Scripture asserts the
existence of God.
2. God’s Tri-unity
3. God’s perfections

D. What is God?
This is a very important question. We need to clarify which God we are
referring to because there are many beliefs surrounding a belief in a supreme
being as we have stated above in theories about God. The Westminster
shorter catechism states that, “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and
unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and
truth.”2 And the Westminster Confession (II.1), defines God as, “a most pure
spirit, invisible, without body, parts or passions” 3 Furthermore, B.B
Warfield defines God simply as, “ a personal Spirit, infinite, eternal, and
illimitable alike in His being and in the intelligence, sensibility, and will which
belong to Him as personal spirit.”4

2
The Westminster shorter Catechism
3
Shedd William G. T. Dogmatic Theology. (P & R publishing, 2003), location 2149 kindle version.
4
Warfield B.B. Studies in Theology. (Baker: Grand Rapids, 1968), location 1460 Kindle version.

4
 E. The existence of God.
 Scriptural Proof for the existence of God:
The scriptures do not present an argument for the existence of God. The
Scriptures simply asserts and assume the existence of God. Berkhof says:
“The Christian accepts the truth of the existence of God by faith. The faith is
not a blind faith, but a faith that is based on evidence, and the evidence is
found primarily in Scriptures as the inspired word of God, and secondarily in
God’s revelation in nature. Scripture proof on this point does not come to us in
the form of an explicit declaration, and much less in the form of a logical
argument. In the sense the Bible does not prove the existence of God…. It
presupposes the existence of God….”5 Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning
God…..”;John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word…..”

“The Bible does not begin with a rationalist argument for the existence of God
but rather assumes that he exists, that he existed before the beginning of all
things outside himself, and that there is only one God.”6

Heb. 11:6b “ for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists..”7
This means that, you cannot be properly related to God without a belief in his
existence.

 Types of proofs for the existence of God

A. The Proof from the requirement to believe in His existence
1. Friendship with God cannot be based on human reasoning about God.
“The Scriptures simply require man to believe in Him—and to begin
that belief by believing that He exists”8
B. Heb. 11:6— “……. he who comes must believe that He exist.” The proof
from the assessment of Denial of His existence.
1. Psalm 14:1; 53:1 Psalm 10:4

C. The proof from the Assertion of His Eternality

5
Berkhof, L. Systematic Theology. (Grand Rapids: Eaedmans,1941), 21.
6
MacArthur John; Richard Mayhue. Biblical doctrine: A systematic summary of biblical truth. (Wheaton,
Illinois, 2017),
7
All scripture quotations are from eh ESV 2011 unless otherwise indicated in the notes.
8
Special thanks to Elmer Daniel. Whose class notes form the basis of some of these
notes: Oostenberg Byble Instituut class notes. 2017.

5
 1. Genesis 21:33

2. Deuteronomy 32:40
3. *Psalm 90:2.
4. *Romans 1:20
5. Rev.1:8
D. The proof from the Assertion of His Self- Existence
1. *John 5:26 *Exod. 3:14
2. Acts 17:24-28
3. *Romans 11:36
E. The proof from human conscience
1. Romans 1:21;25
2. Psalm 14:1
F. The proof from general revelation (Creation & Providence)
1. Acts 14:17
2. Psalm 19:1-2
3. Romans 1:20
 Traditional proofs for the existence of God
1. Cosmological argument: Every effect has a cause and that cause is God.
Since the cosmos exist, then something caused it. Something cannot exist on its
own without causing it. “because something cannot come from nothing, there
must be an original cause that is the reason for the world’s existence……. every
effect must have a cause”9
2. Teleological argument: It comes from the Greek word, telos which means
“end”. It is an argument from design. It observes that, there is order, harmony
and intelligent design and purpose in the universe. Behind this order, intelligence
and harmony is a Master Designer who is God.
3. Anthropological Argument: It is based on the Greek word, Anthropos,
meaning “man”. It argues that, man is more than simply biological but man is a
moral being consisting of intellect, emotion, and will. Chafer states: : There are
philosophical and moral features in man’s constitution which may be tracked
back to find their origin in God.”10
9
Enns Paul, The Moody Handbook of Theology. (Moody Publishers; Chicago, 2008),187.
10
Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, 8 Vol. (Dallas: Dallas Seminary, 1947) 157.

6
 4. Moral argument: This argument maintains that man has a conscious
awareness of right and wrong. Human society has morality embedded in her
laws because of the intrinsic morality in every human being even though, sin has
affected the total human being. There is still a residue of morality in human
society seen from its sense of moral justice.

The Tri-unity of God

Believing in the doctrine of trinity is tantamount to everything about the

Christian faith. Denying the trinity is equal to denying the God of the Bible who is
Triune. Salvation is built on the Trinity. It is impossible to be born-again while
rejecting the Trinity, because the Gospel is grounded in the Trinity: The Father
chose, The Son redeems and the Holy Spirit seals believers. However, we need to
acknowledge that, no human finite mind can fully comprehend the trinity, it is a
mystery. “This is a sacred mystery, which the light within man could never have
discovered.”11Furthermore, “Remove the Trinity, and the whole Christian faith
disintegrates.”12

I. Definition:
A. Trinity simply means, that God is absolutely and eternally one essence
in three distinct personal subsistences, without division and
replication of essence. McCune states that, “the Trinity of God means
that the divine essence subsists wholly and indivisibly, simultaneously
and eternally in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is three persons
in once essence.”13 Each person is fully God. The Father is Fully God,
the son is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. We venerate one
God in the Trinity, and the Trinity in oneness; neither confounding the
11
Watson Thomas, A body of Divinity. (Monergism books, 2015), 132.
12
Ware. A Bruce. Father, Son and Holy Spirit: relationships, roles and relevance. (Crossway, Wheaton, Illinois,
2005), 19.
13
McCune Rolland, A systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity. (Detroit Baptist Theological
seminary,2009), 280.

7
 persons nor dividing the substance… the divine nature of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is God; and nevertheless they are
not three gods, but there is one God. Hernandez defines Trinity as,
“One God who eternally exists in three distinct, coequal, and coeternal
persons. These divine persons are inseparable from the divine being.
Because in the unity of the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Sprit
are permanently existing in one another, with absolute unity of
essence.”14

II. Historical development of the doctrine of the Trinity

A. Apostolic Fathers
I. Clement of Rome (ca.88-99)
II. Polycarp (ca. 90-150)
III. Ignatius (ca.50-110)

All these apostolic Fathers, “affirmed the deity of the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit although they did not discuss the relations of the members
of the Trinity with each other”15. During the infancy of the church, this
was not a doctrinal problem yet.

B. The logos Christology

There arose apologists in the second century such as Justin, Tatian,
Athenogoras, Theophilus of Antioch who began to explore the relation of
the preexistent Christ to the Father. They saw Christs as the Father’s
thought, expressed in creation and revelation. These early apologists
stressed two things.
I. Christ’s eternal oneness with the Father, as the Word
immanent in God.
II. His appearance in human history, as the Word emitted or
expressed.
C. Irenaeus (130-200 A.D)

14
Hernandez Sonny, The Glorious Trinity of God: A Family of Worship and Bible Study Guide on the
Doctrine of the Trinity, (Independently published, 2020).
15
John MacArthur, Mayhue R. Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic summary of Biblical truth. (crossway, 2017),
208.

8
 Irenaeus was a bishop of Lyons in Gaul. In his time, there was a brand of
Gnosticism that was mostly influenced by Greek thought. This form of
Gnosticism taught that, 16“supreme being, such as it was, must be radically
separate from the material world.” They taught that, “the Jesus who lived
a human life and suffered was different from the Christ, who descended
on him and then left him and ascended.” However, Irenaeus defended
that, “There is one God the Father, who created ex nihilo by his Word.
There is one Lord Jesus Christ.” And he said that, “The Son of God was
Himself born of a virgin and is identical with Christ the savior.”17
D. Tertullian (160-220)
He was once a lawyer who opposed the error of modalism. Which at the
time taught that, Jesus and Holy Spirit are lesser divinities because they
have a lesser status since they subordinate to God. The heresy at the time
was that, God is one and he does not exist eternally as Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. But rather Jesus and the Spirit are simply manifestations of
the one God and not eternal personal distinctions in the one being. He
argued that, “ God is one, Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit being
identical and not eternally distinct.”18 Tertullian was the first theologian
to use Trinitas meaning: The three are three, “ not in condition, but in
degree; yet of sane substance, not in form; not n power, but in aspect
(unius autem substantiae).”19
E. Origen (185-254)
 Origen’s main contribution on the doctrine of the Trinity was his
doctrine of eternal generation of the Son by the Father. He called the
Son “wisdom”. He argues that, God the Father never existed without
His Wisdom.” And wisdom was generated before any begging that can
either be comprehended or expressed.”20 The only thing Origen erred
in an effort to defend the Trinity was to go in the extreme to discuss
ontological subordination by saying, “the Son was a secondary God
inferior to the Father.” Which paved a way for the heresy of Arianism.

16
Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity, 89.
17
Irenaeus, Heresies,3.16.2,7.921-22.
18
Tertullian, On Monday,21.
19
_________, Against Praxeas,2PL,2.180.
20
Origen, On first principles,1.2.2; PG,11:131.

9
F. Arius (256).
He was born around 256 in Libya Africa.
 He taught that, the Son had an origin ex nihilo. There was a time when
he did not exist.
 He was created, existing by the will of God. Before he was created, he
did not exist.
 The Word has a changeable nature and remains good by free will only
so long as he chooses.
 The ousiai (being/essence) of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are
divided and differ from one another.
 God was not always Father, for there was not always a Son.
 He is the originator of a heresy called Arianism not because he
coined the word but because of those who followed his
teaching.
G. The Creed of Nicaea (A.D 325)
At the council of Nicaea in A.D 325, Arius was condemned and exiled and
the Creed was born which states that;
We believe in one God Father Almighty maker of all things, seen and unseen:
And in one Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, begotten as only-begotten of the
Father, that is of the substance [ouisa] of the Father, God of God, Light of
Light, true God of True God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the
Father, through whom all things came into existence,, both things in heaven
and things on earth; who for us mean and for our salvation came down and
was incarnate and became man, suffered and rose again the third day,
ascended into heavens , is coming to judge the living and the dead
H. Athanasius (295? -373)
He was a Bishop of Alexandria and exiled as archbishop of Alexandria five
times due to his abuse of power. He is venerated as the one who stood
alone for the truth against the forces of heresy.
 He taught that, “AS the Father is not a creature, neither is the Son. The
will of the Father and the Son is one, since they are indivisible. “
 The son is the exact seal of the Father. The Son is one in being with the
Father.

10
I. Basil the Great (330-379)
He defended the deity of the Holy Spirit. He taught subordination of the
Holy Spirit. He argued that, the Holy Spirit, “is of supreme nature, an
intelligent essence, in power infinite, in magnitude unlimited,
unmeasured by times or ages, perfecting in all other things, but itself in
noting lacking.”
J. Council of Constantinople (A.D 381)
We believe in one God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and
of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ the Son of
God, the Only-begotten, begotten by his Father before all ages, Light from
Light, true God from true God, begotten not made.
K. Augustine (400-420)
He summarized the doctrine of the Trinity following in the footsteps of
Tertullian that, “There is one God, Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
But the Son is not the Father, the Father is not the Son, neither the Father
nor the Son is the Holy Spirit. These three are equal and co-eternal, and
absolutely of one nature and inseparable Trinity, yet a Trinity in
inseparable union.”

11
 III. God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
A. The Father: What makes him Father?
“One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Kevin Sherman asked this important question, “What makes him to be

“Father”? What is the significance of this term as it reveals God to us?”21

1. God is Father in relation to the __________(Jesus Christ), and Spirit.

God is Father because he begot a Son in eternity and He couldn’t be Father
if He had no Son. Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God begotten before all
worlds. He is called, “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” in the Pauline &
Petrine epistles. Thomas Watson rightly says that, He is called Father no
with respect to dignity in the Godhead but rather with respect to order.
He does not possess more deity than the other members in the Godhead.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Eph. 1:3).
“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows
the Son except my Father, and no one knows the Father excepts the Son
and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matt. 11:27).
Letham says that, “ The name the Father refers to the unique relations of
the Father to the Son, mutual relations within the being of God, expressed
in the relation of the Father to the incarnate Son.”22
2. God is Father with respect to _____________________
“But to All who did receive Him, who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God” (John 1:12 Cf. 1 John 3:1; James 1:17-18;
Heb. 12:5-6)

21
Sherman Kevin, Bible Doctrines 2 class notes: The doctrine of the Triune God. (Central Africa Baptist
University,2021), Want to appreciate the notes from Kevin which made up parts of these notes.
22
Lethem Robert. The Holy Trinity. (P & R publishers, 2019), 27.

12
 All those who place their faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross
through adoption become God’s children and God become their Father.
Adoption is a process by God places us in his family on the basis of His
electing love and He gives us all the rights and privileges of Sonship. (see.
Eph. 1:5)

3. God is Father with respect with the nation of ____________.

God revealed Himself to Moses and the nation of Israel as Father. (Exo.
4:22-23). He calls Israel “my first born son”. In that sense, therefore, Israel
as a nation is a son to God. Moses refers to God as Father in (Deut. 1:31;
8:5; cf. 14:1. 23“Father usually refers to the covenantal relationship of
Yahweh to Israel. (Hosea 11:1)” He was declared to be the Son of God on
his baptism by God. (Matt. 3:17).
4. God is Father of all _______________ with respect to creation
God is the source of all things. “In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth” ( Gen. 1:1 cf. Heb. 12:9; 1 Cor. 8:6; Acts. 17:25-26). We can
also see the same idea in the creation of man in the image of God carrying
the same concept of God Being Father and shares some of His perfections
with man. (Gen.1:26-27). “Let us make man in our image, after our own
likeness”
B. The Son in relation to the Father.
The NT depicts Jesus as the unique Son of God. Jesus Himself claimed to
be an eternal Son of God. (John 17:1-5). Prior to His earthly ministry at
the baptism, God declared Him His Son. “This is my beloved Son, with
whom I am well pleased.”(Matt. 3:17). Robert Letham comments, “Jesus as
Son claims a relation to the Father of great personal intimacy, exclusive
and unique, and from his side marked by full and willing obedience to the
Father.”24 Moreover, we need to take note that, Jesus calling God, His
Father was more than simply subordinating to the Father in incarnation

23
Ibid,17.
24
Letham Robert, The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, history, theology and worship ( P & R publishing, 2004),
31.

13
 but more so, claiming deity and equality with the Father. “He was actually
placing himself in the same divine category as the Father.”25

C. The Holy Spirit

The Spirit shares the same _____________ with the Father, and thus is God.
We observe this truth in the apostolic benediction in 2 Cor. 13:14. In Rom
8:9, he is called “the Spirit of God” and from Genesis 1:2, we see that, He
was present and active during creation. Thus, we can conclude that, “The
Spirit has eternally been with the Father and the Son, enjoying a
relationship of love and glory with the Father.”26

IV. Trinity in the Old Testament

We need to distinguish between the Trinity and the __________ of the Trinity
because God has always been _________ but the doctrine was developed by the
church with the aim of understanding how God, “have revealed [himself] in
the history of revelation and redemption, as recorded in Scripture.”27
B.B Warfield notices that, “The mystery of the Trinity is not ____________ in the
Old Testament; but the mystery of the Trinity underlies the Old Testament
revelation, and here and there almost comes into view”28 and Letham
comments that, “ The Trinity is revealed in the OT in _____________ form, in the
NT implicitly but pervasively.”29
A. Plural nouns for God in OT.
1. Gen. 1:26; 3:22;11:7 here we have the plural verb “let us” and our plural
noun “our” refers to Trinity and not plurals of majesty or “consultation of the

25
Kevin Sherman. Class notes, 2020.
26
Ibid, 3.
27
Letham, 3.
28
B.B Warfield, “The Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity,” In biblical Doctrines (Grand Rapids: Baker,1981),
141-42.
29
Robert Letham, The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship (P&R publishing,
2019),3.

14
 heavenly council” observed by John Frame. The use of the plural form
“Elohim” suggest a Trinity. “In the beginning God created” Gen. 1:1
2. Isaiah 6:8 “whom shall I send, and who will go for us” who is the “us” in this
text.
3. Psalm 45:6-7 cf. Hebrews 1:8
4. Psalm 110:1 cf. Matthew 22:41-46
5. Malachi 3:1-2
B. The Holy Spirit in OT active in creation
1. Psalm 33:6. Creation is said to be “by the word of the LORD…… and by the
breath ‫ ּוְב֥ר ּוַח‬of his mouth”
2. Job 33:4 cf 26:13, Job acknowledges that the Spirit of God made him. “The
Spirit ‫ ֽרּוַח‬of God has made me”
3. Psalm 104:30, Psalmist talks of God’s Spirit being creator.
C. Theophany: A theophany is a visible manifestation of a divine being in
bodily form.
1. Gen. 18:10 The Lord appeared to Abraham. “I will surely return to you
about this time next year”
2. Joshua 5:13-15. Joshua meets the commander of the army of the Lord
3. Exod. 3: Moses at the burning bush
D. Angel of the Lord in the OT: “The Pentateuch contains a good number of
passages of the Lord appears and is identified with God himself”30
1. Gen. 16:6-13; 21:17-20, the angel speaks as God. Hager calls him “God who
sees”
2. Gen. 22:11-12. Angel talks to Abraham as if the angel is God. The angels
reaffirm the covenant to Abraham.
3. Gen 31:11-13, the angel identifies himself as “God of Bethel”
4. Gen. 32:30, Angel wrestled with Jacob and Jacob identifies him as God.
5. Judges 2:1-5. Angels says, “I brought you up from Egypt”
6. Judges 6:12 Appeared to Gideon.
7. Judges 13:3-23 Appeared to Manoah and his wife.
E. Trinity in Isaiah: Trinity is clear in the book of Isaiah. There are many
references in the book of Isaiah which alludes to the Trinity.

30
Letham Robert, P.9.

15
 1. Isaiah 42:1 “
2. Isaiah 48:16 “
3. Isaiah 63:7-10

V. Trinity in the New Testament NT

The New Testament gives a more vivid view of the Trinity. The New
Testament teaches that there is only one God. This one God subsisting in
three distinct persons as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father is called God.
(1 Cor. 8:6), The Son is called God, (Heb. 1:8-20), and the Holy Spirit is called
God, (Acts 5:3-4).

A. Deity of Jesus Christ

1. Jesus is called God in the NT (John 1:1 & 18). Although the translation “the
Word was God” has received a lot of challenges especially from the JWs
who in their translation has instead translated it as “the word was a god”,
implying that the word was a created heavenly being and not fully divine.
They justify their position by saying, there is no definite article in the
Greek before the Greek word “theos” and consequently, “theos should be
translated a god.”31 When we follow the rules of Greek grammar, what we
find is that, absence of the definite article shows that, “God” is a predicate
rather than the subject and therefore, the subject in this text is “Word”
and not theos.
2. Jesus claimed equality with God the Father. (John 5:18b; 10:30).
3. Thomas claimed the risen Christ to be God. (John 20:28)
4. Jesus claimed to be co-inherent in essence with the Father in essence.
(John 10:38; cf .14:10-11; 17:21)

31
Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. (Inter-Varsity press, Grand
rapids, 2000), 234.

16
 5. The Apostle Paul Christ, God in Acts 20:28 while addressing the Ephesians
elders. “the antecedent of “he” is God; but “he” refers to Jesus, who
bought the church with his own blood.”32
6. Unity of essence between Son and the Spirit. (Romans 8:9).
7. The baptism of Jesus evidences triune members involved. (Matt. 3:16-17)
8. The apostolic benediction shows Trinity. (2 Cor. 13:14; 2 Thess.1:12;
Tit.2:13; 2 Pet.1:1). (Greek Grammar construction using Granville sharp
rule proves that “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” refers to one
person because of the copulative kai connecting two nouns of the same
case.)
9. Unity of essence in the Godhead. (Eph. 2:18; 4:4-6;1 Cor.12:4-6; 1 Peter
1:2; Jude 1:20-21).
10. The great commission affirms the Trinity. (Matt. 28:19-20), “baptizing
them in the name [singular], of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”
B. Deity of the Holy Spirit
1. He is referred to as God in Acts 5:3-4. Energy or power cannot be lied
to. This text proves both the person and the deity of the Holy Spirit.
2. The body of believers is the temple of God due to the indwelling
presence of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20)
3. He coordinates with Father and Son in the divine name. (Matt, 28:19;
2 Cor.13:14)
4. He is called the Spirit of God. (Matt. 3:16; Luke 4:18; Matt.10:20)
5. The Apostle Paul affirms the lordship of the Spirit. (2 Cor.3:16-18

32
John Frame. Systematic Theology: An introduction to Christian beliefs (P &R Publishers, 2013), 464.

17
 Economical Order in the Godhead

Introduction

There has been a discussion and debate among scholars in the twenty first century on

the roles of the members in the Godhead. These scholars all agree that God is one and he

subsists in three distinct persons as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These scholars all hold

to “Both parties hold to the supreme authority, divine inspiration, and the inerrancy of

the Bible. They hold to the full deity of Christ, his bodily resurrection and second

coming, and salvation by grace.”33

John Frame states that, “economic trinity is the Trinity in its relation to
creation, including the specific roles played by the Trinitarian persons through the
history of creation, providence and redemption.”34

“We worship one God in trinity, and trinity in _______________; neither

confounding the persons nor ______________ the substance”35—The Athanasian Creed. We
need to understand this important aspect of the Trinity when it comes to study the
economical order in the Godhead. Charles Hodge observes that, “According to the
Scriptures, the Father _______________ the world, the Son ________________ the world, and the
Spirit _______________ the world. The Father ______________ all things; the Son upholds all
things; and the Spirit is the _________________ of all life.”36 The identity in essence , there is

33
Millard Erickson. Who's Tampering with the Trinity? An Assessment of the Subordination Debate
(Kindle Locations 92-94). Kindle Edition.

34
Ibid, 489.
35
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athanasian_Creed

36
Charles Hodge. Systematic Theology (Kindle Locations 8719-8721). Kindle Edition

18
no member of the Godhead who is more God than the other. “that all persons of the
Trinity are co-equal; none is ontologically subordinate to the other.”37

All three members have the same divine nature and substance. The
distinction is not in essence or substance but in person and function. John Frame puts
rightly so when he says, “There is no ___________________ within the divine nature that is
shared among the persons, which constitute part of the distinctiveness of each. Because
their persons subordinate themselves to one another in their economic relationships
with creation.”38

There are three main views on this debate. The Gradational view and equivalence view

and neither Gradational nor Equivalence view

Gradational view

The first view is called the gradational view. According to this view, they hold that,

there is an eternal hierarchy of authority among the three persons. The Father is the

supreme member of the Trinity, possessing the highest authority, and the Son and Holy

Spirit are subordinate to him and submit to his authority. This is how it has been in the

past and it will continue to be in eternity.

Equivalence view

This view holds that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are eternally equal in authority. A

temporarily functional subordination of the Son and the Holy Spirit to the Father has

been established for the purpose of carrying out a particular mission. Once the mission

is over, the three persons’ full equality will resume.

GRADATIONAL VIEW PROPONETS:

1. Charles Hodge: 1870-1970

37
Kelly F. Douglas. Systematic Theology: Grounded in Holy Scriptures and Understood in the light of the
Church Volume one, (Christian focused publications, 2008), 529.
38
John Frame, 501.

19
 Hodge held to the view that, “while all three persons are equally divine and the

titles are attributes of God apply equally to the Father, the Son and the Holy

Spirit, nonetheless, In the Holy Trinity there is a subordination of the Persons as

to the mode of subsistence and operation”39

2. Louis Berkhof

He held that, “there is a certain order in the ontological Trinity. In personal

subsistence the Father is first, the Son second, and the Holy Spirit third. It need

hardly be said that this order does not pertain to any priority of time or essential

dignity but only to the logical order of derivation. The father is neither begotten

by nor proceeds from any other person...”

3. Bruce Ware

“In this authority-submission structure, the three persons understand the

rightful place each has. The Father possess the place of supreme authority and

the Son is the eternal Son of the eternal Father.” He says that as such, “the Son

submits to the Father, just as the Father, as eternal Farther of the eternal Son,

exercises authority over the Son.”

4. Wayne Grudem

“When scripture discusses the way in which God relates to the world, both in

creation and in redemption, the persons of the Trinity are said to have different

functions or primary activities. This is what has sometimes been referred to as

the economy of the Trinity.” He concludes this debate by saying that, “the role for

the Father in creation and redemption has been to plan and direct and the send

the Son and Holy Spirit.

39
Charles Hodge, systematic theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1952), 1:445.

20
Equivalence view

1. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are thought of as completely and equally God in

their being. Each is eternally and fully divine.

2. The terms Father and Son do not indicate the authority of the former over the

latter but rather the similarity of the two to one another.

3. The Father-Son relationship is not to be understood on the analogy of human

father-son relationships.

Proponents:

Benjamin B. Warfield: 1870-1970

1. Warfield argued that, “The word Son speaks of equality” and not subordination.

This can be seen in the interpretation of Jesus’s self-designation as the Son of

God as a claim to deity or equality with God in John 5:18.

2. The common order in which Christians usually express the names of the

members of the Trinity is Father, Son and Spirit, and this is supported by the

order of the baptismal formula in Matthew 28. He observes that, this order is

sometimes reversed in NT. 2 Cor. 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2, Jude 20-21 and 1 Cor. 12:2-6

3. Warfield recognize a type of subordination among the members of the Trinity

with respect to the modes of operation in their work in the world.

Loraine Boettner

21
He was a 20th century Reformed theologian who followed Warfield. He specialized in

systematic theology at Princeton Seminary Charles Hodge’ Son.

1. The Father is, and always has been, as much dependent on the Son as the Son is

on the Father, for as we need to keep in mind, self-existence and independence

are properties, not of the Persons within the Godhead, but of the Triune God.

2. He argues that, “each of the Persons participates to some extent in the work of

the others….. Hence we say that while the spheres and functions of the three

persons of the Trinity are different, they are not exclusive.” Although each one

has a special role that is primarily his, yet this is not based on some inherent

structure of superiority and this is because for example, the plan of redemption

takes the form of the covenant, not merely between God and his people but

between the different persons of the Trinity, so that, there is as it were a division

of labour.

Oliver J. Buswell Jr.

He was president of Wheaton College and taught systematic Theology. He wrote a two

volume theology that was only conservative evangelical theological textbook in the 20th

century. He held that;

1. Any subordination of the Son to the Father is to be understood as functional only,

not as subordinate essence.

2. This temporal subordination and for the purpose of accomplishing Christ’s

redemptive work. John 14:28; John 5:30. “We must understand these statements

as referring to His economic subordination in the days of his flesh.”

Gilbert Bilezikian

22
He is professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. He holds that, “God is a Trinity,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each an uncreated person, one in essence, equal in power

and glory.” He therefore, affirm the historic view of the Trinity. He recognized the

oneness of the Godhead along with the eternity, the ontological identity and the equality

in authority or sovereign power and honor or status among the three persons of the

Trinity. He says that, “if we talk of subordination it is only a functional or economic

subordination that pertains exclusively to Christ’s role in relation to human history.

Christ’s kenosis affected neither his essence nor his status in eternity.”

Kevin Giles

Pastor in Australia who has written a most extended treatment of the issue of

subordination from the equivalence point of view. Gile began by first asking a pertinent

question. “how does one settle a theological dispute when what is asked is not directly

answered by the Bible, and how does one weigh differing arguments when both sides

appeal to the Bible to substantiate their opposing conclusions?” and he therefore, come

to the conclusion that, “,on the one hand, that the Son is eternally one in being and

action with the Father and, on the other hand, that the Son gladly and willingly

subordinated himself temporarily for us and our salvation.”

23
NEITHER GRADATIONIST NOR EQUIVALENCE

The latest new argument in the 21st Century is by Robert Letham who does not see

subordination as being gradational or equivalent but rather sees from the point of

eternal generation. He sees it from the point of order among the members of the Trinity

and, not so much as authority. He argues that, “it is eternally the case that the Father is

first, the Son is second, and the Spirit third. The Son is from the Father.” Eternal

generation is a relationship of the Father to the Son. Letham emphasizes the Son’s

obedience or submission to the Father and says this is not to be understood as

subordination nor inferiority nor is it to be understood only as applying to the time of

the Son’s earthly ministry.

Distinctions among the members of the Trinity

A. The first member in the order of the Trinity is the Father. “He is called the first
person, in respect of order, not dignity: For God the Father has no essential
perfection which the other persons have not”40 and therefore, God being called
Father is matter of priority not Superiority. However, we can still see some
distinctions in the role of the Father which is different from the role of the Son and
the Holy Spirit.
1. God the Father spoke the creative words to bring the universe into
existence.

40
(https://www.monergism.com/body-divinity-ebook) accessed on 18.08.2021 at 10:51

24
 2. God the Father planned the work of redemption from eternity past.
(John 3:16; Gal. 4:4; Eph.1:9-10)
B. The second person of the Godhead is Jesus Christ. He is the eternal Son of
God begotten of the Father before the worlds was. The Nicene Creed says
concerning Jesus’ Sonship, “Jesus Christ, the only- begotten Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all time. Light from Light, true God from
True God, begotten, not created.” In the economy of the Trinity, the Son
submits to the Father. He does not submit due to being inferior to the
Father, rather for the purpose of function and not essence. (Matt. 24:36;
John 16:13). The Son voluntarily subordinates to the Father in the roles
the person of Christ performs and joyfully obeys his Fathers’ will.
1. The Son carried out the creative decrees. (Col. 1:16; John 1:3; 1
Cor.8:6; Heb.1:2; Ps.33:6,9).
2. The Son died on the cross to accomplish the plan of the Father. (John
6:38; Heb.10:5-7).
C. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. He is the third
member of the Trinity again not in superiority or essence but in priority.
He is co-equal with the Father and Son in all the being of God. He is
eternally equal to the other two members of the Trinity in all things yet
distinct in person. This equality and distinction can be best illustrated
using “The Shield of the Faith”
1. The Holy Spirit sustains and manifest God’s presence. (Ps.33:6; 139:7).
2. The Holy Spirit applies the plan of Redemption. He brings the work of
redemption complete. (Eph. 1:12-13; 4:31-32).
3. He imparts new life (regeneration) to a believer. (John 3:5-8; Titus
3:5)
4. He sanctifies believers. (Rom. 8:13; 15:16; 1 Peter 1:2).
5. He empowers for ministry. (Acts. 1:8; 1 Cor.12:7-11).

25
Perfections of God/Attributes of God

Jeremiah 9:23 “Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the
mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who
glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising
lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,’ says the
Lord.”

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important

thing about us. . .Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to

the question, “What comes into your mind when you think about God? “we

might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man.”41 A. W. Tozer

Luther states, “God in his essence is altogether unknowable; nor is it possible to define
or put into words what he is, though we burst at the effort.”42

Melanchthon likewise affirmed that, “the knowledge of God is so high that one cannot
express it in words.”43

Thankfully Bullinger brings hope to us in saying that;

41
A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperCollins, 1978)
42
Martin Luther, Lectures on Genesis chapters 6-14, LW 2:45.
43
Melanchthon, loci Communes (1555),86.

26
 No tongue of angels or of men can fully express what, who, and what
manner God is, seeing that his majesty is incomprehensible and
unspeakable; yet the scriptures, which is the word of God, attempting
itself to our imbecility, doth minister unto us some means, forms, and
phrases of speech, by them to bring to us such knowledge of God as
many at leastwise suffice us while we live in this world.44

WHAT IS GOD LIKE?

Attributes or Perfections of God are, “those qualities of God that constitute what he is,
the very characteristics of his nature…. Not referring to his acts, such as creating or
guiding, and preserving…”45

Attributes are God’s,” characteristics, the various aspects of his essence or nature…..they
are the essential characteristics of his nature.”46

Attributes are the, “description of the essence, and not parts of the essence. The whole
essence is in each attribute, and the attribute in the essence.”47

“God is his attributes, and not made up of his attributes because God is simple and not
made up of parts”

NOTE: We should take note of this warning seriously as Theologians.

Charles Hodge warns that, “we must not represent God as a composite being, composed of
different elements; and, secondly, we must not confound the attributes, making them all
mean the same thing, which is equivalent to denying them all together.”48

According to Paul Enns (2008), Attributes are “those distinguishing characteristics of

the divine nature which are inseparable from the idea of God and which constitute the
44
Bullinger, Descades, 2:129-30
45
Millard J. Erickson. Christian Theology 2nd edition. (Baker books, 1998), 291.
46
MacArthur, John; Mayhue Richard. 2017),161.
47
William G.T Shedd. Dogmatic Theology.
48
Charles Hodge. Systematic Theology (Kindle Locations 7201-7203). Kindle Edition.

27
basis and ground for his various manifestations to his creatures. “His attributes do not
add anything to God, they reveal his nature.

Lewis Gordon, says “God is invisible, personal, and living Spirit, distinguished from all
other spirits by several attributes.”

CLASSIFICATION OF GOD’S ATTRIBUTES

We shall classify the attributes of God using the traditional method: the incommunicable
and communicable attributes. Incommunicable attributes are those, “that God does not
share or communicate to others and the communicable attributes of God are those he
shares or communicate with us.”49

INCOMMUNICABLE ATTRIBUTES

I. The Independence of God:

A. The Attribute called the ___________________________ of God” means that God is not
dependent on anything outside Himself.
B. “The word _______________, meaning that he has life in himself and draws his
unending energy from himself, was coined by theologians to express this
truth, which the Bible makes clear” (from Latin ‘a’ means "from “and ‘se’ means
"self", plus ‘-ity’).
C. God’s “Independence “can be broken down into two main concepts: His Self-
____________________, and His self-__________________________.
1. The Self-existence of God a) “The church fathers derived the doctrine
of God’s independence in part from the meaning of the divine name, Yahweh (or
Jehovah) (I AM WHO I AM)” Exodus 3:14 "And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I
AM."And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to
you.’ "
b) Other passages that indicate the self-existence of God:
(1) Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were born or you brought
49
Wayne Grudem. Systematic Theology.: An introduction to Biblical doctrine. (Zondervan, Grand Rapids,
2000), 156.

28
 forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you
are God.
(2) Isaiah 40:28 "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The
everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
(3) John 1:1–3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with
God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that was made.”
(4) John 5:26 "For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has
granted the Son to have life in Himself,”
(5) Acts 17:24-25 "God, who made the world and everything in it,
since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples
made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as
though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and
all things.”

2. The self-sufficiency of God: Sovereignty

a) God is not _____________________ on anything outside Himself, He is self
sufficient in every respect. “God does not need us or the rest of
creation for ________________________…”50
b) Passages that indicate the self-sufficiency of God
(1) He existed before all things, and through Him alone all things
exist.
(a) Psalm 90:2 "Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever
You had formed the earth and the world, Even from
everlasting to everlasting, you are God.”
(b) Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and
honour and power; For You created all things, And by Your will
they exist and were created."
(2) He depends on nothing; all depend on Him. '
50
Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand
Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 213.

29
(a) Romans 11:36 "For of Him and through Him and to Him are
all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."
(3) He is the source of everything.
(a) Isaiah 45:5–7 "I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is
no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not
known Me, 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to
its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and
there is no other; 7 I form the light and create darkness, I
make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these
things.’”
(b) 1 Corinthians 8:6 "yet for us there is one God, the Father, of
whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we
live.”

(4) He does as He _________.

(a) Psalm 115:3 "But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He
pleases.”
(b) Daniel 4:35 "All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as
nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain
His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?"
(c) Isaiah 46:10–11 "Declaring the end from the beginning, And
from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My
counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ 11 Calling
a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My
counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also
bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.”
(d) Romans 9:19–21 "You will say to me then, “Why does He still
find fault? For who has resisted His will?"20 But indeed, O
man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed
say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like
this?"21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from

30
the same lump to make one vessel for honour and another for
dishonour?”
(5) His ________________ is the basis of everything.
(a) Psalm 33:10–11 "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to
nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. 11 The
counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to
all generations.”
(b) Proverbs 19:21 "There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless, the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.”
(c) Isaiah 46:10 "Declaring the end from the beginning, And from
ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel
shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’”
(d) Matthew 11:26 "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your
sight.”
(e) Acts 2:23 "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose
and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands,
have crucified, and put to death;”
(f) Acts 4:27–28 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus,
whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the
Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 to
do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to
be done.”
(g) Ephesians 1:5 "having predestined us to adoption as sons by
Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His
will,”
(h) Ephesians 1:9 "having made known to us the mystery of His
will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in
Himself,”
(i) Ephesians 1:11 "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works
all things according to the counsel of His will,”
(6) He does everything for His own __________.
(a) 1 Samuel 12:22 "For the Lord will not forsake His people, for

31
His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to
make you His people.”
(b) Psalm 106:8 "Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s
sake, That He might make His mighty power known.”
(c) Proverbs 16:4 "The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even
the wicked for the day of doom.”
(d) Isaiah 48:9 "For My name’s sake I will defer My anger, And
for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut
you off.”
(e) Ezekiel 20:9 "But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should
not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in
whose sight I had made Myself known to them, to bring them
out of the land of Egypt.”
(f) Ezekiel 20:14 "But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should
not be profaned before the Gentiles, in whose sight I had
brought them out.”
(g) Ezekiel 20:22 "Nevertheless I withdrew My hand and acted for
My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned in the sight of
the Gentiles, in whose sight I had brought them out.”
(h) Ezekiel 20:44 "Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I
have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your
wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings, O house of
Israel, “says the Lord God.’ "
(i) Daniel 9:19 "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen
and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your
city and Your people are called by Your name."
(7) He needs __________________, being all-sufficient.
(a) Job 22:2 "Can a man be profitable to God, though he who is
wise may be profitable to himself?”
(b) Job 22:3 “Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are
righteous? Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways
blameless?”
(c) Acts 17:25 “Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though

32
He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all
things.”
(8) He is the ___________ and the _______________.
(a) Isaiah 41:4 "Who has performed and done it, Calling the
generations from the beginning? ‘I, the Lord, am the first; And
with the last I am He.’"
(b) Isaiah 44:6 "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his
Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.”
(c) Isaiah 48:12 "Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I
am He, I am the First, I am also the Last.”
(d) Revelation 1:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning
and the End, “says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is
to come, the Almighty.”

(9) He is independent in:

(a) His _____________
Romans 11:33–35 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the
wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His
judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has
known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His
counselor?” 35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be
repaid to him?”
(b) His _____________
i) Daniel 4:35 “All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as
nothing; He does according to His will in the army of
heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can
restrain His hand Or say to Him, “What have You done?”
ii) Romans 9:19 “You will say to me then, “Why does He still
find fault? For who has resisted His will?”
iii) Ephesians 1:5 “having predestined us to adoption as sons
by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure
of His will,”

33
iv) Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory
and honor and power; For You created all things, And by
Your will they exist and were created.”
(c) His _________________
i) Psalm 33:11 “ The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The
plans of His heart to all generations.”
ii) Isaiah 46:10 “ Declaring the end from the beginning, And
from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My
counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’”
(d) His _______________
Hosea 14:4 “ “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them
freely, For My anger has turned away from him.”
(e) His power
Psalm 115:3 “ But our God is in heaven; He does whatever
He pleases.”

Implications of the Doctrine of the Independence of God:

1. The Doctrine of Creation
a) The Independence of God effects our thinking on why God created
the world.
(1) God did not create the world because He needed something to
care for and love.
(2) “From the __________________ self-sufficiency of God it follows that the
creation was not designed to meet or satisfy any necessity on his
part. He is neither more perfect nor more happy because of the
creation.”51
(3) “God decided to create the universe and to redeem us for his own
glory (cf. Isa. 43:7; 48:9–11; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 1:12;
Rev. 4:11). It would be wrong for us ever to try to find a necessary
cause for _________________ or ____________________ in the being of God himself, for
that would rob God of his total independence. It would be to say
that without us God could not truly be God. God’s decisions to
51
Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 566.

34
create and to redeem were totally free __________________.”52
(a) Isaiah 43:7 “ Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I
have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have
made him.”
(b) Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and
honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will
they exist and were created.”
b) The Independence of God refutes __________________ and supports Creation
“ex nihilo” (out of nothing).
(1) Hebrews 11:3 “ By faith we understand that the worlds were
framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were
not made of things which are visible.”
(2) Psalm 33:6, 9 “ By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 9 “For He
spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”
(3) “However, were we to deny creation out of nothing, we would
have to say that some matter has always existed and that it is
eternal like God. This idea would challenge God’s independence,
his sovereignty, and the fact that worship is due to him alone: if
matter existed apart from God, then what inherent right would
God have to rule over it and use it for his glory? And what
confidence could we have that every aspect of the universe will
ultimately fulfil God’s purposes, if some parts of it were not
created by him?”53
2. The Doctrine of the Trinity
-The Independence of God refutes __________________.
a) Modalism is a false doctrine of the Trinity that claims that there is
only one “person” of the Godhead who appears to us in three
different forms (or “modes”). It denies that there is One God in three

52
Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand
Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 213.

53
ibid. 264.

35
“persons”.
b) Wayne Grudem writes that modalism “denies the independence of
God, for if God is only one person, then he has no ability to love and
to communicate without other persons in his creation. Therefore, it
was necessary for God to create the world, and God would no longer
be independent of creation.”9
3. Humility
a) The Independence of God causes us to have the proper perspective
of our place in the universe before God. We are not self-sufficient.
We are dependent on God.
b) The example of Job demonstrates this:
(1) God stated His independence to Job.
Job 41:11 “ Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under heaven is Mine.”
(2) And Job rightly responded in humility
Job 42:5–6 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But
now my eye sees You. 6 Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in
dust and ashes.”
c) The sermon of Paul indicates this: (Acts 17:24–31)
(1) God does not need anything:
Acts 17:24 “God, who made the world and everything in it, since
He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made
with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though
He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all
things.”
(2) We are dependent on Him
Acts 17:26 “And He has made from one blood every nation of
men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their
pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so
that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope
for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some
of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’”

36
(3) We need to have the proper view of God and repent before Him:
Acts 17:29 “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we
ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or
stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30 Truly,
these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all
men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on
which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom
He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising
Him from the dead.”54

II. God's Infinitude

A. God is free from all limitations of time and space.
1. When we say God is free from limitations of time, we are referring to the
eternity of God.
2. When we say God is free from limitations of space we are referring to the
immensity of God (or God’s omnipresence.)
B. The Eternity of God: the doctrine of God’s infinity with respect to time.
1. The Eternity of God means that God transcends all limitations of time. “By this
we mean that God’s nature (a) is without beginning or end; (b) He is free from all
succession of time; and (c) contains in itself the cause of time.”2 “However,
this does not suggest that time is unreal or non-existent with God. While God
sees everything as an eternal now, He nonetheless, in relation to man and
creation, sees a succession of events in time.”
2. Another theologian put it this way: “God’s eternity may be defined as follows: God has
no beginning, end, or succession of moments in his own being, and he sees all time
equally vividly, yet God sees events in time and acts in time.”
3. Scriptural Proof of God’s “Eternity”
a) He is God from everlasting to everlasting. God has no beginning or end:
(1) Psalm 90:2 “ Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had
formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting,

54
Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand
Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 242.

37
You are God.”
(2) Psalm 93:2 “ Your throne is established from of old; You are from
Everlasting
4. His purpose is eternal

Ephesians 3:11 “according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished

in Christ Jesus our Lord,”

5.He is the eternal King

1 Timothy 1:17 “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who

alone is wise, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

6.He existed and acted "before time":

(1) 2 Timothy 1:9 “who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus
before time began,”

(2) Titus 1:2 “in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time
began,”

7.God acts “within time”

(1) Galatians 4:4–5 “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent

forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those

who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

III. The Immensity of God: the doctrine of God’s infinity with respect to space
(omnipresence)

38
 1. Definition: “God does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every
point of space with his whole being, yet God acts differently in different
places.”55
2. Scriptural Proof.

a) He is the creator and possessor of all things:

(1) Genesis 14:19 “ And he blessed him and said: “Blessed be Abram of

God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;”

(2) Genesis 14:22 “ But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised

my hand to the Lord, God Most High, the Possessor of heaven and

earth,”

(3) Deuteronomy 10:14 “ Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to

the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it.”

b) Heaven and earth cannot contain Him:

(1) 1 Kings 8:27 “ “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven

and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this

temple which I have built!”

(2) 2 Chronicles 2:6 “ But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven

and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I

should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?”

(3) Isaiah 66:1 “ Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is

My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is

the place of My rest?”

(4) Isaiah 57:15

55
Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand
Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 173.

39
“For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell
in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive
the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

(5) Acts 7:48–50 “However, the Most High does not dwell in temples

made with hands, as the prophet says: 49 ‘Heaven is My throne, And

earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord,

Or what is the place of My rest? 50 Has My hand not made all these

things?’”

c) He fills heaven and earth, so nothing is hid from His presence, and He is

both close and far off:

(1) Jer 23:23 “ “Am I a God near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not a God

afar off?”

(2) Jer 23:24 “ Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see

him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.”

(3) Psalm 139:7–10 “ Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee

from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make

bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the

morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your

hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”

40
The Immutability of God.

A. Definition: God's perfect unchangeability in His being/perfections, purposes, and

promises.

B. “To say that God is immutable is to say that He never differs from Himself.”56

C. “God is perpetually the same: subject to no change in His being, attributes, or

determinations.”57

D. Scriptural Proof.

1. He is eternally the same:

Psalm 102:25–27 “ Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the

56
Knowledge Of The Holy by A.W. Tozer p. 35
57
Attributes of God by A. W. Pink p. 14

41
work of Your hands. 26 They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old
like

a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed. 27 But You are
the same, And Your years will have no end.”

2. He is incorruptible, alone having immortality, always remaining the same.

a) Romans 1:23 “ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like

corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”

b) Hebrews 1:11-12 “ They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a

garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the

same, And Your years will not fail.”

c) See also 1Timothy 1:17; 6:16;

3. His thought, purpose, will, decree are unchangeable.

a) He executes His threats and promises:

(1) Numbers 23:19 “ “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He

should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not

make it good?”

(2) 1 Samuel 15:29 “ And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is

not a man, that He should relent.”

b) He does not repent of His gifts and calling: Rom 11:29 “ For the gifts and the calling of
God are irrevocable.”

He perfects what He starts/His faithfulness never lessens:

(1) Psalm 138:8 “ The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord,

endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.”

(2) Philippians 1:6 “ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good

work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”

42
(3) Lamentations 3:22–23 “ Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because

His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

d) His purposes never change:

(1) Psalm 33:11 “ The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all

generations.”

(2) Isaiah 46:9–11 “ Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no

other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the

beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel

shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ 11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,

The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will

also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.”

4. He does not change:

a) Malachi 3:6 “ “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed,

O sons of Jacob.”

b) James 1:17 “ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from

the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

c) Hebrews 13:8 “ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

E. Does God change His mind?

1. The Bible says that God repents:

a) Genesis 6:6 “ And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was

grieved in His heart.”

b) 1 Samuel 15:11 “ “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned

back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved

Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.”

43
c) 1 Samuel 15:35 “ And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death.

Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted that He had made Saul

king over Israel.”

d) Amos 7:3, 6 “So the Lord relented concerning this. “It shall not be,” said the Lord. 6 So

the Lord relented concerning this. “This also shall not be,” said the Lord God.”

e) Jeremiah 18:8, 10 “ if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will

relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it … if it does evil in My sight so that it

does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would

benefit it.”

f) Jonah 2:10 “ So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”

g) Jonah 3:9–10 “ Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce

anger, so that we may not perish? 10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from

their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring

upon them, and He did not do it.”

*g) Genesis 18:23-32

*h) Exodus 32:10-14

F. Solution; A proper understanding of Divine immutability explains these

seeming contradictions.
Definition of immutability: Wayne Grudem, “God is unchanging in his being, perfections,
purposes, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels
differently in response to different situations”58
1. Note that the following verses distinguishes between God's repentance and man’s
repentance. God does not repent as a man repents.
a) 1 Sam 15:29 -- "And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent. For He is not a
man, that He should repent.”
b) 1 Samuel 15:11 “ “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned
58
Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England;
Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 163.

44
back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved
Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night.”
c) 1 Samuel 15:35 “ And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death.
Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted that He had made Saul
king over Israel.”
d) Numbers 23:19 “ “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He
should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not
make it good?”)
2. Immutability does not mean inactivity or immobility, nor does it prevent distinct
activities or emotions in time.
3. Immutability does not mean a lack of feeling. God feels more deeply and eternally, but
within the context of all of His perfections. God is not impassible in the sense of not
being able to experience emotion, but rather is impassible in being unchanged by His
emotions.
4. God reveals Himself in His relations to man. Man perceives only one aspect at a time.
God never changes, but creatures do change, and they perceive God's perfections and
actions
(Restrict God's "changes" to His emotions and activity. His actions do not imply a change
of essence.)
5. The language of God "repenting" or changing in any way is anthropopathic language --
figurative to communicate to man on his level of understanding. But there is still a
corresponding reality signified by the language. There is a kind of change, but it is not
human change. God’s "changes" are always in the context of His eternal omniscience and
will. So they are never because God is surprised and must adjust. They are done in the
context of His truth and faithfulness (see 1 Sam 15:29).
6. The mystery of Divine immutability is that though He is immutable, He creates
mutable beings all toward whom He relates in time.
7. Theologian Wayne Grudem explains it well:
“Did not God’s purposes change in these cases?
These instances should all be understood as true expressions of God’s present attitude
or intention with respect to the situation as it exists at that moment. If the situation
changes, then of course God’s attitude or expression of intention will also change. This is
just saying that God responds differently to different situations. The example of Jonah

45
preaching to Nineveh is helpful here. God sees the wickedness of Nineveh and sends
Jonah to proclaim, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). The
possibility that God would withhold judgment if the people repented is not explicitly
mentioned in Jonah’s proclamation as recorded in Scripture, but it is of course implicit
in that warning: the purpose for proclaiming a warning is to bring about repentance.
Once the people repented, the situation was different, and God responded differently to
that changed situation: “When God saw what they did how they turned from their evil
way, God repented of the evil which he had said he would do to them; and he did not do
it” (Jonah 3:10). The situations with Hezekiah and with the intercession of Moses are
similar: God had said that he would send judgment, and that was a true declaration,
provided that the situation remained the same. But then the situation changed:
someone started to pray earnestly (Moses in one case and Hezekiah in the other). Here
prayer itself was part of the new situation and was in fact what changed the situation.
God responded to that changed situation by answering the prayer and withholding
judgment. In the cases of God being sorry that he had made man, or that he had made
Saul king, these too can be understood as expressions of God’s present displeasure
toward the
sinfulness of man. In neither case is the language strong enough to require us to think
that if God could start again and act differently, he would in fact not create man or not
make Saul king. It can instead imply that God’s previous action led to events that, in the
short term, caused him sorrow, but that nonetheless in the long term would ultimately
achieve his good purposes. This is somewhat analogous to a human father who allows
his child to embark on a course he knows will bring much sorrow, both to the parent
and to the child, but who allows it nonetheless, because he knows that greater long-
term good will come from it.”59
8. Theologian Rolland McCune says it another way. “these and similar texts are to be
understood as anthropopathisms (i.e., attribution of human emotions to God) in light of
the doctrine of God’s immutability. Others understand them as anthropomorphisms.
Therefore, expressions that God was sorry, regretted, or changed His mind are designed
to help human beings understand how an immutable God nevertheless responds to

59
Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England;

Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 164–165.

46
various situations”60 The change in these texts almost certainly relates to God’s dealings
and relationships with changing people. “A good way to express this is that an
unchangeable God must change in His dealings with changeable men in order to remain
changeless in His being and character”61 in other words, God changes orientation when
man moves into a different moral relation to him. This means that immutability has
nothing to do with immobility. God is mobile yet immutable.

God

Blessing Curse
Favor disfavor

9. Mallard Erickson argues that, “changes of mind in these texts are changes in
orientation resulting from human’s move into a different relationship with God. God did
not change in any [ of these texts] but man had moved into God’s disfavor.” 62

The Faithfulness and Truthfulness (Veracity) of God.

A. “His immutability presupposes His faithfulness. If He is unchanging, it follows that He

could not be unfaithful, since that would require Him to change.”63

B. “God is true. His Word of promise is sure. In all His relations with His People God is
faithful. He may be safely relied upon. No one ever yet really trusted Him in vain.”

C. “God being who He is, cannot cease to be what He is, and being what He is, He cannot
act out of character with Himself. He is at once faithful and immutable, so all His words
and acts must be and remain faithful.”64

D. “Truthfulness (and Faithfulness). God’s truthfulness means that he is the true God,
and that all his knowledge and words are both true and the final standard of truth. The

60
Rolland McCune, A Systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity: Prolegomena and the Doctrines
of Scripture, God, and Angels, vol. 1 (Allen Park, MI: Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, 2009),
240.
61
Rolland McCune, 240–241.
62
Mallard Erickson, Christian Theology 2nd ed. ( Baker books, 1998), 305.
63
Knowledge Of The Holy by A.W. Tozer p. 54
64
Ibid, 54.

47
term veracity which means “truthfulness” or “reliability,” has sometimes been used as a
synonym for God’s truthfulness.”65

E. The veracity of God is God’s perfect reliability; and God's accuracy in knowing things.

F. Scriptural Proof of the Faithfulness and Truthfulness (Veracity) of God.

1. He is the only real God. So He is true in contrast to the false gods. He is everything God

should be. In this way He is contrasted to the false gods, which are vanities and lies.

a) Deuteronomy 32:21 “ They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They

have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols…

b) Psalm 96:5 “ For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens.”

c) Psalm 97:7 “ Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, Who boast of idols.

Worship Him, all you gods.”

d) Psalm 115:4–8 “Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. 5 They have

mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; 6 They have ears, but

they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; 7 They have hands, but they do

not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their

throat. 8 Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.”

e) Isaiah 44:9–10 Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious

things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that

they may be ashamed. Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him

nothing?”

f) Jeremiah 10:10 “But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting

King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His

indignation.”

65
Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England;

Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 195

48
g) John 17:3 “ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and

Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Ramifications of God’s faithfulness & truthfulness

1. If God is faithful to Himself, it means he can be trusted in all that he does and says in
his word. (John 14:13-14; Matthew 7:7-8; 1 John 5:14)
2. He cannot say something which will be untrue. All his promises are true and shall
come to pass. (Hebrew 13:5)
3. If God is true in all he is and does, then all he says in his word is true can be
depended upon. There is no lie in his word
4. All his promises are true and shall come to pass in his own time

Divine Omniscience. ( All-knowing )

A. Definition.
1. Gods perfect knowledge of all actual things, and things that do not become reality, in
one eternal and simple act.
2. The quality of knowing everything is called omniscience, and because God knows
everything, he is said to be omniscient (that is, all-knowing”).
B. Scriptural Proof.
1. Scripture always presupposes God's conscious knowledge.
2. Passages that show that God is light (and the source of light) are often used to
indicate the all-knowingness (omniscience) of God because the basic function of light
is to reveal what is hidden due to darkness.
a) Light in Scripture symbolizes holiness, purity, joy, and the state of the believer
(Psalm 27:1, Psalm 36:9, Psalm 97:11, Isaiah 60:19, John 1:4, Ephesians 5:8)
b) Yet, because the basic function of light is to reveal what is hidden due to darkness

49
the moral symbolism of light is derived from its intellectual effect (intellect is an
aspect of the heart in the Bible).
(1) Ephesians 5:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the
light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
3. God's light shines on the believer through the knowledge of His glory given through
Jesus Christ. In this sense the believer walks in the light.
a) John 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it
not.
b) John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made
manifest, that they are wrought in God.
c) John 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you.
Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in
darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

The Objects of God’s Knowledge.

a) Himself as Triune

(1) Matthew 11:27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man

knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save

the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

(2) John 1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is

in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

(3) John 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay

down my life for the sheep.

(4) 1 Corinthians 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the

Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

b) All things

(1) Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight:

but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have

to do.

50
(2) 1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and

knoweth all things.

c) All needs

(1) Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth

what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

(2) Matthew 6:32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your

heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

d) Even the smallest physical things

(1) Matthew 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

e) The heart of man

(1) Jeremiah 17:10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every

man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

(2) Jeremiah 20:12 But, O Lord of hosts, that triest the righteous, And seest the

reins and the heart, Let me see thy vengeance on them: For unto thee have I

opened my cause.

(3) Psalm 7:9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish

the just: For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

(4) Proverbs 15:11 Hell and destruction are before the Lord: How much more

then the hearts of the children of men?

(5) 1 Kings 8:39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act,

and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for

You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men),

(6) Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before

men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among

51
men is abomination in the sight of God.

(7) Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of

the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will

of God.

(8) 1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the

gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our

hearts.

(9) 1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and

knoweth all things.

f) The thoughts and meditations of man

(1) Psalm 139:2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou

understandest my thought afar off.

(2) Ezekiel 11:5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak;

Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the

things that come into your mind, every one of them.

(3) 1 Corinthians 3:20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise,

that they are vain.

g) Man in the totality of his being and acts

(1) Psalm 139:1-6 O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.

2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought

afar off.

3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, And art acquainted

with all my ways.

52
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O Lord,

thou knowest it altogether.

5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, And laid

thine hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I

cannot attain unto it.

h) Man's sin and wickedness

(1) Psalm 69:5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; And my sins are not hid

from thee.

(2) Jeremiah 16:17 For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from

my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.

(3) Jeremiah 18:23 Yet, Lord, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay

me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let

them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine

anger.

(4) Jeremiah 32:19 Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open

upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways,

and according to the fruit of his doings:

i) People before they are conceived

(1) Psalm 139:13–16 For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in

my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully

made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My

Page 3 of 8substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously

wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance,

53
yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in

continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

(2) Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou

camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet

unto the nations.

(3) Romans 8:28–30 And we know that all things work together for good to them

that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For

whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image

of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover

whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he

also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

j) Future things

(1) Isaiah 42:8–9 I am the Lord: that is my name: And my glory will I not give to

another, Neither my praise to graven images. 9 Behold, the former things are

come to pass, And new things do I declare: Before they spring forth I tell you

of them.

(2) Isaiah 44:6–8 Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, And his redeemer the

Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; And beside me there is no God.

(3) Isaiah 46:9–11 Remember the former things of old: For I am God, and there

is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 Declaring the end from

the beginning, And from ancient times the things that are not yet done, Saying,

My counsel shall stand, And I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous

bird from the east, The man that executeth my counsel from a far country:

Yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also

54
do it.

k) The days and geographical limits ordained for each person

(1) Psalm 31:15 My times are in thy hand: Deliver me from the hand of mine

enemies, and from them that persecute me.

(2) Psalm 39:4–5 Lord, Make me to know mine end, And the measure of my days,

what it is; That I may know how frail I am. 5 Behold, thou hast made my days

as an handbreadth; And mine age is as nothing before thee: Verily every man

at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

(3) Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all

the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the

bounds of their habitation;

The Holiness of God

A. Meaning:
1. The terms: both the Greek and Hebrew terms for holiness have the
idea of cut or separation. The Hebrew word is ‫ ַקִּדיֵׁשי‬and the Greek
word is ἁγιάζω respectively.
2. The Ideas involved. When used of God, the term holiness seems to
express two ideas.
a. The holiness of divine majesty. God is separate from anything he
has created. He is Holy other. He is above and beyond his creation.
(Psalm 99:1-3, Isaiah 6). He is transcendent. John Frame says,
holiness is, “God’s capacity and right to arouse our reverent awe
and wonder. It is his uniqueness ( Exo.15:11; 1 Sam.2:2)”.66 And
MacArthur & Mayhue defines holiness as, “ his inherent and
66
John Frame,278.

55
 absolute greatness, in which he is perfectly distinct above
everything outside himself and is absolutely morally separate
from sin.”67
Scriptural proof
Exodus 15:11
1 Samuel 2:2
2 Chronicles 30:27
Pss.5:7; 22:3;48:1;89:18;98:1;99:3;103:1
Proverbs 30:3
Isaiah 5:16; 6:3; 10:20; 29:23; 43:14-15; 49:7; 54:5; 57:15
Jeremiah 51:5
Hosea 1:12
Hab. 1:12
Mark 1:24
Luke 1:49
John 17:11
Rev.4:8; 15:4
b. The holiness of moral purity. God is separate from all that is
unclean. (1 Peter 1:14-16). God is the perfection of all that He is.
Grudem defines holiness as being, 68“separate from sin and
devoted to seeking his own honor.”
Scriptural proof
Lev. 11:44; 19:2; 20:26
Joshua 24:19
Job 34:10
Pss.5:5
Isaiah 1:12-17
Ezek.39:7
Amos 2:7
Zech. 8:17
1 Peter 1:15-16
3. Implications:
67
MacArthur, & Mayhue, 182.
68
Grudem Wayne, p.201.

56
 1. God’s holiness is the basis for exhortations that believers have to
live in a limited way. (2 Peter 1:4).
2. God’s holiness provides the basis for his relationship of justice and
righteousness.

Divine Omnipotence

Omnipotence
A. Definition.
1. The omnipotence of God is that perfection according to which He is able to do
anything consistent with His essence. .
2. Simplified: God's ability to do anything consistent with (not violating) His nature.
3. “God’s omnipotence [(Power, Sovereignty)] means that God is able to do all his holy
will. The word omnipotence is derived from two Latin words, omni “all,” and potens
“powerful,” and means “all-powerful.” …God’s omnipotence has reference to his
own power to do what he decides to do.”69

B. Scriptural Proof.

1. God's names and titles:

a) "The Mighty One of Israel"
Isaiah 1:24 Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of
Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:”
b) "King of kings and Lord of lords”

69
Grudem, Systematic Theology p. 216

57
(1) 1 Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only
Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;”
(2) Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
c) "the Lord Almighty"
(1) 2 Corinthians 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons
and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
(2) Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith
the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

(3) Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him;
and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying,
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
(4) Revelation 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which
art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great
power, and hast reigned.);
d) "the only Potentate [Sovereign]”
(1) 1 Timothy 6:15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only
Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

2. Nothing is too hard for Him. Nothing is impossible

a) Genesis 18:14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will

return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

b) Job 42:2 I know that thou canst do every thing, And that no thought can be

withholden from thee.

c) Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too

hard for me?

d) Zechariah 8:6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the

remnant of this people in these days, Should it also be marvellous in mine eyes?

saith the Lord of hosts.

e) Matthew 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our

58
father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children

unto Abraham.

f) Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is

impossible; but with God all things are possible.

g) Matthew 26:53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall

presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

h) Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

i) Luke 18:27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible

with God.

j) Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all

that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,"

Implications on the Doctrine of God’s omnipotence

A. Implications in the area of your prayer life

B. Implications in the area of sanctification in personal life

C. Implications in the area of suffering & Trials

D. Implications in the area of gospel advance & church growth

E. Implications in the area of Missions in the world

59
 F. Implications in the area of evil in the world

Divine Wisdom
I. The Wisdom of God
A. Definition
1. The Wisdom of God is that perfection of God according to which He
knows how to act so that He will accomplish His goal. – To glory
Himself.
2. Wisdom is God perfect skill to be and Glorify Himself.
3. “God’s wisdom means that God always chooses the best goals and the
best means to those goals. This definition goes beyond the idea of God
knowing all things and specifies that God’s decision about what he will
do are always wise decisions: that is, they always will bring about the
best results (From God’s ultimate perspective), and they will bring
about those results through the best possible means.”70
B. Scriptural proof.
1. God created by wisdom
a). Isaiah 40:28
b) Psalm 19:1-4, 7
c) Psalm 104:1,24

70
Wayne A. Grudem. P. 193.

60
 d) Proverbs 8:22-31
e) Jeremiah 10:12

2. God redeems by His Wisdom

a) Deuteronomy 4:6-8

b) Romans 16:27

c) 1 Cor. 2:6-13

d) Ephesians 3:10-11

3. God’s wisdom is shown to Angels & Demons

a) Ephesians 3:9-10

4. God’s wisdom is shown in our individual lives

a) Romans 8:28

b) 2 Corinthians `12:7

Implications of God’s Wisdom

1. If creation is the manifestation of God’s wisdom, then God deserves to be exalted,

praised and glorified as we gaze at his marvelous beautiful creation. (Rev. 4:11-

12; 5:13; Psalms 148:1-4; Nehemiah 9:6)

2. If God choses the best goals to accomplish his will and uses the best means to

accomplish those goals, then everything he allows in our lives are the best means

to accomplish the best goals for our lives. (Romans 8:28; 1 Thess. 5:18; 2 Cor.

12:7-9; 1:8-9; James 1:2-4)

3. Since God is wise in all his decisions, then we should trust Him with everything

knowing that He has the best interests at heart for every circumstance in our

lives. (1 The. 5:18; Romans 8:28; Gen. 50:20; Prov. 3:5)

61
 4. If God redeemed us by His Wisdom, then we can be confident that, he will not fail

to finish what He has started in our lives. ( Phil. 1:6; Eph. 3:20).

5. Wisdom is a communicable attribute; we should constantly be asking for it in our

moment by moment from God who gives generously. (James 1:5).

6. If God established the foundations of the earth by wisdom, then wisdom is

valuable than anything you ever imagine. (Prov. 3:13-18; 4:5-8; 8:1-11,17-18,23-

27.

The Goodness of God

A. Definition.
1. The goodness of God is the perfection of God according to which He is absolute
good (the source, standard, and sum of objective and subjective good) and gives
perfect blessings to Himself and His creatures.
2. Simplified: God's nature as the perfect sum, source, and standard of the virtuous,
wholesome (conducive to well-being), beneficial, and beautiful.
3. Grudem defines God’s goodness by saying: “The goodness of God means that God is
the final standard of good, and that all that God is and does is worthy of approval.”71
4. Tozer writes: “When Christian theology says that God is good, it is not the same as
saying that He is righteous or holy…
The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent,
and full of good will toward men. He is tender hearted and of quick sympathy, and
His unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By His
nature He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes holy pleasure in the
happiness of His people.”72

71
Grudem Wayne. P. 197.
72
Tozer A. Knowledge of the Holy. P. 57.

62
Scriptural proof

a) 1 Chronicles 16:34 “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; For his mercy endures

forever.”

b) Psalm 106:1 “Praise the Lord. O give thanks to the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy
endures forever. (Psalm 107:1, 118:1; 136:1)

c) Jeremiah 33:11

d) Mark 10:18; cf Luke 18:19

C. God is the source of all blessings

1. He is the source of all His creature’s blessings

a) James 1:17

2. He is the highest good ( Summum bonum) for His creatures--- the goal of all striving
for goodness.

3. Tozer states: “That God is good is taught or implied on every page of the Bible and
must be received as an article of faith as impregnable as the throne of God. It is a
foundations stone for all sought through about God and is necessary to moral sanity…. If
God is not good, then there can be no distinction between kindness and cruelty, and
heaven can be hell and hell, heaven.”73

The Love of God

A. God’s love is an extension of His Goodness.

B. Definition.
1. God’s eternal perfect determination to give of Himself to Himself and to others.
2. God wills to give to the beloved object.
3. Grudem writes: “God’s love means that God eternally gives of himself to others. This
definition understands love as self-giving for the benefit of others. This attribute of God
shows that it is part of his nature to give of himself in order to bring about blessings or
good for others.”74

73
Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy. P 57.
74
Grudem, 198.

63
4.The words, “God is Love” mean that love is an essential attribute of God. Love is
something true of God but it is not God. It is expresses the way God is in His unitary
being, as do the words holiness, justice, faithfulness, and truth. Because God is
immutable He always acts like Himself, because He is a unity He never suspends one of
His attributes in order to exercise another.

C. Nature of God’s love

1. God’s love is ______________: He has no personal gain in loving others (Deut. 7:7)

2. God’s love is ___________________: He is not required to love or does not require a

response in loving us. (Romans 5:8; Hosea 14:4)

3. God’s love is not _________________________. He does not overlook sin in order to love

4. God’s love is ______________________ (Jeremiah 31:3)

D. Scriptural proof

1. Deuteronomy 10:15

2. Isaiah 43:4; 48:14

3. Isaiah 63:9

4. Hosea 11:1; 11:4; 14:4

5. Psalm 78:68

6. Psalm 146:8

7. Malachi 1:2

8. John 3:16; 35

9. John 5:20

10. John 10:17; 17:26

11. John 15:13

12. Romans 5:7-8

13. Romans 8:37

14. 1 John 4:9-10

64
 Divine Justice and Righteousness

A. Definition:
B. In English the terms righteousness and justice are different words, but in both
the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament there is only one-word
group behind these two English terms.
1. “God’s righteousness means that God always acts in accordance with what is
right
and is himself the final standard of what is right”75
1. “Righteousness means conformity to a right standard, uprightness or being
right”76 and when referred to God, righteousness is that character of God by
which all his actions conform eternally to His being.
2. Justice is that, “aspect of His holiness by which he rewards conformity and
punishes non-conformity to His perfect standard of right.”77

Justice can be divided into;

A. Rectoral justice: This is the aspect of justice which, “recognizes God as

moral ruler who, in imposing His moral law in the world, promises

75
Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand
Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 203.
76
Rolland McCune, A systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity. (Detroit Baptist Theological seminary,
2009), 263.
77
Ibid, 263.

65
 reward for the obedient and punishment for the disobedient (Ps.99:4;
Rom.1:32).”78 In other words, we can say that justice is, “God’s holiness
expressed judicially”79.
B. Distributive justice. This is the aspect of justice, which “relates to the
execution of the law in terms of both reward and punishment. ( Isaiah
3:10,11; Rom.2:6; 1 Pt.1:17)”80 it can also be term remunerative meaning
that, it dispenses reward to the obedient ( Deut. 7:9; Ps.58:11), then
negatively, it can also be termed retributive justice in the sense that, it
dispenses divine wrath for the disobedient and wicked. (Gen. 2:17; Deut.
27:26; Gal.3:10; Rom.6:23).
C. Scriptural proof
God’s rectitude (Latin: rectus = "straight") (moral rightness) as the moral
Ruler, Lawgiver, and Judge of the world -- imposing Law with promises of
reward and punishment.
(1) Deuteronomy 4:8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes
and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
(2) 2 Samuel 23:3 The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spake to me, He
that ruleth over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God.
(3) Psalm 9:4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou
satest in the throne judging right.
(4) Psalm 99:4 The king’s strength also loveth judgment; Thou dost
establish equity, Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
(5) Psalm 119:7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, When I shall
have learned thy righteous judgments.

D. Distributive Justice: God ‘s rectitude in the execution of the Law -- in

distributing reward and punishment.

a) 1 Kings 8:32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants,
condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the

78
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology. (Moody Publishers, 2008), 200.
79
Kevin Bauder. (Central Baptist Theological seminary class notes, systematic theology 2019. I want to
express my thanks to Dr. Bauder for instructing me in Systematic Theology and I appreciate his class
notes
80
Paul Enns, 200.

66
 righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
b) 2 Chronicles 6:23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy
servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own
head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his
righteousness.
c) Psalm 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, And God is angry with the wicked
every day.
d) Isaiah 3:10–11 Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him:
For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall
be ill with him: For the reward of his hands shall be given him.
e) Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, And reprove
with equity for the meek of the earth: And he shall smite the earth with the
rod of his mouth, And with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked

E. Retributive Justice: God's infliction of punishment for disobeying His Law.

a) 2 Chronicles 12:6 Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled

themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.

b) Ezra 9:15 O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous: for we remain yet escaped,

as it is this day: behold, we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot

stand before thee because of this.

c) Psalm 129:4 The Lord is righteous: He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

d) Isaiah 5:15–16 And the mean man shall be brought down, And the mighty man

shall be humbled, And the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled: 16 But the Lord of

hosts shall be exalted in judgment, And God that is holy shall be sanctified in

righteousness.

e) Jeremiah 11:20 But, O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the

reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I

67
 revealed my cause.

Divine Grace.
A. Definition:
1. God's nature as perfectly bestowing favour on those who cannot merit it because they
have forsaken it and are under the sentence of Divine condemnation.
2. Wayne Grudem writes: “God’s grace means God’s goodness toward those who
deserve only punishment.”
3. Tozer A. W writes: “Grace is that in God which brings into favour one justly in
disfavour.”
4.Arthur Pink writes: “divine grace is the sovereign and saving favour of God exercised
in the bestowment of blessings upon those who have no merit in them and for which no
compensation is demanded from them.”81 And Pink further elaborates that, “It is favour
of God shown to those who not only have no positive deserts of their own, but who are
thoroughly it-deserving and hell-deserving.”
B. Scriptural Proof:
1. God's people experience God’s grace
a) Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
b) Exodus 33:12 And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up
this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou
hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
c) Exodus 33:17 And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou
hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
d) Exodus 34:9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my
Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our
iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
81
Arthur Pink, attributes of God. P71.

68
e) Proverbs 3:34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: But he giveth grace unto the
lowly.
f) Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, The spirit of grace and of supplications: And they shall
look upon me whom they have pierced, And they shall mourn for him, as one
mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in
bitterness for his firstborn.
g) Ephesians 2:8-9
h) Romans 3:24
i) 2 Thessalonians 2:16
j) Titus 3:5
k) 1 Peter 5:10

Divine Mercy
A. Definition:

1. The mercy of God is the perfection of God according to which He has strong feeling

for those "in misery or distress, irrespective of their deserts."82

2. Simplified: God's nature as perfectly giving compassion to creatures (people)

regardless whether they deserve it or not.

3. Wayne Grudem states: “God’s mercy means God’s goodness toward those in misery

and distress.”83

B. Nature of his mercy

1. His mercy is ______________ (1 Kings 3:6)

2. It is __________________ (Ps. 86:5)

3. It is _______________ (Luke 1:78)

4. It is ___________________________ ( 1 Peter 1:3

5. It is _____________________ upon them who fear him ( Ps.103:17)

82
Berkhof, Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1941.p.72
83
Grudem, Systematic Theology, p.200.

69
6. It is __________________ to the entire creation ( Ps.145:9; Acts 17:25)

C. Scriptural Proof:
a) Exodus 34:6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The
Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and
truth,”
b) Deuteronomy 4:31 (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake
thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware
unto them.
c) 2 Chronicles 30:9 For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your
children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they
shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful,
and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.
d) Psalm 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
e) Psalm 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in
mercy.
f) Psalm 145:8 The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; Slow to anger, and of
great mercy.
g) Daniel 9:9 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we
have rebelled against him;
h) 1 Corinthians 7:25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the

Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be

faithful.

i) 2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received

mercy, we faint not;

j) Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he

loved us,”

k) 1 Timothy 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious:

but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

l) 1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus

70
Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should

hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

m) 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which

according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the

resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Implications of God’s Grace & Mercy

Knowing that God is gracious and merciful and that these two attributes are

communicable, how should we live our lives in light of that truth? How do these two

attributes affect our daily Christian lives before God?

1. It should cause us to ____worship__ God for his grace & Mercy. (Eph. 1:3; 2:4-8; 1

Peter 1:3)

2. It should be the basis of __gratitude and ______humility (1 Thess. 1:2-4; 5:18; Ps.

103:1-10).

3. It should ___motivate us to exercise tenderness and forgiveness towards others

since we have received the same ourselves. (Eph. 4:31-32; Col. 3:12-13).

4. It should lead us to be tolerant/ forbearing towards others. (Col. 3:13).

5. It should cause us to be slow to anger towards others like God is. (Ps. 145:8)

6. It ought to encourage us to imitate God by being merciful. (Luke 6:36)

7. We should clothe ourselves with God’s mercy all the time. (Romans 9:16).

8. We should pray that God gives us abundant mercy daily. (Jude 1:2)

71
 Decrees of God
A. Definition:
1. A.H Strong defines decrees of God as, that eternal plan by which God has
rendered certain all events of the universe, past, present, and future.”84
2. Charles Hodge adds, “ The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to
the counsel of his own will, where by for his own glory He hath foreordained
whatsoever comes to pass.”85
3.John Frame, “ God’s decrees are the wise, free, and holy acts of the counsel of
God’s will, whereby from all eternity, he hath, for his own glory, unchangeably
foreordained whatsoever comes to pass in time, especially concerning angels and
men”86
4.Paul Enns, “The decrees of God have been established in eternity past and have
reference to God’s sovereign control over every realm and over all events.”87
5. Wayne Grudem, “that attribute of God whereby he approves and determines to
bring about every action necessary for the existence of himself and all creation.88 The
problem with this definition is that it implies that God wills Himself which contradicts
who He is. McCune argues that, “God is, after all, self-existent, existing necessarily,
not voluntarily89

Definition clarified: When we talk about degrees of God, we are talking about his plans,
purposes or counsel.

84
Systematic Theology, 3vols. (Valley Forge, PA: Judson, 1970),p.353.
85
Systematic Theology, 3vols. (reprint of 1887 ed, London: James Clarke 1960), 1:534.
86
John frame, Systematic Theology: An introduction to Christian belief (P & R publishers, 2013), p.207.
87
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Moody press: Chicago, 1989), p.203.
88
Rolland McCune, A Systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity: Prolegomena and the Doctrines of
Scripture, God, and Angels, vol. 1 (Allen Park, MI: Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, 2009), 310.
89
ibid

72
 Purpose of decrees: The Glory of God. “The final cause of all God’s purposes is his
own glory” (Charles Hodge), (Rev. 4:11; Rom. 11:36; Isaiah 48:10-11)

Characteristics of the decrees of God

1. The decree is a ______________ plan encompassing all things. Nothing is outside
his sovereign plan and rule. (Eph. 1:11). “God has one all-inclusive and
comprehensive purpose, plan, and will.”90
Scriptural proof: (Eph.3:11; Rom. 8:28). Since God is timeless, He does not
see any relationship between the various decrees.
2. The decree is ___________________ made. No one or thing caused him to ordain all
things he has ordained. He purposed all things according to the counsel of his
own will. (Eph. 1:11; 1:9; Phil. 2:13). He does whatsoever he pleases.
(Ps.115:3; 135:6).
3. The decree is ________________ All his plans, purposes, and will have been made
in eternity. “The events of time are the outworking of God’s purpose formed
in eternity. While in their execution, there is temporal succession, there was
no succession in their formation.”91 Example, Believers were chosen by God
in eternity past. (Eph.1:4; 2 Tim.1:9; 1 Pt.1:20)
4. The decree is _____________________
“God had no alternate plan in case something goes wrong with His original
plan.”92 His plans are grounded in his omniscience and wisdom. Since He
knows all things both actual and potential, then he knows what will happen
and what might happen. Hence, none of his eternal plan will fail to be
accomplished because he is faithful to his plans. (Acts.2:23; Jam.1:7; Ps.33:11;
Isaiah 24:24-25*; Isaiah 46:9-11).
5. The decree of God is _______________________
“God’s decree comprehends all things (actions and events) that come to pass,
whether good or bad, righteous or evil, humanly purposed or fortuitous.
Nothing is outside of God’s purpose.” Gen. 50:18; Rom. 8:28; Eph. 1:11;
90
Rolland McCune, A systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity vol. 1 (Detroit Baptist Theological
seminary, 2019), 310.
91
Ibid, 312.
92
Ibid, 313.

73
 Prov.16:4/ “everything has its God’s appointed end or purpose, even evil. “
while God decreed to permit wickedness, He also decreed to bring it to His
appointed of punishment.”93
A. The stability of the material universe: Ps.119:89-91
B. The rise and fall of rulers. Daniel 2; Acts. 17:26
C. It includes good actions of men, Eph.2:10
D. wicked acts, prove. 16:4; Acts. 2:23; 4:27,28.
E. The length of one’s life Job 14:5; Heb. 9:27
F. The salvation of believers. Eph. 1:5; Acts. 2:23
G. The perdition of the ungodly. 1 Peter 2:8; Rom.11:28
6. The decree is ______________________.
“God’s plan is unconditional. Its execution does not depend upon anything
that has not itself been decreed.”94 Although His plans are unconditional, in
the sense of not conditioned upon anything outside Himself , but we can still
say that, they conditioned upon Himself. For example, God decreed to save
sinner at the same time, He also decrees the means to effectuate the decree.

7. God’s decree is _____________. It is _____________________. “There is no such thing as

an undecreed event or an ultimately unfilled decree.” (McCune, 321). (Isaiah
14:27; Dan.4:23. Hodge says, “The decree itself provides in every case that
the event shall be effected by causes acting in a manner perfectly consistent
with the nature of the event in question”95
8. God’s decree is founded in __________ ______________. The word “counsel”
means careful deliberation and consultation. Berkhof says, “It may contain a
suggestion of an intercommunion between the three persons of the
Godhead”96 ( Ps.104:24; Prov.3:19; Ps.33:1).

93
Ibid, 315.
94
Ibid, 319.
95
L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 104.
96
Ibid, 103–104.

74
What is the relationship between God’s divine Sovereignty and Human responsibility?

We have to first recognize that this subject cannot be comprehensively and conclusively
be understood by mere mortal man because he is finite and God is infinite. The only
reliable information we have it God’s written word from which we can deduce what has
been revealed to us. Secondly, we have to know that this is a paradox. It is not easy if not
even impossible to resolve the tension which exist between these two ideas of
Sovereignty and human responsibility.

However, MacArthur says, “ Scripture offers us considerable insight into how these
twin truths harmonize within the plan of redemption.”97 Therefore we need to know
that God’s sovereignty and human will are not mutually exclusive. “Human
responsibility is clearly not eliminated by God’s sovereign control over creation.

Let us consider the following passages:

Isaiah 10:5-18
Acts 2:22-23
Acts 4:27
Isaiah 14:24
Jeremiah 1:5
Romans 10:11-13
1 Samuel 13:13/ 15:11
Philippians 2:12-13

97
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/what-relationship-between-divine-sovereignty-and-human-
responsibility.

75
Important points to consider: God’s will vs. Human responsibility

We have agreed I hope that what we are trying to resolve is a paradox

but we need to try to resolve this unresolved mystery. We should at least
agree that Human beings are moral free agents and God is Sovereign and
therefore, God holds every man responsible for his own actions. McCune
observes that “God’s plan does not negate human responsibility.
Predestination implies certainty, not pre-necessitation or compulsion” 98
and Raymond says, “ Responsibility’ has reference to the obligation to
give a response or an account of one’s actions to a lawgiver.” 99 And
therefore, since we shall all give an account to God for our actions, then
we are responsible for the decisions we make. This means then, “ man
makes decisions freely, without being constrained.”100 Therefore, we can
conclude that, “The decrees determine the certainty of events, but they
do not directly cause any event.”101 We can also argue that since man is a
free moral agent, then freedom was also decreed by God. It is part of his
sovereign will. McCune says, “predestination demands and dignifies
human participation, not destroys it.” Human effort and all means is
included in the decree. Gruden puts it wisely, “God has made us
responsible for our actions, which have real and eternally significant
results.”
Types of God’s will:
I. Decretive (secret) will of God
“This encompasses whatever comes to pass and is not usually
known until after the fact.” (Deut. 29:29)

98
Rolland McCune, A Systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity: Prolegomena and the
Doctrines of Scripture, God, and Angels, vol. 1 (Allen Park, MI: Detroit Baptist
Theological Seminary, 2009), 322.
99
ibid 322.
100
ibid322.
101
ibid 322.

76
 “God’s directive will is carried out through physical or material
causes (e.g., laws of gravity) and, sometimes, more immediate
(though not necessarily miraculous) intervention”102
Berkhof says it differently, “will of God by which He purposes or
decrees whatever shall come to pass, whether He wills to
accomplish it effectively (causatively)”.103
Calvin argues, “ His will always disapproves sin as it is in itself,
but may choose to permit that his creatures sin for the sake of a
larger purpose in all things.”104 This does not mean or imply that
He takes delight or pleasure in sin simply because he permits it.

II. Permissive Will of God

“God uses dependent free agents as means, taking the form
either of 1) not hindering their determination. (Ps. 106:15) (2)
regulating and controlling the results of such determinations.
(Gen. 50:20)
“ God’s will with respect to sin is simply a will to permit sin and
not a will to effectuate it, as He does the moral good” 105
“God has ordained that events will come about by our causing
them”- Grudem
III. Prescriptive will of God
“This has to do with Scriptures’ commands, precepts and
exhortations.” Deut.29:29, 1 Thess 4:3
In this will, He reveals what the duty of man is although in his
decretive will, he has already determined what He will do or
what shall come to pass. Since His decretive will is only known
to him, our concern ought to be in his prescriptive will which is
known to us, this He has revealed to us in his written Word.
IV. Implications

102
ibid 323.
103
L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 77.
104
Arthur Pink, “The will of God”, 255.
105
L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 79.

77
 A. Trust in God is enhanced knowing that God is in control.
Prov. 3:5
B. Rest in God’s providence and control. (Gen. 50:20; 1 Cori.
10:13)
C. Motivate your prayer life because God has ordained it as a
means to bring about results. (Jam. 4:2; John 16:24)

HOW DO YOU KNOW THE PRESCRIPTIVE WILL OF GOD?

Is it even possible to know the will of God for your life? Does God have an individual will
for each believer? God is no longer giving further revelation, how then can you ascertain
that this decision or direction you are about to undertake is God’s will for you? I believe
that God has an individual will for each believer and this will can be known and
discerned. The question is how do you discern God’s will? God’s leading never
contradicts his revealed will in the Scriptures. Is there a criterion for discerning God’s
will? The answer is yes, thankfully.

A. First step is prayer. (James 1:5; Phil. 4:6-7).

1. Know that God’s will is a bit revealed in his Word
2. Be ready to obey his revealed will in Scripture
B. Second step is in reading His Word. His Will is revealed in His Word and we shall
know what he expects us from His Word. (Josh. 1:8). His will never contradicts
his revealed will. (2 Cor. 6:14-16).
C. Third seek godly counsel. One of the way God leads us to discover His will for us
is through godly counsel from men and women who walked with the Lord for a
while. (Prov. 11:14; 15:22; 20:18; 24:6; 12:15; 1 Kings 12:1-13)
D. Fourth is circumstances can be a criterion to determine God’s will. We should
avoid using the inner sense, dreams. “The will of God is not always for us to do
the thing that will result in the greatest personal profit and advancement.”- Kevin
Bauder. (Heb. 11:17-19). Abraham believed God, even when circumstances
appeared to make the fulfilment of God’s promises impossible.

78
E. Firth is peace of God. (Phil. 4:6-7; Col 3:15).
This can be subjective but I believe that it should be in light of what God has
already revealed in his Written God combined with prayer. Good theologians
disagree with this criterion as too subjective and It sounds like you depend on
the inner self to find out what God’s will be but I believe the peace came from
God about a particular situation you are praying about as you study his Word.

79
 References

Berkhof, L. Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938.
Rolland McCune, A systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity vol. 1 (Detroit Baptist
Theological seminary, 2019.
___________________ Rolland McCune, A Systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity: Prolegomena
and the Doctrines of Scripture, God, and Angels, vol. 1 (Allen Park, MI: Detroit Baptist Theological
Seminary, 2009.
Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Moody press: Chicago, 1989.
John frame, Systematic Theology: An introduction to Christian belief (P & R publishers, 2013.)
Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand
Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004)
Mallard Erickson, Christian Theology 2nd ed. (Baker books, 1998)
Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997)
A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperCollins, 1978)
Bauder Kevin. Central Baptist Theological seminary class notes 2021. Professor of Systematic
Theology.
The Westminster shorter Catechism

Shedd William G. T. Dogmatic Theology. (P & R publishing, 2003), location 2149 kindle version.

Warfield B.B. Studies in Theology. (Baker: Grand Rapids, 1968), location 1460 Kindle version
MacArthur John; Richard Mayhue. Biblical doctrine: A systematic summary of biblical truth.
(Wheaton, Illinois, 2017)
Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, 8 Vol. (Dallas: Dallas Seminary, 1947)
Letham Robert, The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, history, theology and worship ( P & R publishing,
2004)
Hernandez Sonny, The Glorious Trinity of God: A Family of Worship and Bible Study Guide on
the Doctrine of the Trinity, (Independently published, 2020)

80
Ware. A Bruce. Father, Son and Holy Spirit: relationships, roles and relevance. (Crossway,
Wheaton, Illinois, 2005)
Martin Luther, Lectures on Genesis chapters 6-14, LW 2:45

81