The Eternal God
God’s Way Bible Study
The Eternal God
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
The Eternal God
1 Corinthians 15:19
If in this life only we have hope † in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
God is beyond every limit we will ever place on Him.
During difficult times of our lives, God does not only test our faith. He delights in stretching our faith. There are times when our faith will be stretched. It is possible to trust God for our daily lives in this sphere of existence. It is possible to trust God within time. We say things like, “He is on-time God,” and that is true.
The sad reality is that for many believers, that is the only truth we hold… God in time.
Deuteronomy 33:27 NLT
The eternal God is your refuge,
and his everlasting arms are under you.
He drives out the enemy before you;
he cries out, ‘Destroy them!’
Faith-Stretching God
There are times when our faith will be stretched. It is possible to trust God for our daily lives in this sphere of existence. It is possible to trust God within time. We say things like, “He is on-time God,” and that is true.
The sad reality is that for many believers, that is the only truth we hold… God in time.
God is not only an on-time God, He is the eternal God.
Jesus did not measure faith in quantity, but rather in quality.
If you have faith, the size of a mustard seed…
Matthew 17:20 (NKJV) So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
God stretched Job’s Faith
Job 42:1-6 (NLT) 1 Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I--and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. 4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ 5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
Faith in God depends on our knowledge of God.
The better we know God, the better our faith will be.
You know not what you worship.
John 4:22 NKJV — “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
2 Peter 1:2
May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
John 17:3
And this is eternal life–to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth.
John 14:8-9
Philip said to Him,”Lord show us the Father. That is all we need.: Jesus answered, “I have been with you a long time now. Do you still not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.”
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who Himself is God, is near to the Father’s heart.. He has revealed God to us.
Limited Knowledge of God = Limited Expectations = Loss of Hope
A limited view of God is an unfortunate view of God. It places God within boundaries, of time, space, etc
John 11:22-27 (NLT) 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”
God is never bound. No one can ever limit God. All we limit is our expectation. It is unfortunate because it places a severe limit on our expectations of God. Limited expectations limit our faith. Limited faith limits what we can receive from God.
We expect God to move in a certain way, within a certain time. When he does not move within that time, we judge God as being late.
Time serves as a boundary for us in a similar way to geographical boundaries. Within the boundaries of your own land, you have rights, but those rights do not extend into your neighbor’s land. A government has authority within its own boundaries but not outside of them. With this understanding, we have placed limitations on God, beyond which God cannot operate. When God moves within our set time, we call Him an “on-time God.” When the time limit expires without our expected move of God, we are disappointed. We join Martha and Mary, in accusing God of being too late.
When God told Adam and Eve that they would die the day they ate of the forbidden fruit, He was speaking from an eternal perspective.
Knowledge of the Unlimited God = Great Expectations
How can God be late, when He dwells beyond time?
Time is our boundary, not God’s. When we may get to the end of our allotted time, we are stopped. But God keeps going. He has no bounds, physical, geographical, social or temporal.
When you leave High School, either by graduating or by dropping out, life does not end. One phase ends, but a new phase begins at the same time.
When we die, life has not come to an end. We have only finished this phase and have moved on to life in the next phase. It does not end here.
The whole Christian faith is premised upon this truth… Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever. He is today, why He has always been, and the same He will always be.
Belief in the illimitable God is the key to peace.
Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV) You will keep [him] in perfect peace, [Whose] mind [is] stayed [on You,] Because he trusts in You.
1 Corinthians 15:19
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
ERRORS OF THIS AGE…
Reforming God.
What we know and believe about God is of the utmost importance. It is the foundation upon which our lives are built. If we believe a lie about God, (either incorrect or incomplete) we will build on a shaky sinking foundation.
Matthew 16:6-12 NLT — “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
There are popular teachings and beliefs about God that are not necessarily true. We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us discern the truth to avoid getting carried away by how impressive the teacher is or how many people are following them.
Psalm 100:1-5 KJV
A Psalm of praise.
1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Coaching God.
People try to teach God how to be God.
Students dictate to their professors.
Children dictate to their parents.
Self empowerment is good but it can go too far.
Isaiah 45:9-12 NLT —
“What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.
Does a clay pot argue with its maker?
Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying,
‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’
Does the pot exclaim,
‘How clumsy can you be?’
10 How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father,
‘Why was I born?’
or if it said to its mother,
‘Why did you make me this way?’”
11 This is what the LORD says—
the Holy One of Israel and your Creator:
“Do you question what I do for my children?
Do you give me orders about the work of my hands?
12 I am the one who made the earth
and created people to live on it.
With my hands I stretched out the heavens.
All the stars are at my command.
