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90 Facts About God...
God reveals Himself in His Word. But do we believe what He says?
by Lloyd W. Cary
The first recorded question in all the Bible was asked by the Adversary
in Genesis 3:1 where he asked simply, “Yea, hath
God said...?” His purpose was to cast doubt upon God’s words.
Today the same adversary continues to cast doubt upon God’s Word,
but through more sophisticated means and through human agents. In modern
times he has raised up “scholars” and theologians who “interpret” God's
Word in pedantic nomenclature. Every trade or profession invents a
vocabulary
to set it apart from other trades and professions. Doctors, lawyers,
scientists and, yes, modern-day Pharisees invent words that shut out
“outsiders,” who must then come to them and pay exorbitant fees
and years of time to learn their trade to be accepted into that field.
After all, it is reasoned, if a Biblical “scholar” uses terminology like
hypostasis, the hypostatic union of Christ, or the
hypostatic theory of the nature of God, he must be
“exceedingly godly and knowledgeable” and one is immediately placed at a
psychological disadvantage and is often hard pressed to cope. The
natural reaction is to just throw up one’s hands in confusion and reason
that such scholarship is too far above him and to close one’s mind down
and blindly accept whatever such “scholars” spoon feed them. Hence the
phrase, “Just smile and check your brain in at the door.”
And yet 2 Cor. 11:3 cautions us, “But I fear, lest
by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so
your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ.” Do we believe what God says about Himself… or do we have
to go the egg-spurts?
There is a large body of the Church of God that
has recently completely altered its view of the nature of God. In the
May 3, 1994, Worldwide News, page 4, in the article entitled
“Clearing the Picture About Humans Being Made in God’s Image,”
(emphasis mine throughout.) it is asked, “What does it mean to be made
in God’s image? The question is not easy to answer because the Bible
does not
define the nature of God’s image.” Well, my Bible does!
They go on to say that “This view does not suggest that
God has human form, but only that we individually are a bodily
representation of a bodiless God.” Read that again!
Are we to believe that such gibberish is “scholarly”?
Under the subheading of Appearances,
Anthromorphisms
(a typical jawbreaker catchword to impress others of their supposed
superior intelligence) they ask, “Now what about the appearances of God
in the Bible? And what about the many references to God’s face, eyes,
eyelids, nostrils, mouth, voice, arms, hair, hands, palm, fingers, feet
heart, bosom and bowels? Are they proof that God has bodily form?”
To which they blasphemously answer their own question, “NO!”
and affirm that such manifestations of God should not be taken
literally, but metaphorically, allegorically, or symbolically. Anything
but literally! Any literal descriptions of God are spiritualized away.
They go on to say in column four that what Moses saw in Exodus33:19-23
was not God, but a physical manifestation of God. Who are
we to believe? What does the Bible say?
Under the subheading God’s attributes and the
body they ask such asinine questions as:
“Why would God have a body like the human body?”
“Could God have eyes?”
“What would he do with hands and fingers?”
“Does God need a tongue?”
“If God has ears, what are they for?”
“Could God have a nose for smelling, teeth for chewing, legs
and feet for walking?”
“Why would God have such a body? He certainly doesn’t need one.
So is it reasonable to believe he has one?”
Are we to question God? Let the Scriptures speak!
“Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Shall the clay say to
him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no
hand” (Isa 45:9)? See also Romans 1: 19-22.
90 Facts About God
Let us set such foolish questions aside (see 2 Tim.
2:23) and hold fast the faithful word as we have been taught that
we may be able by sound doctrine both exhort and convince the gainsayers
(Titus 1:9-11). Let us read and believe the Scriptures as they stand!
Listed below are 90 Facts About God listed along with Scriptural
references, without comment. Ask yourself honestly: Whom do I
choose to believe? The pure, unadulterated Word of God... or those who
tell us that what we read does not mean what it says? Look
the verses up for yourself and make a real Bible Study of it. You’ll be
glad you did!
1.
GOD IS ... A Person (Job 13:8; Heb. 1:3)
2. GOD HAS... A spirit body (Dan.
7:9-14; 10:5-19; cp. I Cor. 15:44,49; Phil. 3:21)
3. Shape (Jn. 5:37)
4. Form (Phil. 2:5-7; 3:21)
5. Image and likeness (Gen. 1:26; 9:6; I Cor. 11:7;
Jas. 3:9)
6. Countenance (Ps. 11:7)
7. A head (Dan. 9:7)
8. A face (Deut. 34:10; Gen. 33:10; Ex. 33:11)
9. Hair (Dan. 7:9; Rev. 1:14)
10. Eyes (Rev. 1:14; Ps. 11:4; 18:24; 33:18)
11. Ears (Ps. 18:6; 34:15)
12. Hands (Ps. 102:25-26; Heb. 1:10)
13. Fingers (Ex. 31:18; Ps. 8:3-6)
14. Arms (Ps. 44:3; Jn.12: 38)
15. Loins (Ezek. 1:26-28; 8:1-4)
16. Feet (Ps 18:9; Ezek. 1:26; 24:10; 1 Cor. 15:27; Heb 2:8;
Rev. 1:15; 2:18)
17. Back parts (Ex. 33:23)
18. A mouth (Num. 12:8; Isa. 1:20)
19. Lips (Isa. 11:4; 30:27)
20. A tongue (Isa. 30:27)
21. A voice (Ps. 29:1-9; Heb 12:19, 26; Rev 1:10;
10:3-4; Rev. 14:2l
22. A heart (Gen. 6:6; 8:21)
23. Breath (Gen. 2:7)
24. GOD HAS FEELING AND AFFECTIONS ... such as
love (Jn. 3:16)
25. Hate (Pr. 6:16)
26. Pity (Ps. 103:13)
27. Anger (I Ki. 11:9)
28. Repentance (Gen. 6:6)
29. Jealousy (Ex. 20:5; 34:14)
30. Pleasure and delight (Ps. 147:10)
31. Fellowship (I Jn.1:1-7)
32. Joy ( Neh. 8:10; Gal. 5:22)
33. Peace (Gal. 5:22)
34. Longsuffering (Gal. 5:22)
35. Gentleness (Gal. 5:22)
36. Goodness (Gal. 5:22)
37. Faith (Gal. 5:22)
38. Self-control (Gal. 5:22)
39. Spirit (Ps. 143:10; Isa. 30:1)
40. GOD HAS SPIRIT FACULTIES... He has mind (Rom. 11:34)
41. Intelligence (Gen. 1:26)
42. Wisdom (I Tim. 1:17; Ps. 119:130; Ps. 51:6; 1 Cor. 1:30)
43. Knowledge (Isa. 11:2; Rom. 1:20)
44. Discernment (Heb. 4:12)
45. Will (Rom. 8:27; 9:19)
46. Righteousness (Ps. 45:4)
47. Faith (Rom. 4:17; 12:3)
48. Faithfulness (I Cor. 10:13)
49. Hope (I Cor. 13:3)
50. Truth (Ps. 91:4; Jn. 17:17)
51. Power (Eph. 1:19; 3:7,20; Heb. 1:3)
52. Immutability (Heb. 6:17)
53. GOD DOES... sit on a throne (Isa. 6:1; Dan. 7:9-11;
Rev. 3:21)
54. Wear clothes (Dan. 7:7-9; Rev. 1:13)
55. Dwell in a city (Jn. 14:1-3)
56. Walk (Gen. 3:8; 18:1-8)
57. Ride (Ps. 18:19; 68:17; Ezek. 1)
58. Rest (Gen. 2:1-4; Heb. 4:4)
59. Eat food (Gen. 18:1-8)
60. Drink wine (Jud. 9:13; Mt. 26:29)
61. Hear and answer prayer (Ps. 84:11; Isa. 45:11; Jn. 16:23;
Phil. 4:6; I Jn 5:14-15)
62.
GOD DOES NOT... CHANGE (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8; Jas. 1:17)
63. GOD IS ... Good (Mt. 5: 25; Rom 2:4; Acts. 14:17)
64. Love (Jn. 3:16; Rom.15:30; I Jn. 4:8)
65. Truth (Dt. 34:2; Jn. 17:3, 17; I Jn. 5:20)
66. Holy (Ex. 15:11; Isa. 6:3; I Pet. 1:16)
67. Perfect (Dt. 32:4; Ps. 18:30; Mt. 5:48)
68. Merciful (Rom.12:1-2; 2 Cor. 1-2; Tit. 3:5)
69. Faithful (I Cor. 10:13; 2 Cor. 1:20; Heb.6: 18)
70. Provident (Job 38:41)
71. Comforter (Isa. 51:12; 2 Cor. 1:4; 7:6)
72. Deliverer (2 Sam 2:22; Ps.40: 17; 70:5; Rom. 11:26)
73. Preserver (Ps. 12:6-7; 30:3; 33:19; 41:2; 12:7)
74. Healer (Ps. 103:3; Ex. 15:26; 23:38; Isa. 33:24; 35:5-6;
Jas. 5:14-15)
75. Helper (Heb. 13:6; Ps. 37:40; 46:5; Isa. 50:7,9)
76. Invisible (Col. 1:15)
77. Immortal (1 Tim. 1:17)
78. Life (Jer. 10:10; Jn. 5:26; Heb. 7:16; Rev. 11:11)
79. Self-existent (Ex. 3:14; 6:3; Jn.1: 4; 5:26)
80. Ever present (I Ki. 8:27; Ps. 139:7-12; Mt. 28:28))
81. All powerful (Mt. 28:18; Rev. 19:6)
82. Eternal (Dt. 33:27; Ps. 90:2; Isa. 57:15)
83. All knowing (Rom. 11:33; Ps. 44:21; 139:1-6; Pr. 24:12)
84. Omnipresent through His spirit (I Ki. 8:27; Ps. 139:7-12;
Mt. 28:20)
85. Unsearchable in greatness (Ps. 145:3)
86. GOD WILL... Reign on the earth (Dan. 2:44; 7:13-14, 27;
Zech. 14:9; Rev. 5:10)
87. Regather all Israel (Isa. 11:11-12; 61:4-6; Amo. 9:14,15;
Ezek. 11:17-20;)
88. Resurrect the dead (Job 14:14-15; I Cor. 15; 2 Thes.
4:14-17; Rev. 20:4-6)
89. Judge all (Ps 7:8; Ps 82:8; Heb 13:4; Ps 98:9; Ezek. 33:20;
Heb 13:4; Rev 19:11)
90. Fill all the earth with knowledge of Himself (Isa. 11:9; Hab.
2:14)
The list could go on and on. God manifests many
other attributes and has bodily presence like other beings. God made man
after His image, after His likeness (Gen. 1:26). The only difference is
that He is composed of Spirit (Jn. 4:24), while we are composed of
physical matter.
It is not asked in this religious organization if
we believe God and His Word, but if we accept the doctrinal assumptions
and presuppositions of that organization. If one dares to believe the
Scriptures as they stand, or to think for himself and to
question aloud, he soon finds himself interrogated and, if he does not
subject himself to their—not God’s—authority, he will soon find
himself “marked” and ostracized (cp. 1 Pet. 5:3 & 3 Jn. 10-11). This, of
course, is in accord with the prevailing religious habit of saying that
the Scriptures never mean
what they say but are capable of some sort of private
interpretation disguised as “growing in grace and knowledge” (2 Pet.
1:20). Actually, they are returning back to the age-old Babylonian
Mystery religious system and when the blind lead the blind they will all
fall into the ditch (See Luke 6:39 & 2 Pet. 2:1-3). God is making a
separation to see if you will follow
Him and His Word... or if you will follow a man and
an
organization. Christ said, “I am the vine and
ye
are the branches” (John 15:5). There is no one between you
and God, no “middle” man, organization or intercessor but Christ. Whom
will you choose? If you find yourself compromising with God’s Word and
going along with the system, then that is your choice. Are you so soon
removed (Gal.1:6-7)? How much better to choose the Lord, no matter what
the cost (Josh. 24:15 and Luke 14:28)!
It is hoped that this short list can provide an
impetus to your own Bible study. It should be plain to see that
those pseudo-intellectuals who would convince you that God does not have
a body or other human-like attributes either do not read their Bible...
or hold their own exalted intellect and the desire for a paycheck over
the word of God. We have seen clearly what they have done. Next,
we need to ask ourselves, “Why would anyone want to do that?”
The bottom line is this: some people believe the
Book–and some don’t. Whom will you believe? God warns, let no
man deceive you
(Mat. 24:4-5; Eph. 5:6-7).
Yea, God hath
said. Will you believe Him?
Lloyd W. Cary
(Member of W.C.G. for 27 years.)
(Written sometime in June, 1994)
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