◄ The Self-Existent God - Character and Attributes of God (18) ►

STUDY - Character and Attributes of GOD 

Mysteries of God

There are many mysteries in the Word of God: The mystery of the kingdom; the mystery of the Church and the mystery of Israel. The mystery of Christ.. the mystery of God’s will and of godliness. The mystery of lawlessness.. the mystery of faith – the mystery of the seven stars and the seven candlesticks..

Mysteries Revealed

There are many mysteries hid by God, from before the foundation of the world. Many are revealed to our understanding through the prophet Paul, a Jew from Tarsus. And yet the Mystery of mysteries that baffles the minds of men is God Himself. The mystery of the Self-Existent One, Who alone can claim I AM that I AM.

Origin and Cause

God has no origin.. and this distinguishes Him from everything created or brought into being. How can this be, for all created things have a genesis and a genealogy? There was a time before time began. There was a place before space existed. All things that exist have a cause that antedates them. Everything has a precursor from which it came. Everything has its cause – except He that is the Causeless One – He Who is the Uncreated.

Child and Philosopher

From the infant that asks, “where did God come from?” to the scientists’ probes.. of necessity, both admit their own origin have their root in another. But child and philosopher alike must receive an answer that contradicts logic – that God has no beginning, because God alone is the Self-Existent One. God alone is in an exclusive category that lies beyond research and understanding.

Accept or Reject

He is not a scientific formula to be discovered or a physical law that can be tapped. Child and scientist alike, must accept or reject God as indiscoverable phenomena. Infant and philosopher likewise, have no recourse but to believe – or to reject.

Impossible Burden

This is the most difficult of all tasks for the insatiably curious human mind. It is an impossible burden for the one that declares “give me proof and I’ll believe”. It is always hard for prideful man to admit there are things we don’t understand, but it needs deep humility, founded on faith to admit that we’ll never understand.

Timeless, spaceless, single, lonely;
Yet sublimely Three,
Lone in grandeur, always only;
God in Unity.

Mortal Realm

Many millions continue to pass through this mortal realm with no thoughts of God. Few have set their hearts to steadfastly gaze unstintingly upon the Being that is God. Rather He is ignored, blasphemed, scorned, derided, mocked, defied, ridiculed.. but we are His handiwork and He alone is the solution to all our problems and needs,

Image of God

For some inexplicable reason, known only to God Himself.. God honoured man. This self-existent God created man in His own image and likeness for fellowship. This is not a nice little fairy story, born of poetic imagery or religious desire. This is stark reality.. the authenticity of which is written on the pages of Scripture.

Awful Truth

And Christian doctrine is based on the tenant that God is ALL and man is nothing, and this plainly grates on the prideful nature of man, who considers that he is all. Holy epistles and gospels were written expounding this awful truth.. that man can only function in harmony with God. if God works in and through him.

Seat of Power

But Christian doctrine has been twisted in many areas to elevate mans supremacy. Man may accept God’s gift as His Saviour and may even sacrifice much for God..  but man prefers to remain the crowned king on the throne of his own life. And man is rarely if ever willing to remove himself from this seat of power.

Prideful Rebellion

This was the root of the struggle in man that goes right back to the way of Cain. This was Christ’s condemnation of the prideful Scribes and Pharisees of His day. This is no less true of the prideful Church of today, who kees Christ outside.

Condemning Prophecy

This witness of the saints is not only evident throughout the pages of scripture.. this rebellious attitude has permeated every generation from Adam until now. Even Christ voiced His own condemnatory prophecy on the church of the future, "will I find faith on the earth….?” Luke 18:8

Old Man

Yes – the old self (the old-man) must be crucified and remain in the place of death – and this is an uncomfortable place indeed! Why in heavens name did this Self-Existent Being create man in His own image, knowing that for 6000 years pride would be the attitude of man towards His God.

New Life

But until we can truly examine every nook and cranny of our life and say with Paul.. I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live – yet not I, but Christ lives in me…” Gal.2:20. Until that time our heart must remain rebellious towards the Self-Existent One – the Self-Existent God, Who loves us so much and gave Himself for us.