Difference between revisions of "The Omni-sapience of God"

Latest revision as of 21:59, 19 May 2019

The Omni-sapience of God.

By this we mean the "All-Wisdom of God"; that is, God has all wisdom. There is a vast difference in wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge is what one knows; wisdom is the perfect display of that knowledge. Wisdom includes discernment and judgment.

1. Choice of The Highest End. All things are chosen which will bring about the highest end for God's glory.

2. Best Way of Securing That End. Here wisdom asserts itself, not only choosing that which will bring about the highest end, but devising the best ways of securing that end. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out" (Rom. 11:33). See also Romans 16:27; I Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:8; 3:10; I Timothy 1:17.

D. The Omnipresence of God.

There are many vague ideas concerning the omnipresence of God. "Omnipresent" simply means everywhere present. God is everywhere present. God is everywhere, but He is not in everything. The belief that He is in everything is Pantheism. If God were in everything, then all man would have to do would be to bow down to a stone, a tree, a desk, a table, or any object, and he would be worshiping God. God is not in everything, but He is everywhere! He is everywhere present. The best illustration of this is of a teacher before his class. The teacher is omnipresent to every student in that classroom; but he is not omnipresent to those on the outside, nor to those in the basement, nor even to those who are in the next room. Why? Because the walls, floors and space are barriers between him and those in other parts of the building. But God transcends all barriers — space, materials, all things.

We believe, however, that there is a certain place where He manifests Himself, where He is located — and from that locality He is present to everything of the universe. "Hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive" (I Kings 8:30). See also Jeremiah 23:24; Ephesians 1:20; Revelation 21:2. While God's dwelling place is in heaven, yet we do know that He has manifested Himself in other places: on earth, as when He dwelt in the burning bush (Ex. 3:4): "When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I"; and in the flesh, in the incarnation of Jesus Christ: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:5-8).

The Holy Spirit is everywhere. He is in believers: "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16, 17). He is with the unbelievers: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:7, 8).

God is with us no matter where we are; He is omnipresent; He is everywhere present!

E. The Eternity of God.

This is one thing which has never been grasped by the human mind: God is without beginning and without ending. He is the Eternal Now. He is the only One who is. There is no past, and there is no future in eternity. God is eternal; therefore, there is no past nor future with God. "I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end" (Ps. 102:24-27). See also Psalm 90:4.

Some one may ask, "What is the difference between Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1?" Genesis 1:1 says: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." John 1:1 says: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Are both "beginnings" the same? If so, then the Word, Jesus Christ, had a beginning! Both passages start at the same point — the beginning; Genesis 1:1 begins with the beginning and looks forward into eternity; while John 1:1 begins with the beginning and looks backward into eternity. Therefore, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, had no beginning.

F. The Immutability of God.

In other words, this means the "unchangeableness of God." His Being, attitude and acts are without change; "I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed" (Mal. 3:6); "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (Jas. 1:17); "God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath" (Heb. 6:17). For a discussion of the repentance of God see Chapter I, III, C, 3, b,.

G. The Love of God.

1. Its Citation. "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. . . . And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (I John 4:8-16). This is the one definition of God. There are many adjectives defining God, but a noun needs a noun. The love of God comes from revelation. It does not come by one's own knowledge. It cannot be seen in nature. Only from God's Word comes that knowledge that God is love. There are those who deny the inspiration of the Scriptures, but who still say that God is love. If the Scriptures are not the Word of God, how do we know that God is love? You can search the world over and never find a "God is love" among the heathen. They have their gods and idols, but a God that is "God is love" is unknown to them. The Bible is the Word of God — it, and it only, tells us that "God is love."

2. Its Objects. If God is love, then that love must be directed to someone. And it is, for we learn from the Scriptures that the objects of His love are:

a. His Son. God loves His Son more than man could ever love his own offspring. "Lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17). See also Matthew 17:5. God's love is a perfect love and transcends all bounds: "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24).

b. Believers. All who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are the objects of God's divine love. He manifests that love day by day. "The Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God" (John 16:27). "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me" (John 17:23).

c. Israel. Be careful how you speak of the "lowly" Jew. He is the object of God's love, the same as we Christians: "The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee" (Jer. 31:3).

d. Sinners. God never changes concerning His attitude toward sin. God hates sin, but loves the sinner! "God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved; )" (Eph. 2:4, 5). "When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:6-8).

Its Manifestations.

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