EXTREME

Westwood Bible Fellowship Issue 4

God’s Nature:
There is one body
and one Spirit ...
one Lord, one
faith, one baptism;
one God and Father
of all... (Eph.
4:4-6)

God chose you to

be saved...through
belief in the truth. (2
Thes. 2:13)

WHO IS GOD?
“...I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” – Isaiah 46:9

The Question
“The gravest question the question, ‘What comes
before a person is always into your mind when you think
God Himself, and the most about God?’ we might predict
portentous fact about any with certainty the spiritual
man is not what he at a given future of that man...Without
time may say or do, but what doubt, the mightiest thought
h e i n h i s d e e p h e a r t the mind can entertain is the
conceives God to be like. We thought of God, and the
tend by a secret law of the w e i g h t i e s t w o r d i n a n y
Not Just a Notion
soul to move toward our language is its word for God is not an idea or a
mental image of God ... Were God...” (from The Knowledge proposition but instead a living
and free person who is
we able to extract from any of the Holy, by A. W. Tozer)
completely “other”, or holy.
man a complete answer to

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 How is God known? 1:9; 1 John 5:20–21) and that all other

G o d i s n o t k n o w n b y a n y “gods” are false and therefore mere

SAY WHAT? instrument or human ability. He is idols that are not “gods” at all (Deut.
known only through self–disclosure, 32:21; 1 Sam. 12:21; Ps. 96:5; Isa.
Incomprehensible Yet Known which is called revelation. God reveals 37:19; 41:23–24, 29; Jer. 2:11; 5:7;
While the Scripture is Himself by what he has created 16:20; 1 Cor. 8:4; 10:19–20). However,
(General Revelation). He also reveals demons (fallen angels) may also pose
clear that God has
revealed Himself, it is
also true that God himself by the deeds performed by as gods and elicit worship, possibly
hides Himself. Him alone and the employment of even through counterfeit signs,
l a n g u a g e ( S p e c i a l R e v e l a t i o n ) . wonders, and miracles (Deut. 32:17;
“Truly, you are a God
Language is employed because of Ps. 106:37; 1 Cor. 10:20; Gal. 4:8).
who hides himself, O
God of Israel, the human necessity and limited capacity, Is the Father God?
Savior.” not a deficiency of God’s character. Throughout the Scriptures, the
Isaiah 45:15
Special Revelation, represented Father is unequivocally called God
This means that we may exclusively in the Bible you own, is (John 6:27, 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:6; 2 Cor. 1:3;
know God truly while particularly important, as discussed Eph. 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3).
not yet knowing Him
fully because He is
last week, because God speaks to us Is Jesus God?
about Himself, our relationship with
absolutely infinite and Jesus Christ is clearly called God
there is no end of Him Him and others, and the precious throughout the Scriptures (Matt. 28:9;
and therefore He can nature of being image bearers John 1:1–4, 1:14, 5:17 18, 8:58, 10:30–
never be known in
reflecting His very character to other 33, 12:37–41 cf. Isa. 6:9–11; 20:28–29;
totality.
humans, as well as, rulers and Acts 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Col. 1:16–17,
authorities in heavenly places (Eph. 2:8–9; Phil. 2:10–11; Heb. 1:8; 1 Co.
3:10). 8:4–6; 1 Tim. 6:15; Titus 2:13; 1 John
How many gods are there? 5:20; Rev. 1:8, 1:17–18, 17:14, 19:16,
The Bible is abundantly clear that 22:13–16).
there is only one true God (2 Chron.
15:3; Jer. 10:10; John 17:3; 1 Thess.

God is known
through self
disclosure.

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 This fact of Jesus’ deity was can be grieved (Eph.4:30), resisted

WHAT’S IN A
spoken clearly by Himself and (Acts 7:51), and insulted (Heb. 10:29).
recognized as a claim to be God byAre the Father, Son, and Spirit
the Jewish leaders without Jesus’ different persons?
apology or correction (Matt. 26:63–65; Though one God, the Father, Son,
John 5:17–23, 8:58–59, 10:30–39, and Spirit are distinct persons, The
NAME?
19:7). The Scriptures are also clear Father and Son are two persons in Primary Old Testament Names.
that Jesus was fully human (Isa. 7:14, frequent salutations (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. Yahweh (YHWH - also
pronounced Jehovah):
9:16; Rom. 8:3; 1 John 4:2). 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2, 6:23; “Self–Existent
Is the Holy Spirit God? Phil. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1, 2; One” (from Ex. 3:14, “I
The Holy Spirit is clearly called 1 Tim. 1:1, 2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4; am that I am”). The
characteristics of this
God throughout the Scriptures. In the Philem. 3; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:2; 2 name are in the
Old Testament He is all–powerful John 3) as well as in other Scriptures relationship between
(Micah 3:8; see also Acts 1:8; Rom. (John 3:17, 5:31–32, 8:16–18, 11:41– the true God and His
people and, when used,
15:13, 19), eternal (Heb. 9:14) all 42, 12:28, 14:31, 17:23–26; Gal. 4:4; 1 emphasize God’s
knowing (Isa. 40:13–14, see also 1 John 4:10). holiness, hatred of
Cor. 2:10), creator (Gen. 1:2; Ps. The Scripture is also clear that sin, and love of
sinners (Isa. 12:2,
104:30) and all present (Ps. 139:7). In Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not the
26:4).
the New Testament, He is also clearly same person (Luke 3:22; John 14:16,
declared God (Acts 5:3–4, see also 15:26, 16:7; 1 John 2:1). Likewise, the Elohim: “Strong
John 14:16; 2 Cor. 3:16–18). Father is not the Holy Spirit (John One” (Gen. 1:1). The
characteristics are
The Holy Spirit is not merely an 14:15, 15:26; Rom. 8:11, 8:26–27; 2 used of the true God
impersonal force, but a person who Cor. 1:3–4; Gal. 1:1). and of false gods. It
is a plural word and is
the plural of majesty.
The plural does allow
for the subsequent
Jesus is revelation of the
called God Trinity in the New
Testament but does not
throughout teach the Trinity per
Scripture se. This name is often
used when pertaining to
God’s sovereignty and
work (Isa. 54:5; Jer.
32:27; Gen. 1:1; Isa.
45:18; Deut. 5:23;
8:15; Ps. 68:7).

Adonai: “Lord” or
“Master” (Josh. 5:14;
Isa. 6:8–11). This name
marks Him out as a
ruler. The
characteristics of this
name are used of men
and of God and indicate
the master–servant
relationship.

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What is the Trinity?
While the word “Trinity” does not
appear in Scripture, the concept very
clearly does. Church father Tertullian
(155–220 AD) was the first to use the
word trinity. To say that God exists as
a Trinity does not mean that there are
three Gods, or that one God merely
manifests Himself as either Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit on various
occasions.
To say that God exists as a Trinity
is to say that there is one God with a
unified essence who exists in three
equal persons, Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. By person it is meant that God
thinks, feels, acts and speaks. The
Westminster Confession of Faith
(1647) summarizes the doctrine by
saying, “In the unity of the Godhead
there be three persons, of one
substance, power, and eternity: God
the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Ghost.”
• Isaiah 48:16 And now the
Sovereign LORD has sent me, with
his Spirit.
Matthew 3:16–17 As soon as
•
Jesus was baptized, he went up
out of the water. At that moment
heaven was opened, and he saw
the Spirit of God descending like a
dove and lighting on him. And a
Our Mission
Westwood Bible Fellowship Exists
to help people discover the
excitement of a full, purposeful,
meaningful life in Christ.
voice from heaven said,
“This is my Son, whom I
love; with him I am well
pleased.”
• Matthew 28:18–20 Then
Jesus came to them
and said, “All authority
in heaven and on earth
has been given to me.
Therefore go and make
disciples of all
nations, baptizing Man
them in the name of of
the Father and of the Sorrows
Son and of the Holy
preaching were not with wise
Spirit, and teaching them
and persuasive words, but with a
to obey everything I have
demonstration of the Spirit’s
commanded you. And surely I am
power, so that your faith might not
with you always, to the very end of
rest on men’s wisdom, but on
the age.”
God’s power.
• Romans 15:16 ...to be a minister
2 Corinthians 13:14 May the grace
of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with •
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
the priestly duty of proclaiming the
love of God, and the fellowship of
gospel of God, so that the Gentiles
the Holy Spirit be with you all.
might become an offering
• Ephesians 4:4–6 There is one
acceptable to God, sanctified by
body and one Spirit–– just as you
the Holy Spirit.
were called to one hope when you
• 1 Corinthians 2:2–5 For I resolved
were called–– one Lord, one faith,
to know nothing while I was with
one baptism; one God and Father
you except Jesus Christ and him
of all, who is over all and through
crucified. I came to you in
all and in all.
weakness and fear, and with much
trembling. My message and my
Hallowed Be Your Name WESTWOOD BIBLE
There was an extreme reverence for using
or honoring the name of God. That is why
we hear Jesus tell us to start our prayer
FELLOWSHIP
“Hallowed be your name” (Matt. 6:9). Our P.O. Box 908
desire at Westwood Bible Fellowship is that Westwood, CA 96137
people would pray and speak of God in a info@westwoodbf.com
similar way that is not only honoring to him
www.westwoodbf.com
but also true to his character.
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