The purpose of this lesson is to emphasize that the Christian's quest for a more accurate knowledge and understanding of God's nature and attributes is a neverending quest. A definite aspect of spiritual maturity is linked to this quest.
"Who is God?" That is a question very few Christians try to answer. In fact, this is a question very few Christians ever ask. We assume the nature of God. We assume the attributes of God's nature. Then we assume the meaning of each of those attributes. Typically, we have little appreciation for the person who calls us to examine our assumptions honestly.
Too often Christians so oversimplify God's nature and attributes that they conclude an honest understanding of God based on His Self-revelation is unnecessary for a total conversion. Therefore an honest knowledge of God's nature and attributes are unnecessary and unimportant for faith in Christ, for obedience, or for repentance. Those views easily lead to a conviction that God is impersonal and that He is not only pleased but delighted with an impersonal, perfunctory compliance to His will.
Usually an assumption about God's perspective, actions, or nature is based on a proof text. That proof text is supported by focusing on other statements from scripture that seem to verify the assumption. Statements or situations in scripture that challenge our assumption are either ignored or "explained away." Usually little attention is given to the total context of the proof text or supporting statements. Rarely is the collective input of all the Bible sought.
Too often our views of God's nature are inherited from past human positions, not from a study of scripture. Too often a person first decides "this is what God is like and this is what God wants in people who belong to Him," and then go to scripture to verify their assumptions that existed prior to an honest study of scripture. Too often there is not an openness to all scripture says. There is only openness to statements from scripture that seem to justify our assumptions.
Simple examinations of assumptions reveal they accept a poorly defined concept of God. Most if not all Christians say, "God has all knowledge." What does that mean? Does it mean each person is "preprogrammed" to be who he/she is? Does it mean God knows from conception if a person will be lost or saved? Can God have all knowledge and not be a God of individual predestination?
Perhaps the teacher can illustrate the complexity of "God's knowledge" by (1) asking if all knowledge means total knowledge from before creation to after judgment, or total knowledge that exists at the given moment, (2) asking if God learns [consider Genesis 6:5,6], and (3) asking the relationship between the underdetermined decisions of the human will and God's knowledge.
Most if not all Christians say, "God is all powerful." What does that mean? Can He authorize miracles today as He did in some Bible ages? Can He do things we wish if we manipulate Him? Can He prevent bad things from happening to us? Can He give His men and women "health and wealth" in this physical world? If a miracle we want does not occur, if He does not do what we want, if we are victims of the consequences of evil occurring in someone else's life, if we are His but do not receive "health and wealth," do these things evidence His lack of power?
Perhaps the teacher can illustrate the complexity of "God's power" by (1) asking what are God's purposes and objectives, (2) asking how the fact that evil challenges God in the corrupted physical world AND how that impacts the manifestation of God's power [as examples, consider Matthew 4:8,9 and Romans 8:19-22], and (3) the fact that God does not use His power to aid/encourage/do evil. Consider: God at the moment of His choosing can call all things into judgment. At judgment God will through Jesus Christ defeat every form of evil [see 1 Corinthians 15:23-28]. After judgment God will be recognized by everything from heavenly and earthly realms, by the evil and the forgiven as the true "All in All." Either as the conquered or the saved, every one shall bow before Jesus Christ to the glory of God [see Philippians 2:9-11].
Most if not all Christians say, "God cares." What does that mean? If something bad happens to us, does this occurrence prove He does not care? Jesus died a cruel, contemptible death on a cross. In some regions early Christians were victims of persecution. Many of the twelve apostles were killed because of dedication to the resurrected Jesus. Are these evidences that God does not care? If our spouse dies, if our child dies, if we lose needed jobs, if we lose needed homes, if our lifestyle drastically changes for the worse, if inability to pay bills results in the loss of everything, does that prove that God does not care?
Perhaps the teacher can illustrate the complexity of "God's caring" by asking if God's caring is to be seen in forgiveness that results in "my" eternal salvation or in providing people with physical wants and desires. Is God's caring revealed in what God does for "my" person [that will never die] or for "my" body [that unquestionably will die]?
There are many views of God. Some picture God as a controlling God. As long as we do not question His control, we are okay. Obedience is just a matter of submission to authority. Some picture God as carrying a "big stick." He delights in punishment, delights in administering consequences, delights in seeing us fail. He constantly watches for us to fail so he can punish us. Some picture God as our enemy. He is full of justice. He finds fulfillment in harsh punishment. At the present moment He restrains His righteous wrath. Yet, we can be assured the time will arrive when He will pour out His wrath on everyone. Therefore, we should be terrified of God, and never have or express confidence in salvation. Some picture God as a kindly grandfather too blind to notice anything and too soft-hearted to be offended. He will endure anything, "put up" with any slight, ignore any rebellion, always forgive, and never get upset. Therefore, once we are on God's "good side" God will never abandon us no matter what we do or how we live.
Ask your students to share other views of God that they have heard or hold. Note: the objective is to verify that numerous views exist. The objective is not to engage in an examination of each view.
Relevant questions: if God is controlling, or carries a "big stick," or is our enemy, or is the kindly [but oblivious] grandfather, why repent? If it is impossible to please God, OR if God will endure anything, why repent? If I cannot be perfect, OR if God does not care how I live, feel, or behave, why repent? If it is a huge life and death game played by God's changeable rules, why repent?
The view of God a person holds is quite relevant to his/her concept of repentance, his/her recognized need to repent, and his/her concept of what happens when repentance occurs.
The concept and responsibility of repentance serves little purpose if we have no sense of God's sovereignty, no sense of what God lost when rebellion occurred in His creation, no sense of His mercy and grace, no sense of the fact that God's ways and the finest human's values are radically different.
The concept of repentance involves much more than the concept of guilt, the feeling of guiltiness, or the recognition of authority. Repentance is linked in a fundamental way to an honest realization of the nature and person of God. The greater that one's knowledge of God is, the greater will be his/her commitment to repentance.
Consider an example. Isaiah 55:8,9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
For many Christians this is a familiar scripture. It is commonly used to declare that human comprehension must not be used to limit God. In context this statement occurred in God's call to Judah for repentance. "Come to the waters" (v. 1); "Come buy" (v. 1); "Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good" (v. 2); "Come to me" (v. 3); "Seek the Lord while He may be found" (v.6); "Return to the Lord" (v. 7); "He will have compassion on you" (v. 7); "He will abundantly pardon" (v. 7) All these are encouraging challenges to repent. In Judah, repentance will be effective! God wants to forgive Judah!
Many Christians are unaware that Isaiah 55:8,9 is part of a call to repentance. It is a declaration that repentance [after Judah's enormous wickedness] will be effective because it is the nature of God [not humans!] to pardon the penitent.
The reaction of many: "Repenting will do no good! It is too late! The consequences of our failures are too severe--we have passed the point of effective repentance. We could not forgive those who treated us like we have treated God!"
In every age, people have been skeptical of the ability of repentance to attract divine notice and response. Remember Jonah, Nineveh, and repentance?
This familiar passage declared, "God's reactions and conduct cannot be measured by human limitations! God can and will forgive if Judah will repent! Why? God is God. In every way, He is superior to us!"
Stated simply, "Because you would be unmoved by repentance does not declare or mean that God is unmoved by repentance." The value God places on repentance is not determined by the value you place on repentance.
If we want to change a person, we must begin by changing his/her view of God. A basic reason for some "becoming" Christians and deliberately continuing an evil lifestyle is found in the fact he/she did not change his/her view of God. Repentance begins by holding a biblical view of God. Our assumptions and past teachings must not be our "final voice" on God's nature. God should be allowed to reveal Himself.
Turning to God involves more than taking some "necessary steps." It involves more than many people's concept of obedience. It involves turning toward the person of God. Jesus Christ makes a human turning toward God significant and meaningful.
If following God is to be more than rules declaring do's and don'ts, we must see God as He truly is. If repentance is to be more than good intentions or an impossible commitment to errorless existence, we must see God for Who He is, not as Who people say He is.
The objective of repentance is to establish a relationship with the God Who made "me."
Thought and Discussion Questions
Repentance is the personal decision to turn toward God [whether made by the unforgiven or the forgiven]. That turning is the result of the person's desire to seek a relationship with God. He/she turns toward a Person [the ultimate Person], not merely a system. Because "I" love and appreciate Him, "I" obey.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 2
