The Truth Project – Tour 4

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Who is God

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The Truth Project Tour 4

Who is God?

Introduction: Having explored the concept of truth itself and examined the biblical view of human nature – two basic issues that had to be settled before we could move on to the present discussion – Dr. Tackett now takes us to the eastern point of the compass and proceeds to lay the third and most important foundation of our “Truth Temple:” Theology, or that branch of study and investigation that grapples with the question, “Who is God?” Knowing God, he argues, ought to be our passion and our highest goal; for until we look upon His face, we cannot rightly know ourselves or begin to grasp the meaning of our existence in the world.

Themes: Knowing God is absolutely central to the meaning of human life, for it is only in the context of intimate, personal relationship with Him that we experience eternal life. At the same time, there is no assignment more daunting, no task more demanding, no challenge more overwhelming, than that of seeking to understand the being, nature, character, and attributes of the eternal Creator, who is Himself the ultimate source of all truth (Colossians 2:3). So impossibly huge is this endeavor that we could not hope to tackle it at all except for the fact that He has graciously revealed Himself to us in His Word. Apart from this revelation, mankind gropes and struggles in the darkness to piece together even the most flawed and rudimentary concept of God.

In line with this thought, R. C. Sproul asserts that ours is an era in which the knowledge of God has been eclipsed – not completely destroyed, but obscured and shadowed by lies and misconceptions. Given this situation, it is essential that we establish two main points: 1) that God exists; and 2) that the Bible, the vehicle of His self-revelation, is utterly reliable. Following Sproul’s lead, Dr. Tackett uses a significant portion of this tour to respond to attacks that have been leveled against God’s Word over the course of history (another aspect of the CosmicBattle). He answers the objections of Voltaire, Robert Ingersoll, and liberal theologians such as Julius Wellhausen and the members of the Jesus Seminar. He also illustrates the Bible’s historical accuracy by helping us resolved an apparent scriptural discrepancy concerning the dates of King Jehoram’s reign.

But the heart of this episode’s message hits much closer to home. For in the end, Dr. Tackett makes it clear that we cannot truly know ourselves until we have begun to know God in the fullness and richness of His multifaceted nature and character – not only as the God of mercy and grace, but also as the God who is a consuming fire, jealous for the purity of the covenant relationship (El Qanna). When this knowledge dawns upon us, we can expect two things to happen. First, the revelation of God’s character will, like a mirror, reveal things to us about ourselves, so that we, along with the prophet Isaiah, are compelled to cry, “Woe is me, for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5). But then secondly, as He raises us out of our despair and shows us who we are and who we can be in Him, we will be granted the gift of a new name – a whole new concept of our being, our identity, and our purpose in life with God. Once again, the fruit of this experience will be personal transformation.

Theology: The study of the existence, nature, and attributes of God. [Greek: theos (God) + logos (word)] This is the ultimate quest for each and every Christian.

It would be easier to define infinity. This tour is the final step in building our foundation.

Ultimate Source of All Truth

Colossians 2:2-3 “Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

– The nature, character, being and attributes of God Himself.

– Nothing that is true can contradict the nature of God.

Westminster Confession

Westminster Confession of Faith: A confession of faith drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly, which remains a standard of doctrine within many Protestant, churches. The full confession took more than five years to complete and provides advice on issues of worship, doctrine, government, and discipline for the church.

Can be found by doing a google search. I was able to locate it at spurgeon.org

What is Eternal Life?

Eternal Life: To know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent to earth. A deeply personal and intimate relationship. See John 17:3.

– Scriptural emphasis on eternal life – Luke 18:18, John 3:16, John 4:13-14, John 5:24, John 5:39-40, John 6:27, John 6:54

– “Now this is eternal life “¦” John 17:1-3 “¦ that they may know you “¦”

What an awesome privilege we have to witness this communication between the Father and the Son.

Knowing Only?

Scripture talks about relationship

Social order

Personal communion

Objective, real, relationship

– exists between God and man

Jesus is binding up the understanding of what eternal life is in the relationship with Him.

Adam “knew” Eve and the result was a child. Jesus is talking about the same “knowing” .

John 5:39-40 (Amplified Bible)

39You search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me!

40And still you are not willing [but refuse] to come to Me, so that you might have life.

Jesus is not demeaning Scripture here, He is telling us what we can have in Him.

Spurgeon’s Perspective

“The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can engage the attention of a child of God is the name, the nature, the person, the doings, and the existence of the great God which he calls his Father.”

Paul’s Perspective
Philippians 3:8-10 (Contemporary English Version)
8Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. 10All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did,
God’s Perspective
Hosea 6:6 (Contemporary English Version)
6 “I’d rather for you to be faithful and to know me than to offer sacrifices.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (New Century Version)

23 This is what the Lord says:
“The wise must not brag about their wisdom.
The strong must not brag about their strength.
The rich must not brag about their money.
24 But if people want to brag, let them brag
that they understand and know me.
Let them brag that I am the Lord,
and that I am kind and fair,
and that I do things that are right on earth.
This kind of bragging pleases me,” says the Lord

– Man will never be able to know who we are until we gaze upon the face of God.

Names Have Meaning

– Names of God – El Qanna – A jealous God – Deuteronomy 4:23-24, Zechariah 8:2, Exodus 34:14

– What does it mean for God to be jealous? Isn’t jealousy a bad thing?
Deuteronomy 4:23-24 (New International Version)

23 Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. 24 For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Zechariah 8:2 (New Century Version)

2 This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “I have a very strong love for Jerusalem. My strong love for her is like a fire burning in me.”
Exodus 34:14 (New International Version)

14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God

– God’s very name is jealous.

– The jealousy of the flesh says “you have something I want and I hate you for it.” The jealousy of El Qanna is a zeal that arises when sin threatens a covenant

relationship. El Qanna arose in God to the extent of the sacrifice of His only Son.

– Jacob (supplanter) changed to Israel (strives with God) Genesis 32:28

Abram (father of height) changed to Abraham (father of a multitude) Genesis 17:5

Moses (taken out of the water)

Simon (hearing) changed to Peter (rock)

Saul (demanded) changed to Paul (little)

You shall name the child John (God is gracious) Luke 1:15

You shall name His Jesus (savior)

Psalm 42:1-2

The Attack

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

– 2 critical questions that must be asked

* Is there really a God?

* Can His Word be trusted?

– Against His nature

* twisting, distorting, denying, ignoring

– And His Word

* accusing, demeaning

All attempts to By all powers

– extinguish – empires

– suppress – religion

– discredit – philosophy

– destroy – science

– dilute – academia

– deny – judiciary

– ignore “¦”¦

Have all failed. The Word of God is still the best seller off all time.

Voltaire (1776)

” 100 years from my day there will not be a Bible in the earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker.”

“It took 12 men to start Christianity; one will destroy it.”

He died in 1778. One hundred years later, Voltaire’s home was used to store Bibles and distribute them all over Europe.

Robert Ingersoll

“In 15 years, I will have this book [the Bible] in the morgue. 15 years later, Ingersoll was in the morgue. Later a pastor purchased Ingersoll’s desk and spent his life writing sermons on it.

1 Peter 1:24-25

Julius Wellhausen

Julius Wellhausen (1844-1918): A 19 th century German liberal scholar who suggested the Documentary Hypothesis (JEPD), which theorizes that the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) was not written by Moses but evolved over time and was compiled from at least four sources written by various authors. Numerous scholars have refuted the theory.

Known as the father of “Higher Criticism”

Documentary hypothesis: “JEDP”

A proponent of liberal theology.

The Jesus Seminar

Jesus Seminar: Started in 1985 in Berkley, California, by Robert Funk and thirty-five other liberal New Testament scholars. The Seminar,-which now includes about 100 members-meets twice a year to debate technical papers. At the close of debate on each agenda item, members vote using colored beads to indicate the degree of authenticity of Jesus’ words or deeds.

The Colored Beads

– red: Jesus undoubtedly said this or something very much like it (That’s Jesus!)

– pink: Jesus probably said this (Sure sounds like Jesus)

– grey: Jesus did not say this, but the ideas contained in it are close to His own (Well, maybe)

– black: Jesus did not say this; it represents the perspective or content of a later or different tradition (There’s been some mistake)

The voted and the book The 5 Gospels resulted from it.

Ezekiel 22:26-28

Dr. Del Tackett’s Personal Crisis

Joram and Jehoram is there contradiction in Scripture?

2 Kings 8:16

2 Kings 1:17

Why So Fierce?

Hebrews 4:12-13

Don’t be surprised when the world around us tries to rip from us the very Word of God. Even we, sometimes in our sinful nature, don’t want to listen to God’s Word. It stands in the way of self-actualization.

On this day...

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