June 25, 2023 – Bible Doctrine 4 – What Is God Like?

Lesson Date: June 25, 2023

Focal Scripture Passage: Genesis 18:14; Exodus 3:14; Psalm 139:1-16; Isaiah 6:1-5; Daniel 4:35; Malachi 3:6; Matthew 19:26; John 5:26; Acts 17:24-25; Revelation 1:8; 4:8

AIM: To lead students to discover three attributes of God that accentuate the differences between Him and man, and to confess their sins and praise God for who He is.

Before class: Read the chapters containing the focal passages several times during the week.  Write the words “Holy,” “Absolute,” and “Unlimited” on the marker board or chalkboard.  Get enough copies of the Lesson Outline handout for your anticipated attendance.

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Direct the students’ attention to the words “Holy,” “Absolute,” and “Unlimited” written on the board.  Ask them to suggest definitions for each of those words.  Dictionary definitions[1] of these words are:

• HOLY – exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
• ABSOLUTE – free from imperfection; having no restriction, exception, or qualification.
• UNLIMITED – unrestricted, boundless, infinite.

Ask: “Are you holy?  Why or why not?” (no, we are sinners who are not perfect in righteousness).  Tell the class we live in a world that exalts and glorifies sin.

Ask: “Are you absolute?  Why or why not?” (no, we are not free from imperfection or restriction, or independent of outside forces).  Tell the class we live in a world that rejects absolutes.

Ask: “Are you unlimited?  Why or why not?” (no, we are limited by time, space, knowledge, and power).  Tell the class we live in a world that rejects rules and limits.

Tell the students the title of today’s lesson is What is God Like?  Tell them as we study various scriptures, we will discover that God is HOLY, ABSOLUTE, and UNLIMITED, attributes and characteristics that do not describe us.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Who is God?; six characteristics that set the God of the Bible apart from all other so-called “gods”).
   • Ask if any volunteer would recite last week’s memory verse (John 1:3).
2. God is HOLY.
   • Ask everyone to turn to Isaiah 6, and then read Isaiah 6:1-5.
   • Explain the following:
     • God revealed Himself to Isaiah.
     • Isaiah saw God seated on a throne, high and lifted up.
     • Isaiah saw that God was surrounded by angels.
   • Ask: “What did the angel say about God in verse 3?” (that He is HOLY and His glory fills the earth).
   • Direct everyone’s attention to the words written on the board, and tell them the first attribute of God is that He is HOLY.
   • Explain that in the Hebrew language, the three-fold repetition of a word took that word to the highest degree (just as we might use the words holy, holier, and finally holiest).
   • Ask: “According to verse 5, when Isaiah beheld God’s holiness, what did he realize about himself and all mankind?” (we are unclean, and therefore not holy).
   • Ask everyone to turn to Revelation 4, and then ask a volunteer to read Revelation 4:8.
   • Tell the class John saw a similar scene of God on His throne, surrounded by angels.
   • Ask: “What did the angels say about God?” (that He is HOLY and eternal).
   • Tell the students that Dr. Jimmy Millikin says, “God is free from all that is impure. God embodies all that is pure and good (1 John 1:5)” (Christian Doctrine for Everyman, p. 27).
   • Ask: “Are we holy? Are you holy?” (no).
   • Summarize: The Bible reveals that God is HOLY, but we are very sinful and unholy.
3. God is ABSOLUTE.
   • Direct everyone’s attention to the words written on the board, and tell them the next attribute of God is that He is ABSOLUTE.
   • Ask everyone to turn to Exodus 3, and then ask a volunteer to read Exodus 3:14.
   • Tell the students the first aspect of God being absolute is that He is independent and self-existent.
   • Explain that we often identify ourselves by telling what we do for a living or by telling whose spouse, child, or parent we are; but since God is not dependent upon anything or anyone, He identifies Himself simply as I AM.
   • Ask: “Are we independent and self-existent?” (no, we are dependent upon God who created us and gave us life).
   • Ask everyone to turn to John 5, and then read John 5:26.
   • Ask: “What does God have in Himself?” (life).
   • Tell the students the second aspect of God being absolute is that He was not caused or created.
   • Ask: “Were we caused or created?” (absolutely, by God Himself).
   • Ask everyone to turn to Acts 17, and then read Acts 17:24-25.
   • Ask: “What does God need?” (nothing).
   • Tell the students the third aspect of God being absolute is that He does not need anything.
   • Ask: “Do we need anything?” (yes, we cannot survive without God’s provision).
   • Tell the class that Dr. Millikin says it this way: “God is the source of all that lives and exists. God existed before the world began and He can exist without the world, but the world and man cannot exist without God” (Christian Doctrine for Everyman, p. 28).
   • Summarize: The Bible reveals that God is ABSOLUTE, but we were created by Him and are dependent upon Him.
4. God is UNLIMITED.
   • Direct everyone’s attention to the words written on the board, and tell them the third attribute of God is that He is UNLIMITED.
   • Ask everyone to turn to Revelation, and then ask a volunteer to read Revelation 1:8.
     • Ask: “What does that verse reveal about God?” (He is eternal).
     • Ask everyone to turn to Malachi, and then ask a volunteer to read Malachi 3:6.
     • Ask: “What does that verse reveal about God?” (He does not change).
     • Tell the students the first area in which God is unlimited is that He is not limited by time: He is eternal, unchanging, and He knows the future as well as the past and present.
     • Ask: “Are we limited by time?” (yes, we cannot go back to yesterday or skip forward to tomorrow; we live only now).
   • Ask everyone to turn to Psalm 139, and then read Psalm 139:7-10.
     • Tell the students the second area in which God is unlimited is that He is not limited by space: there is no place He cannot be, and He can be everywhere at once.
     • Ask: “Are we limited by space?” (yes, we can only be one place at a time).
   • Read Psalm 139:1-6 and 11-16.
     • Tell the students the third area in which God is unlimited is that He is not limited in knowledge: He knows everything.
     • Ask: “Are we limited in our knowledge?” (yes, there are many things we don’t know).
   • Ask a volunteer to find and read Genesis 18:14, another to find and read Daniel 4:35, and a third to find and read Matthew 19:26.
     • Tell the students the fourth area in which God is unlimited is that He is not limited in power: nothing is impossible for God
     • Ask: “Are we limited in our power?” (yes, there are many things we cannot do).
   • Summarize: The Bible reveals that God is UNLIMITED, but we are limited by time, space, knowledge, and power.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Remind the students that the title of today’s lesson is What is God Like?  Give each of them a copy of the Lesson Outline handout.  Review the lesson by reading the main points from that outline:

What is God Like?

God is HOLY

• • Isaiah 6:1-5
  • Revelation 4:8

God is ABSOLUTE

• • Independent and self-existent – Exodus 3:14
  • Not caused or created – John 5:26
  • Does not need anything – Acts 17:24-25

God is UNLIMITED

• • Not limited by time – Revelation 1:8; Malachi 3:6
  • Not limited by space – Psalm 139:7-10
  • Not limited in knowledge – Psalm 139:1-6, 11-16
  • Not limited in power – Genesis 18:14; Daniel 4:35; Matthew 19:26

Tell the class the facts that God is HOLY, ABSOLUTE, and UNLIMITED expose how different and superior God is to us.  Emphasize the following facts:

• God is holy, but we are sinful and unholy.
• God is absolute, independent, and needs nothing, but we are weak, dependent, and needy.
• God is unlimited, but we are very limited.

Remind the students that earlier in the lesson we read about Isaiah’s encounter with Almighty God; when Isaiah saw God in all His glory and holiness, he cried out “Woe is me!” and recognized and confessed his sinfulness.

Ask: “How should we modern Christians respond to the facts that God is HOLY, ABSOLUTE, and UNLIMITED?  What should we do?” (we should confess our sins and praise God for who He is).

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Tell them to use the next moments to privately confess their sins and to praise God that unlike us, He is HOLY, ABSOLUTE, and UNLIMITED.  After a few moments of silence, voice a closing prayer.

CONCLUSION: Tell the students to keep the Lesson Outline handout in their Bibles so they can refer to it again later.  Tell them to praise God every day for being HOLY, ABSOLUTE, and UNLIMITED.  Tell them next week’s lesson will focus on Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/