What We Know About God

GOLDEN TEXT: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”—Hebrews 11:6

“WITHOUT faith it is impossible to please God.” This is a very understandable and practical truth. Just as faith—complete confidence—is the basis of understanding and friendship among God’s creatures, it is also essential to our friendship with God. He wants us to believe that he exists, and further than that, he wants us to have confidence in the promises he has made to those who diligently seek after him with the desire to know, worship, and serve him. How could one be pleasing to God unless he did exercise such a faith in him? And as we noted in the previous lesson, true belief implies obedience as represented in a full consecration to do God’s will. God has promised to reward those who seek him, but there are conditions attached to those promises—conditions of obedience to his will.

ISAIAH 40:28-31—The title of today’s study, “What We Know About God,” is so far-reaching that many books might be written without exhausting all that it involves; but, in this passage a number of essential truths concerning him are beautifully set forth. He is the great Creator, he fainteth not, neither is weary. Obviously, then, God’s day of rest following the six “days” of creation was not on account of his being weary, but merely a turning over of the work to another, even to Christ, that it might be finished during the seventh great period of seven thousand years. See Hebrews 4:3-11.

And “there is no searching of his understanding,” the prophet declares. We can understand, in a limited way, that which God has revealed to us through his Word, but beyond that we cannot go. And even with the things revealed it requires a lifetime to grasp them—but partially. “Search we may for many years,” says the poet, “still some new rich gem appears.” In writing of God’s wisdom and love as exemplified in his provisions for Israel, and particularly for those who rejected Christ, Paul writes, “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

God is not only loving and wise, but all-powerful! Besides, he uses his power to help those of his people who are “faint,” and who “have no might.” Youth is usually regarded as possessing great strength and endurance, but the prophet reminds us that in comparison with God even youths and young men utterly fail and need their strength renewed by the all-powerful One. And we know from the promises of God that he will give strength to all of his people who put their trust in him; for as the prophet says, “They that wait upon the Lord [Jehovah] shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

JOHN 14:8-14—“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” said Jesus to Philip and the other disciples. This does not mean that Jesus was his own father; but it does mean that in the life and teachings of the Master we see the attributes and characteristics of God displayed, and that by noting these we are able to get a better understanding of God himself.

Jesus explained that the words which he spoke were not his own, but had been given to him by the Father. It is through the words, the speech, the things which another habitually talks about, that we are able to know him. So it is with Jesus and the Father. We know the character of Jesus by the things which he said, his daily conversation, the thoughts which continually overflowed from his heart in the form of words.

And in this flow of words from the Master’s lips, and from his daily conduct in keeping with these words, we see those godlike qualities of wisdom, and justice, and love, and power, which made him The Man of all men who ever lived on this earth. His wisdom far surpassed anything known in his day. This was exemplified when the scribes and Pharisees tried to trap him in his speech. He also exemplified the principles of justice in all that he said and did, condemning those who “for a pretence” made long prayers “to be seen of men,” but at the same time devoured “widows’ houses.”—Matt. 23:5,14

His love was untiring, not only toward those whom he could help because of their faith, but also to ward the whole world. It was a love which led him to Calvary to, die, that all might have an opportunity to live. He manifested the power of God in the many miracles which he performed for the blessing of the needy. He exemplified divine power also by his strength of character in standing for principle, and by his zeal for God in condemning popular error and teaching unpopular truth. In all of these ways Jesus revealed the characteristics of the Heavenly Father; and by studying his life our knowledge of God is increased; and in copying him we become godlike.

QUESTIONS:

Why is faith so essential in obtaining God’s favor?

Name some of the things we know about God.

What did Jesus mean by the statement, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father”?

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