The Doctrine of God
We believe…
“There is one God, who exists eternally in three distinct
but equal persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. God is unchangeable in his holiness, justice,
wisdom and love. He is the almighty Creator, Saviour
and Judge who sustains and governs all things
according to his sovereign will for his own glory.”
How do we know?
•Creation (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20)
•Scripture (Psalm 19:7; 2 Timothy 3:16)
- confirmed by our experience of God
The Doctrine of God
What is God like?
In your groups, discuss and write down as many
truths about God’s character as you can think of
The Doctrine of God
What is God like?
All-powerful
Everywhere
Truthful/ faithful
Wrathful
Perfect
Holy
Loving
Independent
Wise
All-knowing
Eternal
Good
Spiritual
Unchangeable
Righteous/ just
In some of these ways, God is completely unlike
us. In others, he is like us but much better! Can
you sort out which is which? (In groups of 2 or 3)
The Doctrine of God
What is God like?
God is completely unlike us in these ways:
•Independent: And (God) is not served by human hands, as
if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life
and breath and everything else. (Acts 17:25)
•Unchangeable: I the LORD do not change. So you, O
descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. (Malachi 3:6)
•Eternal: Before the mountains were born or you brought
forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to
everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:2)
•Omnipresent (everywhere!): Can anyone hide in secret
places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do not I
fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:24)
The Doctrine of God
What is God like?
God is ‘like us but much better’ in these ways:
Spiritual (John 4:24)
All-powerful (omnipotent) (Jeremiah 32:17)
All-knowing (omniscient) (1 John 3:20)
Holy (Leviticus 19:2)
Loving (1 John 4:8)
Wise (Job 12:13)
Truthful/ faithful (Psalm 33:4)
Good (Psalm 106:1)
Righteous/ just (Deuteronomy 32:4)
Wrathful (angry) (Romans 1:18)
Perfect (Matthew 5:48)
The Doctrine of God
The Trinity
The concept of the Trinity is a very difficult one to
grasp – because we are so limited!
This is what we really need to know:
•God is three Persons
•Each Person is fully God
•There is one God.
The Doctrine of God
The Trinity
ONE God
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your strength.
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
THREE persons
Hinted in the Old Testament, made clearer in the
New
The Doctrine of God
The Trinity
THREE persons
OLD Testament:
‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’ (Genesis
1:26)
‘The LORD said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make
your enemies a footstool for your feet’ (Psalm 110:1) –
David refers to two persons as ‘God’!
God’s people ‘rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit’ (Isaiah
63:10)
The ‘angel of the LORD’ – see references on the handout
The Doctrine of God
The Trinity
THREE persons
NEW Testament:
As soon as Jesus was baptised, 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
voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with
him I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16-17)
‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit.’ (Matthew 28:19)
The Doctrine of God
The Trinity
THREE persons
NEW Testament – Jesus is God:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told
him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed
are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’ (John
20:28-29)
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact
representation of his being, sustaining all things by his
powerful word… (Hebrews 1:3)
The Doctrine of God
The Trinity
THREE persons
NEW Testament – The Holy Spirit is God:
Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled
your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have
kept for yourself some of the money… You have not lied to
men but to God.’ (Acts 5:3-4)
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except
the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no-one knows
the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians
2:10-11)
The Father
GOD
The Son
The Holy
Spirit
The Doctrine of God
Approaching God
As Christians, we relate to God:
•as our Father
•through his Son Jesus Christ
•with the help of the Holy Spirit
We will explore this much more in later sessions:
- on prayer (speaking to God)
- on salvation (being put right with God)
The Doctrine of God
Questions to discuss
•Is there anything you found hard to understand?
•Has anything ‘come alive’ for you in a new way
this evening?
•Are there aspects of God’s nature or character
that you find it difficult to accept?
The Doctrine of God
To take home!
Look at Isaiah 40. Read through the chapter
and see which of the qualities of God you can
find at work here.
How does this chapter show us that God is
both ‘far away’ and very near?