Knowing God, part 9

The Finale

We have reached the finale of our series on the Person of God. The end. The finish line. Terminus maximus.

​What have we learned on this journey? God is eternal, with no beginning or end. He is independent of His creation and unchanging in His being, perfections and eternal plan. Only the one true and living God is everywhere, all powerful and all knowing. He can’t expand, improve, or learn. We’ve seen that God is wise, always choosing the best means to accomplish the best ends. God is truthful and therefore trustworthy and He is the essence and definition of good, full of love, grace, and compassion toward all creation and especially toward His elect.

Speaking of election, God is love, having set His love upon us before speaking the world into existence and then proving it when Christ died for our sins. Why did He die? Because God is holy and must judge all sin in time, either in Christ or the lake of fire. But He is also loving, making a way for sinners to be forgiven through our Substitute, Jesus Christ.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is righteous, Himself being the standard of all right or wrong. He is jealous, zealously committed to His own glory. He is angry with sin and sinners who remain His entrenched, impenitent enemies and yet ready to forgive all who come to Him through Christ.

As God, He is sovereign or supreme Creator and Governor and Consummator of the Universe. There is one king who sits on one throne ruling in absolute freedom. He needs no help, counselors, cabinet, or confidants. Let all the world know for certain, God knows all, has a free will and does whatever He wants in heaven and upon earth!

As we traveled the Swiss Alps of God’s majestic attributes, we rejoiced in God’s perfection or completion, meaning there is nothing good that God lacks. As perfect God, He is blessed or happy and content in Himself. God is no idolater so He puts nothing over Himself as His own source of full joy and this is right, for there is no one greater or better. What could God possibly elevate over Himself? Us? Seriously?

In all this we were reminded that God is truly beautiful, in a soul-satisfying way. All created beauty is but a faint reflection of the one true Beauty of all beauties, Lord of all lords, King of all kings. All praise to His glorious name! He is our all in all.

So after nine posts and nearly nine thousand words, we have finally come to the end of fully describing, explaining, and exploring God. All the mountain tops have been seen, all the waterfalls enjoyed, all the great depths explored. Your tour has now come to an end. Exit right and stop by the gift shop on your way out.

Who am I kidding? There is no end! This tour of majestic peaks and unfathomable canyons never comes to an end. Eight short posts fail to be even the proverbial tip of the iceberg. We have hardly begun to begin to begin to talk about who God is. Though we speak truth about God, it’s never exhaustive truth.

For eleven chapters of God-exalting, Holy Spirit inspired Scripture, Paul sought to plumb the depths of God’s righteousness as it relates to man’s salvation. Of course I speak of Romans 1-11. Before turning the corner to the next five chapters of implications, Paul simply stops and admires the Grand Canyon of truth flowing through him from the Holy Spirit. He lingers here to admire and adore God Himself. It’s as if Paul throws up his hands and says, “I give up.” He then falls on his knees and proclaims:

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

We would do well to imitate the apostle.