Q8. WHAT IS GOD? (TRUTH)


ANSWER: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6,7; 1 Tim. 1:17)

My aim is to give you six points of instruction and six points of application concerning God being infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in truth.

INTRUCTION

I. GOD IS TRUTH

JOHN FLAVAL: “[Truth] is an essential property of [God’s] nature, whereby He is perfectly faithful in Himself, and in all that He hath spoken.”

THOMAS BOSTON: [God’s truth] is that perfection of His nature whereby He is faithful, and in Him there is no falsehood.”

Titus 1:2 “God…never lies.” Q. Why? A. Because He not only tells the truth but He Himself is truth.

Deuteronomy 32:4, “A God of faithfulness (truthfulness) and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

God the Holy Spirit is called “The Spirit of truth”
John 14:17, 15:26, 16:33 “The Spirit of truth”

God the Son is called “the truth”
John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

THOMAS WATSON: “There is nothing true but what is in God or comes from God.”

THOMAS BOSTON: “All God’s works are true and real things, not chimeras or appearances. He executes true judgements, grants true deliverance, works true miracles; His mercies are true mercies, and His comforts are true comforts. He does not deceive or delude His people with vain shews and appearances.”

II. JESUS IS FULL OF TRUTH

John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Jesus says, “Truly” at least 30 times as He teaches, in the book of Matthew alone.

III. GOD’S WORD IS TRUTH

Psalm 18:30 “This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.”

Psalm 119:60 “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”

I) God’s Historical narrative is true. II) God’s prophetic predictions are true. III) God’s commands are true. IV) God’s warnings are true. V) God’s promises are true.

IV. GOD’S TRUTH IS ETERNAL

Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his [truthfulness] to all generations.”

V. GOD’S TRUTH IS UNIVERSAL

John 17:17 “Your word is truth.”

VI. SINNERS SUPPRESS THE TRUTH

Romans 1:18 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” 

Q. Why is the wrath of God revealed from heaven against those that suppress the truth?

Romans 1:21 “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him…”

APPLICATION

I. THERE WILL BE WRATH AND FURY FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY THE TRUTH

Romans 2:8 “for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”

II. YOU MUST HEAR THE WORD OF TRUTH AND BELIEVE ON JESUS CHRIST

Ephesians 1:13 “In [Christ]…when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”

Q. What is this “gospel of you salvation”?

Ephesians 1:7 “In [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

III. IN CHRIST, YOU MUST KNOW THE TRUTH AND SO BE SET FREE FROM SIN

John 8:31-32 “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

IV. IN CHRIST, GOD SANCTIFIES YOU IN THE TRUTH

John 17:17 “sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth.’

V. IN CHRIST, YOU MUST IMITATE GOD IN TRUTHFULNESS

Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor…”

FLAVAL: “Truth and sincerity of heart is that which is most suitable and pleasing to God.”

VI. IN CHRIST, THE PROMISES OF THE GOSPEL ARE AN ACHOR FOR YOUR SOUL, BECAUSE GOD IS TRUTH

Micah 7:19 “He will again have compassion on us;
    he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
    into the depths of the sea.”

God promised Abraham offspring and gave it because He is true.

Romans 4:20-21 “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. “

God promised meat and gave it because He is true.

Numbers 11:23 “And the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.”

God promised Canaan and gave it because He is true.

Joshua 21:45 “Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.”

God promised rest and fulfilled it because He is true.

1 Kings 8:56 “Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant.”

God promised the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent and did it because He is true.

Galatians 4:4-5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”    

In Christ, God has promised your justification has done it because He is true.

Romans 4:5 “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”

In Christ, God has promised your sanctification and is doing it because He is true.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

In Christ, God has promised your glorification and will do it because He is true.

Romans 8:30 “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

In Christ, God has promised to never leave you nor forsake you and will uphold it because He is true. 

Hebrews 13:5 “[God] has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

In Christ, God has promised to take you to be with Himself and will do it because He is true. 

John 14:2-3 “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

In Christ, God has promised this eternal covenant and even swore an oath by Himself. He will not turn back because He is true.

Hebrews 6:19 “We have this (the truthfulness of God) as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.”

Ekklesia Muskogee is a reformed baptist church that gathers for worship in Muskogee, Oklahoma. We confess the 1689 second London baptist confession of faith. We affirm the five solas of the Reformation as well as the doctrines of grace (otherwise known as the five points of Calvinism), and each of our pastors would not be ashamed to be called a Calvinist. We are a church led by elders, of which there is a plurality (also called pastors and overseers in the Scriptures). Our mission is to make disciples, love cities, and plant churches.