Chapter 1

To Know...

The Eternal Living God

THE SUPREME BEING

God is the supreme being because of these three attributes: He is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. The prefix omni is Latin and means "all" or "totally," hence, supreme.

Omnipresent

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. Psalm 139:7-8.

The term omnipresent is not found in the Bible. It is a doctrinal expression that refers to the quality of being everywhere present at the same time. As the psalmist observes, there is no where that he may go without the presence of God being there. It is a difficult concept that easily is confused in pantheism, which teaches that God is in all things, including people. Christian theists developed the doctrine of Immanence and Transcendence to prevent this error. Immanence refers to God's being everywhere. Transcendence refers to His being above and separate from all things. It relates to his holiness, which means separation from the creation. This separation from God is further increased by sin as Isaiah declares, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" (Isa. 59:2). Since God is everywhere, then that must mean that he is also in Hell, but his holiness separates Him even from that.

Omniscient

Shall not God search this out? for He knows the secrets of the heart. Psalm 44:21.
Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite. Psalm 147:5.

Once again we have a doctrinal term that does not appear in the Bible. However, that doesn't mean that it is incorrect. There are ample verses that support the argument. Jesus said (concerning God's remembrance), "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Luke 12:7a). The psalmist writes, "He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them by names" (Psa. 147:4). Not only does God know all that there is, He knows all that was and will be. "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure'" (Isa. 46:9-10). With eternity for thought, the supreme intelligence of God was able to design all of creation. Going beyond "just" creating everything, He even anticipated all the possibilities of life with free wills. We are not able to comprehend the magnitude of His intelligence. God perceives all things at once, weighing and meditating upon every living creature in his heart simultaneously. It is a marvel that He hears every prayer around the world at once - even our thoughts and imaginations! "For Yahweh searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts" (1 Chron. 28:9b). As He says through the prophet Isaiah, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Yahweh. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa. 55:8-9).

Omnipotent

Behold, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh: is here any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27.

Omnipotence is another doctrinal term that is nowhere in the Bible. It refers to unlimited and universal power. Jesus said, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26). It is noteworthy that the expression of omnipotence in God does not include acts that violate His character. For example, it is "impossible for God to lie" (Heb. 6:18). C. S. Lewis discussed this issue at great length. It is impossible for God to lie since He is Truth (John 14:6). This is an intrinsic characteristic of God that cannot change. To ask Truth to lie is impossible because it ceases to be Truth when it lies. Likewise God would cease being God which is impossible since He is eternal. As Lewis says, "Nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God [24]."

Another point Lewis brings up is that to say something is impossible often implies a suppressed clause that begins with, "unless" [25]. For example, it is impossible for me (with a broken leg) to get to the top of the mountain - unless, someone helps me. Likewise with the laws of God. The psalmist says, "For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name" (Psa. 138:2) which suggests that the decree of God is as immutable as God Himself. Again, "Forever, 0 Yahweh, thy word is settled in heaven... thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants" (Psa. 119:89, 90b, & 91). Therefore God cannot violate His Word. The laws of nature continue according to His Word, unless His decree supersedes another decree. For example, His decree for gravity held the water of the Red Sea until His decree parted it for Moses. This is why miracles can occur.

It is because God is omnipotent that He is also the Creator. As the Creator He has the right of ownership to all He created. As God said through the psalmist Asaph, "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine" (Psa. 50:10-11). Again He says, "The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool" (Isa. 66:la). With the right of ownership He has the right to do what He wants with all of the creation. "For thus saith Yahweh that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited" (Isa. 45:18). In the study of world history it is imperative to understand that epochal events transpire according to His will moving upon mankind. "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure... I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it" (Isa. 46:l0b & 11b). Likewise in knowing God, His will is going to prevail in our lives (for He owned us by right of creation and by right of redemption), so yielding to Him is pure wisdom.