Master Outline of the Bible, #3 a continuation….

(Taken from "The Christian Life Bible" Thomas Nelson Publishers)

 

3-C. God Is Light (1 John 1:5)- The Scriptures contain four definitions of the nature of God. They do n( d fully define His infinite, spiritual nature; however, they do give believers reason to stand in reverential awe as, by faith, they touch the hem of His holy nature. The four definitions are:

(1) "God is light" (v. 5). "In Him was life [eternal life], and the life was the light of men" (John 1 :4). There is life in light (even the house plant will lean toward the window to feed upon God's created light). "Light [Jesus] has come into the world" (John 3:19-21). Those who hate the light (Jesus) seek darkness, but those who love the truth will come to the light by faith and feast on eternal life that comes from God the Son, who is pure light. Jesus is "the light of the world" (John 8:12). He is the spiritual life of all who come to the light (John 9:5).

(2) "God is Spirit" (John 4:24). God, in His spiritual nature, is without material substance, and therefore invisible to the world of matter. The things of this material world are temporal, while the things of the spiritual world are eternal (2 Cor. 4:18). Some theologians teach that when God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness" (Gen. 1 :26), He did not mean that man's physical likeness would be in the image and likeness of God's spiritual essence but rather in the image and likeness of the Trinity of God. Man is a trinity, not three persons in one man, but three elements-spirit, soul, and body-in one person (1 Thess. 5:23). Other theologians believe that the image and likeness of God in man consisted of the moral and intellectual likeness rather than the physical. God is an infinite Spirit and is limited only by His own intrinsic character-His unchangeable wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and truth.

(3) "God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:28, 29, page 1251). We are to worship and serve God in reverential awe because He is the Holy God, and His holiness demands justice and judgment. As the lost of all ages stand before Him at the Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-15), they will know that "our God is a consuming fire."

(4) "God is love" (1 John 4:8). It is God's nature to love. The love of God is more than an attribute. It is the essence of His invisible, unchangeable nature. God expresses His love in that:

(a) He is "longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9;cf. Ex. 34:6-9).

(b) "He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). God loved us before we were born. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you" (Jer. 31:3; cf. 1:4, 5).

(c) He "so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16,17).

(d) He sent the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts and lives with His love (Rom. 5:5

(e) There is no separation of the saints "from the love of God" (Rom. 8:38, 39).

     Thus "light," "Spirit," "fire," and "love" describe His eternal, immutable, and holy nature. 

 

3-D. God is Immutable, Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent", i.e. change His mind.  Indeed, He does not change at all.  Immutability--the quality of never changing or being changed---is one of His attributes that relates to all others.  The attributes of God are characteristics that cannot be attributed to anyone but Yahweh God. They are fundamental powers or qualities of His eternal being, and because He is immutable, they are always fact. "For I am the LORD [Yahweh], I do not change" (Mal. 3:6). Our God is unchangingly:

(1) Omnipotent (almighty). He has all power in heaven and earth. "Alleluia! For the Lord [Yahweh] God Omnipotent reigns!" (Rev. 19:6). He has all power over all His universe. Jesus said, "With God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26).

(2) Omniscient (all-knowing). "His understanding is infinite" (Ps. 147:5). His knowledge is perfect (Job 37:16). He knows every word spoken by man (Ps. 139:4). He knows all our thoughts (Ps. 139:2). He knows all His works from the beginning of the world (Acts 15:189). God knows from eternity to eternity. He knows every minute detail of all things. There are no surprises to our God, who is perfect in knowledge.

(3) Omnipresent (everywhere present at the same time). "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me" (Ps. 139:7-10). He is omnipresent in His vision. "'Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?' says the LORD; 'Do I not fill heaven and earth?' says the LORD" (Jer. 23:23, 24).

God is everywhere present in His universe, but He does not "indwell" material things; for if He did, we could worship sticks, stones, or any man-made idol. Jesus said, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). God gave Moses the commandments, saying, "I am the LORD (Yahweh) your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image-any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments" (Ex. 20:2-6).

(4) Holy. God is absolutely pure, undefiled, and undefilable. He is eternally free from all impurities (Lev. 11:43-45. His holiness demands separation from sinners. "Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Is. 59:1,2). But "there is one God and one Mediator between God [the Father] and men, the Man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. :5,6). Christ is the mediator of the new covenant (Heb. 8:8), which is better than all previous covenants:

               (a) The Edenic covenant (Gen. 2:16)

               (b) The Adamic covenant (Gen. 3:15)

               (c) The Noahic covenant (Gen. 9:16)

    (d) The Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12:2)

    (e) The Mosaic covenant (Ex. 19:5)

    (f) The Palestinian covenant (Deut. 30:3, )

    (g) The Davidic covenant (2 Sam. 7:16)

'This new covenant is better because it is sealed by the blood of the holy mediator, the God-Man, Jesus Christ, who mediates the eternal rights of all believers who have, by faith, "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev, 7:13, 14) .

 

3-E. God Is Eternal (Psalm 102:24-27)-God had no beginning, but "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). He has no ending. He is eternal. Our God exists totally from  Himself .. '

  (1) "Abraham ... called on the name of the LORD [Yahweh], the Everlasting God" (Gen. 21:33).

  (2) Habakkuk asked, "Are You not from everlasting, 0 ,LORD [Yahweh] my God, my Holy One?" (Hab. 1 :12).

  (3) Moses prayed to God saying, "From everlasting to everlasting, You are God" (Ps. 90:2).

               God's dimension is beyond geometric space, eternal, without bounds, without past Dr future. He is one eternal "Now." He is not a being of time as we are. He is eternal, self-existent life, and therefore free from all succession of time. The clock never ticks for God. He was not created, so there is none greater.  He was not born, so He will never die. The one and only true and living God is eternal; all other gods are false. The first commandment is, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Ex. 20:3).

               "Your years are throughout all generations" (v. 24). Our true and living God is ageless. But His creation will grow old like a garment, and He will re-create the heavens and the earth, making them new, without the curse of sin (Is. 34:4). After Satan and all of his followers are judged and cast into the lake of eternal fire, there will come "a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away" (Rev. 20:10-21:1).

               "But You are the same [God is immutable], and Your years will have no end [God is eternal]" (vv. 25-27).

(These studies will continue each month)

 

Rightly Dividing The Word

(From the book by Clarence Larkin)

                    A continuation of "Ages and Dispensations"

II. THE ANTE-DILUVIAN AGE

This extends from the restoration of the earth from its "chaotic" condition to the Flood. It is divided into two "Dispensations."

1. The Edenic Dispensation

               This Dispensation extends from the creation of Adam to the Expulsion from the Garden. As to its duration we know nothing. It was probably very short, and was the "Dispensation of INNOCENCE." For an account of "The Fall" see the chapter on "The Two Adams."

2. The Ante-Diluvian Dispensation

               This extends from the "Fall" to the "Flood." It was the "Dispensation of CONSCIENCE," and shows what man will do when guided only by his conscience. Adam and Eve had no conscience before the "Fall." Conscience is a knowledge of "Good" and "Evil," and this Adam and Eve did not have until they had their eyes opened by eating of the "Fruit" of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" Gen. 2: 17. Conscience may produce fear and remorse, but it will not keep men from doing wrong, for conscience imparts no "power".

               Adam and Eve had no children before the "Fall." That they were created for that purpose is clear from the words God spake to them after their creation, when He said-"Be fruitful and multiply and REPLENISH THE EARTH." Gen. I: 28. In the words "Replenish the Earth" we have unmistakable evidence that the earth had been peopled. before it was thrown into a chaotic condition . (Editor's note: this is the view of the author)

               How soon after the "Expulsion" from the Garden the first child was born to Adam and Eve we are not told. It probably was not very long. The first child was a son, Cain. It does not follow that Abel was the second child. There may have been a number of children, both sons and daughters, born between Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel are "Representative Men," one of the wicked line, and the other of the righteous line from Adam. There is an intimation in the curse imposed on Eve­:  "I will greatly multiply thy conception" (Gen. 3: 16), that births were not only frequent, but that several chil­dren were born at a time. In no other way could the human race multiply as it did in those early days, and for some time after the Flood. Intermarriages among the children of the same family were not forbidden until after the Flood.

               Cain and Abel were not children when Cain killed Abel. They were probably over 100 years of age. Abel was a "keeper of sheep," not his father's but his own. Cain was an agriculturist and the possessor of large estates. We read that Adam was 130 years old when he begat Seth. Gen. 5: 3. Seth was probably born soon after the death of Abel. Gen. 4: 25. This would make Abel over 100 years of age at his death.

               The death of Abel was probably due to a religious dispute between Cain and Abel as to the character of religious offerings. Abel claimed that a "Bloody Sacri­fice" was necessary, Cain claimed that an offering of "Works" taken from the soil which God had cursed was sufficient. They put the matter to a test. God accepted Abel's offering and rejected Cain's, probably answering was on Mount Carmel by fire. This angered Cain. He did not kill Abel that day. The Lord remonstrated with Cain and reminded him that there was still time to bring a "SIN (blood) OFFERING." The expression "sin lieth at the door" (Gen. 4: 7), may 'be translated a "sin offering lieth at the door." But Cain would not listen and nursed his anger, possibly for a long time. One day while alone in the field with Abel, Cain brought the subject up again, for we read that Cain "talked with Abel" about the matter (Gen. 4: 8), and Cain's anger became uncontroll­able and he arose from the ground where he was sitting and killed his brother. The whole thing was a scheme of Satan to destroy Abel, through whom the "Promised 'SeeEl." was to come. Satan was not only the instigator of Abel's murder, he was the author of "Cain's Religion," spoken of by Jude as "THE WAY OF CAIN" (Jude 11). Here we have the origin of all religions that ignore the BLOOD and magnify WORKS.

               Cain fled to the land of Nod and built a city. Here .we have the beginning of the city with all its attendant evils. Among the descendants of Cain was Jubal, the inventor of musical instruments, and Tubal-Cain, an in­structor of workers in brass and iron. Men in those days used their brains to improve and upbuild a "Godless Civilization," and when we recall that in that Age men were not cut off at threescore and ten, but lived on for nearly a 1000 years, their immense accumulation of knowledge, experience, and skill, must have advanced the Arts and Sciences and resulted in the invention and manufacture of all the appliances of a luxurious civiliza­tion, with a rapidity to us almost inconceivable. The building of such a ship as the Ark constructed by Noah is an illustration. We have the echo of that skilled civiliza­tion in the construction, after the Flood, of the Tower of Babel, and later of the Great Pyramid, which involved, in its construction, such a knowledge of mathematics and astronomy as the world has never as yet surpassed.

               The outcome of that brilliant but godless civilization was to promote the rapid increase of population. "Then men began to 'multiply' on the face of the earth." Gen. 6: 1. In the midst of this "Godless Civilization" a start­ling event occurred. "The 'Sons of GOD' saw the 'Daughters of MEN' that they were fair; and they took them WIVES of all which they chose." Gen. 6: 2.

This polygamous relation was not between the "Sons of SETH," and the "Daughters of CAIN," a union of the godly and wicked people of that day, as some suppose, but it has a far deeper meaning. The expression "Daugh­ters of MEN" includes the daughters of Seth as well as the daughters of Cain, hence the expression "Sons of GOD" must mean beings different from the HUMAN RACE.

The title "Sons of God" has not the same meaning in the Old Testament that it has in the New. In the New Testament it applies to those who have become the "Sons of God" by the New Birth. John 1: 12; Rom. 8: 14-16; Gal. 4: 6; 1 John 3: 1-2. In the Old Testament it applies to the angels, and is so used five times. Twice in Genesis (Gen. 6: 2-4) and three times in Job. Job 1: 6,2: 1, 38: 7. A "Son of God" denotes a being brought into existence by a creative act of God. Such were the angels, and such was Adam, and he is so called in Luke 3 : 38. But Adam's natural descendants are not the special creation of God. Adam was created in the "likeness of God" (Gen. 5: 1), but his descendants were born in his likeness, for we read in Gen. 5: 3, that Adam "BEGAT a son in his own like­ness, after his image." Therefore all men born of Adam and his descendants by natural generation are the "SONS OF MEN," and it is only by being "BORN AGAIN" (John 3: 3-7), which is a "NEW CREATION," that they can become the "SONS OF GOD" in the New Testa­ment sense.

From this we see that the "Sons of God" of Genesis 6:2-4 could not be the "Sons of Seth", for they were only unregeneratge men, while the "Sons of God" were of a superior race, in other words "angels".  To this, however, objection is made that the angels do not marry nor are given in marriage (Luke 20:27-36), therefore they must be "sexless" and could not cohabit with either themselves or human beings.  But this does not necessarily follow. The Angels are created beings and do not die, therefore there is no need for marriage to prevent their extermination, but this does not imply that they are "sexless" and do not have the power of procreation. We must not forget that Angels can assume the form of MEN and eat and drink (Gen. 18: 1-8), and the whole difficulty vanishes when we see that it was AS MEN that the "Sons of God" (Angels) married the "Daughters of Men."

               We have only to turn to the Epistles of Peter and Jude for confirmation of this. In 2 Pet. 2: 4-9 we are told of the "Angels that SINNED," and in Jude (6-7) of the Angels that "KEPT NOT THEIR FIRST ESTATE," but "LEFT THEIR OWN HABIT A­TION," and are now "RESERVED IN EVERLAST­ING CHAINS UNDER DARKNESS" unto the "Judg­ment of the Great Day," the "Great White Throne Judg­ment." These Angels are not Satan's Angels, for his angels are free. They must therefore be a "special class" of angels who have been imprisoned for some particular sin, and we are told what that sin was, it was "FORNI­CATION" and "going after STRANGE FLESH." Jude 7. And the time of the commission of the sin is given as just BEFORE THE FLOOD. 2 Pet. 2: 4-5. This proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that the "Sons of God" of Gen. 6: 2-4 were Angels.

               As further confirmation of this view we have the fact that the "offspring" of the union of the "Sons of God" and the "Daughters of Men," were a race of "GIANTS," "MIGHTY MEN," "MEN OF RENOWN." Gen. 6: 4. Now the godly descendants of men have married un­godly women, but their offspring have never been such "MONSTROSITIES" as the offspring of the "Sons of God" and the "Daughters of Men" of Noah's day, there­fore that union must have been of an unnatural character as is evidenced by the term "Strange Flesh." God could not permit such an abnormal race as the "progeny" of the union of angels and human beings to exist on the earth, so the outcome of this "Invasion" of the earth by the "Denizens of the Air" was the Flood, by which the contour and elevation of the Ante-diluvian Earth were changed, thus wiping out the "Garden of Eden," and diminishing the length of human life on the earth.

               In the Ante-diluvian Dispensation mankind was treated as a whole. There were no nations. That Dis­pensation is called in Acts 17: 30, the "TIMES OF IGNORANCE," and is contrasted with the "Times that are NOW," and we are told that in that Dispensation God "WINKED AT" what He could not "OVER­LOOK" in the Legal Dispensation. See the Chart on "The Times and Seasons."  (These studies will continue.  To see the charts go to: Preacher's Desktop" on the w.w.w. and look for the "Charts of Larkin")

The Key To Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth

(By L. M. Branch, Bogard Press)

INTRODUCTION: The last lesson had to do with the right division of the Word of Truth as taught in II Timothy 2:15. This lesson is called a KEY to this task. This lesson is a MUST if one is to understand the Bible to any degree. Failure to rightly divide the Word has brought unscriptural churches into existence. These churches were instituted by men who either did not or would not use this key. Failure to use the key, that unlocks a vast storehouse of truths for the child of God, can result in ignorance of so many things that are necessary to the growth and development of one's Christian life. By not using the key and rightly dividing the Word of Truth as II Timothy 2:15 instructs, it is possible for a child of God to stand before the judgment seat of Christ ashamed, simply because he did not seek the Father's will in His Word, as he could, should, and is asked to do. What is meant by "rightly dividing the Word of Truth"? And, what is meant by the key? How does one do what this lesson introduction suggests, along with Lesson Three? Simply the following:

1. Who is speaking? When one opens the Bible and reads, someone speaks. Who is it?

2. To whom is the speaker speaking? After all, someone is speaking to someone.

3. About what is the speaker speaking? There is a subject under consideration contextually.

4. When was the speaker speaking? (What period of time? This can be very important.)

5. Why was the speaker speaking thusly? There is a reason. To find it will be valuable.

               REMEMBER THESE: Who? What? When? Why? Where? etc. This will help in understanding the key.

I. WHO IS SPEAKING?

It is important to understand the following points-II Peter 3: 15,16.

1. It may be God Himself speaking-Hebrews 12: 25, 26; Matthew 3:17, and Isaiah 8:11, 12, 19, 20.

2. It may be the Devil-Luke 4:7, Job 1:11, Genesis 3:5. The Bible records his tricks .

3. It may be Jesus Christ-Matthew 14: 18, Matthew 11:28-30, and Matthew 12:47, 48.

4. It may be one of the apostles of Jesus-I John 4:6 and II Thessalonians 3:6, 14.

5. It may be an enemy of God and Christ-John 8:44 and John 5:39-42.

               It is easy to see by these examples how necessary it is to use the KEY, to rightly dividing the Word of Truth, noticing WHO IS SPEAKING.

II. TO WHOM IS THE SPEAKER SPEAKING?

Remember, someone is speaking to someone.

1. There was a time when God spake directly to people-Genesis 4:9,10 and 6:13.

2. It may be God speaking to Israel through His prophets-Hebrews 1:1,2.

3.It may be to an individual of any nation anywhere-Isaiah 45: 22.

4. It may be to one nation only, as a people Leviticus 11:7, 8 and Deuteronomy  1:18-23.

5. It may be to a New Testament church as such, 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Thes. 1:1, etc.

               Now one has learned a bit more about the use of the key by being sure of who is being spoken to when one reads the Scriptures. Now that one has learned the necessity of knowing who is speaking, and to whom the speaker is speaking, one can go onward.

III. ABOUT WHAT IS THE SPEAKER SPEAKING?

               What is the subject under consideration?

1. It may be about any person being saved from sin and becoming a child of God-John 3:14-18.

2. It may be concerning national salvation as in the case of Israel-Romans 11:26 and Matthew 23:37-39.

3. Perhaps it's about the relation of Christ and His Church-Ephesians 5: 22-3 2.

4. Many Scriptures deal with HOW people are saved-Romans 5:1 and Romans 5:17-19.

5. The Lord's Supper may be what is spoken of when one reads the word-I Corinthians 11:17-34.

6. It could be that the resurrection is the subject spoken of-I Corinthains 15:42-53.

7. John's baptism is not to be ignored in some passages-Luke 7: 29, 30; Acts 1:21, 22: Ephesians 4: 5.

               Many times when a statement is made, or a writing is read, and one does not understand what the speaker or writer is talking about, he tries to find out. This is exactly what is meant by the point in the use of the KEY to understanding the Bible. With open mind and sincere effort, the subject, or what is being spoken of, can be learned. This is important. Now that you have learned to find WHO is the speaker, to WHOM is he speaking, and ABOUT WHAT is he speaking, it is very helpful to know the next step in the use of the KEY.

IV. WHEN WAS THE SPEAKER SPEAKING?

               What period, or age of time, etc?

1. Was it during the days of inspiration of the Scriptures already studied? II Peter 1: 21 and John 16: 13, et al.

2. Was it during or after the personal ministry of Christ? John 16:4-7.

3. Was it during the days of miracles referred to In Hebrews 2:1-4 and John 20:30, 31?

               In future lessons the importance of this will be seen more clearly.

V. WHY WAS THE SPEAKER SPEAKING AS HE WAS?

               Examples: Find the purpose of the statements in the following:

1. God did not allow Moses to go over Jordan with Israel, but did allow him to view the land. Deuteronomy 1:37, 3:23-27, and Numbers 20:7-11. WHY was Moses not allowed to go?

2. What is the purpose of miracles (signs) as spoken of in John 20:30, 31 and Hebrews 2:1-4?

3. What is the basic purpose of the command given In Matthew 28:19, 20?

4. Why do you think the writer said what he did In Hebrews 10:25? There was a reason.

5. What is the main purpose of God's having Revelation 20:11-15 written in the Bible?

               It is easy to see the importance of WHY the statements of instruction, correction, history, prophecy, etc.  To conclude this lesson, go back to the beginning and notice the five points that are called the key to rightly dividing the Word of Truth, for review.  And then, with a thorough understanding of the past four lessons, one can put to practice their use as one proceeds in the further studies.  (These lessons will be continued)