WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:13.280 So, we're starting by looking at the character of God for a few weeks, and of course that's 00:00:13.280 --> 00:00:17.920 impossible to cover everything. 00:00:17.920 --> 00:00:20.600 Well, it always would be. 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:24.000 We would never be able to cover everything, and you'll be disappointed maybe some things 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:25.000 when we miss out. 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:26.000 There's one or two... 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:27.519 We're only doing it for a few weeks, so... 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:30.359 Because we're going to do lots of other things as well. 00:00:30.359 --> 00:00:35.079 But we're going to look at the nature of God, and tonight I'm going to look at God as a 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:39.640 spirit, or God as spirit, infinite and eternal. 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:40.640 Okay? 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:47.280 So, those of you who were at Citigroup last week, and hats off and thanks for everyone 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:52.879 who responded back on behalf of their Citigroup with some of the characteristics of God. 00:00:52.879 --> 00:00:56.640 So I'll just rattle through some of the lists that we got. 00:00:56.640 --> 00:01:00.600 It's not exhaustive, but this is what some of you put that. 00:01:00.600 --> 00:01:06.560 Transcendent, it's got with us, provider, life-giver, master, self-existing, creator, 00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:11.799 almighty, truth, judge, king of kings, eternal, personal, gracious, covenantal, comforter, 00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:18.719 loyal, simple, omnipotent, omnipresent, co-eternal, immutable, enduring, long-suffering. 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:23.280 So you've got theological terms there, and you also just got descriptive terms of who 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:24.280 God is. 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:26.560 And it's great. 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:29.840 We could have multiplied that many times over. 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:33.920 But what I want to say by way of introduction is God, and this is important, that God is 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:36.200 a mystery. 00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:44.640 And we need to remember that preachers, theologians, teachers, Christians can never get to the 00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:49.960 point where they say, yeah, I know, I've got a fair idea of everything about God, because 00:01:49.960 --> 00:01:52.040 He is a mystery. 00:01:52.040 --> 00:01:56.920 Remember this, if He's small enough to be understood, He's not big enough to worship. 00:01:56.920 --> 00:02:03.120 It's a good point, because we spend a lot of our times, a lot of our lives, I think, 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:05.400 questioning God. 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:09.319 Why hasn't He done this, or why hasn't He revealed this, or why is He acting in this 00:02:09.319 --> 00:02:10.319 way? 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:16.319 But remember, if He's small enough to be understood, if you can say, I know Him and understand 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:20.740 Him perfectly, then He's not big enough to worship. 00:02:20.740 --> 00:02:23.920 So words will fail us. 00:02:23.920 --> 00:02:30.600 And I want to start by reading a duxology from Romans chapter 11, and you'll maybe look 00:02:30.600 --> 00:02:38.879 at this again at the city group Romans chapter 11 and verse 33, just to the end, these great 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:41.640 words which remind us of the mystery of who God is. 00:02:41.640 --> 00:02:46.760 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are His 00:02:46.760 --> 00:02:49.840 judgments, how inscrutable His ways. 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:53.000 For who is known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:57.200 Who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid? 00:02:57.200 --> 00:03:00.319 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:02.400 To Him be the glory forever I'm in. 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:07.480 That would be good to memorize that and to take it with you, particularly when you're 00:03:07.480 --> 00:03:09.360 questioning God. 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:14.840 And when you think God doesn't love you anymore, or isn't caring about you, or is silent, 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:21.599 you go back to recognize the inscrutable nature in many ways of who God is. 00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:27.879 Now one thing we're not going to look at is the trinity, you think, well, but that's 00:03:27.879 --> 00:03:28.879 harsh. 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:29.879 You know, it's one of the... 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:32.360 It's the fundamental reality of God in many ways. 00:03:32.360 --> 00:03:34.000 And I think that's true. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:39.360 And maybe because of that, it's something we study and know about a little bit more. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:44.080 But that whole idea of trinity, isn't it, which is not a biblical word, but it's a biblical 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:50.480 truth, a God, the Father, God, the Son, God, the Holy Spirit, three persons. 00:03:50.480 --> 00:04:01.480 And one God is almost the most basic recognition of mystery that we have in God. 00:04:01.480 --> 00:04:07.880 He's that God who is never lonely and never a nice little bit, but He is a mysterious 00:04:07.880 --> 00:04:12.360 God who is infinite in His glories. 00:04:12.360 --> 00:04:17.879 Now there's things that we don't share with God, which theologians call His incommunicable 00:04:17.879 --> 00:04:18.879 attributes. 00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:24.040 And there's things we do share with God, which are called His communicable attributes, things 00:04:24.040 --> 00:04:29.400 that we share like joy and wisdom and knowledge. 00:04:29.400 --> 00:04:31.080 But there's other things that we don't share. 00:04:31.080 --> 00:04:34.800 And I'm going to look at this evening some of the things we don't share. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:40.040 But what I don't want this series to become, I don't want it to become esoteric, and I 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:48.240 don't want it to become theologically speculative, which sometimes can happen when we drift into 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:52.800 looking at themes in the Bible apart sometimes, maybe from their context. 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:54.560 So I don't want that to happen. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:04:57.280 But do feel free to ask questions. 00:04:57.280 --> 00:04:59.280 So God is Spirit, infinite, eternal. 00:04:59.280 --> 00:05:00.759 So I'm going to look brief. 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:01.759 This is very brief. 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:04.080 Obviously, God is Spirit. 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:12.439 1, 4, verse 24, which is obviously where we find this passage where Jesus is speaking 00:05:12.439 --> 00:05:15.439 to the woman from Samaria. 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:19.039 And in verse 20, they're talking about worship. 00:05:19.039 --> 00:05:22.639 And verse 24, or verse 23, the hour is coming. 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:27.799 Jesus said, Now is here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, 00:05:27.799 --> 00:05:30.680 for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. 00:05:30.680 --> 00:05:35.840 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. 00:05:35.840 --> 00:05:42.680 Go away and think about that amazing truth and who He told it to, and consider it a little 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:47.920 bit more, and why He did so to someone like that. 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:51.040 But this great truth is that God is Spirit. 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:53.720 In other words, God is not material. 00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:55.399 God is not physical. 00:05:55.399 --> 00:05:58.199 God doesn't have flesh and blood. 00:05:58.199 --> 00:06:02.439 In His essence, He is a spiritual being. 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:07.279 Now that links Him to the next two characteristics that He's infinite and eternal, and I'll come 00:06:07.279 --> 00:06:08.279 back to them. 00:06:08.279 --> 00:06:10.959 We'll just look at them briefly as well. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:17.839 But one Timothy, one says, This is this great doxology to the King, eternal, immortal and 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:18.839 invisible. 00:06:18.839 --> 00:06:21.879 The only God be honor and glory forever and ever amen. 00:06:21.879 --> 00:06:27.319 So there's this invisibility about God who is Spirit. 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:32.279 Now we've talked about that when we've looked at the Holy Spirit, and God is Spirit. 00:06:32.279 --> 00:06:37.319 The word there is the word for breath or the word for wind. 00:06:37.319 --> 00:06:48.039 And I think that is the description that is most helpful for us in describing who God 00:06:48.039 --> 00:06:51.719 is, God being a Spirit. 00:06:51.719 --> 00:06:56.439 I think it's the nearest correspondence in words that we can get to the character and 00:06:56.439 --> 00:07:03.959 nature of God not being a physical entity, flesh and blood entity. 00:07:03.959 --> 00:07:14.360 And it's this correspondence to wind with its uncontainableness, its mystery, its invisibility, 00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:19.920 its power, all reflecting this sense of God being Spirit. 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:22.240 We sense Him. 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.279 You know, you can sense that wind. 00:07:24.279 --> 00:07:26.599 You sense it, but you can't see it. 00:07:26.599 --> 00:07:30.159 You can't touch it really, but you sense it. 00:07:30.159 --> 00:07:37.719 And that reality of God as Spirit, Romans 1 tells us is something that every human being 00:07:37.719 --> 00:07:44.279 has, even the most ardent atheist suppresses that wind. 00:07:44.279 --> 00:07:45.919 That sounds terrible. 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:57.280 But it suppresses that sense of God's presence, that sense of God's reality that is indefinable, 00:07:57.280 --> 00:08:00.080 but nonetheless very real. 00:08:00.080 --> 00:08:07.080 And breath, the whole concept of God as breath, also God as Spirit, I think focuses again on 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:16.399 the character of God denoting and speaking of Him being life when we see, you know, the 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:19.360 indication that someone has died is there's no more breath. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:27.919 There's no more breathing, life and light and it's synonymous with breath and also communication. 00:08:27.919 --> 00:08:33.120 The breath, what I'm saying comes because I breathe and speak it out and of course Jesus 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:35.120 is referred to as the word. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:43.240 And so there's these elements to God being Spirit, which is that He is powerful and communicative 00:08:43.240 --> 00:08:54.960 and this reality of not being material as a person, as a living being. 00:08:54.960 --> 00:09:01.440 But we do know that He makes Himself visible, don't we, different parts of the Bible? 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:10.120 Can you think of some ways in which we find God as visible in the Bible? 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:14.720 Burning bush, yeah, so He comes as a bush or He speaks through it. 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:21.800 Anything else that you make, well, God isn't just Spirit or language that the Bible uses 00:09:21.800 --> 00:09:29.240 about God. 00:09:29.240 --> 00:09:36.960 Of wrestles, yeah, it's a being, physical being. 00:09:36.960 --> 00:09:44.759 Well, when you think of lots of references in the Bible that for God, what's happening 00:09:44.759 --> 00:09:54.039 is God's accommodating to us when He's describing Himself using human language when He appears 00:09:54.039 --> 00:10:05.120 in a theophany, as it's described, making Himself condescending to us, to our finiteness, 00:10:05.120 --> 00:10:10.639 to our lack of ability to understand who God is or to understand His actions. 00:10:10.639 --> 00:10:17.839 So it speaks about God's hands or God's feet or God's eyes or the one who comes alongside 00:10:17.839 --> 00:10:23.719 us or who cares and loves and grieves and laughs and rejoices and hates and who changes 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:24.720 His mind. 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:31.240 Lots of language in the Bible that apparently seem to contradict this fact that He's Spirit, 00:10:31.240 --> 00:10:39.080 but it's simply God condescending to us, accommodating our inability to know Him, but doing so in 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:42.879 such a way that we can grasp more about His character. 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:50.040 And of course, He makes Himself visible not just in that accommodating way, but also obviously 00:10:50.040 --> 00:10:52.580 in the person of Jesus. 00:10:52.580 --> 00:10:58.240 So God reveals Himself in the person of Jesus, God who is Spirit, in the person of Jesus, 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:06.480 the Son, Colossians 1.15, the Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:11.520 all creation, astonishing reality. 00:11:11.520 --> 00:11:21.560 Two natures, one person, this word, this breath, this power of God contained as it were, revealed 00:11:21.559 --> 00:11:23.919 in the person of Jesus. 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:24.919 Okay. 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:32.359 As God is Spirit, and it's very important that we recognize that God is Spirit, and 00:11:32.359 --> 00:11:36.759 we'll think a little bit more just as we close it in a minute with the infinite and the eternal 00:11:36.759 --> 00:11:37.759 bit. 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:43.679 But it's important that we recognize God is Spirit because it's the Spirit of God who 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:46.479 dwells in us as Christians. 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:55.399 If God was physical, He'd be bound, and He wouldn't be able to dwell in the believers 00:11:55.399 --> 00:11:59.200 that there are in all generations and in all ages and all parts of the world. 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:05.200 This is great verse in John 20, verse 22, where Jesus said, and He speaks to the disciples, 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:11.519 and with that He breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit. 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:17.840 So we recognize that God is Spirit, is an infinite Spirit, because it's the only way 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:22.240 that God the Son can dwell in our hearts. 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:30.120 It's the only way that we can be brought alive, that we can be empowered, that we can recognize 00:12:30.120 --> 00:12:32.639 and know and be connected with God. 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:40.559 Ephesians 3, 16, I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:46.119 His Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 00:12:46.119 --> 00:12:52.079 So God being Spirit enables Him to live in His people. 00:12:52.079 --> 00:12:55.079 And that is the only way we can worship Him. 00:12:55.079 --> 00:13:00.199 He spoke to the women of Samaria when he said, this is the context, isn't it? 00:13:00.199 --> 00:13:07.679 That he says only those who worship in Spirit and truth are those who worship in a way that 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:10.679 is pleasing to God. 00:13:10.679 --> 00:13:11.679 Yes? 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:19.959 No, no. 00:13:19.959 --> 00:13:26.239 Although it does involve an attitude, but it's speaking of the only ability we have to worship 00:13:26.239 --> 00:13:31.159 is when we're empowered and enlivened by God's Spirit, so to do. 00:13:31.159 --> 00:13:38.360 We need His Spirit, and that Spirit which indwells us and which reveals truth to us. 00:13:38.360 --> 00:13:47.839 So it's not so much an attitude in this context, it's much more this recognition that the living 00:13:47.839 --> 00:13:54.799 God dwells in His people by faith. 00:13:54.799 --> 00:14:00.399 And the reason I think that's important, well, obviously it's important and it's significant, 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:10.439 but I think practically is because Jesus in our lives is an invisible reality, because 00:14:10.439 --> 00:14:14.879 God is invisible and the Spirit comes into our lives. 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:24.720 And by that, what I mean by that is, He can't be seen or verified empirically and materially 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:26.079 in our life. 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:34.280 You know, we believe by faith, and the Spirit of God in us, you know, I don't maybe you 00:14:34.280 --> 00:14:38.879 don't think this, but I often think, the Spirit of God is in me. 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:45.560 Surely that's something that is dramatically visible in and of itself. 00:14:45.560 --> 00:14:51.440 But the reality is, it's entirely unique God dwelling in us. 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:55.560 There's no blood type, there's no passport, there's no birth certificate that we can give 00:14:55.559 --> 00:14:58.679 to people to say, I'm a Christian. 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:04.319 There's nothing that makes us different from anyone else around us that, you know, immediately 00:15:04.319 --> 00:15:09.719 would say, or a test that could be taken that says, I'm a Christian, anything material or 00:15:09.719 --> 00:15:11.519 anything like that. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:13.559 God is invisible living in us. 00:15:13.559 --> 00:15:20.919 However, the evidence is a changed heart. 00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:26.839 It's a changed heart in life as the truth transforms us and makes us more like Jesus. 00:15:26.839 --> 00:15:35.559 It is a life that's changing that provides the evidence for God in our lives and testifies 00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:40.719 the Spirit who testifies to the truth in us, then testifies to those around us. 00:15:40.719 --> 00:15:44.679 So it's frustrating sometimes, isn't it? 00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:49.959 We wish we sensed more of God's power or that He was more tangible or that He would prove 00:15:49.960 --> 00:15:59.680 Himself or show Himself and yet in His invisibility, His Spirit dwells in us, enables us to worship 00:15:59.680 --> 00:16:03.280 and enables us to have transformed hearts. 00:16:03.280 --> 00:16:06.400 And I think that's important, very important. 00:16:06.400 --> 00:16:07.400 So God is Spirit. 00:16:07.400 --> 00:16:11.800 I just want to say a couple of things about the other two aspects. 00:16:11.800 --> 00:16:15.920 He's infinite and He's eternal. 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:29.240 Now, can anyone tell me what they think is the difference between infinite and eternal? 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:54.519 Yeah, well, there's a lot. 00:16:54.519 --> 00:17:04.680 As you know, I'm not an academic theologian and I've always struggled with distinction 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:10.799 and in studying this, I think I still struggle with it at some level. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:22.799 But I think the infinitude of God speaks about the numberlessness of God that we are finite 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:24.680 and He is infinite at that level. 00:17:24.680 --> 00:17:30.639 So, the infinite isn't really used in the Bible, the Word itself. 00:17:30.639 --> 00:17:33.159 There's concepts that speak about it. 00:17:33.159 --> 00:17:39.519 And in fact, Psalm 147 where we sung, not in the metrical version actually that we sung, 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:47.919 didn't say it quite, but in the Old Testament, Psalm 147 and verse 5 says, 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:54.840 The great is the Lord, abundant in power, His understanding is beyond measure. 00:17:54.840 --> 00:18:04.160 And the authorized version is translated, infinite, His understanding is infinite. 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:12.600 And there's an infiniteness to the character and the nature of God. 00:18:12.599 --> 00:18:19.039 There's no limit, in other words, to His perfections, to His being. 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:20.480 He's infinitely light. 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:23.639 We looked at God as light the other day in church. 00:18:23.639 --> 00:18:25.039 There's no darkness in Him at all. 00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:28.319 That means that light just never stops. 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:29.319 It's infinite. 00:18:29.319 --> 00:18:30.799 There's no darkness in Him. 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:37.679 So whatever attribute you looked at about God, He is infinitely that. 00:18:37.679 --> 00:18:39.159 It's immeasurable. 00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:45.400 There's no beginning and end to it, and His wisdom, His grace, and His power, and His 00:18:45.400 --> 00:18:48.160 loving, it can't be measured. 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:49.160 It's infinite. 00:18:49.160 --> 00:18:54.960 That's probably the greatest struggle we have with the reality of God, that He's not material, 00:18:54.960 --> 00:19:03.800 that He's not bound, that He's not got borders, that He is infinite. 00:19:03.800 --> 00:19:06.519 Which means He can't improve. 00:19:06.519 --> 00:19:08.400 He can't mature. 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:12.600 He can't get better or worse, because He's infinite in His perfections, infinite in His 00:19:12.600 --> 00:19:15.759 glory. 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:23.840 And I'm struggling with words to explain that, because I'm finite. 00:19:23.840 --> 00:19:27.960 And I'm certainly struggling to understand it, because I'm finite. 00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:31.880 And it takes me back to the beginning, to the mystery of the character and nature of 00:19:31.880 --> 00:19:34.120 God as He reveals Himself to us. 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:38.959 You know, I can't, I occasionally read these things, or you see them and tell them, it 00:19:38.959 --> 00:19:43.559 talks about the size of the universe, the observable universe, the material world, the 00:19:43.559 --> 00:19:48.519 finite world in which we live, a radius of 96 billion light years. 00:19:48.519 --> 00:19:58.199 But we just can't grasp that kind of measurements, the universe that we're part of. 00:19:58.200 --> 00:20:07.160 And yet God is infinitely greater and more glorious than that. 00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:09.440 He's infinite. 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:19.240 Yet, God the Son took a human body and bound Himself, born naked from the womb and helpless, 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:25.640 became measurable, grew, was limited, died on a cross. 00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:29.520 And of course we see in His glory rose again the third day. 00:20:29.520 --> 00:20:40.360 But it is astonishing that the infinite God, in God the Son, acts in this incomprehensible 00:20:40.360 --> 00:20:52.360 way of sacrifice and of emptying in order to do something for you and me here in our 00:20:52.359 --> 00:21:02.919 lives, and that sacrifice therefore must be infinitely and exclusively suitable because 00:21:02.919 --> 00:21:10.719 it comes from this infinitely perfect, good, wise, just, holy God. 00:21:10.719 --> 00:21:12.759 So there's great comfort in that. 00:21:12.759 --> 00:21:19.159 And I think it's a reminder to, I hope it's a reminder to us this evening, that in His 00:21:19.160 --> 00:21:24.920 infinitude He's not going to run out of patience with you. 00:21:24.920 --> 00:21:26.200 It's not limited. 00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:28.160 He's not going to run out of forgiveness. 00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:32.480 Well, that's one sin too many. 00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:33.480 It's not like that. 00:21:33.480 --> 00:21:36.519 We mustn't compare Him with ourselves at that level. 00:21:36.519 --> 00:21:41.040 We must simply accept the infinitude of the character of God. 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:49.399 There's no sins that are too great and too deep for Him in His infinite mercy to forgive 00:21:49.399 --> 00:21:55.159 other than that sin that He speaks of because it is never repented of that sin of the Holy 00:21:55.159 --> 00:21:57.159 Spirit. 00:21:57.159 --> 00:22:05.399 And therefore, I don't know if you've ever, I don't know how good it is to think too much 00:22:05.399 --> 00:22:07.399 about heaven. 00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:11.240 But if you think about the fact that we're going as good and the fact that Christ will 00:22:11.240 --> 00:22:14.800 be there as great and that we'll know God is amazing. 00:22:14.800 --> 00:22:20.280 But I think it's really hard to understand that without thinking it's going to get boring 00:22:20.280 --> 00:22:28.120 at some level that we'll end up knowing all that we can. 00:22:28.120 --> 00:22:34.240 But isn't the great thing that knowing God in eternity can never become boring because 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:40.359 we are finite beings, even in eternity, that will always as created beings be learning 00:22:40.359 --> 00:22:47.160 more about the uncreated God, will always be mystery and knowledge to receive about 00:22:47.160 --> 00:22:50.079 God. 00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:56.000 It does begin to blow my mind, so I'm not staying there. 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:59.920 So God is Spirit is infinite and then briefly also eternal. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:08.440 John Timothy 1, 17, this is great doxology, you know, to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, 00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:13.200 which covers all the aspects of what we've been looking at in a sense. 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:15.279 And they all do overlap. 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:19.720 The only God be honor and glory forever and ever. 00:23:19.720 --> 00:23:20.720 Amen. 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:27.720 So the infinitude kind of refers, I think, to the boundlessness of His character. 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:34.240 The fact that He's eternal speaks of the fact that He Himself has no beginning and 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:37.799 no end in relation to time particularly. 00:23:37.799 --> 00:23:45.000 No beginning, no end, there's no succession of moments for God. 00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:54.640 He's uncreated, so He sees all things at one time, everything. 00:23:54.640 --> 00:24:00.720 I don't know how you can describe that in human terms. 00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:06.000 Kind of, I suppose it's the bird's eye view idea, isn't it? 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:08.920 When you're on the ground, you can only see certain things in certain ways, but if you're 00:24:08.920 --> 00:24:11.240 up in the air, you've got a bird's eye view, you can see everything. 00:24:11.240 --> 00:24:19.240 No, that's a very poor example, a very poor man's example of the eternal nature of God. 00:24:19.240 --> 00:24:26.440 Isaiah 46, 9 and 10 quotes a verse that we often use when we speak of God. 00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:32.440 It says, Remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is none else. 00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:37.920 I am God and there is none like me declaring the end from the beginning. 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:42.640 And from ancient things, the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:45.319 I will do all my pleasure. 00:24:45.319 --> 00:24:50.639 And I was a young student minister, I was preaching up in the Highlands somewhere. 00:24:50.639 --> 00:24:57.359 And I said, just in my sermon, God knows the beginning from the end and carried on preaching. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:02.720 And an old man came up to me and the way out of church, he said, God knows the end from 00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:06.200 the beginning, not the other way round. 00:25:06.200 --> 00:25:13.559 And it, oh, stuck with me that I had quoted the Bible wrong. 00:25:13.559 --> 00:25:17.919 It's quite an interesting reality. 00:25:17.919 --> 00:25:24.000 He knows the end from the beginning and that's helpful for us in our lives to recognize that 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:26.119 He is this eternal present. 00:25:26.119 --> 00:25:29.519 So you don't know what will happen to you tomorrow. 00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:31.480 You do know what's happened to you in the past, but you don't know what will happen 00:25:31.480 --> 00:25:32.480 tomorrow. 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:37.079 But God sees all our lives from the day we were born to the day we died. 00:25:37.079 --> 00:25:43.799 And indeed the whole of the cosmos and the work of the cosmos is all before Him, all at 00:25:43.799 --> 00:25:48.839 once as it were, because of His character, an eternal present. 00:25:48.839 --> 00:25:57.720 The Yahweh name of God, the great I am, the great ever present, the one who is always 00:25:57.720 --> 00:25:59.559 there knowing. 00:25:59.559 --> 00:26:02.799 And that does have implications, a lot of implications for us all. 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:07.639 Like, He's never going to be surprised by anything, never. 00:26:07.639 --> 00:26:11.399 He's never learning new things, oh, I'm surprised at that. 00:26:11.399 --> 00:26:14.480 He's never going to be like that for the living God. 00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:16.799 He's never going to understand us better. 00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:21.919 We don't need to reveal ourselves to Him at that level so that He knows us better. 00:26:21.919 --> 00:26:23.919 He sees it all. 00:26:23.919 --> 00:26:24.919 He sees all of life. 00:26:24.919 --> 00:26:25.919 He sees all of heaven. 00:26:25.919 --> 00:26:26.919 He sees all of hell. 00:26:26.919 --> 00:26:32.759 And He will always, because He's eternal, nothing extends beyond Him. 00:26:32.759 --> 00:26:42.720 And that, for me, that's what I struggle because it blends into infinity. 00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:46.920 But practically these truths are important and His eternity and the fact that He knows 00:26:46.920 --> 00:26:50.440 our lives is a huge comfort. 00:26:50.440 --> 00:26:56.519 So comfort of committing our future to God when we don't know it, not in some kind of 00:26:56.519 --> 00:27:04.079 robotic way that there's nothing we can do or a fatalistic way, because we know, even 00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:10.440 in the mystery of that truth, that He is made as responsible and those who take decisions 00:27:10.440 --> 00:27:12.440 and make decisions. 00:27:12.440 --> 00:27:17.759 But we're asked to do it in the knowledge of His knowledge and His sovereign Lordship 00:27:17.759 --> 00:27:19.759 and His promises. 00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:20.759 And in trust ourselves. 00:27:20.759 --> 00:27:27.359 It's a great comfort and trust ourselves to Him and the promises He's made for us are 00:27:27.359 --> 00:27:37.839 yes and amen and can't be broken when we hold on to His hand. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:48.160 And that is because Christ entered time so that we might have eternal life. 00:27:48.160 --> 00:27:53.440 So that this great eternal God entered into time so that we might have eternal life. 00:27:53.440 --> 00:27:59.920 Now our eternal life is different from God's eternal character, because God's eternity 00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:02.560 doesn't have a beginning or an end. 00:28:02.560 --> 00:28:10.080 Our eternity had a beginning, had a creation, but it will not have an end. 00:28:10.080 --> 00:28:15.759 And in Christ we know eternal life. 00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:18.200 It's impossible to conceive of non-existence. 00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:20.680 Can I say that? 00:28:20.680 --> 00:28:21.680 Impossible. 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:22.920 Impossible to... 00:28:22.920 --> 00:28:29.279 It's impossible for you to try and imagine you not existing. 00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:32.920 And that is because it will never happen. 00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:38.920 You've been born, you always exist, you will always have consciousness. 00:28:38.920 --> 00:28:46.720 And the great comfort of that in Christ is its eternal life and His glorious presence, 00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:48.720 perfection. 00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:56.640 The terror of it is the presence of the eternal God in judgment, in hell. 00:28:56.640 --> 00:29:03.640 Hell is an eternity of not coming to know the unsearchable love and the unsearchable 00:29:03.640 --> 00:29:12.560 riches of Christ, an unsearchably deep and dark reality of non-enjoyment. 00:29:12.560 --> 00:29:20.759 And I'm not sure what time looks like in eternity, in heaven. 00:29:20.759 --> 00:29:24.920 Theologians think differently about it. 00:29:24.920 --> 00:29:30.320 But I think one thing in heaven, time will seem to pass really quickly, because you know 00:29:30.320 --> 00:29:32.840 what it's like when you rejoin yourself. 00:29:32.839 --> 00:29:35.119 Time just flies. 00:29:35.119 --> 00:29:39.199 But you know, when you're in church, you're struggling with the ceremony, wish the ceremony 00:29:39.199 --> 00:29:42.759 then it goes on for ages and it takes so long. 00:29:42.759 --> 00:29:48.639 Or you know, that's a trivial example, but if you're suffering, time, you can't sleep 00:29:48.639 --> 00:29:54.319 the night so long, time seems to take on a different dimension when you're on holidays, 00:29:54.319 --> 00:29:56.199 you know, all these things. 00:29:56.200 --> 00:30:05.559 And I think there's a sense in which the eternity of these existences differ qualitatively in 00:30:05.559 --> 00:30:08.559 terms of time also and what that looks like. 00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:18.360 But eternal life for us will be increasing joy and with no shadow of a final whistle. 00:30:18.360 --> 00:30:22.960 Because even in our best times of joy here, aren't we? 00:30:22.960 --> 00:30:29.240 There's always just a, even a thin line of shadow, well, it's going to end. 00:30:29.240 --> 00:30:30.240 It can't go on. 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:34.440 And that's really hard, that's depressing. 00:30:34.440 --> 00:30:42.279 But that is not what we enjoy, because Christ for us entered time so that we can have eternal 00:30:42.279 --> 00:30:44.640 life. 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:46.140 So I'm finished. 00:30:46.140 --> 00:30:48.400 It's important, I think, to consider these truths. 00:30:48.400 --> 00:30:54.680 It's good to meditate on them and think about them, but can I ask generally thinking in 00:30:54.680 --> 00:31:02.600 our lives not to separate them from their spiritual context, or should I say their scriptural 00:31:02.600 --> 00:31:05.560 context? 00:31:05.560 --> 00:31:12.600 Don't systematize these truths in such a way that makes logic rather than revelation the 00:31:12.600 --> 00:31:13.600 driving force. 00:31:13.599 --> 00:31:20.679 Because I think sometimes it's possible to take the mysterious truths of God's revelation 00:31:20.679 --> 00:31:29.199 and try and finite them, try and make them logical and take them out of their, this simplicity 00:31:29.199 --> 00:31:31.919 of biblical revelation. 00:31:31.919 --> 00:31:36.959 You know, this most profound of all truths God is, but Jesus is standing, sitting by 00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:44.000 a well, speaking to a woman who is shunned by her community because she's had so many 00:31:44.000 --> 00:31:47.960 husbands and is now living with a guy. 00:31:47.960 --> 00:31:51.039 And that's where theology goes. 00:31:51.039 --> 00:31:54.039 That's where we should take our theology, and that's where we should live it, and that's 00:31:54.039 --> 00:31:58.799 where we should work it out. 00:31:58.799 --> 00:32:05.200 It's important to remember that God does accommodate in the Bible His character to our physical 00:32:05.200 --> 00:32:08.840 and mental limitations, to our finitude. 00:32:08.840 --> 00:32:15.680 And I thank God for that, and I thank God that He speaks about Himself in ways that 00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:24.080 I can understand, as well as recognizing that there's great mystery in His character. 00:32:24.080 --> 00:32:27.640 God is Spirit, infinite and eternal. 00:32:27.640 --> 00:32:28.640 Any questions? 00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:35.400 Don't ask me any theological questions about infinity or... 00:32:35.400 --> 00:32:38.400 Has anyone struggled with any of these concepts? 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:42.400 Not tonight or my expression of it, but in your lives. 00:32:42.400 --> 00:32:49.400 I think the difficult thing is, knowing God was within us, then the rest of us sinned. 00:32:49.400 --> 00:32:56.400 I know God's affected in our weakness, but it's frustrating when you're like, oh, well, 00:32:56.400 --> 00:32:58.759 I'm still... 00:32:58.759 --> 00:32:59.759 I know. 00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:03.560 It's a divided heart of God being in our hearts, but still wrestling with sin. 00:33:03.560 --> 00:33:07.960 But the good thing is that it's because He's in our hearts that we're wrestling with sin. 00:33:07.960 --> 00:33:12.680 If He wasn't in our hearts, we would just be living our own way. 00:33:12.680 --> 00:33:17.840 And what's good to know is to allow Him to keep... 00:33:17.840 --> 00:33:20.000 We'll wrestle till our last day with... 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:27.599 Because the deeper the light goes, the more perversely He finds in our hearts. 00:33:27.599 --> 00:33:34.279 So there's always that work of grace going on until our last day. 00:33:34.279 --> 00:33:35.779 But it is frustrating. 00:33:35.779 --> 00:33:41.319 And I think it's true because I think part of it, or we fail or give in or sin because 00:33:41.319 --> 00:33:47.039 we don't recognize the power that is available to us and we don't plug into that and we just 00:33:47.039 --> 00:33:48.839 maybe just shrug our shoulders. 00:33:48.839 --> 00:33:54.720 I think, wow, it reminds us of how powerful sin is though, doesn't it? 00:33:54.720 --> 00:34:01.359 It reminds us how dark our hearts are if it takes the spirit of God to indwell us, to 00:34:01.359 --> 00:34:02.359 give us victory. 00:34:02.359 --> 00:34:07.639 I think a lot of the time we think sin, it's not such a big deal. 00:34:07.639 --> 00:34:12.599 But we are God image bearers. 00:34:12.599 --> 00:34:16.920 It's an incredible reality to think who you are. 00:34:16.920 --> 00:34:21.920 To think what you can do as a person because you're made in God's image. 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:22.920 Unbelievable. 00:34:22.920 --> 00:34:26.519 You know, we think about computers and the amazing advancement of computers, what they 00:34:26.519 --> 00:34:27.519 can do. 00:34:27.519 --> 00:34:32.159 Nothing compared with you standing up and walking out that door today and shaking hands with 00:34:32.159 --> 00:34:34.360 someone and smiling. 00:34:34.360 --> 00:34:38.960 That's a remarkable reality. 00:34:38.960 --> 00:34:43.480 Nothing else can be like that. 00:34:43.480 --> 00:34:45.480 And so sin is terrible too. 00:34:45.480 --> 00:34:47.480 Sin, exactly. 00:34:47.480 --> 00:34:50.840 No, that's very true. 00:34:50.840 --> 00:34:55.760 And neither is the devil. 00:34:55.760 --> 00:34:56.760 That's very important. 00:34:56.760 --> 00:35:00.000 Always remember, it's not an equal battle between good and evil. 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:06.320 The devil is a created, you know, a created spiritual being, fallen but created. 00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:09.000 And he can't be in all places at one time like God. 00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:13.920 And he doesn't dwell in our hearts in that way. 00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:17.519 And that's important to remember, we're on the side of victory. 00:35:17.519 --> 00:35:22.440 God is infinite and infinitely good. 00:35:22.440 --> 00:35:28.079 How many times in the last week have you questioned God's goodness? 00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:31.159 I know I have. 00:35:31.159 --> 00:35:37.900 If I allow myself to do that because I'm not thinking of the implications of accusing 00:35:37.900 --> 00:35:44.440 God of not caring or not loving or not being honest or turning his back, it's because we 00:35:44.440 --> 00:36:11.099 have a small view of who he is.