The Great Doctrines of the Bible | Page 5

of the countries they visit, and which we have never seen, why
is not the Bible, if it is authentic history, be enough to satisfy us with its
evidence as to the existence of God?
Some facts need more evidence than others, we know. This is true of
the fact of the existence of God. But the Bible history is sufficient to
satisfy every reasonable demand. The history of the Jews, prophecy, is
not explainable minus God. If we cannot believe in the existence of
God on the testimony of the Bible we might as well burn our books of
history. A man cannot deny the truth of the testimony of the Bible
unless he says plainly: "No amount of testimony will convince me of
the supernatural."
Scripture does not attempt to prove the existence of God; it asserts,
assumes, and declares that the knowledge of God is universal, Rom.
1:19-21, 28, 33; 2:15. It asserts that God has wrought this great truth in
the very warp and woof of every man's being, so that nowhere is He
without this witness. The preacher may, therefore, safely follow the
example of the Scripture in assuming that there is a God. Indeed he
must unhesitatingly and explicitly assert it as the Scripture does,
believing that "His eternal power and divinity" are things that are
clearly seen and perceived through the evidences of His handiwork
which abound on every hand.
II. THE NATURE OF GOD: (Vs. Agnosticism).
1. THE SPIRITUALITY OF GOD: (Vs. Materialism). "GOD IS
SPIRIT."
a) Statement of the Fact, John 4:24: "God is Spirit."
Meaning: The Samaritan woman's question, "Where is God to be
found?" etc. On Mt. Zion or Gerizim? Christ's answer: God is not to be
confined to any one place (cf. Acts 7:48; 17:25, 1 Kings 8:27). God
must be worshipped in spirit as distinguished from place, form, or other
sensual limitations (4:21); and in truth as distinguished from false
conceptions resulting from imperfect knowledge (4:22).

b) Light on "God is Spirit," from other Scriptures.
Luke 24:39: "A spirit hath not flesh and bones," i. e., has not body, or
parts like human beings; incorporeal; not subject to human limitations.
Col. 1:15: "The image of the invisible God."
1 Tim. 1:17 (R. V.): "Now unto the King incorruptible, invisible."
These passages teach that God has nothing of a material or bodily
nature. Sight sees only objects of the material world, but God is not of
the nature of the material world, hence He cannot be seen with the
material eye--at least not now.
c) Light Derived from Cautions Against Representing God by Graven
Images:
Deut. 4:15-23; Isa. 40:25; Exod. 20:4. Study these passages carefully
and note that the reason why images were forbidden was because no
one had ever seen God, and consequently could not picture how He
looked, and, further, there was nothing on the earth that could resemble
Him.
d) Definition of "God is Spirit" in the Light of All This:
God is invisible, incorporeal, without parts, without body, without
passions, and therefore free from all limitations; He is apprehended not
by the senses, but by the soul; hence God is above sensuous
perceptions. 1 Cor. 2:6-16 intimates that without the teaching of God's
Spirit we cannot know God. He is not a material Being. "LaPlace swept
the heavens with his telescope, but could not find anywhere a God. He
might just as well have swept a kitchen with his broom." Since God is
not a material Being, He cannot be apprehended by physical means.
e) Questions and Problems with Reference to the Statement that "God
is Spirit."
(1) 'What is meant by statement that man was made "in the image of

God"?
Col 3:10; Eph. 4:24 declare that this "image" consists in "righteousness,
knowledge, and holiness of truth." By that is meant that the image of
God in man consisted in intellectual and moral likeness rather than
physical resemblance. Some think that 1 Thess. 5:23 indicates that the
"trinity of man"--body, soul, and spirit--constitutes that image and
likeness.
(2) What is meant by the anthropomorphic expressions used of God?
For example: God is said to have hands, feet, arms, eyes, ears He sees,
feels, hears, walks, etc. Such expressions are to be understood only in
the sense of being human expressions used in order to bring the infinite
within the comprehension of the finite. How otherwise could we
understand God saving by means of human expressions, in figures that
we all can understand!
(3) How are such passages as Exod. 24:10 and 33:18-23 in which it is
distinctly stated that men saw the God of Israel, to be reconciled with
such passages as John 1:18; "No man hath seen God at any time," and
Exod. 33:20: "There shall no man see me and live"?
Answer:
aa)