Jesus is All We Need For Salvation

by Lisa Groen

I wanted to write on the the verse Hebrews 7:25 today because it can answer many questions regarding salvation.

Hebrews 7:25 reads “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”           

This scripture is talking about Jesus, and speaks of the wonderful fact that he is the unique Savior of the world. God knows every need we will ever have, and this states he is able to save (people) to the uttermost. The scripture is speaking about those who draw near to God through Him (Jesus).

What did the writer of Hebrews intend with the choice of the word uttermost? If we look up the original meaning of the word uttermost in the early Greek manuscript, the word is uttermost is taken from the word “pantelés”. Panteles means “all; full-ended; entire; completion”. See https://biblehub.com/greek/3838.htm

This truth is definitely an encouragement to those who are wondering if God is enough. Or for those who question how deep God’s work of salvation is, he saves people to the uttermost. This covers every base, every personal weakness, every type of position people are in now and in the future and even those who feel like they don’t know if they can bring what is required “to the table”. The truth is the scripture says salvation comes to people not because they bring their righteousness to the table, because God (and Jesus) have already “set the table” so to speak as far as what is required for salvation.

Salvation in God’s plan for the world to be saved, required nothing less than Jesus’ perfect life of obedience and sacrificial love. It has already been paid in full by Jesus’ giving his perfect life to God as an offering for my account and your account. This is God’s great news to us!

God intends to grant people the wisdom in their saving relationship with Him to learn His ways. This wisdom unfolds in the lives of God’s people as a natural part of God the Father being a good father to us. The believer simply should remain open to God, by reading his word. God is able to teach us and train us in living a life of faith. We should simply talk to our Heavenly Father as a real person, as the one who is able to meet every need. Through dwelling with God in faith, going to him with our questions, our concerns, our thanks, as we keep trusting him to guide us and provide for us, our faith can grow, and we can find we are getting to know our Father God and Jesus as the graceful people they are. God’s plan of salvation for you is a good one. Are you willing to let today be the day you put your roots of faith in God for his salvation? He is able to save us to the uttermost. LG

Kenneth Copeland’s False Teaching of Jesus Being Born Again in Hell, and His Misunderstanding of Jesus’s Authority.

by Lisa Groen

I am writing this article to show plainly that Kenneth Copeland on his website is teaching the idea that Jesus was born again in hell, and the ridiculousness of this idea, and why this idea is a false teaching, and Copeland’s misunderstanding of Jesus’s authority.

I am basing this blog post on Kenneth Copeland’s online article entitled “What Happened From The Cross To The Throne Part 2” I will share screenshots to document the false teachings in his article. This screenshot below was taken near the heading entitled “The Finished Work”. Note the highlighted areas:

Copeland above says that Jesus went to hell and was born again there. This is absurd because being born again was something God provided as a rescue for mortal sinners who need forgiveness, that would give them new spiritual life with God. Jesus was never a sinner and he did not need to be forgiven, and he already had spiritual life with God. Jesus did not need the kind of salvation that God provided as a ransom for sinners. Jesus WAS the ransom. Jesus IS salvation. Let’s look at the next highlighted area in the screenshot below.

Copeland says Jesus is no longer called the only begotten Son of God from the book of Acts to John’s Revelation, but He’s called the Firstborn from the dead. Copelands definition of these two phrases are very different that what the Bible teaches. Copeland seems to say “Jesus was born again, and that he needed to be born again in order to be the leader of all Christians who need to be born again, so he could be the Firstborn of many brethren.” But the logic doesn’t follow. A Shepherd doesn’t have to become a sheep to lead the way for the sheep to be saved from danger. A Shepherd just leads them and is way above them in many ways, such as knowledge, common sense, ability and strength. A shepherd doesn’t have to eat grass to show his sheep how to keep from starving. Again the shepherd is way above the sheep but Jesus made the sheep to be drawn to eat when he created them. Jesus saves us not by being born-again himself, but by drawing us to believe in him and be saved. He stays way above us and doesn’t need to be born again to be the Firstborn of many brethren. Because He is GOD.

But Copeland says that the meaning of Jesus being begotten means Jesus was born again, but what it means Biblically is that there was only ONE conception like the conception of Jesus. That was when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and God placed physical DNA inside of Mary, the physical material that would become Jesus’s body, and God placed the Soul and Spirit of Jesus in union with his body so that he would grow up in Mary’s womb. and become the God-man, God from God, Light from Light. Because believers in Jesus are “born from the dead”, Copeland conflates this in his thinking to mean Jesus and born again people are on the same playing field. The Bible teaches believers are born-again, from a place of deadness to God, and made alive to God, but we are not “God from God, Light from Light” as Jesus was. The believer retains many of his or her personality traits and cognitive and physical abilities after he or she becomes born again as they had before they were born again. We don’t give up our personalities to become saved. We are made in the image of God, but retain many of our traits, but what is new, is that we receive the spiritual fruit of Galatians 5, and other communicable attributes of Jesus, but we are not on the same playing field as Jesus in his incommunicable attributes. We are saved from the bondage to sin, and delivered out of the kingdom of darkness, where now Jesus is our new King in the Kingdom of Light. Jesus is way HIGH above us. But Copeland is demoting Jesus and making him as common as a born again person:

and again:

He said Jesus was just a mortal man made sin. But Jesus was the God-man, not JUST a man. The phrase Jesus “was made to be sin”, many scholars believe that it is the short way of saying Jesus became the sin offering, and that Jews of Jesus’ time would shorten the phrase “the sin offering” to “sin”. So if we plug that phrase into 2 Corinthians 5:21, it would say “For our sake he made him to be (the) sin (offering) who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” ESV parentheses mine.

Copeland believes there are similarities between Jesus’s resurrection and the believer’s resurrection. The Bible does too. But Copeland makes up similarities between the believer and Jesus that don’t exist. Note the words below, “…the only difference…”:

When Copeland says “the only difference was, you got yours on this side of hell” I believe he is talking about the resurrection. The believers were raised up from spiritual death when they are born again on this side of heaven. True, but Copeland’s statement that Jesus went to the very pit of hell and “nailed it up for you. He stopped Satan’s authority over you. He stopped it by conquest” has tremendous problems. Copeland is talking about a conquest in hell between Satan and Jesus that we can safely say Copeland imagined, because it is no were in the Bible. In the Bible Jesus paid our sin debt in full on the cross, and then he said “it is finished” before he died. Jesus was awarded resurrection because the full wrath of God had been exhausted upon him and paid for. The righteous wrath of God had been poured out on Jesus and was satisfied, so, there was no punishment for Jesus left nor for those who would believe upon Him for him to have to go to the very PIT of hell. After Jesus died, he could go to paradise and lead captivity captive specifically because of the victory of the cross. This was the place of Abraham’s bosom. This was the place where the righteous saints who died before the resurrection of Jesus would go. So there was no conquest between Jesus and Satan in the PIT of hell.

The pit of hell would be a place of suffering and torment for those punished by God. God was the one who punished Jesus in our place on the cross. Jesus didn’t go as someone’s prisoner when he died, because “death could not hold him”, and Satan by that point was defeated, so he didn’t go to the pit of hell, but to Abraham’s bosom, or Sheol to lead captivity captive. And when he went and took captivity captive, he certainly wasn’t kept in the pit of hell by Satan, or by God but Jesus had full authority over himself after he died because he had full authority over himself while he lived each day of his life. He never gave Satan a foothold. Satan had no hold on him, and the very pit of Hell was only for those who live in sin and refuse to follow God. Jesus was successful in paying for our sins before he died. He said “It is finished, then breathed his last.” Copeland has nullified the power of the Cross:

The conquest Jesus won, was on the cross, by humbling himself, dying in our place, and taking our sins upon himself and bearing them away as the sinless lamb of God. There was no conquest between Jesus and Satan after he died because while he was on the earth, there was no physical conquest between Jesus and Satan on the earth. Satan also couldn’t lie to Jesus and be successful. Jesus just spoke the truth and resisted Satan. And Satan fled. When Jesus was crucified it was God’s plan to save the lost. Here is the victory Jesus had on earth in never sinning. Jesus’s authority over himself was in tact all the time and that was how he won the conquest against Satan:

John 8:46: “Which of you convicts me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?” (NKJV). 

2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (NKJV). 

1 Peter 2:22: “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth” (NKJV). 

1 John 3:5: “And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin” (NKJV). 

Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (NKJV). 

In the shot above after the Colossians scripture Copeland writes that Jesus took authority over Satan and said “I am He that was once dead, but I’m now alive and I hold the keys to death, hell and the grave. All power has been given me, both in heaven and in earth.” Those are 2 scriptures from Revelation 1:18, and Matthew 28:18. But Revelation gives no proof or indication that this happened when Jesus was between the cross and the throne, nor that these scriptures were spoken one after the other, nor that Jesus spoke them to Satan. Rather, when the wrath of God was paid in full, and Jesus said it is finished, Jesus went to the place of the dead to cause several old testament saints to rise with him when he would rise from the dead. There is no evidence in the Bible that Jesus spoke to Satan between the cross and the throne. Rather, the evidence seems to point to the opposite because on the cross Jesus said “It is finished”, and these words signify that he spoiled the principalities and powers by the cross. Colossians 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” The Devil was not in charge of anything anymore because the atonement was paid in full, and Jesus broke the power of death, hell, and the grave, but did this on the cross, not in hell.

Was it not the sheer righteousness Jesus offered, and shed blood and what he suffered on the cross with the full wrath of God being poured out on him in the atonement and those things together were indeed the fullness of all authority to clear the sinner of sin, when Jesus said the words “It is finished”? Those 3 words were spoken after the wrath of God was poured on him to signify to us no more atonement needed to be paid. Jesus had no need for a conquest or words with the devil–the atonement was God’s business, not the devil’s, and the resurrection was God’s business demonstrating Jesus’s full authority was unstained, in tact and I believe unchallenged between the cross and the throne. *LG

Does Salvation Require Repentance?

Salvation does not require repentance, but it produces repentance.

According to Wayne Grudem, in his book Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, on page 699 we find him explaining that regeneration happens before conversion happens (conversion defined by faith and repentance). Regeneration is a work done completely by God, and initiated by God. Faith and repentance come usually hand in hand, and repentance and faith are enabled to happen by God and somehow allowing our participation, causing us to be willing to use our faith and willing to repent, and prompting us toward these actions.

We could ask, “How simple can salvation be and it still counts as salvation?” A person’s salvation could be as simple as was the salvation of the thief on the cross, who lived just minutes or hours in a state of salvation.

Romans 10:13 reads, “for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

This is quite simple. But is it simply repeating something out of your mouth? Is it that all God is requiring is that we should repeat a phrase amounting to “Save me Lord Jesus” like a robot and that’s all that would be needed to save someone? Surely Romans 10:13 means more than mouthing a prayer like a robot to appease God.

The Bible makes reference to the idea that what goes on in the heart is paramount to what matters to God in the process of prayer or in the process of saving someone. I am not saying that we need to make the act of calling on God more difficult than it needs to be, but I am saying calling on the name of the Lord in the Biblical sense should mean at least to be sincere in your calling on the name of the Lord.

We could imagine a child who cries crocodile tears to avoid punishment after getting caught doing something wrong. We can imagine a person who simply says words to a beautiful woman with a hope to “say what she wants to hear” simply in order to manipulate her. Or we could imagine a person who pretends to like a food coked a certain way in a meal not because he genuinely liked it but simply to humor the chef to stay on his good side.

How does the Bible mention the need for sincerity in praying for salvation?

Psalm 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
To all who call on Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He will also hear their cry for help and save them.

It says if you call on Him in truth, the Lord is near you. If we look up Romans 10:13 in the Greek, on Biblehub.com, it says the phrase “shall call upon” has some interesting traits. About halfway down the page of https://biblehub.com/greek/1941.htm in the lexicon section we get this explanation:

“5. Hebraistically (like יְהוָה בְּשֵׁם קָרָא to call upon by pronouncing the name of Jehovah, Genesis 4:26; Genesis 12:8; 2 Kings 5:11, etc.; cf. Gesenius, Thesaurus, p. 1231{b} (or his Hebrew Lexicon, under the word קָרָא); an expression finding its explanation in the fact that prayers addressed to God ordinarily began with an invocation of the divine name: Psalm 3:2; Psalm 6:2; Psalm 7:2, etc.) ἐπικαλοῦμαι τό ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου, I call upon (on my behalf) the name of the Lord, i. e. to invoke, adore, worship, the Lord, i. e. Christ: Acts 2:21 (from Joel 2:32 ()); ; Romans 10:13; 1 Corinthians 1:2…”

Near the end of the quote we get the words, “I call upon (on my behalf) the name of the Lord, i. e. to invoke, adore, worship, the Lord…Romans 10:13.” This is saying the way calling on the Lord happens in Romans 10:13 involves invocation, adoration, or worship of the Lord. So when this calling on the name of the Lord happens, intrinsic within the calling, is a directional repentance that is distinguishable from a prior direction of sin, because in order to invoke, adore or worship the Lord, one must have turned or at least be in the process of turning from sin in order for that calling on the name of the Lord to be sincere, which is the root meaning of Romans 10:13.

Now if you are sincerely calling on the Name of the Lord, you must have some understanding that the Lord is higher and more powerful than you are, to save you, and the result is, if you are sincere, you shall be saved.

It may be hard to distinguish from the Bible what millisecond a repentance happens after faith is operating. But I think it is right to understand that calling on the Lord in truth as Psalm 145:18 also seems to intrinsically to involve a turning from sin or evil, which is repentance in its initial stage. We realize that in ourselves we have no power to save ourselves, and in turning to God, if we are going to seek him in a truthful way, we can believe he is in the opposite direction from our sin, or from the evil we find ourselves stuck in at times, and by calling on him the very act of turning to the Lord is in fact a turning from sin and evil, (repentance) although a beginning repentance, but the Bible says that is in fact sufficient to save someone. (Romans 10:13) After justification happens for the believer, the Lord continues the work of salvation through refining us with more repentance and the sanctification process. LG

Why Does God’s Plan Of Salvation Not Include Any Help From The Believer?

By Lisa Groen

The truth is all of us have sinned. We’ve all fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

I don’t mean God isn’t interested in our obedience, because He is! (Romans 1:5) But He must save us first before we can have the kind of obedience he is looking for! (2 Timothy 1:9, Galatians 3:6-9) When God begins with us, we deserve God’s wrath for eternity because it’s about who we’ve sinned against. Why is sin so serious? –because of who we’ve sinned against. The greater the person to whom a wrong is done, the greater the wrong that is done. It’s ultimately against God that we’ve sinned. Every sin we commit is against God in the least sense and against two or more persons in the broadest sense.

God cannot and does not need our efforts to save us because Jesus said it is finished. (John 19:30) It would go against God’s aseity if salvation were dependent on us, (Psalm 3:8) and if it’s against His aseity, it’s against his nature. (Isaiah 45:5, Psalm 86:10) And it would go against what Jesus said if it were not finished but was dependent on us. And that would make Jesus a liar, and he is not! That would make him not Lord but he is Lord! (1 Corinthians 8:6, John 20:28)

If he needed us to do part of the work of our own salvation, and we sometimes err, that means I will or could potentially mess up if it were dependent on me, because erring is the very reason we need salvation. (Romans 3:23) And if my salvation depended on myself, and not God, that potential for error could or would somehow get translated into the work of salvation in my life IF the work of salvation was somehow my work. (Ecclesiastes 7:20, John 3:19) But it’s NOT, it’s God’s work in spite of our work, (Isaiah 57:18) it’s God’s work in place of our work, (Genesis 15:12-21) his work in times of us bewildered because of our failure, (Job 42:6) it’s God’s work in exchange for our work, (2 Corinthians 5:21) it’s God’s work because we don’t have the capacity to work it out left to ourselves, (Romans 5:6) it’s God’s work and him taking the initiative because He sees our work is broken.(Genesis 3:21) It’s God working and us resting in him, Him doing and us trusting, because his work is everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3, Isaiah 41:28) and even when we feel frozen, (Psalm 46:10) or pausing because of our loud weaknesses, (Matthew 26:75) it’s God’s strength made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The act of him making us born again is his work 100%. (Isaiah 43:11, Hosea 13:4) That saves us from having to produce the work of making us holy. He will make us holy and he’ll do it by using our obedience (Leviticus 20:8) but not because he is short on obedience but uses ours to shape us. (2 Corinthians 3:18, Romans 8:29). So He is totally in control of the work of saving and sanctifying us. He began the good work and He will finish it.(Philippians 1:6) He is the author and perfector of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) He is the birther of our walk of service to God, (Exodus 23:25) the designer of it, the upholder of our salvation, (Isaiah 41:13) the producer of it, (1 John 5:4-12) the continuer or it (John 8:31-32) and the founder and completer (Hebrews 11:10, 12:25-29) of the life given by God (1 Corinthians 3:11)

It has to be his work, or it cannot be pure; (2 Samuel 22:7, Habakkuk 1:13) it must be his work or it’s not trustworthy; (Psalm13:5, Isaiah 26:3-4) his work (Revelation 7:10) or it’s not genuine from start to finish. (1 Peter 1:7) And there is only one type of thing from us he needs and that is our failures and sins, our errors and impurities, our falling short and our inadequacies, our blotches and our messes, our missing the mark, and our misunderstandings. Then it’s real! (Colossians 2:14, Galatians 3:14) LG

List of 45 Attributes of God

by Lisa Groen

The “attributes of God” are popular for study among those who seek God’s help. The attributes of God are qualities that God possesses in his personality that describe God’s God-ness. These attributes inform how our approach to God should be as they inspire worship and can also inform how we are able to relate to God as well as roles God readily fills for the people he has created. The attributes of God that are listed below are taken directly from the Bible. I have provided the scripture references that are associated with each God-trait.

There are two categories of attributes of God, and they are communicable and incommunicable attributes. The communicable attributes are attributes God shares with those who follow Christ and have been born again when He cleanses them from sin. The incommunicable attributes are attributes He alone as God possesses, and no other one in existence possesses. I have interspersed the two lists and attempted to make this an exhaustive list, but it was a bit difficult knowing God himself is infinite. So, I may have missed a few, but I focused on hitting the larger general areas:

1) His incarnation through Christ

John 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

1 Timothy 3:16 – “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

Philippians 2:6–7 – “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”

2) His omnipresence

Psalm 139:7–10 –
“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.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”

Jeremiah 23:23–24 –
“Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD.
Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.”

1 Kings 8:27 –
“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?”

Proverbs 15:3 –
“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”

3) His omniscience

1 John 3:20 – “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”

Psalm 147:5 – “Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”

Psalm 139:1–4 –
“O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off…
For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.”

Hebrews 4:13 – “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

4) His omnipotence

Genesis 17:1 – “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.”

Jeremiah 32:17 – “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

Jeremiah 32:27 – “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?”

Genesis 35:11 – “And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee.”

5) His glory

Psalm 19:1 – “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”

Numbers 14:21 – “But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.”

Psalm 113:4 – “The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.”

Psalm 8:1 – “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.”

Isaiah 6:3
“Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”

John 1:14
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us… and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.”

Psalm 29:1–2
“Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”

6) His graciousness

Exodus 34:6
“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.”

Psalm 145:8
“The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.”

Psalm 116:5
“Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.”

Isaiah 30:18
“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you… for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.”

James 4:6
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

7) His humanity through Jesus the Son of God

Galatians 4:4
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.”

Luke 2:52
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

Matthew 4:2
“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.”

John 4:6
“Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well.”

John 11:35
“Jesus wept.”

Hebrews 4:15
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Hebrews 2:14
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.”

8) His holiness

Leviticus 11:44
“For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy.”

Psalm 99:9
“Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.”

Isaiah 6:3
“And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”

1 Samuel 2:2
“There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee.”

Exodus 15:11
“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”

Psalm 47:8
“God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.”

9) The uncreated existence of Jesus

Colossians 1:16–17
“For by him were all things created…
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

Revelation 22:13
“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

Micah 5:2
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah… out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

John 17:5
“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

Revelation 1:17–18
“Fear not; I am the first and the last:
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.”

Psalm 102:25-27 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth:
and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure:
yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;
as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27 But thou art the same,
and thy years shall have no end.

10) His eternality

Deuteronomy 33:27
“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”

Psalm 102:25–27
“Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth…
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure…
But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”

Isaiah 40:28
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?”

Isaiah 44:6
“Thus saith the LORD… I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

1 Timothy 1:17
“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.”

11) His divinity

John 20:28
And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

Titus 2:13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:9
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Colossians 2:9
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Hebrews 1:8
But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Philippians 2:6
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.

12) His wisdom

Job 12:13
With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

Psalm 104:24
O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.

Psalm 136:5
To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Proverbs 3:19
The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

Daniel 2:21
And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.

Romans 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

1 Corinthians 1:24
But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 1:25
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

13) His Saving power to save the whole person from sin, spirit mind and body

Psalm 34:22
The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

Isaiah 12:2
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

Isaiah 45:22
Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.

Matthew 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Luke 19:10
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Romans 10:9–10
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

1 Thessalonians 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 7:25
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

14) His mercy

Exodus 34:6
And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Deuteronomy 4:31
For the Lord thy God is a merciful God; he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

Psalm 86:5
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Psalm 103:8
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Psalm 103:10–11
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

Psalm 145:8–9
The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Lamentations 3:22–23
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Micah 7:18
Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

Luke 1:50
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

15) His humility

Psalm 113:5–6
Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,
Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth.

Isaiah 57:15
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Psalm 18:35
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Psalm 138:6
Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.

Micah 6:8
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Philippians 2:5–8
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

16) His throne

1 Kings 22:19
I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.

Psalm 11:4
The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

Psalm 45:6
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

Psalm 47:8
God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.

Psalm 89:14
Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

Psalm 103:19
The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

Isaiah 6:1
I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Jeremiah 17:12
A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.

Daniel 7:9
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame.

Matthew 25:31
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.

Hebrews 1:8
But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Revelation 4:2–3
And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone.

Revelation 22:1
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

17) His kingship

Psalm 10:16
The Lord is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

Psalm 24:7–8
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Psalm 29:10
The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.

Psalm 47:6–7
Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

Psalm 95:3
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

Psalm 98:6
With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King.

Isaiah 33:22
For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us.

Isaiah 44:6
Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

Jeremiah 10:10
But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king.

1 Timothy 1:17
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 15:3
Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

Revelation 19:16
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.

18) His leadership

Exodus 13:21
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.

Deuteronomy 31:8
And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

Psalm 23:2–3
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Psalm 31:3
For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.

Psalm 32:8
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Psalm 48:14
For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

Psalm 73:24
Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

Isaiah 48:17
Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

Isaiah 58:11
And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones.

John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

19) His worth

1 Chronicles 16:25
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.

Psalm 18:3
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Psalm 48:1
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

Psalm 96:4
For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

Psalm 145:3
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Isaiah 6:3
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Revelation 4:11
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 5:12
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Revelation 5:13
Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Revelation 7:12
Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

20) His transcendence

1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

Job 11:7–9
Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

Psalm 8:1
O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Isaiah 55:8–9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

Psalm 97:9
For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.

Psalm 113:4–6
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,
Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth.

Isaiah 40:22
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.

Isaiah 57:15
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place.

Job 36:26
Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out.

Job 37:23
Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice.

Psalm 145:3
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Acts 17:24–25
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.

1 Timothy 6:15–16
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.

Isaiah 66:1
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.

21) His love

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 John 4:8
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1 John 4:9–10
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Romans 8:38–39
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:4–5
But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved.

Ephesians 3:17–19
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.

1 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

22) His joy

Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Isaiah 62:5
For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

Jeremiah 32:41
Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.

Deuteronomy 30:9
And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand… for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers.

Psalm 104:31
The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

Luke 15:7
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Luke 15:10
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

23) His peace

Judges 6:24
Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Isaiah 54:10
For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

Romans 15:33
Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Romans 16:20
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:23
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly.

Hebrews 13:20
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.

2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means.

24) His patience and longsuffering trait

Exodus 34:6
And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Numbers 14:18
The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.

Nehemiah 9:17
But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.

Psalm 86:15
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Psalm 103:8
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

Psalm 145:8
The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

Nahum 1:3
The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power.

Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1 Timothy 1:16
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering.

25) His kindness

Psalm 117:2
For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord.

Psalm 31:21
Blessed be the Lord: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.

Psalm 63:3
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Isaiah 54:8
In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

Isaiah 63:7
I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us.

Jeremiah 9:24
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth.

Titus 3:4–5
But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.

Ephesians 2:7
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

26) His goodness

Psalm 34:8
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 100:5
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Psalm 107:1
O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 119:68
Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

Psalm 145:7
They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

Psalm 145:9
The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Nahum 1:7
The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

Lamentations 3:25
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights.

Psalm 27:13
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Psalm 31:19
Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men.

Psalm 52:1
The goodness of God endureth continually.

Psalm 65:11
Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.

Psalm 107:8–9
Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

27) His faithfulness

Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.

Psalm 36:5
Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

Psalm 89:1
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 89:8
O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?

Lamentations 3:22–23
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

1 Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:13
God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able.

2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.

2 Timothy 2:13
If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

28) His gentleness

2 Samuel 22:36
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Psalm 18:35
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Isaiah 40:11
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Hosea 11:3–4
I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love.

Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

2 Corinthians 10:1
Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.

James 3:17
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated.

29) His self-control or self-restraint

Exodus 34:6
And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Numbers 14:18
The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.

Nehemiah 9:30
Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets.

Psalm 78:38
But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

Psalm 86:15
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Psalm 103:8–10
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Isaiah 48:9
For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

Nahum 1:3
The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power.

Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Romans 9:22
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

30) His perfection

Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

2 Samuel 22:31
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

Psalm 18:30
As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

Psalm 19:7
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.Psalm 145:17
The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

Matthew 5:48
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Romans 12:2
That ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Hebrews 6:18
It was impossible for God to lie.

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

31) His suffering

Isaiah 53:3
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.

Isaiah 53:4–5
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.

Matthew 26:38
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.

Mark 15:34
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Luke 22:44
And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

John 1:11
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

John 19:1
Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.

Acts 3:18
Those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

Hebrews 5:8
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.

Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.

1 Peter 2:23–24
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not.
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.

1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God

32) His righteousness

Deuteronomy 32:4
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Ezra 9:15
O Lord God of Israel, thou art righteous.

Psalm 11:7
For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

Psalm 36:6
Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep.

Psalm 71:19
Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things.

Psalm 89:14
Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

Psalm 119:137
Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments.

Psalm 145:17
The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

Isaiah 45:21
There is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour.

Daniel 9:14
For the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth.

Romans 3:25–26
To declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past.
That he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

2 Timothy 4:8
The Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me a crown of righteousness.

1 John 1:9
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

33) His incorporeality

John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

1 Kings 8:27
Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee.

Acts 17:24–25
God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.
Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing.

Colossians 1:15
Who is the image of the invisible God.

1 Timothy 1:17
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.

Romans 1:20
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen.

Hebrews 11:27
He endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

1 Timothy 6:15–16
“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”

Deuteronomy 4:15–16
“Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure.”

Acts 17:24–25
“The God who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.”

Numbers 23:19
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent.”

34) His immanence

Psalm 139:7–10
“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

James 4:8
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

Psalm 145:18
“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.”

Deuteronomy 4:7
“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?”

Jeremiah 23:23–24
“‘Am I a God near at hand,’ says the Lord, ‘And not a God afar off? 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.”

Acts 17:27
“So that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.”

Psalm 73:28
“But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works.”

Isaiah 55:6
“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.”

35) His compassion

Exodus 34:6
“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.’”

Deuteronomy 4:31
“For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.”

Psalm 86:15
“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”

Psalm 103:13
“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.”

Psalm 111:4
“He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful.”

Psalm 116:5
“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.”

Psalm 145:8–9
“The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.”

Isaiah 30:18
“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”

Isaiah 49: 13
“Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion

Lamentations 3:22–23
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Micah 7:18–19
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot

36) His creatorhood

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 2:3
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Nehemiah 9:6
You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.

Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Psalm 33:6
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

Psalm 95:5
The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 102:25
Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

Isaiah 40:28
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary

37) His infinitude

Psalm 147:5
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

Isaiah 40:12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?

Isaiah 40:28
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.

1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!

Job 11:7–9
Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
It is higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
Its measure is longer than the earth
and broader than the sea.

Psalm 145:3
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

38) His Sovereignty

Daniel 4:35
“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”

Isaiah 46:9–10
“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”

Proverbs 19:21
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Romans 9:15–16
“For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

Romans 11:36
“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

Ephesians 1:11
“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”

Job 42:2
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Lamentations 3:37–38
“Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?”

1 Timothy 6:15
“…he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.”

39) His self-existence

Exodus 3:14
“God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I AM has sent me to you.”’”

John 5:26
“For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.”

Psalm 90:2
“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

Isaiah 43:10
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.”

Isaiah 44:6
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.’”

Revelation 1:8
“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’”

Acts 17:24–25
“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”

Isaiah 40:28
“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary;

40) His self-sufficiency

Acts 17:24–25
“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.”

Psalm 50:10–12
“For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.
If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.”

Job 41:11
“Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.”

Romans 11:34–36
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”

John 5:26
“For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.”

Isaiah 40:13–14
“Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel?
Whom did he consult, and who made him understand?
Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?”

Daniel 4:35
“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”

Psalm 115:3
“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”

41) His justice

Deuteronomy 32:4
“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

Psalm 89:14
“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.”

Psalm 9:7–8
“But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.”

Isaiah 30:18

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”

Isaiah 61:8
“For I the Lord love justice; I hate robbery and wrong; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.”

Romans 2:5–6
“But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works.”

Lamentations 3:37–38
“Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?”

1 Timothy 6:15
“…he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.”

Ephesians 1:11
“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.”

Job 42:2
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Lamentations 3:37–38
“Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?”

42) His immutability-he never changes

Malachi 3:6
“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.”

Numbers 23:19
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

Psalm 102:25–27
“Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
but you are the same, and your years have no end.”

James 1:17
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Isaiah 40:8
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

Isaiah 46:9–10
“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”

Psalm 33:11
“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.”

43) His incomprehensibility although he allows us to know him and have a relationship with him through Christ

Job 11:7–9
“Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
It is higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
Its measure is longer than the earth
and broader than the sea.”

Job 37:5
“God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things that we cannot comprehend.”

Job 26:14
“Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Psalm 145:3
“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.”

Isaiah 40:28
“Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary

44) His uniqueness-only one God in all of existence

Isaiah 45:5–6
“I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other.”

Isaiah 46:9
“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.”

Isaiah 44:6
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.’”

Deuteronomy 4:35

To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God; there is no other besides him.”

Deuteronomy 4:39
“Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.”

1 Samuel 2:2
“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.”

2 Samuel 7:22
“Therefore you are great, O Lord God. For there is none like you, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears.”

Jeremiah 10:6–7
“There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you.”

45) His unity within the Godhead, among God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Matthew 28:19
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

John 10:30
“I and the Father are one.”

John 14:9–10
“Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.’”

John 14:16–17
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth…”

John 14:26
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

John 15:26
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”

2 Corinthians 13:14
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

1 Corinthians 12:4–6
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”

Ephesians 4:4–6
“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

James 2:19 “You believe that God is one; you do well”.

Deuteronomy 6:4 (The Shema): “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one”.

*LG

Long post but I needed to say it to certain loved ones, with a song

From me to certain loved ones whom I have loved and hurt: When you are sorry for saying things too abruptly or before you truly think them through, and you have strained relationships, and you don’t know how to fix it, it can cause you to turn to God. I made the decision to become more sensitive and humble several weeks ago, but writing this song below was a decision I made to place a stake in the ground for myself so to speak and to turn away from “a confrontational approach” to a more sensitive, humble, and gentle approach to dealing with interpersonal conflict. Although I believe that I had some losses of friends or family that were not entirely my fault, a significant amount possibly were. My decision to post this song (even though I am still deciding on the melody) is a “public apology or stake in the ground” for whoever I may have rubbed the wrong way, who might see this post. My hope is that by it I could share my true sorrow and remorse over rubbing some people the wrong way who I have loved, and I didn’t know I was straining the relationship in ways that caused quite a few losses of connection over the last 5 years or longer. I hope you receive my apology.

“He Smooths our Rough Edges”

Original song By Lisa Groen 10/12/2024

Verse 1

Can you look past all my weaknesses, and somehow see Jesus Christ?

My goal was never to frustrate you, but I said what was on my mind

Before I knew it the words were out and the damage was sorely done

Could you give grace to this sinner like Christ did, God’s only begotten Son?

Chorus:

Oh Lord Heal me I pray as I kneel here and say you are the anchor of my soul

My friends sometimes drift but you are my fortress who will never a good thing withhold

If I feel I miss Your will I lose bliss but I believe that you just might say to me

There’s a deeper healing when the Lord is enough and deeper in Him you shall surely be

Verse 2

I have learned I am no better than those I have judged, we are all in need of grace

So to Jesus Christ I surrender my judgment, and the pride that distorts my gaze

It is harder to see Christ’s beauty when my opinions are catching my eye

So I lay down my old self and go wash in the word and pray Lord please renew my mind.

Chorus:

Oh Lord Heal me I pray as I kneel here and say you are the anchor of my soul

My friends sometimes drift but you are my fortress who will never a good thing withhold

If I feel I miss your will I lose bliss but I believe that you just might say to me

There’s a deeper healing when the Lord is enough and deeper in Him you shall surely be

Verse 3

As much as I believe Jesus rose from the dead, I believe He can heal the soul

His resurrection speaks a change is coming for those surrendered to be made whole

Here I lay down my will, and I seek yours oh Lord, for your plan can heal my every wound

And your life Lord is better than the morning sunrise to dry up the evening dew.

Chorus:

Oh Lord Heal me I pray as I kneel here and say you are the anchor of my soul

My friends sometimes drift but you are my fortress who will never a good thing withhold

If I feel I miss your will I lose bliss but I believe that you just might say to me

There’s a deeper healing when the Lord is enough and deeper in Him you shall surely be

Verse 4

Lord Jesus I come, Oh my God I come, to be healed of the stains of sin

I seek your heart through the word, and I seek your mind Lord to heal, what is out of line within

To the one who can change me, thee only One to remake me, I surrender to you and pray

I clothe myself Lord with what I see in you, please give grace to change me today..

Chorus:

Oh Lord Heal me I pray as I kneel here and say you are the anchor of my soul

My friends sometimes drift but you are my fortress who will never a good thing withhold

If I feel I miss your will I lose bliss but I believe that you just might say to me

There’s a deeper healing when the Lord is enough and deeper in Him you shall surely be

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1 Peter 1:3; Part 2 of a Verse by Verse Study of 1 Peter

by Lisa Groen

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

What is a Living Hope and How Does This Living Hope Affect and Impact Our Relationship to God?

God Himself has caused us to be born again! It is according to God’s great mercy that He has caused our salvation. We know whatever God starts he will finish, because he is the author and perfecter of our faith, according to Hebrews 12:2. One aspect of our hope in God is that He has His hand on our faith from the beginning to the end, and this alone points to his mercy towards us and ensures our hope in Him. The word in the Greek for the English word perfecter in Hebrews 12:2 is teleiótés, which according to Biblehub’s online Greek Lexicon (found at https://biblehub.com/lexicon/hebrews/12-2.htm) can be translated as “perfecter, completer” or “finisher”. The Greek word for the word author in the same verse is archégos, (see same biblehub.com site above) which can be translated as “founder, originator, author, prince, and leader”. So, we get from Hebrews 12:2 no matter what version of the Bible you are using, that Jesus begins or originates our faith, and perfects, or completes our faith.

This is encouraging because our faith may have many challenges, and God’s goal for us is that we mature into Christlikeness.  Because our hope is living, because it is from God and Jesus holds that living hope out to us, I believe He designs and provides us opportunity for how we latch onto that living hope in a way that pleases and glorifies Him. Because our hope is in God, our view of God shapes our hope and with God in mind we are motivated to hope for things that please Him. This would include not just hope for a newer vehicle, a 4 year university education, or hope to get married, or merely temporal blessings, although our hope in God can include those things. Our hope from God includes eternal hopes. And because The God of hope provides us hope in a way that would please and honor Him we have been prompted by God to hope for these eternal things because they are made available to the believer in Christ. These could include godliness, holiness, humility, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, and other qualities of spiritual growth to name a few.

These things should characterize our lives as believers in times when we are tempted to rush forward not giving place to them, or when we are challenged with the needs of others around us. We are prompted by God to hope for these eternal character traits, because of our awareness that God is writing the script for these qualities to be and become evident in our lives, and bring us to maturity in Christ. These things should deepen in us from simply abiding in relationship with God over time.

Therefore, we can understand the type of things our living hope is being shaped to make room for in our lives by Christ the author of our faith. These are things that have innate  spiritual virtue, spiritual weight or spiritual value and things that are on a higher spiritual plane than just temporal blessings. So being born into a living hope enables us to develop Christ-likeness.

Imagine a Hope So High In Caliber

This hope so high in caliber is spoken of by Bible book writers and Bible characters again and again that they describe their relationship and the average believer’s relationship with God to be one of hope, giving us hope, pointing to our hope, strengthening our hope and describing the nature of our hope. A few examples would be from the following scriptures:

Psalm 146:5 which says “How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God”.

Psalm 33:17-18 A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness,

Jeremiah 14:22 Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not You, O Lord our God? Therefore we hope in You, For You are the one who has done all these things.

Lamentations 3:21-22 This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.

Isaiah 40:31 Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

Micah 7:7 as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

Romans 5:2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 33:22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in You.

1 Timothy 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers

The benefits, privileges, mercies, and blessings of hope are truly too numerous to count, and too full to fully describe! This is truly a multifaceted, enduring hope for every situation! All of these things people were hoping in were just a small facet of the living hope that is available through faith in Christ!

This Living Hope Is Given Life Through Christ’s Resurrection and Will Culminate in the Resurrection of the Dead for the Believer

Acts 24:15 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

Romans 6:5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Acts 23:6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

Romans 8:11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Not only that, but the resurrection somehow solidifies the many promises about salvation that God has made over the centuries and gives firm evidence that God does not lie. Several passages in the Old Testament (see 1 Kings 17:17-24) point to the reality of the resurrection from the dead. We saw glimpses of it in his promises to Abraham when God promised him all the families of the earth will be blessed through him as Sarah was beyond childbearing years becoming pregnant with Isaac, and again with Abraham showing he believed Isaac could be risen from the dead by God. Christ lived out the hope of the resurrection to make it available to us!

As believers today that are being united with Christ in his death, we experience his life of hope flowing through us. Through faith in his salvation and because of the powers of salvation that were working and available in Christ to those who trusted in him and prayed to him before He died for the sins of the world, living hope was available to those of Old Testament times. Today, likewise we in New Testament times, through our faith in his work, because we are united with him in his death will surely be raised with Him as well, because we will be united with Him in His resurrection. What Jesus set out to do he accomplished, which is our salvation. This is simply another reason to rejoice in the truth that the undeniable reality that our living hope exists, and the born again condition of believers in Christ is full of living hope, and this hope has great spiritual value. Because the resurrection of Jesus Himself empowers this hope we are born into, we can experience multi-leveled hope in this life and in the next, and it is chock full of the mercy of God.   LG

1 Peter 1:1-2: Part 1 of a Verse by Verse Study of 1 Peter

By Lisa Groen

1 Peter 1:1 To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia

1 Peter 1:2 According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

God The Father who has foreknowledge, initiated our relationship with God, even though we as Christians may experience being exiled, and some believers have been dispersed in different places.

God has kept believers in the sanctification of the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ.

God has set us apart in sanctification to himself to enable us to be obedient to Jesus.

God has set us on the pathway of sanctification and his presence keeping us on this pathway continues to enable us to be obedient.

God has also set us apart for the sprinkling of His blood.

These truths help us to know and remind us:

1)      We need the sprinkling of his blood because we are sinners

2)      God has provided the sprinkling of His blood

3)      God has set us apart for this purpose

This sprinkling of Jesus’ blood not only cleanses us from our sins, but also provides the perfect righteousness of Christ inherent in the blood and associated with Jesus’ blood.  And this perfect righteousness is what God supplies us and counts in our favor in our spiritual account which God keeps.

Review:

1)      We are kept by God for obedience to Jesus because we have been sanctified. Because we have been set apart for obedience, God enables and provides for our obedience.

2)      We are kept by God for the sprinkling of His blood, so we are to confess our sins, and let this be ongoing, because God knows we sin, and knows we need cleansing.

3)      Because of being sanctified, and set apart for obedience to Jesus, and set apart for the sprinkling of His blood, and cleansing, this is where we receive in an ongoing manner, because the verb sprinkling is a present tense verb, the righteousness of Jesus Christ in an ongoing manner, so our spiritual account has righteousness in it in an ongoing manner because of what Christ has done on our behalf. LG

What Does it Mean to Abide in Christ?     

By Lisa Groen

John 15:4 in the ESV says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”

Certainly, there are reasons God calls the believer to Himself for intimacy. As we live our daily lives, and think about our relationship with God, it seems apparent that people are designed by God for relational intimacy. We see intimacy within families, with friendships, with romance, with relationships in which one party must sacrifice or is called to serve others putting their own needs below the needs of those they serve. As a long-time church attender I have seen different aspects of intimacy with God play out in the lives and testimonies of those in attendance in several of the churches I have visited. One aspect of that intimacy with God that the Bible speaks of between the believer and Christ Himself stems directly from John 15:4 which is the Christian call to abide in Him.

What is the definition of abide? The word in the Greek for the word abide in John 15:4 is “meno”. The definition is “to stay, or remain”. The usage of this word in Biblical times was commonly “I remain, abide, stay, wait; I wait for, or I await.”

For a Christian who seems to think it is better that he busy himself or herself with church functions such as going to church potlucks or clean-ups, craft shows, or movie nights rather than waiting on or abiding in God we can challenge those  temptations that are so common to us with the truth of John 15:4. I have personally observed the attendance at church potlucks, clean-ups, and craft shows among most churches are quite regularly higher than most of the same churches’ prayer meetings. Fellowshipping with other Christians is without a doubt of high importance for a believer, but if the whole of our free time after our families and jobs are only about giving time to church social events rather than spending time getting to know God, we have to ask ourselves, am I getting to know God, or only His people? The poignant reality of the definition of eternal life is found in John 17:3 NIV which says, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

A very basic reason Christ died on the cross is to help God’s people to know Christ and to know God. Isn’t this the reason The Father sent Christ to earth? Knowing God is the very definition of eternal life itself! This is what we will be doing and growing in for the whole of eternity. Intimacy with God and knowing God will unfold for us one day at a time, and we will be more and more filled with the knowledge of God day after day and it will never get old!

Now by personal experience I have observed that many of our church prayer meetings seem to be filled with respectable, pleasant and honorable Christians attending the prayer meeting to say thanks to God for quite a few things and then jumping right to the long prayer request list. But personally, if we can objectively think about this approach, if a wife or husband were to approach the spouse and say to them “thank you for this and that…and would you do the next 50 things that I and my friends would like to see you do?” And they make it a sure a regular habit to properly rush through the long prayer request list very much like a speed reader would do in order to be a good steward of their time and to not bore the people who are listening so they can cover the most bases and quickly get through the entire large dry sterile tasting mountain of prayer requests, adding a few thank yous here and there….One has to ask if we experience intimacy with God by speed-praying covering something like a long task list of needs, in order to make the most “progress” through our mountains of lists, have we left any room to LISTEN to God? Does anyone LISTEN to God anymore as we pray? Have we resigned our relational God who is the author and creator of relational intimacy to fulfill a mere role of butler and bellhop–errand boy and to the role of prayer request fulfillment technician or have we forgotten that our relational God who is the author and creator of every healthy intimate relationship possible is the God we are praying to? Do we put on the back burner the truth that His sheep hear His voice? Not just that He hears OUR voice?!

Now to the human familiar with earthly habits, one common way to get to know a person is to stay at their house talking with and observing the one you would like to get to know, and God interestingly offers the same kind of approach we earthlings can take with drawing near to our Heavenly Lord and obtain the results of a growing intimacy with Christ and with God.

Through observing church goers over the years, it has become apparent to me that intimacy with God is not found in the loudness of music, nor in the loudness of the praying. It is not found in rushing our prayers, or in rushing our preaching getting the most words in within the time limit because we have to end the church service on time, because the second service has GOT to start on time AND END on time! Intimacy with God is not found primarily in some kind of sense-oriented ecstatic experience, although God can draw his people near to Him and allow sense-oriented experiences of Him.

From Biblical and personal examples for the church attender, we can see that those with a developed intimacy with God can grow in intimacy with God by reading in His Word about His historical actions, what He defends and fights against, His ordinances and decrees, His ways of relating to His people, and other Biblical messages such as in the poetic scripture books, finding out the things that please Him. Another big part of getting to know God is to observe how God carries out His answers to our prayers, and by what we can see of his Sovereignty in the news, in secular history, and in how He handles as a Heavenly Father the lives and circumstances of our Christian brothers and sisters both peripheral and central to our daily lives.

Even beyond these ways that we can observe God objectively through his word and through looking for the things that please Him or anger Him in scripture and noting His responses to the circumstances of our Christian brothers and sisters around us, we must note God is also a personal God–for us. Although the world around us speaks of God objectively, I believe though the witness in scripture of the first institution of God which was put in place by Him of Adam and Eve, a husband and wife, and then the next institution of God put in place called the family, are without a doubt a clear testimony that God continues to speak to show us down through the millennia, that people can know Christ intimately and subjectively, the way family members are set up to know one another.

Without a doubt people are allowed to be in relationships with discernable individual experiences of one another and this speaks of how we can know God in subjective and individual ways. Life and intimacy exist among human beings the way that it does because we are made in the image of a God who lives within intimacy within the 3 persons of the Godhead all of which can be known by His people with the same manner of intimacy even if it is not the full or perfect level of intimacy experienced by the 3 persons of the Godhead. This is a much better intimacy we have been made in the image of God for only than by knowing this God by mere common convention ideology or seeing His ways from afar.

Personal experience or subjective encounters with what seems to be God should never be taken as grounds to set aside what can be known about God objectively through His written word.

In part 2 of this series, we will cover common responses of people in the church in New Testament times that stem from them having one or more encounters with God that they take to be a kind of conviction to give them grounds to set aside what can be known about God in His written word. And that is where the danger begins! This gives insight into the importance again of admonition Jesus gave of John 15:4 of “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”

Until next time,

Keep groenintheword. LG

Day by Day Bible Exploration of the Communicable and Incommunicable Attributes of God—Day 3

God is Compassionate and Gracious

In the original Hebrew of the Old Testament, according to https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7349.htm the Hebrew word rachum appears 13 times. It is translated into English as the word compassionate. Out of those 13 times it appears, 11 of those times it is used alongside of the word gracious. In fact, in the other two original Hebrew scriptures in which the word rachum, or compassionate is used, (Deuteronomy 4:31 and Psalm 78:38) instead of using gracious alongside of compassionate, the writers of the scriptures were led by God to use phrases such as “He will not abandon you nor destroy you” in Deuteronomy 4:31 and “But He, being compassionate, forgave their wrongdoing and did not destroy them; and often He restrained His anger” in Psalm 78:38. These phrases alongside of compassionate have the meaning of “forgiveness and a restraining of anger”, and God “not destroying the people”, essentially those phrases too means the demonstration of forgiveness, or God ceasing from wrath. The meaning of the phrases are in line with “God showing mercy”, or in other words they are very close to the definition of grace. There is a tremendous amount of overlap between the definitions of grace and mercy and God restraining Himself from wrath.

Let’s observe how the Bible clearly puts God’s compassion and graciousness together, or God’s compassion and God restraining Himself from wrath together side by side in each and every one of the 13 verses below. In 11 of the 13 verses these words compassion and graciousness are so close together in each sentence that the closest adjective in each verse to the word compassion, is the adjective “gracious”. In the remaining 2 of the 13 verses (Deuteronomy 4:31 and Psalm 78:38) there are phrases which have the meaning of graciousness, such as “God is restraining himself from wrath” or declaring God’s choice to “not destroy them” or a declaration of his “forgiveness”, and these phrases are adjacent to the word compassionate:

Exodus 34:6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,

Deuteronomy 4:31 For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not abandon you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.

2 Chronicles 30:9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will find compassion in the presence of those who led them captive, and will return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”

Nehemiah 9:17 They refused to listen, and did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You performed among them; So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy; and You did not abandon them.

Nehemiah 9:31 Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.

Psalm 78:38 But He, being compassionate, forgave their wrongdoing and did not destroy them; and often He restrained His anger and did not stir up all His wrath.

Psalm 86:15 But You, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy and truth.

Psalm 103:8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.

Psalm 111:4 He has caused His wonders to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and compassionate.

Psalm 112:4 Light shines in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious, compassionate, and righteous.

Psalm 145:8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate; Slow to anger and great in mercy.

Joel 2:13 And tear your heart and not merely your garments.” Now return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in mercy and relenting of catastrophe.

Jonah 4:2 Then he prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was this not what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore in anticipation of this I fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster.

It is quite fitting to say that God’s graciousness is highlighted by His compassion and vice versa, and his graciousness and compassion complement each other like a strong hand would fit into a snug stretchable glove in a beautiful divine harmony. LG