The Father's House Chapel of Milton Keynes

Level 1 Lesson 5

THE NATURE OF GOD

God's Nature and Character
In any discussion about who and what God is, we must not lose sight of the most important truth about God-that God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son are Beings of infinite love. John perfectly summarized their divine character and nature when he wrote that "God is love" (1 John 4:8, 16). The love of God is selfless, out flowing concern for the good of others. When He showed his glory to Moses, God revealed Himself as "the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin" (Exodus 34:6-7, NIV).
Love is the foundation of the character and law of God. It is the basis of everything that God has revealed to mankind in the Holy Scriptures (Matthew 22:35-40). Paul called love the greatest Christian attribute (1 Corinthians 13:13). It is the first aspect of the fruit of God's Spirit that he mentions (Galatians 5:22). Love is the bond of perfection, binding everything together in perfect unity (Colossians 3:14, NIV). It is the fulfilling of God's divine law (Romans 13:10).
To have a positive relationship with the Lord, we must know His nature and His real character. Is He angry because of our sin, or is He a merciful God who wants to give us His life and blessing, independent of our performance? The Scriptures actually give us two different views of God, not that He has ever changed or done anything differently. There was a period of time that in the terminology used in the Bible, God "held men's sins against them."

In a sense, that's what the Lord did with the Old Testament. Before people were born again they didn't have the spiritual perception we have under the New Covenant, so He had to give laws and enforce them with punishment, sometimes even death, to deter them from sin. Because Satan was destroying people through sin, there had to be restraints placed on sin, and they had to be enforced. Although this left the false impression that God didn't really love us because of our sin that is not what the Word of God teaches. Romans 5:13 says, "Until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed where there is no law." "Until the law" means until the days of Moses when God gave the Ten Commandments and other ceremonial laws that applied to the Jewish nation. Up until that time, sin was in the world but wasn't imputed. The word "impute" is a bookkeeping term; e.g., you go to the store to buy something and say, "Put it on my tab." When it is put on your tab, it is recorded and charged against your account, and the purchase is imputed to you. If they failed to impute it, that means it wasn't recorded and held against you.

This verse is saying that until the time the Ten Commandments came, sin was not being held against people. That's an amazing statement. Look at Genesis 3 and 4. Most people have the concept that when Adam and Eve sinned against God, because He was holy and man was now sinful, He could have nothing to do with sinful mankind. They think God drove man out of the Garden to remove him from His presence because a Holy God couldn't have anything to do with unholy man. They further think that until you clean up your act through right actions, God once again cannot have any relationship with you. That is contrary to the message Jesus brought. Romans 5:8 says God commended His love toward you, and while you were yet a sinner, Christ died for you; so the New Testament teaches that God extended His love to you while you were living in sin, not after you have cleaned up your act. One of the great truths of the Gospel that will change your life is to understand that God loves you just like you are. He loves you so much that if you receive His love, you won't want to stay as you are. You will change, but you'll change as a by-product of God's love not in order to get His love.

In Genesis 4 you can see that God was still fellowshipping with man, still talking with Adam and Eve even after they sinned. He talked with Cain and Abel, and when they came to offer sacrifices to Him, He spoke to them in an audible voice. By their reaction, we can see that they were accustomed to hearing His voice, and it didn't scare them. When Cain killed his brother Abel and became the first murderer on the earth, God's audible voice came from heaven: "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain lied to God, seemingly without compunction.

That can happen only if a person is so used to hearing the voice of God that they take it for granted and have no fear of it. All this says is that God was still fellowshipping with mankind and had not broken fellowship, as is commonly believed. He was not imputing man's sins to him. Does that mean that He condoned their sins or that they were not wrong? No, that's the reason He eventually gave the Law. God had to give the Law to bring man back to a proper standard. God had to show man that he needs a Savoir and that he has to humble himself and receive forgiveness as a gift. Sadly, religion has manipulated and controlled these things to teach that the Law was given so you can keep it and thereby earn God's forgiveness and acceptance. No! The purpose of Old Testament Law was to magnify your sin to such a degree that you would despair of ever saving yourself and say, "God, if this is your standard of holiness, I can't do it. Forgive me, have mercy on me." The overall nature of God has always been love. And it will never change He is the standard that all Christians and the world need to aspire?
Discipleship Questions

1. Read Romans 5:13. What does the word "impute" mean? _______________________

2. Read Romans 7:7. What was the purpose of the Law? __________________________

3. Read Galatians 3:24. According to this verse, what was the purpose of the Law? ________________________________________________________________________

4. Read John 8:1-11. How did Jesus deal with the woman caught in adultery? ________________________________________________________________________

5. Did Jesus' words and actions reflect the true nature of God? See John 3:34. ________________________________________________________________________

6. Read 1 John 4:8. According to this verse, what is the true nature of God? __________


7. Read Romans 5:6. God's love was directed toward us when we were what? ________


8. Read Romans 5:8. God loved us while we were what? _________________________


9. Read Romans 5:10. God loved us while we were what? ________________________


10. If you asked Jesus Christ to forgive you and be your Savoir and Lord, trusting Jesus' sacrifice as payment for your sin, would God show you His true nature of mercy and grace? _________________________________________________________________

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Scriptures to Use with Questions

Romans 5:13 - "For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law."

Romans 7:7 - "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet."

Galatians 3:24 - "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

John 8:1-11 - "[1] Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives. [2] And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. [3] And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, [4] They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. [5] Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? [6] This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. [7] So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. [8] And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. [9] And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. [10] When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those accusers? hath no man condemned thee? [11] She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

Romans 5:10 - "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Spirit by measure unto him."

1 John 4:8 - "He that loved not knoweth not God; for God is love."

Romans 5:6 - "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."

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

Answer Key

1. Read Romans 5:13. What does the word "impute" mean? To charge to one's account.

2. Read Romans 7:7. What was the purpose of the Law? To make sin known.

3. Read Galatians 3:24. According to this verse, what was the purpose of the Law? To show mankind their need of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

4. Read John 8:1-11. How did Jesus deal with the woman caught in adultery? In mercy and grace.

5. Did Jesus' words and actions reflect the true nature of God? See John 3:34. Yes.

6. Read 1 John 4:8. According to this verse, what is the true nature of God? Love.

7. Read Romans 5:6. God's love was directed toward us when we were what? Without strength; i.e., helpless and ungodly.
8. Read Romans 5:8. God loved us while we were what? Sinners.

9. Read Romans 5:10. God loved us while we were what? Enemies.

10. If you asked Jesus Christ to forgive you and be your Savoir and Lord, trusting Jesus' sacrifice as payment for your sin, would God show you His true nature of mercy and grace? Yes.
This amazing quality of godly love even encompasses love for one's enemies (Matthew 5:44-45; Luke 6:35).
Upon repentance, we can begin to exhibit this kind of love through the Holy Spirit. God wants us to learn to think as He thinks and do as He does.
In exercising this kind of love, we express the image of God (reflecting His character), even though we are still human. Paul encourages us to "let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5), who perfectly personified God's love to the point of giving His own life for us.
One of the Bible's best-known passages tells us that "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). God not only wants to grant us the priceless gift of eternal life, He wants to share all things with us in His divine family (Hebrews 2:6-8; Romans 8:16-17). Time and time again the Scriptures reveal that God perfectly personifies love.
" Please reread and apply in your daily lives.
" God wants you to have a relationship with Him.
" His nature is one of Holiness so we to are to follow that example!.
" He has made us aware of the need to listen!!!!
" God is Love and He wants us to walk in love.


FINAL THOUGHT
In order to understand God's character and nature we must live a lifestyle of Prayer, we must be active in our pursuit of God, and live a lifestyle that is acceptable to him, in other words apply this into your daily routine, a communication process to talk to God continually, through prayer and worship and thanksgiving. This one fact is crucial in our understanding of how God operates!! We simply don't communicate with God in the way that we should. Instead of worshipping God we beg and are always looking for something from Him that's not a healthy relationship, liken it to a husband and wife if one is always asking and begging it's not a healthy environment to be in? It's one based on greed instead of Love!!!

God is Love
Deuteronomy 32:11-12 God described as a mother eagle "As an eagle stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young as it spreads its wings, takes them up and bears them aloft on its pinions, the Lord alone guided him…" God is the source of reason and inspiration in every part of our lives. Ultimately, this means we can only get to know God by searching constantly, by trying to understand what God is and how He must be the touch-point for everything we do. WE must meditate on His Word (Bible). We must pray!!! Learn this principle and see how God will manifest His glory through you!!!


PRAYER
Heavenly father in the mighty name we come before you today father we thank you for your loving kindness, you father has provided us with life and father only you are the source that sustains life on this earth. We pray heavenly father for all families here today, for husbands and wives for their children that they come into a personal relationship with you. We pray for all the leaders in father's house that they grow and mature in their relationship with you, we pray that husbands and wives draw closer to one another and become living examples of you as they walk daily. We pray for the children they become obedient to their parents that serve the Lord, and that they excel in school and grow to become leaders in our community. We pray for all the leaders in our communities for the hospitals, doctors for the police and politicians that they rule and serve in our communities to honour you father. We pray heavenly father for a total healing in our bodies we command sickness to leave in Jesus mighty name. We pray also for musician's to join us here in fathers house chapel guitar players, drummers, keyboard players bass players and an orchestra, to worship you we also pray for fiancés father so we can further and glorify you in Milton Keynes and everywhere we go in Jesus name we ask amen.