Linked Together: Knowing God

Three suggestions for weekend reading on the character of God.

As He Is
“Let’s be sure to delight in the character of God and not in a caricature of God.”—Erik Raymond

What He Knows
God knows everything:

Divine omniscience includes the following: First, God fully knows himself, his infinite knowledge encompassing his infinite being. As Scripture notes, the Father knows the Son, and the Son knows the Father (Matt. 11:27), and the Holy Spirit knows all the mysteries of the Godhead (1 Cor. 2:10). Second, God fully knows his own decree or eternal purpose, and all the events that transpire as the outworking of this sovereign will (Acts 15:18).

From a human, timed perspective, God fully knows the past, present, and future. Thus, third, he fully knows the past, which is as vivid to him as the present. Accordingly, God’s “forgetfulness” of our past sins refers to his commitment not to count them against us (Heb. 10:17). Fourth, he fully knows the present, from its loftiest realities (the number of the stars in the universe; Psa. 147:4) to its smallest details (the number of the hairs on one’s head and the death of a sparrow; Matt. 10:29-30). Fifth, God fully knows the future, even the free will decisions and actions of his creatures (for example, the future home of Israel in the promised land, the birth of Isaac to old Abram and barren Sarah; Gen. 15:16; 18:10).

Moreover, sixth, he fully knows all actual things, that is, people and events that actually exist and happen; and seventh, all possible things, that is, all people and events that could possibly exist and happen but never do (for example, the would-be response of people long gone if they had witnessed Jesus’s miracles centuries later; Matt. 11:20-22).  

Read Dane Ortlund’s whole interview with Gregg Allison.

About His Wrath
Five biblical truths about the wrath of God: 

1. God’s wrath is just.
2. God’s wrath is to be feared.
3. God’s wrath is consistent in the Old and New Testament.
4. God’s wrath is his love in action against sin.
5. God’s wrath is satisfied in Christ.

Read Joseph Scheumann’s explanation of each of these truths.  

Thankful Thursday

Today I’m thankful 

• for a perfect sledding hill for my preschool grandchildren.
  
  
• for ice cream. I’m stuck eating only soft foods for a week or so—no meat, crunchy cereals, or crisp fruits and vegies—so my food choices are boring, boring, boring. Except for the ice cream, which is allowed and encouraged.
  
  
• for more work for my youngest son. He’s employed project to project, so when one project stalls or ends, he needs new projects to take on. Work for him is a constant petition when I pray, and so far, the “yes” answers keep coming.
  
  
• for this Bible study and time to listen while I work. 

Also thankful today:

• At Out of the Ordinary
• Kevin Sorensen

What are you thankful for? Leave a comment with your thanksgiving, post your thanksgiving on your blog, or tweet it. Give me the link by email or in a comment and I’ll add your thanksgiving to the list in the post.

Theological Term of the Week

Historical Theology
The study of the history and development of Christian doctrine; the study of the history of what the church has believed. 

• From Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine  by Gregg Allison, eight benefits to understanding historical theology:

1. Historical theology helps the church distinguish orthodoxy from heresy.

2. Historical theology provides sound biblical interpretation and theological formulations.

3. Historical theology presents stellar examples of faith, love, courage, hope, obedience and mercy.

4. Historical theology protects against the individualism that is rampant today among Christians.

5. Historical theology not only helps the church understand the historical development of its beliefs, but enables it to express those beliefs in contemporary form.

6. Historical theology encourages the church to focus on essentials, that is, to major on those areas that have been emphasized repeatedly throughout the history of the church.

7. Historical theology gives the church hope by providing assurance that Jesus is fulfilling his promise to his people [to build his church].

8. Historical theology [enables us] to enjoy a sense of belonging to the church of the past.1

Learn more:

1. GotQuestions.org: What is historical theology?
2. Theopedia: Historical theology
3. Tim Chester: Why study historical theology
4. Sam Storms: What is Historical Theology?
5. Sam Storms: Historical Theology Series

Related terms:

• Biblical Theology
• Systematic Theology

Filed under Theology

1From Why study historical theology by Tim Chester

Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on Theological Terms in the navigation bar above will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.