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Doctrine of God 0003 - Lesson 4
Attached Audio:
- THE NATURE OF GOD (Continued)
- False Doctrines Concerning the Trinity
- Tritheism
- This is the belief that the three persons of the Godhead are simply three different gods.
- This doctrine has not been a major doctrine in Christianity.
- Unitarianism
- Generally, this doctrine teaches that the unity of God excludes the idea of three equal persons in the Godhead.
- Practically, this demotes the Son and the Spirit to lesser beings. The common teaching is that the Son is a created being subordinate to God and the Spirit is simply an extension of God.
- Specifically, Unitarianism by name was a product of the Enlightenment and came out of the eighteenth century. A number of Baptists of this time fell into this error.
- Historically, Unitarianism was a revival of the Arianism of the fourth century.
- Developed from the teachings of Arius (250-336), a native of Alexandria who was influenced by the Gnostic teachings of the day.
- His view of Christ was as follows:
- He was created by the Father
- He was subordinate to the Father
- He was neither fully God nor fully man
- He was created before everything else, in turn created all other things, and is therefore the highest created being
- He is worthy of worship
- Currently, the teachings of Arianism and Unitarianism are carried on by the Unitarians, the Mormons, the Jehovah Witnesses, and others.
- Modalism
- Modalism is a general word used to describe various teachings that speak of the one God working in various modes but as the same unique God.
- Monarchianism
- A doctrine developing in the third century
- It denies the personal distinctiveness of the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- Adoptionistic monarchianism taught that Jesus was a mere man endowed with the Holy Spirit.
- Sabellianism
- Named for Sabellius who lived in Rome early in the third century
- He taught that the one God revealed Himself through history, first as the Father, second as the Son, and finally as the Spirit.
- As the Father, he was Creator and Lawgiver.
- As the Son, he was the Redeemer.
- As the Spirit, he is the giver of grace.
- However, each of these is the same God who reveals Himself in different modes at different times.
- This teaching has been revived in recent times by the Apostolic Church and other groups.
- The satanic trinity
- The ultimate perversion of the Trinity is found in the satanic trinity as revealed in the book of Revelation.
- The three persons of the satanic trinity are the devil, the antichrist, and the false prophet.
- The three persons of this unholy trinity are unified by the name of the beast. Revelation makes 36 references to one or the other of these three as the beast.
- The beast of the bottomless pit is the devil (Revelation 11:7And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
See All...) - The beast of the sea is the antichrist (Revelation 13:1And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
See All...) - The beast of the earth is the false prophet (Revelation 13:11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
See All...) - THE WORKS OF GOD
- Conception
- Introduction
- Conception, though not an accepted theological term, is used here to refer to the eternal state of God in eternity past when He conceived of the universe and made plans for redemption.
- Conception is followed by Creation and will eventually be completed by Consummation, a reference to the completion of God’s plan for history and the consumption of the universe by fire.
- Time and eternity
- To understand the work of Conception requires an understanding of time and eternity.
- Time refers to the consecutive events that make up history as we know it. Scientifically, time is considered a fourth dimension and that fits with biblical teaching. Time has a beginning, a movement through time, and a consummation. But God is not limited by time.
- Eternity present: even now, God dwells in eternity (Isaiah 57:15For 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.
See All...). That is, He is not contained within the confines of time but dwells outside of time and transcendent to time. As such, although He works with man in time, He looks on past, present, and future as if all were eternally present. - Eternity future: this refers to time beyond time. When God completes His plan for this universe, He will burn all things with fire and the elements will melt with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10-12 [10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
[11] Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
[12] Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
See All...). He will then create new heavens and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
See All...) wherein will dwell righteousness. Eternity future does not mean that there will be no unfolding of events (see Revelation 22:2In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
See All...). It does mean that the battle for redemption will have been completed and the history we now know will have no influence. - Eternity past: this refers to the time before time. The word, time, does not adequately apply to eternity past. However, we must realize that this was not some state of meaninglessness. As we shall see in the following notes, God fellowshipped with Himself at this time and determined His purposes for time. This a mysterious realm into which we can only glimpse, but the glory of a single glimpse is certainly worth the effort.
- The eternal works of God
- What did God do in eternity? Since the works of God that we know about mostly have to do with time, this is a difficult question. He may have done many things, but we only have a hint of His relationship within the persons of the Trinity.
- Eternal fellowship between the persons of the Trinity (Proverbs 8:22The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
See All..., 30; John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
See All...) - Eternal love between the persons of the Trinity (John 17:24Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
See All...) - Mutual glory between the persons of the Trinity (John 17:5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
See All...) - Making plans for the eternal purposes of God (Ephesians 1:9-11 [9] Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
[10] That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
[11] In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
See All...) - God’s works known to Him from the beginning of the world (Acts 15:18Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
See All...) - Coming of Christ foreordained before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:19-20 [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
[20] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
See All...) - Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
See All...) - Chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
See All...) - Eternal life promised before the foundation of the world (Titus 1:2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
See All...) - Names not in the book of life from the foundation of the world (Revelation 17:8The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
See All...) - Kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
See All...) - The eternal plan of God
- A biblical understanding of the eternal plan of God requires an understanding of several biblical words. Many have developed unscriptural systems of doctrine in this area because they have developed intellectual systems instead of allowing God to speak fully for Himself.
- Hierarchy of terms (see Ephesians 1:5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
See All..., 9, 11) - Purpose – God established His own purpose in Himself (Ephesians 1:9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
See All...). - Pleasure – From this purpose came His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
See All...). - Will - God determined His will according to His good pleasure (Ephesians 1:5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
See All..., 9) - Counsel – From this will, God brought forth the counsel or wisdom by which His will would be accomplished (Ephesians 1:11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
See All...). - Work – His counsel (wisdom) resulted in the working of all things (Ephesians 1:11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
See All...).