God is Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Preliminary:
Preliminary:
Thank for being here - and for your interest in growing in their knowledge of God and His Word.
I am going to continue a Bible study I began earlier this summer at Palmdale
which the audio links should be available on our Facebook Page.
The study I want to explore a little is the impossible thoughtful question is “WHO IS GOD?”
The Bible makes no effort to prove the existence of God in fact the Bible opens with the words...
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
It presupposes the existence of God - and then gives us 31,101 verses at least in the KJV to expound, explain, and share His Revelation of Himself with us.
While there is much to discover in that revelation
I see one important overarching theme...
God is....
that theme becomes fuller and richer as you go through the Bible and at Palmdale I talked about four ways
God is...
Real
Always
Great
Knowable
In the Bible we are given three specific God is… theological statements in the Bible all by the Apostle John one in his Gospel and two in his Epistles that I will be using as my focus in these three studies I have with you this year.
The first of those is found in the Gospel of John 4.
A very familiar incident where Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well and has a life changing conversation with her. I’m going to talk more about that tonight at the 6:00 service
But in this conversation Jesus and the Woman are discussing the who, what and where of worship
Lets eavesdrop a little and listen to what is said - I believe it is very important and crucial to a vibrant relationship with God.
22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
There it is - Clear and concise
GOD is a SPIRIT ...
In Greek there is no article so you could say
GOD IS SPIRIT
Another interesting thing about the Greek text - the word “spirit” comes first for emphasis.
“pneuma theos”
“Spirit is what God is”
What is “spirit” -
In some ancient cultures and pagan religious systems there was a difference between “the gods and the spirits”
gods were regarded as supernatural beings that control certain aspects of natural phenomena -
Some common ones are “Thor - the god of thunder and lightning
While as spirits where impersonal and indwell or inhabit certain places - such as rivers, streams, mountains, caves, animals, trees, people”
Our Native American ancestors might talk about the “Great Spirit that was in the tree or wind”
Dr. Leslie Wilcox states that the Natural Attribute of Spirituality “must be considered first of all because it deals with the basic being of God. It considers the form of existence which God has”
God is “in His essence…spiritual” or He is spirit.
All the other attributes of God give qualities of the essence or of that spirituality rather than
Louw-Nida points out that it is very difficult to find a fully satisfactory term or idea to speak of this idea of “God is Spirit” in some languages.
We are cautioned that if the term is used that is used to identify supernatural beings “there is a tendency to read into the term the meaning of evil or mischievousness”
Think “Casper the friendly ghost” or things like Leprechauns or gremlins
Some languages use the term used to identify the spirit of a person - this can be complicated if that language and culture holds the belief that the spirit does not become active until the individual dies
This would suggest that God himself had died
Many solutions have been presented over the years -
Some have used terms equivalent to “the unseen one”
When we think of spirituality we sometimes think invisible or unseen -
I think that may have been on the mind of the hymn writer of the past when they wrote that beautiful worshipful hymn
Logos Digital Hymnal Immortal, Invisible
Immortal, invisible God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.
This hymn is probably based on Paul’s words to Timothy who definitely presents God as ‘the Unseen One” but so much more.
17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I like that verse - and there is a whole heap of God is… statements - you could spend a lifetime discovering the beauties and wonders of God and never finish your discovering.
But back to our problem of the “spirituality of God”
Some languages have used the idea of “breath or wind” that is the closest equivalent for Spirit.
In some of these -”the breath is regarded as having a kind of independent existence”
It is interesting that in the Bible the Greek word that is used in our verse for “spirit” is “pneuma” the theological study of The Holy Spirit is “Pneumatology”
it is the idea of breath or wind
This is seen somewhat in Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus in John 3. There is a particular part of that passage where Jesus in referring to the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation the Greek uses this very word, “pneuma”
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Nicodemus is taken aback by this and surprised - baffled, and a little confused - and Jesus has a powerful question for him
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
Jesus is essentially saying - Nicodemus I am not teaching anything that shouldn’t already be known by the religious leaders today - this isn’t new doctrine or theology - and you of all people ought to know this already
So we have this idea of God being Spirit - but seems to be referring to the activity and attributes of the Holy Spirit -
others portray
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 12.18 πνεῦμα, τος
a few languages the equivalent of Spirit is literally ‘shadow,’ since the ‘shadow’ of a person is regarded as the immaterial part of the individual. Moreover, in many systems of religious thought the shadow is regarded as having some significant measure of independent existence.
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 12.18 πνεῦμα, τος
Frequently it is not possible to find a fully satisfactory term for ‘Spirit,’ and therefore in all contexts some characterizing feature is added, for example, either ‘of God’ or ‘holy,’ in the sense of ‘divine.’ This may be particularly necessary in a passage such as Mk 1:12 where the average reader might assume that a spirit which would make Jesus go out into the desert would be an evil rather than a good spirit.
Whatever is meant by the idea of “God is spirit” The Bible says:
A spirit does not have flesh and bones -- Luke 24:37-39
37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
The Father does not have flesh and blood — Matthew 16:15-17
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
When God is said to see, or walk, or smell it is either speaking physically and of Jesus
Or it is speaking anthropomorphically
Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Anthropomorphism
Assignment of human attributes to nonhuman things.
Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Anthropomorphism
The use of human terminology to talk about God is necessary when we, in our limitations, wish to express truths about the Deity who by his very nature cannot be described or known. From biblical times to the present, people have felt compelled to explain what God is like, and no expressions other than human terms are able to convey any semblance of meaning to the indescribable.
In the very beginning of his Gospel John writes -
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
So being The “Unseen” One does fit somewhat the idea of God is Spirit but the Bible would indicate it goes even beyond just being invisible.
Theologians have attempted to provide a solution by throwing a big word at it...
Incorporeal - meaning - “not composed of matter;
Jesus seems to be indicating a few things by saying that “God is spirit” and one of the main points he is making is “what His very Being is composed of. He is not material.”
“[God] lacks other material qualities such as shape, size, weight, divisibility, or ability to increase.”
“God’s spirituality is the divine attribute that states that God’s being is spiritual, thus God is neither material nor composite in nature.”
To proclaim with Jesus Christ that “God is Spirit” (John 4:24) is to assert that God’s being is immaterial, invisible, and simple.
God has no body, no composite parts, and no physical dimensions.
Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Spirituality
The attribute of God’s spirituality must be distinguished from the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The eternal Father, Son, and Spirit are all “spiritual” in nature (excepting, of course, the incarnate Son in his human nature). Although angels are spiritual beings and humans are physical-spiritual beings, God’s spirituality is an incommunicable attribute in that his spirituality is both infinite and uncreated, while all other spirits are created and therefore finite.
The Bible often goes to great lengths to point out the “wholly otherness” of God or as theologians call it His Transcendence.
He is different from the other gods that people were accustomed to making, and serving.
You find phrases that modify the term God - God Possessor of Heaven and earth, or God the creator of heaven and earth or all that is...
We are told in the 10 Commandments to have no other God before THE GOD -
This is one of the things on which the Old Testament lays such stress. The prophets heap ridicule on those who worship images.
You go out into the woods cut down a tree, paint it, decorate it, carve out its features put it in a shrine somewhere and then you bow down and worship it.
Think of the idiocy of such a thing - to create a god to serve and worship
The God of the Bible is not like an idol. God specifically says that He revealed to them no form, and forbids the making of any likeness of anything in earth, sea, or heaven to use to worship. ...
Edward Bleiberg, who oversees the Brooklyn Museum’s Egyptian art shares the most common question from visitors to the museum, Why are the statues’ noses broken?
He was surprised the first few times he heard this question. He had taken for granted that the sculptures were damaged. Certainly, after thousands of years, an ancient artifact should show wear and tear. But the broken noses led Bleiberg to uncover a widespread pattern of deliberate destruction. He noted, “The consistency of the patterns … of damage found in sculpture suggests that it's purposeful.” A protruding nose on a three-dimensional statue is easily broken, he conceded, but the plot thickens when flat reliefs also have smashed noses.
The ancient Egyptians believed that the essence of a deity could inhabit an image of that deity. These campaigns of vandalism were therefore intended to "deactivate an image's strength." "The damaged part of the body is no longer able to do its job." Without a nose, the statue-spirit ceases to breathe, so that the vandal is effectively "killing" it. To hammer the ears off a statue of a god would make it unable to hear a prayer. Pharaohs regularly issued decrees with terrible punishments for anyone who would dare threaten their likeness.
Bleiberg noted the skill evidenced by the iconoclasts. "They were not vandals recklessly and randomly striking out works of art." In fact, the targeted precision of their chisels suggests that they were skilled laborers, trained and hired for this exact purpose.
Because God is spirit - that is
God’s being is immaterial, invisible, and simple.
God has no body, no composite parts, and no physical dimensions.
So that is a lot of information preacher - why in the world do I need to know our hear this stuff?
Thank you for asking - here are a couple of reasons why it is so important for Jesus to tell us that “GOD IS SPIRIT”
God as Spirit relates to us without the limitations that we deal with
God as Spirit is never tired
Never Distant
Never Distracted
Not limited by time and space
Can be present in all people (corporate prayer doesn’t confuse Him)
He cannot be destroyed or overpowered.
Matthew Henry boldly asserts:
If God were not a spirit, he could not be perfect, nor infinite, nor eternal, nor independent, nor the Father of spirits.
God as Spirit can be everywhere -
That means he can be worshiped anywhere
We don’t have to be on the mountain, or in the tabernacle, or some other specific place -
In fact Solomon understood this probably better than anyone -
He is dedicating the temple and he had a special platform about 4 1/2 feet high, 7 1/2 feet long and wide and he put it right in the center of the outer courtyard
and he climbed upon on it at the dedication and I imagine a holy hush falling on all who were present. The sacredness of this moment was palpable.
When all was quiet and still Solomon the King - the monarch of Israel kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel and lifted his hands to heaven and he begins to pray
14 And said, O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:
He prays for several more verses and then Solomon says something that I believe is one of the most powerful verses (there is alot of them by the way) but one of the most powerful verses in the Bible
18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!
He goes on and prays …if we are carried away captives unto a land far off or near… 2 Chron 6:37-39
37 Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;
38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:
39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.
What is Solomon saying - It doesn’t matter where your people are you are able to be prayed to - you are able to answer -
Jonah tested out this theory from the depth of hell he calls it - he prayed toward Jerusalem toward the temple
Not sure how he knew which direction to pray - but aren’t you glad you don’t have to have the exact location down - all of your theology doesn’t have to be just right, you may not understand any of it -
But God who doesn’t have to be worshipped here or there because of limitations to space or time or matter - can hear and understand
Peter was so sure of this he declared
34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
I remember Bro. Lloyd Davolt telling the story of praying one day asking the Lord to give his blessing to someone behind what was called at that time the Iron Curtain.
Many years later he recieved an unexpected blessing when God whispered to his soul that that person who got his blessing had just stepped into heaven.
It’s because of this God being everywhere and working anywhere that remarkable things happen
Therefore, God is present everywhere and can be worshiped anywhere
As Spirit, God cannot be destroyed, contained, or controlled by any creature.
Not only does the “heaven and the heaven of heavens not contain Him”
and the temple couldn’t contain him - neither can we.
“God cannot be apprehended, but his effects cannot be denied”
Helen Roseveare {rose-veer} a missionary doctor back several years ago found herself working in Congo in the midst of a political upheaval.
She was captured, beaten, abused, raped, and endured unspeakable things.
- but on one occasion while she was a prisoner of war in the Congo an interesting incident happened. She was taken to a home that was packed with Greek people. She couldn’t speak Greek but was able to speak several other languages and so everything she did she would speak in those languages and they would translate to the Greeks.
But she went specifically due to a lady who was in heavy pain in labor.
Helen was working with her and they delivered the baby but they lost the mother.
She knew they were going to have to keep the baby warm or the baby would die.
They got a warming water bottle and went to fill it and it burst - it was their last one and so all they could do is put the baby as close to the fire as possible and keep close watch on the baby.
Later Helen was at an orphanage and at the end of her visit she would have a time of prayer. She told them about the baby and one of the African orphans there in their characteristic and bold way prayed for this little baby ...
She prayed that God would send a water bottle this afternoon tomorrow would be too late. She also prayed that God would send a little dolly for the baby’s sister who was crying. And said Amen.
That very afternoon - the first package Helen ever recieved in the Congo came in and can you guess what was in that package???
Yes a water bottle and a baby doll
What I find even more amazing - is five months before Helen ever unwrapped that package God spoke to someone and told them to put a water bottle and a baby doll in this package
Yes it took five months for that package to travel from it’s sender to the Congo
gods of wood stone or even of our imaginations could never accomplish such a thing
But GOD who is SPIRIT who is not limited by geography, by language barriers, by space, time, customs, red tape, postal services can do such miraculous things.