Marv Wiseman

God – His Love 

      God: His Love - Pr. Marv Wiseman

From early in the Old Testament, where God says in Deuteronomy 7 that His love was upon Israel, to the close of the Bible, in Revelation 1 when John says that Jesus Christ loved us and washed us from our sins, the magnificent theme of God’s love for His creation throbs throughout.  John epitomizes the subject when he stated in chapter 4 that “God is love.”  In no other religion, large or small, is the subject of love so extolled as it is in Christianity.  Continue reading “God – His Love “ →

Marv Wiseman

God – His Holiness 

      God: His Holiness - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Of all the attributes of God enumerated in Scripture, and there are several, none so clearly reveals the vast difference between God and man as that which we now engage, the holiness of God.  If ever there were an attribute of God that so soundly dooms the unrepentant sinner, it is this.  Holiness, as applied to the Deity, speaks of His utter apartness, His separation from any and all defilement, because God is holiness absolute, holiness personified.  Continue reading “God – His Holiness “ →

Marv Wiseman

God – His mercy 

      God: His Mercy - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Whatever it is that is true of God, it may be well said that He is rich in it, because God has no meager supply of anything that makes Him what He is, and this includes God’s mercy, one of the wonderfully benevolent attributes of God.  Without the divine granting of mercy, no one would ever be able to approach the otherwise unapproachable God.  And, what is it that engenders the release of God’s mercy and the bestowing of it upon the guilty person? Continue reading “God – His mercy “ →

Marv Wiseman

God – His Faithfulness 

      God: His Faithfulness - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Thomas Chisholm did the Christian community an enormous service when he penned the words taken from the Lamentations of Jeremiah in chapter 3, “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.”  And, of course, from those lines, he wrote that majestic and uplifting anthem, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”.  It reminds us of the immutability of God stated in Malachi 3, where the Lord said, “I am the LORD; Continue reading “God – His Faithfulness “ →

Marv Wiseman

God – His Immutability 

      God: His Immutability - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Change is the order of the day for all creatures regardless of one’s station in life.  Life itself is often described as an ongoing series of changes and adjustments, and they unfailingly occur on every level and in every venue.  The lowliest of peons to the most elevated of royalty cannot fight off change.  And while this is all true of all of humanity, God knows nothing of change, and theology calls this God’s “immutability”, not subject to change. Continue reading “God – His Immutability “ →

Marv Wiseman

God – His Eternity 

      God: His Eternity - Pr. Marv Wiseman

It becomes obvious, as we pursue an explanation of the attributes of God that there is a lot of interrelatedness between them.  The spillover of one attribute into another becomes inevitable; hence, some repetition is also inevitable.  Yet, each attribute, in and of itself, has peculiarities of its own worthy of elaboration.  Continue reading “God – His Eternity “ →

Marv Wiseman

God – His Sovereignty (Part 2)

      God: His Sovereignty - Part 2 - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Our first segment on the sovereignty of God revealed God’s sovereignty to be that attribute most often challenged by men and angels.  It was so when Lucifer declared he would exalt himself to the very throne of God.  It was repeated continually by men from Adam onward, who, by their attitude and acts, would superimpose their will and way up on the will and way of the sovereign God.  Man, with all his rebel tendencies has always wanted to be in charge, and, in his brazenness, defy the Almighty and His clearly set-forth standards.  Continue reading “God – His Sovereignty (Part 2)” →

Marv Wiseman

God – His Sovereignty (Part 1 )

      God: His Sovereignty - Part 1 - Pr. Marv Wiseman

The sovereignty of God is perhaps one of the most frequently contested attributes of God, and who would the contestants be?  Those whom God has created, namely man and angels.  Both constitute classes of beings who are not always willing to let God be God.  They would, were they able, dethroned the Deity and sit in His place themselves.  So, let’s define what is meant by “sovereignty”.  Continue reading “God – His Sovereignty (Part 1 )” →

Marv Wiseman

God – Self-existent, Self-sufficient 

      God: Self-Existent, Self-Sufficient - Pr. Marv Wiseman

In our ongoing consideration of the attributes of God, we noted that God is the uncaused first Cause.   Either someone or something was prior to everything, and, if we say it was something, we begin everything and everyone from an origin of non-intelligence, and that’s a very big pill to swallow.  Logically, philosophically, scientifically, and biblically, that pill won’t go down at all. Continue reading “God – Self-existent, Self-sufficient “ →

Marv Wiseman

God – The Uncaused First Cause 

      God: The Uncaused First Cause - Pr. Marv Wiseman

You can mark it down and there are no exceptions.  It’s an age-old, philosophical and scientific maxim.   Without fear of contradiction or equivocation, it stands as an irrefutable principle of time and eternity, and it’s both simple and profound.  Here it is:  Everything that had a beginning must have a cause.  There is nothing that exists that did not have an efficient cause which produced it.  Continue reading “God – The Uncaused First Cause “ →

Marv Wiseman

The Spirit of God is Omnipresent 

      The Spirit of God is Omnipresent - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Thus far, we have only briefly considered two of the three “omnis” in reference to God.  The first, “omnipotence”, dealt with God possessing all power…that’s all power…not much power, not most power, but all power.  Additionally, God possesses “omniscience”.  This means He has all knowledge.  He is not merely knowledgeable nor knows a lot more than we do, but He knows all.  Nothing escapes His complete awareness of all there is to know, and, as the word suggests, it means there is no place devoid of the presence of God.  Continue reading “The Spirit of God is Omnipresent “ →

Marv Wiseman

The Spirit of God is Omniscient (Part 2)

      The Spirit of God is Omniscient - Part 2 - Pr. Marv Wiseman

The all-knowing nature of God is referred to as “omniscience”.  As stunning as the concept is, omniscience must be possessed by the Deity for Him to be sovereign and rule as He sees fit over all His creation.  To suggest there are areas of ignorance in the knowledge of God is to refer to someone other than the Lord God manifested throughout the Bible.  Innumerable occasions are recorded making it obvious God knows the innermost thoughts of all.  Continue reading “The Spirit of God is Omniscient (Part 2)” →

Marv Wiseman

The Spirit of God is Omniscient (Part 1)

      The Spirit of God is Omniscient - Part 1 - Pr. Marv Wiseman

As God’s omnipotence means there is no power or authority that exists anywhere at any time or any place that is not resident in Him and/or derived from Him.  So, too, the omniscience of God means precisely the same in connection with knowledge.  There is nothing known, or to be known, by any or all entities in any or all locals that is not known by God in the fullest manner.  Omniscience is a compound word from Latin origins: “omni” means “all”, and “science” means “to know”.  Continue reading “The Spirit of God is Omniscient (Part 1)” →

Marv Wiseman

Omnipotence 

      Omnipotence Clarified - Pr. Marv Wiseman

“With God, all things are possible.”  Is this true?  How can it not be true because it is in the Bible, and Christ Himself said it?  It’s in Matthew 19.  Yes, of course, it is true, but it also needs some clarification, and this is the purpose of Christianity Clarified.  All things are possible with God, but what is meant by “things”?  A “thing”, as referred to by Christ, has to do with an objective reality, that is, the existence of an object or condition that is real in existence, or can be real in existence.  Continue reading “Omnipotence “ →

Marv Wiseman

God’s Omnipotence is Constant 

      God´s Omnipotence is Constant - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Numerous instances throughout the Bible attest to the unlimited power of God.  The theological term is “God’s omnipotence”, that is, the reality of God possessing not only unlimited power but all power.  It’s generally agreed that among all of God’s demonstrations of power none exceeds that of Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  The raw and divine energy exercised in the creation undertaking cannot begin to be contemplated.  And don’t be misled in assigning limitations to the Almighty because He did it in the time-frame of six days.  Continue reading “God’s Omnipotence is Constant “ →

Marv Wiseman

All Power Resides in God 

      All Power Resides in God - Pr. Marv Wiseman

There is a natural tendency to think in terms of God’s power and man’s power, but this is not accurate.  God’s power is all the power that is, or, there is no power that is not derived from God.  This is why God is omnipotent, which means, of course, He possesses all power.  So not only does power, or authority, reside in God, all power and all authority resides in God.  Continue reading “All Power Resides in God “ →

Marv Wiseman

The Spirit of God is Omnipotent 

      The Spirit of God is Omnipotent - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Theology is the study of God, His being and nature.  Thus far, we have only considered something that Christ said about God.  He related in John 4 that God is Spirit.  Among other things, this means God is not physical.  It also means the nonphysical God created all that is physical in accord with Genesis 1:1.  It is the spiritual, the nonmaterial, that gave existence to matter, time and space.  It’s all really stunning when you consider it.  Continue reading “The Spirit of God is Omnipotent “ →

Marv Wiseman

God is Spirit (Part 2)

      God is Spirit - Part 2 - Pr. Marv Wiseman

God is Spirit.  Jesus Christ said so in John 4:34, and He ought to know.  Still, it’s an enigmatic thing to say, is it not?  We’ve already defined “spirit” as nonphysical, or immaterial.  And, of course, we’re in over our head.  We don’t even understand all about our physical being much less our spiritual component.  But that doesn’t mean we do not possess one.  Continue reading “God is Spirit (Part 2)” →

Marv Wiseman

God is Spirit (Part 1)

      God is Spirit - Part 1 - Pr. Marv Wiseman

In conversing with the Samaritan woman at the well, in John, chapter 4, our Lord Jesus Christ made an extremely enigmatic statement.  Here is what He said, “God is Spirit, and they that worship Him in spirit and in truth.”  God is Spirit?  What exactly does that mean?  The Bible makes it abundantly clear throughout that there are two modes of objective reality: one is physical and one is non-physical; one is material, the other immaterial.   Continue reading “God is Spirit (Part 1)” →

Marv Wiseman

Further Engaging the Deity 

      Further Engaging the Deity - Pr. Marv Wiseman

Christianity Clarified is an ongoing effort to accomplish what the name declares: to address the major issues of biblical Christianity that are often unknown or are misunderstood by the general public, sometimes including those who profess Christianity.  If this goal is achieved, the result will not only be a greater understanding and appreciation for God’s truth, but a greater and more intelligent obedience to it.  We now are engaging the subject of theology.  “Theology” simply means “the study of God”.  Who is He?   What is He like?  What does He provide for us?  What does He require from us?  Continue reading “Further Engaging the Deity “ →