Introduction & New Tradition

Everything we just sang about God is true because of who He is. Today, we’re going to spend a little time on chapter three of Fundamentals of the Faith, which covers who God is. Before that, we’ll do Ask Pastor Jake, but first, we’re starting a new Student Ministries tradition: If your birthday falls on Student Ministries day, we’ll do our best to embarrass you—with crowns.

So, if it’s your birthday today, come up to the front. Josiah and Abdi—come on up so everyone can see you. Bethany’s birthday is also today, but she’s in Romania. Yes, you have to wear the crown the whole time unless it becomes a distraction. Now, everyone, let’s sing happy birthday.

[Happy birthday is sung. Applause.]

All right, go have a seat. That’s our new tradition. So if your birthday ever lands on Student Ministries, make sure to come so we can celebrate and embarrass you. I missed it—my birthday was August 26th, so maybe next year it’ll land on the right day.

Ask Pastor Jake: Are the Books of the Bible Inspired?

I owe you an Ask Pastor Jake. Here’s the question: “Are the books of the Bible inspired? How do we know our translations are correct?” A few people asked this in different ways.

When we say the Bible is inspired, we usually think of 2 Timothy 3:16—God’s Word is God-breathed. Every word in Scripture is as if God said it, because He did. But I think the real question is, are the books in our Bible the inspired ones? How do we know that?

First, all Scripture is breathed out by God. Everything that’s Scripture is inspired, true, and without error. God used human authors in such a way that they wrote His very words. But which books are Scripture?

Some people say the church picked the books, but that’s not what happened. No council or church leaders determined the canon by authority. The “canon” is simply the collection of books that are the authoritative, inspired ones. We use that word the same way people use it for Star Wars—there’s canon (the real stuff) and “legends” (not official). In Scripture, it’s even more important: the canon is the books God inspired.

The church didn’t decide the canon; the church recognized the canon. God’s people acknowledged the books He inspired. For example, Jesus in Luke 24:44 said, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Jesus recognized the Scriptures the Jews already recognized—the Old Testament was already accepted as authoritative.

For the New Testament, the early church looked for certain marks: Was it written by an apostle or a close associate? Did it agree with the teaching they’d received? Was it recognized by the early churches as God’s Word? The writers of the New Testament also knew they were writing Scripture, just as the Old Testament prophets did. Peter even called Paul’s letters “Scripture” in 2 Peter 3:16. John, at the end of Revelation, warns not to take away from the words written.

Other books, like the Apocrypha or “lost gospels,” were not accepted. The Apocrypha, written between the Old and New Testaments, was never accepted by the Jewish community as Scripture. Jesus and the apostles never quoted them as Scripture. Later writings like the Gospel of Thomas were written centuries after the apostles, lied about their authorship, and contradicted the apostles’ teaching. The early church rightly rejected them.

So, the early Christians recognized as Scripture those books written by a prophet or apostle (or close associate), consistent with previous revelation, and received by God’s people. It wasn’t decided by vote, but by recognition. Every book we have in our Bible is inspired, and we recognize God’s Word for what it is.

Are Our Bible Translations Correct?

So, how do we know our translations are correct? God gave His Word in three main languages: most of the Old Testament in Hebrew (a bit in Aramaic), and the New Testament in Greek. Those original manuscripts are flawless and inspired. We have very good knowledge of what God’s Word said in those originals because the text was copied so many times. Scholars use something called “textual criticism” to compare the copies, and we have great confidence in what the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts say.

But we don’t read Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic—we read English. So how do we know our translations are good? First, remember, any translation is still just a translation. Really good scholars look at God’s Word and try to make it understandable in English. When I preach or study, I tend to use translations that are as close to “word for word” as possible. Translators for these versions don’t try to smooth everything over—if the text is a little hard to understand, they leave it that way, to help us see what the original words were. These are versions like the ESV, Legacy Standard, or NASB.

Other versions, like the NIV, are more “thought-for-thought”—very readable and useful, but they sometimes smooth things out, so you lose some of the details. That’s why I’ll sometimes say, “the Greek word behind this is…” If you’re really digging into the details, a more literal translation helps. Others, like The Message, are paraphrases or explanations, not real translations—they’re not great for memorizing or for careful study, but can be helpful for reading.

Not all translations are the same. If you have specific questions, ask your parents, your discussion leaders, or me. When studying, it’s often helpful to read two translations side by side and notice the differences—sometimes that helps you see what’s going on in the original. If you speak another language, you know it’s not always possible to say things the exact same way.

Some of you might learn Greek or Hebrew one day. But bottom line: we can trust our English Bibles, especially the more literal or “word-for-word” translations. I encourage you to stick to those, or at least to a good “thought-for-thought” version for study and reading, not just a paraphrase or explanation version.

How to Use Different Translations & Study Resources

We are blessed to have so many translations. Some people around the world only have one, or are still waiting for even one. Which is good for study, and which for reading? I’d say all are useful, but if you want to see repeated words, commands, or connecting words like “therefore” or “because,” the more literal translations like NASB, Legacy Standard, or ESV work hard to retain those. The more literal a translation is, the harder it is to memorize—it just isn’t the way we talk. So there’s always some “smoothing.”

When I’m reading narrative or a big section, or listening to audio Bible, I like the NIV, or even the ESV, which is a bit smoother. When I’m digging into the details, I use the Legacy Standard and ESV side by side, maybe with Holman or another literal translation. I compare them and look for differences.

If you’re asking about study resources, there are a lot! The John MacArthur Study Bible is great. There are many more. But I would encourage you not to shortcut the process—don’t immediately jump to the study Bible or a commentary. God’s Word is clear, even for sixth graders. You can read it, ask questions, and spend time thinking. Don’t skip over meditation. Think deeply, look at the context, and pray about what you read before you rush to outside helps. We can talk more about resources another day.

Thank you for your questions—drop them in the box, and I’ll try to get to all of them.

Introduction to God’s Attributes

Today, we are learning about our holy God’s attributes, from chapter three of Fundamentals of the Faith. If you need a note sheet, raise your hand and Kiki will bring you one.

Who knows what an attribute is? It’s a characteristic or quality of someone. When you’re telling a friend about someone else, you might say they’re funny, nice, smart, talented—those are attributes. No single word captures all of who a person is, much less God, whose attributes are infinite. We don’t know all of them; God chose to disclose some to us in His Word. Even then, we could spend our whole lives searching God’s Word to know Him better—and we should!

Every week, I say the same thing: When we open God’s Word, always ask, “What does this reveal about God, and how must it affect me?” You can’t just observe God passively, like admiring a sunset. Knowing God should change you. We think of His attributes not as isolated slices, but like facets on a diamond—different angles revealing different beauties, all working together.

The problem is, we tend to think of God as if He were like us. Psalm 50:21: “You thought that I was one like yourself.” If we shrink God to our size or assign Him our traits, we worship a fake. Even if we use the right names, if He isn’t truly as He is, we’re worshiping something we made up. We must worship God as He reveals Himself in His Word.

Boasting in Knowing Yahweh

Jeremiah, speaking for Yahweh, says, “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the mighty man in his might, nor the rich man in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am Yahweh who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight.” There is only one thing worth boasting about—knowing God. That’s what we should pursue in this life.

God’s Holiness

The first thing we must know is that God is holy. Turn to Isaiah 6. Isaiah, the prophet, got a glimpse into the heavenly throne room—one of the few times in the Bible we see that, and it looks a lot like Revelation 4. Isaiah says, “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up. The train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim—angels. Each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two their feet, with two they flew.”

One called to another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” The foundations shook at the voice of him who called; the house was filled with smoke.

Holiness is the only attribute repeated three times in a row—R.C. Sproul says this is the strongest possible emphasis in Hebrew. God isn’t just “holy”; He is “holy, holy, holy.” He is the standard of holiness. He doesn’t conform to a higher standard—He is the standard.

What does “holy” mean? It means set apart, separate, different. God is not like us. We must not bring Him down to our level. None of us recognize this reality well enough. God’s not “safe”—you don’t just approach Him as you wish.

Isaiah sees God and says, “Woe is me, I’m undone.” In Leviticus 10, Aaron’s sons offered fire in a way God hadn’t commanded, and fire came from Yahweh and consumed them. Moses said, “Among those who are near me I will be regarded as holy, and before all the people I will be glorified.” We must recognize God as holy.

When Isaiah saw God as holy, only then did he see himself rightly. The sinless angels in God’s presence can do nothing but declare His holiness. There is no casual worship. The only way we aren’t undone in His presence is through Christ.

In Isaiah 6, when Isaiah says, “Woe is me,” God sends a seraph with a burning coal to touch Isaiah’s lips: “Your guilt is taken away; your sin is atoned for.” This was hundreds of years before Christ. Isaiah’s sins were paid for by Jesus at the cross. God made a way. His holiness and righteousness must be upheld—that’s why the cross was necessary.

God’s holiness means He is set apart, and He sets apart His people—He sanctifies them. You have to be holy because God is holy.

God’s Eternity & Unchangeableness

God is eternal. He always was. Before anything existed, there was God. Psalm 90:2 says, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.”

God never changes. We mature and change, but God was always perfect. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have always been in perfect unity, never lacking anything. He always was, always will be, and never changes.

God’s Omnipresence, Omnipotence, and Omniscience

God is everywhere—omnipresent. There’s no place you can escape from God. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place.” 1 Kings 8:27 says, “The highest heaven cannot contain you.” Jeremiah 23:24: “Can a man hide himself in secret places that I cannot see him?” Over and over, Scripture affirms God is everywhere.

He is omnipotent—all-powerful. “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26). “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). Job said, “I know that you can do all things, and no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

God is omniscient—all-knowing. There’s nothing He doesn’t know. He’s never learned anything. He sees everything—every action, every thought, every possibility. He knows all things as the one who causes them to happen. Isaiah 46:9 says, “I am God, declaring the end from the beginning and everything in between.” God is sovereign over all.

This is good news: no plan of Satan, no sin of yours can thwart God’s purposes. The cross was not a surprise—everything that happened was what God purposed.

We can trust Him: He cares for the sparrows and numbers the hairs of your head—He’ll care for you. God is all-powerful, all-wise, and we can trust Him.

God’s Righteousness and Justice

God is righteous and just. Remember: all His attributes go together—His holiness, eternality, omniscience—they all work together. God is all of these things in perfect harmony.

If God knows all and sees all, He knows every sin—every thought, every action. Deuteronomy 32:4: “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.”

If someone sins against you, you don’t have to wonder if God saw it—no one gets away with sin. But James warns, “the judge is standing at the door”—don’t judge others or complain, but leave it to God’s wrath: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Instead, look at yourself. If God saw their sin, He saw yours, too.

There’s no hiding from God. Do you ever do something when your parents aren’t watching? God is always there. To my shame, there are times when I act as if He isn’t. If you saw me, I wouldn’t say or do certain things—but God sees.

When Isaiah saw God’s holiness, he saw his own sinfulness. Peter, when he saw Jesus as God, said, “Depart from me, I’m a sinner.” We all stand before a perfectly just God who sees everything.

God’s Love & The Cross

Praise God—He is also love. When Isaiah confessed, “I’m a sinner,” God atoned for his sin. We, too, must see ourselves rightly: God is holy, perfect, righteous, and we are sinners who need a Savior. Every person here needs to recognize this. The only way to have God’s justice poured out not on you but on a perfect substitute—Jesus Christ—is by confessing your need and trusting in that Savior.

At the cross, holy justice and holy love meet. God’s love is holy. The cross is the only way a God with all these perfect attributes could bring His creatures to Himself. Holy justice and holy love meet without compromise: God justly poured out His wrath on Jesus, and Jesus’ righteousness is credited to those who believe.

If you have any other plan to approach God, it will fail. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord. Make sure, when that day comes, you are clothed in Jesus’ righteousness.

Pray it seriously: “God, I can’t come before you as I am. I need a Savior.” Recognize God’s holiness. If you look to others as your standard, you will miss the mark. Confess your need, trust in Jesus, and confidently worship Him.

Conclusion: Know God & Pursue Him

There’s so much more to say. These are just seven attributes—there are hundreds more we know of, and infinitely more we’ll discover in eternity. But if you know anything, know this: you must know God, know who He is, and know what pleases Him.

Jesus said, “This is eternal life, that they know God.” That’s what eternal life is: knowing God for who He really is. The only way we can know Him is through His Word, which is why I plead with you to be in God’s Word every day. Ask: “What does this reveal about God? How must it affect me?”

This isn’t just your pastor saying the same thing every week. This is the one thing you need most—to know who God is and be rightly related to Him. Stop pursuing riches, wisdom, or might apart from God. “Let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am Yahweh, who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth; in these things I delight.”

When you see God for who He is and come to Him in faith, He makes you like Him, more and more. When Christ returns, all His people will see Him, and “we’ll be made like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).