Welcome to Word of Life Study Series- Foundations for Christian Living! God in One expressed in three persons- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The word Theology means the study of God (theo=God, ology=study). By definition, theology is the study of the works or truths related to God presented in a logical and orderly format. Our goal is to learn more about the person, characteristics and nature of the glorious Godhead. We are also going to examine Satan’s attempt to confuse mankind with false religions and cults.
1. The Attributes of God
Nowhere does the Bible argue for God’s existence, everywhere the Scriptures assume His existence as an accepted fact- Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”. So belief in God is fundamentally an act of faith. However, God reveals Himself through three primary ways: Nature, Conscience and Revelation.
2. God the Father
The will of God has its origin in God the Father. From Scripture we see that He exerts leadership amongst the Godhead. That does not take away from the significance of God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. For the Trinity is at all times and in all ways in perfect agreement.
3. God the Son
Nothing has been under such attack by Satan than the deity of Jesus Christ. The incarnation of the Word of God, the Second person of the Godhead is a mystery and miracle beyond description. Before taking on human flesh, Jesus was pre-existent with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit and His name is the Word of God.
4. God the Holy Spirit
Who is the Holy Spirit? The Bible teaches us that He is more than an influence or impersonal power; the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, worthy of our adoration, love and faith. He is not a ‘thing’ or an ‘it’ but just as real and distinct as Jesus.
5. Cults and False Religions
From the beginning of the Church in the book of Acts, Satan has until this day spared no expense to pervert, twist and distort the truth. The enemy wants to rob people of the truth by offering counterfeit religions or raising up cults to keep people from getting saved.
6. Jehovah Witnesses
Officially known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the Jehovah’s Witnesses are a product of the life work of Charles Taze Russell, born Feb. 16, 1852, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Although the Watchtower contends that the Scriptures are their final authority, we find them constantly misuse the Scriptures to establish their own peculiar beliefs.
7. Mormonism
The Mormons claim they are the restoration of the true church established by Jesus Christ. It is not Protestant or Catholic, but claims, rather, to be the only true church. “If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration, there would be no salvation outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints”
8. Islam
Islam is indeed a major part of Middle Eastern culture, but it is much more. The Muslim faith is a major driving force in the lives of many of the nations in the Middle East, West Asia and North Africa. The vast majority of Muslims, are not of the militant variety.
9. Secular Humanism
One of the most organized, most challenging and most clearly non-Christian philosophies today is secular humanism. It is ably represented and defended by a core of prominent scientists and philosophers at the forefront of new scientific and philosophical thought.