God’sExistence &

Attributes

Welcome

Existence of God

I did not see God!!

Gherman S TitovSoviet Cosmonaut

In the beginning God created the heavens…..

American Astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, William Anders

What is Truth?

TRUTHUniversalObjective

Does God Exist?

Why should I think of God?

More consequences for life follow from that one issue (belief in God) than from any other

Mortimer AdlerEditor, The Great Books of western world

Consequences of beliefs (Lenin)

Consequences of beliefs (Stalin)

Consequences of beliefs (Freud)

Can God’s Existence be Proved?

¨ God’s existence cannot be proved in a mathematical or scientific sense.

¨ Physical, Conceptual & Emotional realms¨ Instead we should ask if belief in God’s

existence is reasonable.

Evidence for God

¨ The Cosmological Argument

¨ The Teleological Argument

¨ The Axiological Argument

1. Cosmological Argument

Cosmological Argument

¨ The universe had a beginning

(2nd law of thermodynamics & Big bang theory)

¨ Anything that had a beginning must have been caused by something else.

(Law of Causality & 1st law of thermodynamics)

¨ Therefore the universe was caused by something else (a Creator).

Conclusions of Cosmological argumentConclusions of Cosmological argument

The material universe had a beginning and, therefore, is not eternal

The CAUSE of material universe must be eternal

The CAUSE must be something immaterial, spiritual or

supernatural

2. Teleological Argument

The Teleological Argument

¨ Argument (William Paley)¨ Argument based on the design

in the Universe and Life.¨ Argument from Psalms 19:1-4,

Psalms 139:14¨ Watchmaker design.

God

OR

Chance

God

OR

Chance

CREATIONCREATION DESIGNDESIGN

ARTART ORDERORDER

Complex Design in UniverseComplex Design in Universe

¨ 51 Fine-tuned Parameters to our Galaxy, Solar System, and Planet

¨ distance from the sun¨ size, temperature, & type of sun¨ size, axial tilt, rotation speed, moon, &

composition of earth¨ stability of Jupiter and Saturn

Complex Design in Universe¨ Jupiter acts as a comet and asteroid magnet

shielding earth from catastrophic collisions.

¨ Our sun is located between spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy where there are fewer stars (less harmful radiation and disruptive gravity) and less gas and dust (we can see the rest of the galaxy and universe).

God’s Incredible Creatures What does the Bible say about

the Creation of Creatures? Gen. 1: 11(1), 12(2), 21(2), 24(2), 25(3) “according to its kind” used 10 times

Let’s look at some of these Creatures Any evidence that creatures evolved? Do creatures appear to be designed? By whom?

Is Evolution really true? Is God the Designer/Creator of these

incredible creatures?

The Cheetah Cheetah cat can run at up to 70 mph over a

distance of 700 yards or more Cheetah can reach 45 mph in 2 seconds! Cheetah is the fastest land animal

The Giraffe Ten ft. high at the shoulder Eight foot neck Seven neck bones Huge heart to deliver

blood to the brain Large lungs (8 * human) Slow air intake

Eight-Armed Octopus Eight-armed, ink-shooting octopuses

Jet-propelled and fast swimmer Shoots ink to create smoke

screen and dull a predator Can re-grow an arm if it

loses/eats one

The Weddell Seal Weddell seals that can remain underwater

for 45 minutes Dive to depths of 1500 feet

The Archerfish Archerfish that can shoot water

15 feet into the air and hit a bug Mouth at surface Eyes underwater

Cicada Insect About 2500 species exist One (magicicada) can live

underground for 13 to 17 years Does not bite or sting and not a pest Make a real racket when they emerge

Migratory Instincts White-throated warbler

Summers in Germany Winters in Africa Parent birds take off for Africa at end of Summer as

young birds become more independent Young birds take off a few weeks later, flying

instinctively across 1000’s of miles of unfamiliar land and sea to rejoin their parents

Brains of birds have inherited knowledge Can tell latitude, longitude and direction by the stars Have “calendar”, clock and navigational data

Alaskan Golden Plover

Born in Alaska 26 days of incubation After few months,

parents fly to Hawaii 4500 Km from Alaska to Hawaii Average weight of bird is 140 grams Put on 70 more grams of weight as fuel

Cell Structure Average human body contains 75+ trillion cells

Examining the Cell How to examine the cell?

The Human Eye Staggering complexity Can’t be explained by step-by-step

random mutation and selection

Darwin’s Black Box Behe showed that the cell, Darwin’s Black Box,

is filled with irreducibly complex molecular machines that could not be built by natural selection

Darwin’s Black Box - 2

Over 100 molecular motors are now known to exist inside the cell with very specific analogies to human designed motors.

Evolution Cannot Explain More features of God’s incredible creatures:

Visual beauty – where from? why? Exhibited by fish deep in the sea

Mimicry – how did it develop? One type of organism imitates/mimics another type e.g. spiders disguising as ants (8 legs vs. 6 legs) Angler fish

Convergence (similar organs/structures) Sonar systems in bat and porpoise Wing mechanisms “evolved” separately in insects, bats,

flying reptiles, birds

No evolutionary mechanism can explain this!

3. Axiological Argument

The Axiological Argument¨ Is there a Law Written on Our Hearts?¨ The argument is based on Morality in

human beings. ¨ Moral laws imply a Moral Law Giver.¨ There is an objective moral law.¨ Therefore, there is a Moral Law Giver

Moral Laws Imply a Moral Lawgiver

¨ Moral Laws are different from natural laws.¨ Moral laws describe what ought to be.¨ “human beings all over the earth, have this

curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it.” C. S. Lewis –Mere Christianity

Summary

¨ Life without God is absurd.¨ The universe requires a sufficient Cause.¨ The design of the universe and living things

implies a designer.¨ Our universal sense of right and wrong

implies a Law Giver.¨ Therefore belief in God is reasonable.

Belief in God is reasonable and I do believe in God

But, what if, God calls you as an ‘ATHEIST’ !!!!

Types of Atheists

¨ Dogmatic¨ Critical¨ Philosophic¨ Practical

Practical Atheism

¨ Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD – Isaiah 31:1

¨ Do not look to the Holy One¨ Do not seek help from the LORD¨ Do not rely on Him/ Trust Him

Practical Atheism

My people have committed two sins:

They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Jeremiah 2:13

Practical Atheism

¨ 13Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard anything like this? A most horrible thing has been done by Virgin Israel.

¨ 14Does the snow of Lebanon ever vanish from its rocky slopes? Do its cool waters from distant sources ever stop flowing?

¨ 15Yet my people have forgotten me; they burn incense to worthless idols – Jeremiah 18:13-15

Why study of doctrine of GOD?

Importance of Doctrine of GOD

¨ Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

¨ Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe

Attributes of God and

Acts of God¨ Attributes of God are those qualities of God

that constitute what he is, the very characteristics of his nature

¨ Acts of God are creating, guiding and preserving and his corresponding roles as Creator, Guide, Preserver.

Nature of Attributes

¨ The attributes are permanent and intrinsic qualities, which can not be gained or lost.

¨ God’s attributes are essential and inherent dimensions of his nature

¨ His attributes are not our perceptions projected upon him. They are objective characteristics of his nature

God’s Being is not a collection of Attributes added together

God’s attributes are not additions to His Real Being

God’s Love and Justice

God’s Love, Justice, Holiness and Wisdom

Classification of Attributes

¨ Communicable and Incommunicable¨ Immanent (Intransitive) and Emanant

(transitive) ¨ Absolute and Relative¨ Natural and Moral

Communicable and Incommunicable

¨ Communicable attributes are those qualities of God for which at least a partial counter part can be found in his human creatures

• e.g. Love, Omnipotence – infinite in God, at least partial form in humans

¨ Incommunicable attributes are those qualities of God for which no counter part is found in humans

• e.g. Omni presence

Immanent and Emanant

¨ Immanent attributes are those qualities which remain within God’s own nature

• e.g. spirituality

¨ Emanant attributes are those qualities which go out from and operate outside the nature of God, affecting the creation such as mercy which require an object

Absolute and Relative¨ Absolute attributes are those he has in

himself, and has always possessed, independently of the objects of his creation

• e.g. Infinity

¨ Relative attributes are those manifested through his relationship to other subjects and inanimate objects. The relative attributes are the absolute attributes applied to situations involving created objects

• e.g. eternity and omnipresence

Natural and Moral¨ Moral attributes (goodness attributes) are

those which in human context would relate to the concept of rightness (as opposed to wrongness)

• e.g. Holiness, love, mercy, faithfulness

¨ Natural attributes (greatness attributes) are the non moral superlatives of God

• e.g. knowledge and power

Attributes of greatness¨ Spirituality¨ Personality¨ Life¨ Infinity¨ Constancy

Attributes of goodness

¨ Moral Purity– Holiness, Righteousness, Justice

¨ Integrity– Genuineness, Veracity, Faithfulness

¨ Love– Benevolence, Grace, Mercy, Persistence

Attributes of God

¨ God is SPIRIT (John 4:24)– Does not have the limitations involved with

physical body– Not limited to a particular geographical/spatial

location (Jn 4:21, Acts 17:24)– He is not destructible as is material nature– Anthropomorphisms, Theophany – express

truth about God through human analogies– God’s spirituality was a counter to the practice

of idolatry and of nature worship

Attributes of God

¨ God is personal– Individual being, self consciousness– Will– Capable of feeling– Choosing– Reciprocal relationship

Attributes of God

¨ God is personal– God has name– Names that the personal God assumes refers

primarily to his relationship with persons – his concerns with directing and shaping the lives..

Names of God

¨ I AM¨ EL¨ Elohim¨ El Elijon – ‘the most high God’ Gen 14:18¨ El Shaddai – ‘the Almighty God’¨ El Olam – ‘the Everlasting God’

Compound Names of God

¨ Jehovah – Elohim¨ Jehovah – Jireh¨ Jehovah – Rapha¨ Jehovah – Nissi¨ Jehovah – Shalom¨ Jehovah – Raah¨ Jehovah – Tsidkenu¨ Jehovah – Saboah¨ Jehovah – Shammah¨ Adonai – Jehovah

Attributes of God¨ God is personal

– Because God is a person, he can be approached.– Relationship is not merely one way. He is living and

reciprocating– To be treated as a being…idea of God is not some

thing to be used, solve our problems and meet our needs

– God is an end in himselfnot a means to an end– He is of value to us for what he is in himself, not

merely for what he does– Exod 20:3 I am the LORD your God who brought

you out of Egypt….you shall have no other Gods before me

Attributes of God

¨ God is LIFE– Exod 3:14 I AM– Jeremiah 10:10 …the living God– God does not derive his life from any external

sources– The continuation of God’s existence does not

depend anything outside of him– God relates to us but by his choice not because

he is compelled by some need

God is Infinite

¨ Finite objects have a location. Greatness is measured by how much space they occupy. With God whereness (location) is not applicable. God brought space and time into being (Acts 17:24-25)

¨ God’s Infinity – there is no place where he cannot be found. Tension between Immanence of God (God is every where) and his transcendence (he is not anywhere) – Jer 23:23

God is Infinite

¨ God is infinite in relation to time Ps 90:1-2¨ God is time less – he does not grow or

develop. He is aware of that events occur in particular order

¨ Implications – Elijah– Beware of sacred connotations to certain places

God is Infinite

¨ God is infinite with respect to objects of knowledge– Ps 147:5, Proverbs 15:3, Mathew 10:29, Heb

4:13¨ God’s infinity in relation to as the

omnipotence of God– Gen 17:1, Jeremiah 32:15. Mathew 19:26

Holiness

¨ There are 2 aspects to God’s Holiness

1. His uniqueness

2. His absolute purity

Holiness

¨ Holiness – His uniqueness– Exodus 15:11– 1 Samuel 2:2– Isaiah 57:15– Isaiah 6:1-4

¨ Objects and places associated with him– Exodus 3,19,26:33

Holiness

¨ Holiness – His absolute purity– Habakkuk 1:13– James 1:13– Job 34:12

¨ Biblical writers repeatedly emphasize that believers are to be like God

Thank you