B) Mental Attributes (190-197)
1) Knowledge (Omniscience)
a) God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act. (Job 37:16;1Jo. 3:20; 1Cor. 2:10-11)
i) God knows all actual things (things that have happened or will happen) (Heb. 4:13; Matt. 6:8, 10:30;Psa. 139:1-2, Isa. 46:9)To know every detail of every single thing in the whole universe at the present time is something beyond our comprehension.To know it all for every single moment of past history is millions of time greater.To know it all for ever single moment of the future, with a future that will never end,is billions upon billions of times greater than that.God knows all of this in one "simple and eternal act""simple" = not divided into parts. Therefore God doesn't have to ponder carefully before he knows something, or reason toconclusions, or count things quickly.He always knows all things - all things are always present in his consciousness."eternal": He has always known all these things.Psalm 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.Isaiah 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
ii) God knows all possible things (things that might have happened but did not happen) (1Sam. 23:11-13, Matt. 11:21)Since God knows himself fully, he also knows everything he is able to do.Therefore he fully knows every other possible creation he could have made (but didn't),and every other possible creature he could have created, and every other possible thing thatcould have happened in each of those creations.
Definition: God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act.(= God's omniscience) (Rom. 11:33)
Questions:
1. How do you feel about God's knowledge?
2. What is the spiritual benefit to our lives from thinking about God's knowledge?
2) Wisdom
a) Definition: God's wisdom means that God always chooses the best goals and the best means to thosegoals. (Rom. 16:27, Job 12:13)
In creation: Ps. 104:24: O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. look for evidences of God's wisdom in creation (this has led to many scientific discoveries)
In the church: Ephesians 3:10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now bemade known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. look for evidence of God's wisdom in the church
In our individual lives: Rom. 8:28: And we know that for those who love God all things work together forgood, for those who are called according to his purpose. as you look back over months or years, do you see God's wisdom at work in your life? God's wisdom is a great comfort to us in difficult times.
b) Application: We can have some wisdom (in imitation of God's wisdom),.and we can ask God for more wisdom. (Jas. 1:5; Pro. 9:10)
God wants us to act wisely, and this honors him (it shows forth his character)
Any human activity that requires skill and planning is a form of manifesting God's wisdom
- sports
- music, art
- construction, any of the trades
- culinary skills
- scientific inventions
- managing people, parenting, helping
http://scottsdalebible.com/assets/audio/christian-essentials/20060430WGrudem.mp3
