I. A personal confession.
A. The Creed presents the Scriptural truths objectively.
B. Yet, it remains a personal confession.
1. The emphasis is upon what we all believe (that is, the Church).
2. And: it is set forth as a sincere belief:
a. Not mere outward confession.
b. But it is both from the mouth and heart.
1) The wicked, from the heart, deny God.
2) But the regenerated believes and confesses.
a) Confession begins from the regenerated heart.
b) One regenerated also must and does confess with the mouth.
II. Our confession concerning the One God:
A. We acknowledge that God is.
1. Faith does not argue whether or not God exists; but faith believes.
2. Faith holds this truth on the basis of God’s own revelation to us.
a. It needs no philosophical argument to prove His existence (proofs, other than Scriptural, which have been given are: the Ontological Proof; the Cosmological Proof; the Teleological Proof; the Moral Proof).
b. But faith holds to the revelation of God’s Word to us in Scripture.
B. We believe concerning the Being of God:
1. That God is ONE.
a. Heathen religions usually teach: polytheism (many gods); pantheism (all is god); atheism (no god).
b. We confess:
1) There is one Infinite, Eternal, Almighty God (Deut. 6:4).
2) He is one in Being (that He is Triune does not make Him to be three Gods).
2. God is simple.
a. He is not composed of parts; He has no body; God is pure Spirit.
b. His perfections or attributes are not “parts” of God, but these are God. I Jn. 1:5.
C. The attributes of God:
1. Incommunicable attributes, that is, those which are not nor can be reflected in the creature.
a. Eternal (Ps. 90:2): though completely different than time, it could be described as existence without beginning or end.
b. Incomprehenstple (Job 11:7): that God is beyond any definition or limits.
c. Invisible.
d. Immutable (I Tim. 1:17): unchangeable.
e. Infinite (I Kings 8:27): God is not limited by space or creation.
f. Almighty.
g. Other attributes: Omnipresence (Acts 17:27, 28); Independence (Is. 40:13); Simplicity (Gal. 3:20);
2. The communicable attributes, that is, those which in a limited measure can be reflected in the creature.
a. Those belonging to the intellect (prophet): Knowledge (Rom. 11:33); wisdom (Acts 15:18).
b. Those belonging to His will (priest):
1) Holiness (Rev. 4:8)
2) Righteousness (Ps. 119:132).
3) Goodness:
a) Love (John 3:16)
b) Grace (Acts 14:17)
c) Mercy (Ps. 25:6)
d) Longsuffering (II Peter 3:9)
c. Those belonging to His power (king): His sovereignty; His almighty power.
Worksheet
1. Supplementary reading: (First read questions below–then these recommended passages.)
a. Psalm 90
b. Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Days 1, 9, 10
c. Canons of Dordt, I-A-11; II-A-1, 9; III-IV-A-1
d. Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter II
2. Proof-text to be committed to memory: (proof for the eternity of God): Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
3. Questions for study and consideration: (use the supplementary reading list above–but the questions are not necessarily limited to that material).
a. Try to find the meaning of the four “proofs” for the existence of God as given on the preceding page (II.A.2.a.). What reasons could be advanced for the failure of this “proof” to convince the unbeliever?
b. What are “anthropororphisms”? (see a dictionary). Find several instances of these in Scripture.
c. If God is immutable, how would one explain Gen. 6:6-7 which speaks of the “repentance” of God?
d. What happened to the “communicable” attributes in man after the fall?
e. What comfort does the confession and knowledge of the “incommunicable” attributes of God afford the Christian on this earth?
f. How do the attributes of God assure His punishment upon the wicked?
g. If God is almighty, can He do anything? (for instance: can God sin?)
h. List the attributes of God as given in the Westminster Confession.
i. How great is the knowledge of God according to the Westminster Confession?