My Creed: God the Father

GOD THE FATHER

God is an eternal God. He existed before time began and will exist after time, as we know it, ends. He has no beginning or end but is the eternal "I AM" and is the "ALPHA AND OMEGA." Time has been created for our benefit; however, God is in the eternal present and is "from everlasting to everlasting." God is the only One who can say, "I am God,...and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning." He, being God, sees the beginning and the end all at one time.

God is the Creator of the universe and sustains it. He chose to create simply out of His will. We are not needed by God to fulfill any emptiness or lacking in Him. He created because it was His desire and decree to do so. He created by His Word out of nothing. He spoke and it was. The universe has not only been created by His Word but is also held together by Him. He has a plan for all in creation and will accomplish that plan.

God is a sovereign God and does as He pleases at all times. He is ruler of all creation; including celestial, human, and animal. His sovereignty is displayed as He rules over the earth, the animals, nature, nations, individuals, and history. God, being sovereign, has ordained whatever comes to pass; however, He is not the author of sin. He sets up kingdoms and has appointed their time to rule. He has created man and has ordained his days. His reason for His sovereignty is because it is His pleasure to do so. I believe Scripture presents a God who is ultimately in control of the bad things as well as the good things that happen, and He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and have been chosen. God's power is not limited in any way what so ever. The final outcome of His plan for history is His bringing all glory to Himself. In His times, He will make all things beautiful.

God is ever present and present everywhere. Since God is always present, He is in our hurts and crisis times as well as our joys and good times. For the Christian, God is always active in them through His Spirit who will never leave or forsake them. God may at times be silent to us, but He is not absent.

God is an all-knowing God. He knows the beginning from the end and knows His elect personally and intimately. Since He knows all things, there is nothing that we as humans can do that will take Him by surprise or that He does not anticipate us doing. It is because of His knowing all things that He took all our sin and placed it upon His Son, Jesus Christ when Christ died to take away the sin of the world.

God is holy and excels in purity. God, therefore, has a hatred of sin and must punish all sin because of His character of Holiness and righteousness. When God created, He created man as perfect and holy. However, because of His omniscience He knew of sin and it's resulting death. God provided a solution to the sin problem by foreordaining the sacrifice of Jesus Christ before the world even began.

God exists in a tri-unity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three are said to be active in creation, redemption, salvation, and the indwelling of a Christian. All three are said to have been active in the resurrection of God the Son, Jesus Christ.


SCRIPTURE REFERENCES BY PARAGRAPH

• Paragraph #1: Exodus 3:14,15; Psalm 90:1-3; Psalm 102:12,24-27; Job 35:6,7; Isaiah 43:1-3; Isaiah 46:9,10; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 4:11; Revelation 10:6
• Paragraph #2: Genesis 1:1,3; 1 Samuel 2:8; Ps. 11:3; Psalm 135:6; Nehemiah 9:6; John 5:26; Acts 17:24-29; Ephesians 1:11; Philippians 2:13; Colossians 1:16,17
• Paragraph #3: Genesis 14:19,20; Genesis 24:3; Exodus 9:29; Deuteronomy 4:39; Deuteronomy 32:8,39-43; 1 Samuel 2:6-8; 2 Chronicles 20:6; Job 12:9; Psalm 50:10; Psalm 75:6; Psalm 115:3; Psalm. 135:6; Ecclesiastes 3:1-11; Isaiah 40:22; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 45:7,23; Jeremiah 27:5,6; Daniel 2:20,21; Daniel 4:17; John 10:29 Acts 2:23,24; Acts 17:24-26; Romans 9:14-19; Romans 14:11
• Paragraph #4: 1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 139:3-10; Proverbs 15:3; Isaiah 66:1; Jeremiah 23:23; Jeremiah 32:19; Acts 7:48,49; Ephesians 1:23
• Paragraph #5: Genesis 16:13; 2 Chronicles 16:9; Job 23:10; Job 24:1; Job 28:10; Psalm 103:14; Psalm 121:3; Psalm 139:1; Isaiah 40:13; Isaiah 46:10; Jeremiah 17:10; Ezekiel 11:13; Matthew 10:29; Acts 1:24; Acts 2:23; Romans 8:29
• Paragraph #6: Exodus 3:5; Exodus 15:3; Deuteronomy 32:4; Joshua 24:19; 1 Samuel 2:2; Job 34:10; Job 36:23; Habakkuk 1:12,13; Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:2; James 1:13; 1 John 1:5
• Paragraph #7: Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3:22; Isaiah 6:3; Isaiah 11:2; Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 48:16; Isaiah 61:1-3; Matthew 1:18-20; Matthew 12:28; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:22; John 1:1-18; John 10:30; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 5:7