Skip to content Beth Jones - Who Is God Aug 9 · 24 min ...more
August 9, 2022 · 24 min · Pray TV
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Beth Jones is a Bible teacher and founder of The Basics With Beth, a non-profit Christian teaching ministry dedicated to helping people learn the Bible basics.
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0:00 Welcome0:15 to the basics with Beth TV, and we are having so much fun in this series we're in. We are helping all of us to get a grip on the basics. The basics of the bible, the0:27 basics of our faith, and we're sort of doing this a global event via television. I'm taking all of you that are participating through this book called Getting a Grip on the0:39 Basics. And here's the thing, we are literally digging into the basics of our faith. So we're gonna jump into how to develop your relationship with God. And0:50 this is what it's all about, isn't it? I mean, the whole idea of becoming a Christian and the whole idea of walking with God is a relationship with the Lord. But here's why I love this chapter. Because it was life1:02 changing for me, and and here's why. Because sometimes when we talk about God, we sort of think of God like I have a relationship with God. Like God, you know, the Almighty, the Most High, the Big God. I have1:14 a relationship with God. But he's a little bit generic. Or we're like, oh no, I have a relationship with Jesus. He is my best friend. He is my Lord. Which is awesome. But what1:26 we're gonna see as we get into this lesson, what we are gonna see, I'm telling you, it'll radically, in the best way possible, change and help and enhance your relationship with the Lord. Okay? So with that big1:37 setup, let's talk about it. Here's what we know. When it comes to this idea how to develop your relationship with God, the question is this, what is God like? How has God revealed himself in the Bible? And what we see in1:49 the Bible is that Jesus, actually among other writers of the Bible, revealed God or the Godhead as 3 persons, 1 God, also known2:01 as the Trinity. Sometimes you hear that phrase the Trinity, the Holy Trinity. Well, actually the word Trinity is really never found anywhere in the Bible. However, the word Godhead2:12 is. And that's what we're gonna dive into, how to develop a relationship with God, but what does that mean? God who? Who is God? So Matthew 28 verse 19,2:24 Jesus said this, he said, go therefore and make disciples of all nations, which is what we're doing to the best of our abilities through this program, taking you through getting a grip on the basics, Baptizing them in2:36 the name of the father, and the son, and the holy spirit. 3. We see 3 names there. Jesus said, go into all the world, preach the gospel, teaching them, teaching all nations, baptizing them in the name2:48 of the father, the son, and the holy spirit. Well who is the Father? Who is the Son? Who is the Holy Spirit? Now let me just give you a couple of scenarios. The Father. When Jesus was3:00 on earth, right? Jesus was God in the flesh on planet earth. When Jesus was on earth as God, who was in heaven? Was the father in heaven? Or3:12 was there a sign on the pearly gates? Hey, went to earth. I'll be back in 33 years. Like, what was the scenario? Who's in heaven? And what about the Holy3:23 Spirit? Who is this Holy Spirit? Is the Holy Spirit a person? Is the Holy Spirit a force? A vapor? A power? Like, what and who and what's the Holy Spirit? God the3:35 Father, who is he? Where is he? God the Son Jesus, who is he? Where is he? God the Holy Spirit, who is he? Where is he? And is it all just 3 in 1 or 13:47 in 3? How do I how do I understand this? Now here's what happens many times. People will say things like this. They'll say, well, you know, you really can't understand the trinity. You know, it's like beyond our3:58 comprehension and we can't really you know, our minds are finite and God is infinite and we really can't comprehend it, which in a in a in a sense of course is true. But in another sense it's not true because God has4:10 revealed himself in the word so what can we know about the trinity or the Godhead? Okay? So let me give you let me take you back to Genesis and give you just some some thoughts on this that you can can look up in your4:21 own Bibles. Okay? So in fact, these are not in our workbook. These are gonna be additional. But grab your Bibles. Go with me. Let's go back to Genesis chapter 1. Okay? Genesis 1 26.4:33 And I want you to see this. Okay? We're talking about who's God and how do we know him. In Genesis 1 26, God said this, God now listen, God said, let us make man in4:45 our image according to our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and so on, over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth. So you have authority4:57 over all the creeps is what the bible says. Okay? But that's not our point. Our point is God said. What? God said let us make man in our image. What is us5:09 and what is our? Let us implies plurality. Who's the us? Who's the our? The word back there when it says, and God said, the word God there5:20 is the Hebrew word Elohim, which is a uni plural noun which would be like a word we would have in English. Those of you that speak English would be like our word for family. 1 family, many5:32 members. A word like church, 1 church, many members. A word like team, 1 team, many members. So the word Elohim is a reference to the Godhead. 1 God, as5:44 we're gonna see, 3 persons. 3 persons make up the Godhead. So now another little rabbit trail. Sometimes people will say, well you know God's like5:56 a man who's a father, a son, and a brother. 1 man, 3 different manifestations of that man, which is actually not the biblical case. We're talking about6:08 1 God, but 3 persons. Not 1 person with 3 manifestations. Does that make sense? Now as we go through it, I think it'll make more sense, but it's the Bible teaches us6:20 and if you look at almost any Christian church's statement of faith, it will say this very thing. We believe in 1 God revealed in 3 persons, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Holy, holy, holy.6:32 So you've heard this before, but maybe never really understood it. Okay? So that's what we're digging into. Now go over to Genesis 8 verse 11, we see the same thing and I want you just to see it. Genesis6:43 11, I'm sorry, verse 6. And the Lord said concerning, the population growing and human kinds development. The Lord said indeed the people are6:54 1 and they all have 1 language and this is what they begin to do. Now nothing that they propose will be withheld from them. But they were what they were doing was actually pulling them away from the Lord. Then7:06 God said this, come, let us go down. Again, that plurality, let us. Who's us? God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Let us go down. And they're confused their language that they may not understand7:18 1 another's speech, the famous Tower of Babel story. So we just see a couple of references there. I want you to to see it yourself. This idea of us and of course God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit have7:30 existed from eternity past. God has always existed. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Then at a point in time in history, in the fullness of time, Jesus said a body you have prepared for7:42 me. Jesus came to the earth as a baby through the Virgin Mary in a body. He stepped out of heaven where he had existed for eternity and came to earth and lived a sinless life to die on the cross for our sins. And we're7:54 gonna obviously get to that here in just a bit, but do you see the picture, the big picture here? So what else do we know? Go over to the New Testament. What does the New Testament tell us about the Godhead, about this8:04 Trinity? Again, these are basics y'all. This is basic stuff, but yet in some ways isn't it isn't it, are are you mindful? It's not that basic. It's basic, but it's meaty, and this helps us, you'll see,8:16 getting to know God. Alright? First John 5, this is he, verse 6, this is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ. And not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the spirit who bears witness because8:28 the spirit is truth. For there are 3 that bear witness in heaven, the father, the word, Jesus, and the holy spirit. And these 3 are8:40 1. And there are 3 that bear witness on earth, the spirit, the water, the blood, and these 3 agree as 1. Do you see this 3 in 1 thing, this 3 in 1 thing over here? In first John chapter 5, he says these8:52 3, these 3 who? God the father, God the son, God the holy spirit, these 3 persons are 1 God. The Lord our God is 1. The Godhead there is complete9:03 oneness, harmony, unity amongst God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Alright, y'all keeping up? So now the question is, we're talking about the basics, how do9:15 I get to develop this relationship with God? Here's the cool thing. This is the part I am excited to get to. You get to know God personally, not generically,9:27 as God your father, as Jesus your Lord, and as the Holy Spirit your helper. It's not just generic, oh God help me. It's not just generic God. It is God the Father,9:39 God the Son, Jesus, God the Holy Spirit. Okay. So let's talk about it. Look at this. We're gonna just look at a couple of verses like what does the Bible tell us about God the Father? Because then the translation of this9:51 in life is in your relationship with the Lord, in your prayer closet, when you're driving around town, when you're just talking to God. You'll have something much more specific. It won't just be generic, vague, vanilla10:02 God. It'll be, oh no, my heavenly father. And then these traits about your father that we're gonna look at. Okay? So Matthew 7 verse 11, Jesus said this, he10:13 said, if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him? So Jesus is revealing the10:25 father to us. He's revealing to us what the father is like. He says, hey, if you being human, evil human, you know, so to speak, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more does your10:37 father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask? What's Jesus revealed to us? He's revealed to us a lot about our father, this father we get to have this relationship with. We learn what? Well, we learn he's good.10:49 We learn he's a giver. We learn he gives the good gifts. Isn't that awesome? He gives good gifts. I I just like the thought. You know, like, he's not shopping on the clearance rack for you. He gives you11:01 the good stuff, so to speak. I mean, it's it's God's desire that you are blessed with his goodness. He's a loving father who gives good things. And you think about your life as a parent, moms, dads, you think about how11:12 you like to bless your kids with good things at Christmas, on their birthdays, throughout the year. And he says, if you like to do that, how much more? So that keyword more. He's even more that way towards you. And this11:24 is really a big 1 because you know some of us, we grew up with an idea about God that maybe we thought he was an ogre. Maybe we thought he was a killjoy. Maybe we thought he wasn't trying to get things to us. He's trying11:34 to take things from us. He's trying to make our life boring and no fun. He's wanting us to live with nothing, be content with nothing. Right? I mean, we had these mindsets about God, but the Bible does not describe him11:46 that way. The Bible describes him as a good father who gives generously. He's a giver. What else? Jesus revealed more about the father. I love this. Jesus said, the hour is coming and now is11:58 this is in John 4 23 and 24. The hour is coming and now is when the true worshipers will worship the father in spirit, in truth, for the father is seeking such to worship him. God12:10 is a spirit. And those who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth. So he tells us something here, God is a spirit. Talking about God the father. He's a spirit. Okay. Makes sense, I12:22 think. But let's look at another verse and we'll put them together. Okay? Let's look at Hebrews 12 9. Furthermore, the Bible says, we've had fathers after the flesh who corrected us and we paid them respect.12:34 Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live? Okay. I wanna put those 2 together. God is a spirit, our heavenly father. God is a12:45 spirit. And then in Hebrews, we find out he's the father of spirits. Now, here's the cool thing. You and I, we are spirit beings. In fact, let's take a little rabbit trail. Let me12:57 talk to you about that for just a minute. The bible describes in first Thessalonians 5 23, the bible describes you and I, humans, as being 3 part beings. That God would13:09 sanctify us completely, spirit, soul, and body. So the bible describes you and I as a spirit with a soul who lives in a body. We are a spirit being.13:21 I I like to say it this way, the person who lives behind your eyeballs, that person, your heart, you, the real you, the person nobody else knows except you and God, that person, the you of you, you are a13:32 spirit being. You have a soul. I have a soul. My soul is my mind, my emotions, my will. We have a soul, our personality, and we live in a body. Our spirit13:44 man, our soul. We have this earth suit as it's been called. We have our costume for earth is our human body. And in fact, little side thought, did you know without a body I mean,13:56 think you know this, but let's make sure. Without a body, did you know you cannot be on earth? You, the real you, the spirit man that you are, the spirit that you are, you can't even be on earth without a human14:08 body. This is what legally gives you access to earth. So that's why the 3 parts of us are all so important, spirit, soul, and body. Okay? Now with that in mind, we see that God the Father is a14:20 spirit and he's the father of spirits. Meaning, you gotta get this, meaning he is truly the father of you, of the14:32 real you. He is the father of your spirit, of who you are. He's your real father. Yes. God uses our mother, our earthly mother, and our earthly father to give birth and bring us into the world, And we14:44 respect and honor them for their roles. But do you know God is your real true father? The father of spirits. You say, how does this help my relationship with the Lord? Here's how. You take these14:55 truths, these things we've covered, and there's several others. You can look at 1 other 1 in James chapter 1, that God's the 1 who gives good gifts. They come down from heaven, the father of lights with15:07 from whom every good gift comes. Okay? So you just get this picture all of a sudden of like this good heavenly father, Holy smokes, who's your real father. Then in your prayer closet, then in your conversations with the15:19 Lord, you're like, God, thank you. You're not this vague God out there that's just sort of vanilla. You're not just like generic God. No. Thank you heavenly15:30 father. You are my father. You're the father of me. And you're only and always giving good gifts and doing good things and wanting me to experience your goodness. And all of a sudden this cultivates a loving,15:43 giving, generous, heartfelt relationship between you and your heavenly father. Do do you see that? Can can you imagine and picture that? Now let's talk about this relationship with Jesus. With Jesus, there's some15:55 verses. Of course, I'm only giving you a sample of verses that describe each person in the Godhead. You could dig into the whole rest of the Bible and find out more about each person in the Godhead. But let's look at16:06 Jesus now for a minute. Some scriptures about Jesus. Okay? So well, know this. John 8 12, Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall16:17 not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. When it comes to this world, and we live in a dark world, and you might wonder, is there any hope out there? Like, what's the deal with this dark world we live in?16:28 Jesus is the hope. He's the only hope. Why? He's the light. He's the light of the world. And the darkness, the Bible says, can never extinguish the light. Have you ever noticed that? You might be stuck in a16:40 dark room, all the lights are off. And do you know if you light a match, that match will light up the room, the light from that match will light up through, and the darkness has no power to extinguish it.16:53 Try as it might, that darkness cannot put out that match. The darkness can never overpower the light. So Jesus is saying, I'm the light y'all. The darkness cannot overpower me and17:05 my purpose here on earth and my relationship with you. Amen. I think that's awesome. It's great news for our relationship with the Lord. What else? How about Jesus? Okay. I love this. Jesus said, I am the good17:16 shepherd. I know my sheep and I'm known by my sheep. Man, he's your good shepherd. He knows you and he wants you to know him intimately. He'll take care of you. Psalm 2317:28 describes all the characteristics of this good shepherd. What else? Hebrews 13 8. Jesus alright, I love this. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,17:40 today, and forever. So what does that tell us about our relationship with Jesus? It tells us that we can look at the gospels and see how Jesus operated on earth when he was here, and we can know for certain he's the17:52 same. He's the same. Whatever you saw him do in his earthly ministry when he was here on the earth, the miracles he did, the healings he did, the compassion he showed, the way he cared for children, the way he cared18:04 for widows, the way he he taught his disciples, the way he was not impressed with religious people. All of that, he's the same. He is the very same yesterday,18:15 today, and forever. So you can talk to him that way in your relationship. Lord Jesus, thank you. You're still healing. Thank you. You're still performing miracles for me as I need them in my life. Thank18:27 you. You're still having compassion on me. You're still bringing comfort. Jesus is the same. What else? Okay. Galatians 3 13. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having18:39 become a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. What do we know about Jesus? Our relationship with Jesus. We know this, Christ has redeemed us. He's redeemed us from the curse of the18:51 law, which is a whole another subject, but we see a little definition of it here. Let me read you some of this. Okay? Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. The term the law usually refers to the Pentateuch19:03 or the first 5 books of the Bible. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. That's known as the law. According to these 5 books of the Bible, the curse of the law or the result of breaking19:15 God's law is threefold. Eternal death, sickness, and poverty. In other words, the result of breaking God's law was death, as we've talked about in previous chapters,19:26 and that is a threefold curse. Jesus came to redeem us from the curse, from eternal death, from sickness and disease, from poverty and lack. He's redeemed us from the curse, but not just19:38 from. He's also redeemed us to abundant life. So now we're talking getting to know Jesus personally. You can be like, Jesus, you're my redeemer. Now when I sing my redeemer19:50 lives, it has a whole new meaning. Now when I sing about my redeemer, you've redeemed me from the curse to your goodness. Man, how good are you?20:02 God, how good are you? Jesus, how amazing are you as a savior, as a lord, as my redeemer. Alright. Let's look at another. Well, okay. That's it. Let's let's go to the holy spirit. Let's talk about the holy spirit. Okay?20:13 In the time remaining, let's talk about the holy spirit. What do these verses tell us about the holy spirit? In first Corinthians 3 16, he says, do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and God20:24 dwells in you? So we're talking about getting to know the Holy Spirit. Where is he located? He is within you. And I'm gonna show you an example of that. We're gonna do a demo in our next episode together about God the20:36 Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. So stay tuned for the next episode as well. But the Holy Spirit is within you. Man. You have a relationship with the Holy Spirit and he's within you. John 1620:48 13. He says, however, when he, the spirit of truth, has come, Jesus said this, when the spirit comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak.21:00 And he will tell you the things to come. He will testify and glorify me because he will take of what is mine and declare it to you. 1 version says he'll transmit it to you, he'll declare it to you, he'll21:12 show it to you. The Holy Spirit, what does he do? He, according to Jesus, will show you things to come. That's awesome. In your life, you don't ever have to be surprised by these big,21:24 crazy, unexpected things. No, you have the Holy Spirit, a relationship with the Holy Spirit who shows you things to come. So then in your relationship with him, you just walk through life, Holy Spirit, thank you. You21:35 give me a heads up. You always show me what I need to know. You always give me advance notice on whatever I need to know. You guide me through my life. Alright. What's another 1? Let's look at just a couple more and21:45 we'll we'll wrap it up here. Romans 8, for as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. What does that mean? Means the Holy Spirit's your leader. He'll lead you. He'll guide you. Talked about it21:57 before. He's your GPS system. You know? And when you make a mistake, you take a a wrong turn, he'll just he'll just adjust and go recalculating, recalculating. Let me keep you on the path that God has for you. So22:09 do you see? We're talking about getting to know God. God who? God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. And as we cultivate our relationship with him and talk to him based on how he has22:21 revealed himself, man, it will deepen and enrich your everyday life in walking with the Lord. So are are you getting this? Are you getting excited about getting to know God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy22:32 Spirit? 1 God, 3 persons. And this is what I love. I mean, I just think this may this is gonna take all of eternity, really, isn't it? It's gonna take all of eternity to get to know how good our22:44 loving heavenly father is. So many times people, like I said, have a generic idea of God. And he's just the almighty, he's the ogre, he's the God. But no, he's way more than that, isn't he? Can you see22:56 that? He's just so vast. The depth, the length, the breadth, the height of who God is. And so I hope you're encouraged in the basics of this relationship. Alright. So23:08 next episode, we're gonna jump back in and continue to get to know more about this relationship with the Lord and how we develop it and cultivate it. And God just reveals more and more of himself to us23:20 and grew us to be a light to the people in our world. So that's it for today. Yay. Got your coffee? Alright. I hope you had a great time with me, and I'll see you on our next episode. Hey.23:32 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope you were encouraged. Be sure to hit the follow button so you can binge on all the Bible basics throughout the week and stay encouraged in23:43 your faith. And don't forget to share these messages with your friends. If you'd like more information about our ministry, you can always go to the basics with beth dot com. That's the basics with23:55 beth dot com. It's been great to be with you, and I will look forward to seeing you next time right here on pray dot com.
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