Mathers Systematic Theology - Norman W. Mathers

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relationship to the church (Eph. 2:22)(ibid:219). The doctrine of creation proves that God is separate from creation and the things in it (Gen. 1:1-2). This is very important because pantheism teaches that God is in all of creation (Ryrie 1974:24). A. A. Hodge (1972:141) clarifies the difference between the immensity and the omnipresence of God. Immensity is the relationship of God to space. His omnipresence is God’s relationship to man and his world. Anselm (Williams 2001:15) defined omnipresence as God being unbounded and eternal. God is supernaturally present and directs the affairs of men (Dan. 4:35). His Sovereign will cannot be thwarted by man. Jesus Christ is omnipresent and the Sovereign Lord of the universe (Matt. 28:18-20, Phil. 2:9-11).

      3.5.3 Omniscience

      God’s all knowingness extends to things which are both actual and realized and possible but not realized. The Godhead knows all things at once past, present, and future without any succession of events whatsoever (Eph. 1:11). Jesus knew that Tyre and Sidon would have repented if His miracles had been done in their midst. Yet in the omniscience of God, he preplanned in eternity past that it would not be ordained. Capernaum received the miracles of Christ but did not respond appropriately to Christ. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, knew their lot in the day of judgment. Sodom’s judgment would be more favorable than Capernaum. Capernaum sinned against great light (truth) being the miracles of Christ (Matt. 11:20-24) God’s omniscience is his being (essence) knowing. Secondly, the eternal God knows all things. This is referred to as the mode by theologians. The all things includes the past, the present, and the future as present to God. His eternal purpose has been planned in eternity past (Hodge 1972:144-145). God is an infinite and perfect being. He knows all things perfectly in and of Himself. God does foreknow all things as certain (1 Sam. 23:11, 12, Acts 2:23, 15:18, Is. 46:9-10)(ibid:146). The smallest details of life are known at all times to God. The Father knows the number of sparrows in the universe at all times (Matt. 10:29). The hairs of one’s head are numbered. The Psalmist develops God’s omniscience of the individual before He is born (139:1-13). The omniscience of God is free from any time limits of succession of events as illustrated by the divine plan of God (Eph. 1:11). The infinite intelligence of the Godhead extends to all of life both to things actual and realized, and possible but not realized. The believer is comforted by the omniscience of God because He knows the answers to all the what if’s of life. The Gospels record that the comprehensiveness of the all knowing infinite mind of the Godhead to the smallest details of life. Jesus knew all men (John 2:24-25). Shedd (1979:1:354) adds two interesting verses to our discussion 1 John 3:20 and Hebrews 4:13. Walvoord (1974:42) draws our attention to the omniscience of God as declared in Psalm 147:4-5. The omniscience of God means that the past, present, and future were before the Godhead in one unified whole (Chafer 1971:1:192). The infinite God comprehends all things at one time (Shedd 1979:1:354). The eternal mind is declared in Ephesians 1:3-14 to have formed the divine decree (plan). The divine mind worked the divine decree after the independent counsel His own will (Aland & Black 1968:665). This included all things before the world and time began (Hodge 1975:1:393-406). The divine mind established the divine means to accomplish all of the events in the divine decree. All things are working according to his eternal decree based on the infinite sovereign mind and will (Eph. 1:10-11). He has foreordained all things that come to pass (Acts 2:23). The divine means for the believer to be saved was he heard the word of truth the gospel. He believed the gospel resulting in his salvation (Eph. 1:13). For the believer saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, God supernaturally works (present indicative active 3rd person singular) all things together for good to those who love Him (present active participle – dative masculine plural) (Rom. 8:28). Foreknowledge will be dealt with later under Soteriology (doctrine of salvation). Foreknowledge to know before is divine choice. Romans 8:29 explains Romans 8:28.

      3.5.4 Other Communicable Attributes

      These are attributes that are in man to some degree. In God, these are perfections of His Being. “God is love” (1 John 4:8) [author’s translation] (Aland & Black 1968:821). Additional scriptures pointing out the love of God are John 3:16, 1 John 3:16, 1 John 4:9-10, and Romans 5:8. Agape love on the human side is an act of the human will for the good of the object that is loved. Love on God’s side is divine choice (Eph. 1:4), self-sacrifice (1 John 4:10), and his love in regenerate hearts (Rom. 5:5). God is holy. The scripture exhorts the child of God to be holy (1 Pet. 1:15). It was the attribute that the Lord Jesus taught his disciples (1 John 1:5). God is light (holy) and there is not any evil in him. The justice or righteousness of God is seen in Psalm 19:9, 116:5, 145:17, Jer. 12:1. The justice of God is related to the meaning of the resurrection of Christ for non-believers. They are under judgment (Acts 17:31). The justice of God is seen in the historical fact of the crucifixion of Christ (Rom. 3:21-26). God is true (Rom 3:4). This is the veracity of God. John 14:6 teaches that Jesus is the truth. The freedom of God means that he is independent of all authority outside of himself. The name Elohim argues for the independence of God. Isaiah 40:13-14 teaches the same truth (Ryrie 1974:19-22). God has foreordained whatever comes to pass. The exegesis of Ephesians 1:11 supports this statement. It is often argued that foreordination that encompasses all events is not consistent with man as a free agent. Charles Hodges (1975:1:545) answers this objection by arguing that man’s responsibility and will are included with the plan. Acts 2:23 confirms the truth of this position. Christ was delivered up “by the predestinated boule” (plan) “and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23) [author’s translation] (Aland & Black 1968:422).

      3.5.5 God’s Sovereignty

      The sovereignty of God means God is the supreme ruler. God is drawing the age to a close summing up and concluding all things in Christ (Eph. 1:10). All things are working according to His eternal decree (plan). The decree of God was formed based on the infinite sovereign mind and will (Eph. 1:11). God the Father is the sovereign ruler over creation because he created it all for the eternal son, Jesus Christ (Col. 1:18, Rev. 4:11). The eternal Son has the right to judge the earth because He redeemed (bought) men (Rev. 5:9). He was slain on the cross of Calvary (Acts 2:23, Rev. 13:8). His atoning death gives Christ the right to judge the earth (Rev. 5:9-14). The sovereign God of the heavens has done according to his good pleasure (Ps. 115:3). The prophecy of Daniel teaches the sovereign hand of God cannot be thwarted (Dan. 4:35). Jesus spoke of the Father as recorded in the gospel of Matthew (6:5-15). The Savior restated the Old Testament scriptures that the greatness, the power, the glory and majesty belong forever to the Father (1 Chr. 29:11) in Matthew 6:13 (Aland & Black 1968:18:4). This is variant reading number 4. The Father possesses the earth and all that is within it (Ps. 24:11). The Lord God Almighty owns all souls as recorded in the book of Ezekiel (Ezek. 18:4). The New Testament teaches that God is the creator of our soul (1 Pet. 4:19). The sovereign God has the right to do what He will with what is His (Matt. 20:15). God is the source, the agent and for whom all things were created, exist, and continue (Rom. 11:36).

      The sovereignty of God is universal. It extends over all men both Christians and non Christians. His sovereignty is absolute. The sovereignty of God is unrestricted. The boundaries and span of time allotted to the nations is predetermined by God (Hodge 1975:1:440-441). The psalmist cries out that his times are predetermined by God (Ps. 31:15). The apostle Peter declares that God the Father repays each man according to the works of his hands (1 Pet. 1:17). Some are given light and saved. Others remain in the darkness and are lost. Why is this? God has done as it seems good in His sight. Jesus prayed in Matthew 11:25 thanking the Father that he had hidden these things from the wise and intelligent. He has revealed them unto the nepiois (unlearned) (ibid:441).

      Men perish and are responsible for rejecting both natural light (truth) of Creation (Romans 1) and special light (revelation) (John 3:18). God is not willing that any should perish. A superficial reading of the Greek New Testament reads: “not willing any to perish but all to come to repentance” [author’s translation] (Aland & Black 1968:811). The negative me is used to introduce a question (Goetchius 1965:229-230). The kurios “not willing any to perish but all to come to repentance, isn’t he?” The Greek particle me affirms an answer in the negative. 2 Peter 3:7 confirms the fact that men do perish (Bigg 1975:290). To interpret 2 Peter 3:9 in any other way would be to open the door to universalism that all men will be saved. This question must be understood within the context

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