Calvary Corvallis

Church in Corvallis, Oregon

The Character Of God

The Character Of God

2 Cor 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.  ESV

Ps 119:160 The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. ESV

“We might never have had this precious verse if Paul had not been so ill-treated by these men of Corinth. They did him great wrong and caused him much sorrow of heart… yet you see how the evil was overruled by God for good, and through their unsavoury gossip and slander this sweet sentence was pressed out of Paul.” (Spurgeon)

2 Corinthians 4.8-9 “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

  • “Is God real?”
  • “Isn’t He all powerful?”
  • “Does He love me?”
  • “Does He not see what is happening here?”
  • “Does He not care?”
  1. God doesn’t change.
  2. God always acts in complete unity and consistency with ALL of who He is.

Daniel 3.24-25 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

Daniel 3.8 & 12b  8 …certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews… They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” 

Daniel 3.16b-18

“we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” 

Daniel 3.28

28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 

We can trust God our suffering because:

  • He rules almighty over all as King
  • He is wise
  • He works all things out according to his perfect will.
  • He is the God who enters our suffering with us.
  • God is able to intervene in our lives personally, but His purposes extend much farther than one person or an individual
  • God doesn’t just save by taking us out of situations; He saves through His presence—by being with us
  • God may choose to save, but he doesn’t have to save.  Part of trusting God is relinquishing our right to define what is good or what should happen in a situation.
  • God doesn’t owe us salvation from the furnace; Christ earned our salvation from sin by going through the fire of God’s wrath for us. Therefore, He isn’t just the God who saves; He is the God who understands our pain, our struggles, and our hurts.

Exodus 3.2 And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 

Ex 3.3-4

Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” 4 So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

Ex 3.14  14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 

 

  1. The fire only harmed or consumed that which God allowed for His purposes to be worked out.
  2. People notice when something normally destructive, doesn’t result in loss.
  3. God’s desire isn’t to impress people with miracles or even with the people that miracles are experienced by or through.
  4. God want to capture people’s attention, so they can meet their creator, know who He is, and respond to His plan of salvation for the whole world.
  5. In the end what’s important is that people encounter God.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”