The Doctrine of God (Theology) | Psalm 14:1-5 | Message 3
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1 The fool[a] says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.2 The Lord looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on the Lord.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.Psalm 14:1-5
Theology Defined
“Theology” comes from two Greek words: theos (God) and logos (word or discourse). Theology means a discourse about God.
God is a Spirit—infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Arguments for God’s Existence
1. Cosmological Argument.
The cosmos itself proves there must be a God. The universe exists, and something cannot come from nothing. There had to be an original Cause—God Himself. The universe needed a cause at its beginning, and that Cause continues to exist, sustaining the world in order and design. We see this truth in astronomy, in the preservation of our planet, and in the vast galaxies upon galaxies.
2. Teleological Argument.
This argument declares that the universe’s evidence of intelligence, purpose, and harmony—there must be a Master, a Maker, an Architect. Every watch has a watchmaker, every building, a builder. The universe, infinitely more complex than a watch, points to a Designer—God.
3. Anthropological Argument.
Man is not simply a physical being. He is moral, spiritual, and intellectual created in the image of God. Even before we come to faith in Christ, our hearts are conditioned by the Spirit of God. Humanity’s intellect, emotion, and will all testify to a spiritual dimension that cannot be explained apart from the Creator.
4. Moral Argument.
This argument acknowledges that man has an awareness of right and wrong, morality given by God. C. S. Lewis powerfully expressed this in Mere Christianity: moral laws imply a moral Lawgiver. Lewis, once an atheist professor at Oxford, became a believer when he recognized that moral truth points beyond man to God Himself.¹
5. Ontological Argument.
This argument rests on the fact that all people possess an innate awareness of God. Helen Keller, who could not see, hear, or speak, once said that she always knew there was a God—she just did not know His name until someone told her. Even in silence, God reveals Himself to the human heart.
Anti-Theistic Views
Atheism denies God entirely. The prefix “a” before theos means “no God.”
Agnosticism insists that everything must be scientifically verifiable and therefore doubts God’s existence altogether.
Evolutionism also rejects the supernatural. Some claim that God “used evolution” to create man. That is false, as Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Evolution begins with the assumption that there is no God and seeks to explain life apart from Him.
Polytheism is the belief in many gods.
Pantheism teaches that everything is God and God is everything—an idea rooted in Hinduism.
Deism teaches that God created the world but then withdrew from it, abandoning His creation. Scripture reveals the opposite: a personal, present, and caring God who sustains His creation.
God Revealed
Psalm 19:1 declares, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Creation is the first revelation of God. Romans 1:18–20 teaches that His eternal power and divine nature are revealed through what He has made. The natural revelation of creation alone is enough to reveal the Godhead to any seeking mind.
Matthew 5:45 reminds us: “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Dr. Cressy Morrison, former president of the New York Academy of Sciences, wrote *Seven Reasons Why a Scientist Believes in God.² He gave remarkable examples:
The rotation of the earth—1,000 miles per hour—perfectly balanced to sustain life.
The heat of the sun—at 12,000 degrees Fahrenheit—close enough to warm us, far enough not to burn us.
The tilt of the earth—23 degrees—producing seasons and preventing extreme polar ice or desert.
The regulation of the tides—the moon, 240,000 miles away, prevents destruction of coastlines by maintaining perfect gravitational balance.
The symmetry of creation—if the earth’s crust were just ten feet thicker, oxygen could not support life.
The fact of life—from plants to man—testifies to the Creator. “Life did not just happen,” Morrison wrote.
Animal wisdom—the intelligence of bees, spiders, and salmon shows divine design.
God also reveals Himself through His control and provision. Looking back over our lives, we see how God has protected, provided, and orchestrated events for our good.
John 1:18 declares: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” Jesus Christ is God’s ultimate revelation.
Attributes of God
God is Spirit.
He does not have a physical body. John 4:24 affirms, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Astronaut James McDivitt, after orbiting the earth sixty-two times, said, “I did not see God looking into my space cabin window, but I could recognize His work in the stars.”³
God is Self-Existent.
He has always existed. In Exodus 3:14, God said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM.” God depends on no one.
God is Immutable.
He never changes. “For I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6). “With Him there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).
God is Love.
1 John 4:7–8 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God… for God is love.” Love is the heartbeat of God’s nature. When believers sin or fail, we must respond with grace, not condemnation. Forgiven people forgive.
God is Holy.
Exodus 15:11 asks, “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness?” Isaiah 57:15 calls Him “the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy.”
God is Omnipresent.
He is everywhere. Psalm 139:7 asks, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?” God’s presence fills heaven and earth.
God is Omniscient.
He knows everything. “He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name” (Psalm 147:4). “Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). God knows exactly where you are and what you need.
God is Omnipotent.
He is all-powerful. “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). If God can design the universe, He can take care of you.
God is Merciful.
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Paul Harvey told of the West Side Baptist Church in Nebraska, where all eighteen choir members were providentially late to practice on March 1, 1950. At 7:30 p.m., the church furnace exploded directly beneath the empty choir loft. God is merciful.
God is Just.
Romans 2:5–6 warns that unrepentant sinners are “treasuring up wrath in the day of wrath.” Every person will be judged according to his deeds. Outside of Christ, sin accumulates judgment; in Christ, it is forgiven.
Conclusion
The doctrine of God teaches that He is real, righteous, and relational. Creation testifies to Him. Conscience affirms Him. Christ reveals Him.
He is Spirit, self-existent, unchanging, loving, holy, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, merciful, and just.
The vital question remains: Do you know Him? When a culture removes God, it loses truth. When a person receives God, life begins again.
Footnotes
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: HarperOne, 2001 [1952]), 17–19.
Cressy Morrison, Seven Reasons Why a Scientist Believes in God (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1944).
James A. McDivitt, quoted in The New York Times, June 7, 1965.
