God is a Personal Being - Jordan Gospel Centre

MAIN TEXT: ISAIAH 55:6-11

HIGHLIGHT VERSE: ISAIAH 55:8
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD.” (NIV)

TOPIC POINTS:

God Does What Pleases Him – Psalm 115:3
God Thinks and Plans – Isaiah 55:6-11
God Makes Choices – Romans 9:10-16

INTRODUCTION:

A very important difference between human beings and other living creatures is the fact that we are persons. A person is one with self-consciousness, feelings, appetites, a sense of freedom, and ability to self-reflect.

A person is also one who is self-determined, with the ability to carry out plans and make choices without compulsion; someone with a will who is able to accept the results of their actions.

This is what we mean by saying God is a personal being. God does what pleases Him, without compulsion, and He is self-conscious. He knows what makes Him God, introducing Himself to Moses as, “I AM WHO I AM.”

GOD DOES WHAT PLEASES HIM

– PSALM 115:3, 135:6, ISAIAH 46:10-11, DANIEL 4:35, JOB 23:13

God is the creator and sustainer of the world, he does what pleases Him. He is not compelled by circumstances, emotions, or threats to do what He doesn’t want to do. Whatever God does pleases HIm and since he knows the future perfectly, he knows the outcomes of all HIs actions. He always acts consistently with His nature.

There are times when God does things that go contrary to our desires and expectations. We become frustrated, moving from one church to another, blaming the devil, or giving credit to witches and wizards.

The right response in such situations is to be still and know that God is God (Psalm 46:10). We must trust God knowing that He does all these for HIs glory and the good of His people.

GOD THINKS AND PLANS

– ISAIAH 55:6-11

God speaking through Isaiah lets us know that He has the freedom to think differently from us. We are persons just as God is, we think just as God thinks, we plan just as God plans but His thinking is beyond ours and His plans (ways) are beyond ours just as the heavens are higher than the earth.

Sometimes God does things that align with what we think should happen, other times He acts differently from our expectations. Since God is God, what He thinks will prevail over what we think.

Every human being has plans about their marriages, weddings, children, businesses, travel, etc. God also has plans for every human in these areas. Since God’s plans are higher than ours, they will prevail. King David planned to build a temple for the LORD, but God’s plan was for Solomon to build it.

Obviously, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan. But in planning we must be humble to recognize that it is God’s plan that will prevail and when our plans succeed, give HIm all the glory.

GOD MAKES CHOICES

– ROMANS 9:10-16, EPHESIANS 1:9-11

The ability to make choices is a mark of personhood. When God created us, He gave us the ability to choose, who to marry, what school or church to attend, what food to eat, what to wear, even who to worship. We all make choices every day, and we are not all coerced to make the same choices.

God is also a personal being who makes choices. He chose the nation of Israel over other nations. He chose Abraham to be the one through whom Jesus would descend. When Rebecca was pregnant with twins, God chose the younger over the elder so that the elder would serve the younger. Rahab was a prostitute yet God chose her to be a foremother to Jesus (Joshua 6:17, Matthew 1:1,5).

Realizing that God makes choices according to HIs will frees us from envying the blessings of God in our fellow believers. It frees us from bitterness and frustration in the places we find ourselves. We should pray for His mercy and trust His decisions in our lives.

CONCLUSION:

Learning about the personhood of God is very useful to every Christian. It opens our minds to God’s nature and character. When we pray we must imitate Christ by asking for God’s will to be done instead of insisting on our will. God has the right to answer our prayers instantly or eventually, or decide to not answer them at all.

Let us not see God as a steering wheel, someone we can twist and turn according to our desires. Instead by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let us seek His will to be done knowing that it will all work for our good in the end even if we can’t understand how now. This is true faith, trusting God’s choice in all situations.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Recite our highlight verse
What separates humans from other living things?
What are some attributes of a person?
What does it mean to say that God is a personal being?
God always does what we want, true or false? Explain.
When we have plans and God has plans, whose plan will win?
Give examples from your life of God’s plan winning over your plans.
Does this mean we shouldn't plan? Explain.
What does the Bible teach about God’s freedom to choose?
If God has His own will, how should we pray?
What is the best response for a child of God to know that God’s will is ultimate?