Hebrews 12:28-29
The Divine Attributes
Review:
I started with one basic observation, that is, there is a lacking
of character in our country and world today.
From that observation, I made a deduction. We have lost characters
because we have turned away from God, God’s Word, and God’s
teachings. Character comes from God. All standards of good, right,
and wrong come from God. If you turn from God, by necessity, you will
lose those standards.
From those two thoughts, we have been studying what character is.
So far, we have seen six categories of character. There are probably
many more and I know there are many more attributes that could be
listed into each category.
So far, we have looked at:
1. Foundational Attributes (wisdom, love, self-control)
2. Gracious Attributes (gentleness, meekness, kindness)
3. Just Attributes (boldness, anger, righteousness)
4. People Attributes (respect, honor, integrity)
5. Work Attributes (orderly, punctual, honest)
6. Leadership Attributes (righteous, selflessness, caring)
Tonight, we will start in the seventh and last category.
7. The Divine Attributes
Introduction:
We have been speaking of character because we must have character to
co-exist with others. Without character, sooner or later, we would
all either be killed or be forced to kill to stay alive. Having
character—common standards of what is right and wrong—is just that
important. In fact, you can see that by what is coming to pass right
now in our country, i.e. riots, looting, streets being blocked,
policemen and public servants being assassinated.
My prophecy is, without a return to Christ, it will get worse. Our
founding fathers knew that the only way a true Republic could exist
was with a reliance upon the one true God. Without that reliance, the
best we can hope for is some type of a constitutional monarchy, which
is what is forming in America now.
However, character is not just needed for us to co-exist with one
another. Character is needed for us to co-exist with God. If we do
not allow God to impart to us some of HIS attributes, we will offend
Him to such a degree that His justice and holiness will kill and
damn us.
Important Point:
So every other attribute of character that we need to develop to have
right relationships with others is but a prelude to help us have the
attributes we need to have a relationship with God.
This evening, let’s start looking at the Divine Attributes.
I. Attributes to Enter into His Presence
A. What kind of character should we have to enter into God’s
presence?
1. We know we are granted entrance into God’s presence by the
blood of Jesus Christ.
a. Jesus gives us forgiveness and became the Door to God.
b. Even so, we want to do our part to prepare ourselves
so that we do not offend God, but rather are ushered
into His company with delight.
2. By developing character, His nature within us, we can
do just that.
B. Reverence
1. Let me give you two Bible references:
Ps 89:7 God is greatly to be feared in the
assembly of the saints, and to be had in
reverence of all them that are about him.
a. This is an Old Testament use of the word reference.
b. In fact, the Psalmist tells us that God is to be
reverenced by those who are going to be around God,
which is exactly what we are wanting to accomplish.
c. The Hebrew word for reverence means to be afraid, to
dread, to be affrighted, fearful, to see as terrible.
d. The Old Testament word emphasizes the fear sinful
human should have, indeed must have, if they are to
enter into God’s presence.
Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which
cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we
may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly
fear:
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
e. This New Testament reference speaks of how we are to
abide in God’s presence with reverence so that we
might serve God.
(1) The Greek means to look down, to be in awe, to
be ashamed.
(2) While the Greek does not emphasize as much the
fearful aspect of the meaning, it does speak of
having a great respect for God, so much so that
we are ashamed at our sinfulness and weakness.
2. From these two uses I see that to reverence God means…
a. To fear God.
(1) Here I do not mean to respect God, but to FEAR
Him.
(2) God is holy, sinless, all powerful, all just,
and we are sinful, wicked, and evil.
(3) When—not if, but when—God is moved to execute
justice, nothing shall before Him!
(a) We should remember that the Bible says that
even the heavens and earth will flee out of
God’s presence in that day.
(b) If the inanimate creation of God is not
worthy to abide in this powerful and holy
God’s presence, how much less we?
(c) Consider that to this date, no one and
nothing has ever seen God’s unbridled
wrath and justice—not even Satan and the
worst of the demons.
(4) Just because God’s mercy protects us does not
mean that we should forget our place.
(a) We are sinful beings that should fear God.
(b) To enter into His presence, we should fear
God.
b. To respect God.
30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I
said indeed that thy house, and the house of
thy father, should walk before me for ever: but
now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them
that honour me I will honour, and they that
despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
(1) Fear and respect can have similar meanings, but
they also have difference meanings.
(a) While we should be fearful of God’s holiness
and power, reverence is more than just
fear.
(b) Reverence means to respect, to honor, to
admire God—and just for His power and
purity, but because of who God is.
(2) God is loving, kind, just, merciful, gracious,
forgiving, enabling, tolerant, considerate,
steadfast, protective, giving, humble,
thoughtful, good, faithful, and a thousand other
good things.
(3) One should have appropriate knowledge and a right
attitude to come before God.
(a) Why should any person think they can enter
into this good God’s presence in anger,
bitterness, wrath, arrogance and be granted
an audience?
(b) Friend, Jesus is the Door but walk through
the door humbly and in the correct frame of
mind.
c. To deny self.
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose
it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake,
the same shall save it.
(1) Throughout this study, I have mentioned several
"self" awarenesses.
(a) In the Foundational Attributes I mentioned
our need for self-control.
(b) In the Leadership Attributes I mentioned
our need for selflessness.
(c) However, to enter into God’s presence, we
need to take these up a notch to self-
denial.
(2) To deny self means to put one’s desires and needs
behind another’s.
(a) The devotion we have to Jesus will
determines how far behind we will put
ourselves.
(b) I’m devoted enough to my wife that on most
days, I will walk around the car and open
the door for her—even in the rain.
(c) Jesus demands not only that we deny
ourselves but that our devotion be so great
that we would even die for Him.
(d) That is total devotion and total self
denial.
C. Boldness
Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and
find grace to help in time of need.
1. Boldness is having great confidence, assurance, certainty.
2. In this topic, it would mean to have great assurance that
God wants us to come into His presence and that we are
welcome.
a. There is another attribute that we should consider with
boldness.
b. That is courage, a lack of fear or uncertainty in God,
and in what God wants me to do.
Re 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet
as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me,
saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the
last:
c. The desire that God does not want His people to be
afraid to come into His presence is more clearly
taught in the Old Testament by looking up the phrase
"fear not."
(1) \\#Ge 15:1\\ - God to Abraham
(2) \\#Ge 21:17\\ - Hagar
(3) \\#Ge 26:24\\ - Jacob
(4) \\#Ge 46:3\\ - Jacob
(5) \\#Ex 20:20\\ - Moses
(6) \\#Deut 1:21\\ - Moses speaking for God to Israel
\\#Deut 20:3, 31:6, 31:8\\
(7) \\#Jos 8:1\\ - God to Joshua
(8) \\#Jos 8:1\\ - Joshua speaking for God to Israel.
(9) \\#Jud 6:23\\ - God to Gideon
(10) \\#1Sam 12:20\\ - Samuel speaking for God to
Israel.
3. God does not want His children to question His love, His
mercy, His grace, His kindness, His leadership, or
anything else about His relationship to us; but rather,
He desires to have confidence and boldness that as He
leads us, God will comfort, provide, and direct us.
a. Such was the boldness of Jesus.
Mt 7:29 For he taught them as one having
authority, and not as the scribes.
b. Such boldness is necessary if we are to be effective
servants of God.
Ac 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter
and John, and perceived that they were unlearned
and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took
knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
Ac 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was
shaken where they were assembled together; and
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
they spake the word of God with boldness.
Eph 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access
with confidence by the faith of him.
4. This boldness is not arrogance, or anger, or railing for
our Lord never did those things.
Matt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of
me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye
shall find rest unto your souls.
Phi 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made
in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross.
5. No, this is confidence in being well favored by God,
confidence in being led by God, and
confidence in being loved by God.
6. It may well sound that the two attributes I have given so
far, reverence and boldness, could contradict one another.
Well, perhaps they could, but they do not need to do so.
D. Balanced
1. To enter God’s presence we must balance what we are with
what God is making us into.
a. We are sinners, so humility, reverence, self-denial,
and more are required of us to enter God’s presence.
b. We are also forgiven children of God, so boldness,
confidence, and assurance in that relationship are
needed.
2. The Christian life is a life of balancing a…
a. sinful past with a glorious future.
b. God’s justice with God’s mercy.
c. our contrition and our confidence.
d. humility and honor.
e. our just desserts and our duty.
3. To enter into God’s presence, in fact, to walk on this
earth, we must learn to walk a delicate balance.
E. Righteous
1. To enter into God’s presence we must be right with God.
a. Righteousness is not perfection.
b. Righteousness is the imputed status of being made right
with God and the commitment to maintain it.
2. God makes us righteous. It becomes our duty to keep it.
3. How do we do that?
a. By obeying the Bible.
b. By following the Holy Spirit.
II. Attributes to Stay in His Presence
III. Attributes to Depart with His Presence
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