Part I – The Father As God
Caution is required in discussing the nature of God. First, the word nature may be inappropriate when applied to a Being Who is above all nature. The transcendence1 of God is expressed on every hand, especially in the Scriptures (e.g., Joshua 2:11). Therefore, it can be said that God is not "natural" at all; He is above nature. He is supernatural.
Second, caution is needed in attempting to explain how a God who is transcendent (above the world) is also immanent (in the world). Even the thought of a Being Who is both "here" and "there" is difficult to sustain, yet this truth is expressed in Acts 17:27. Perhaps such a thought as this is what motivated the insightful book titled, Your God Is Too Small.2 Without help it is impossible for us to think big enough to comprehend God. Humans need humility to contemplate seriously the nature of God. Our highest perceptions can scarcely discern the stature of God in the fullness of His glory (1 Timothy 6:16; 1 John 4:12).
Third, trying to understand God is the greatest challenge of our lives. Every person who thinks of God at all thinks of Him in a limited way. We innately realize that we are struggling with the insurmountable if we are struggling alone. Every Bible reader knows that this is the affirmation of the Scriptures (see Isaiah 55:8-9).
What, then, are we to do? We reach for humility as we confess our personal limitations and inadequacies. We utilize resources other than our own and eagerly accept God's invitation to reason with Him (Isaiah 1:18). In this, the first volume of this series, we will be studying the nature of God, how He relates to us, and how we relate to Him. This should be a thrilling adventure worthy of our combined efforts.
Footnotes:
1God "transcends" or "goes beyond" the confines of nature.
2 J. B. Phillips, Your God Is Too Small (New York: Macmillan, 1961).
