Psalm
27:11 NLT Teach me how to live, O LORD. Lead me along the right
path, for my enemies are waiting for me.
Psalm
25:4 NIV Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.
Isaiah
2:3 NIV Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up
to the mountain of the LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He
will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The
law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Hebrews
3:10 NIV That is why I was angry with that generation; I said,
'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my
ways.'
What
are God’s ways?
B1 God’s beliefs
B2 God’s attributes
B3 God’s worldview
B4 God’s lifestyle
B5 God’s rules
B6 God’s government
C1 Administrative
C2 Judicial
B7 God’s design
B8 God’s work ethic
B9 God’s religion
What
are God’s ways?
B1 God’s beliefs
C1 This is His teaching, His doctrine, His theology, His principles
of government. Essentially, it is everything about God and who He is.
C2 This would include His thoughts, desires, words, and deeds.
C3 The totality of His beliefs would be considered truth.
C4 Since God is perfect in every aspect of wisdom, knowledge,
holiness, love, etc., we would consider His beliefs as the best
possible worldview, lifestyle, and convictions.
C5 Bible verses about God’s ways:
D1 Deuteronomy 8:6 CSB So keep the commands of the LORD your God
by walking in his ways and fearing him.
D2 Joshua 22:5 NLT But be very careful to obey all the commands
and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the LORD your God,
walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and
serve him with all your heart and all your soul.
D3 Psalm 25:10 CSB All the LORD's ways show faithful love and
truth to those who keep his covenant and decrees.
D4 Psalm 103:7 CSB He revealed his ways to Moses, his deeds to the
people of Israel.
C6 Contrasting God’s ways with other ways
D1 The violent person: Proverbs 3:31 CSB Don't envy a violent man
or choose any of his ways;
D2 Angry people: Proverbs 22:24-25 CSB Don't make friends with an
angry person, and don't be a companion of a hot-tempered one, 25 or
you will learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.
D3 Motives considered: Proverbs 16:2 CSB All a person's ways seem
right to him, but the LORD weighs motives.
D4 God pays people for what they do: Jeremiah 32:19 NET You plan
great things and you do mighty deeds. You see everything people do.
You reward each of them for the way they live and for the things they
do. (Compare Romans 6:23)
D5 Jesus came as a servant: Acts 3:26 NIV When God raised up his
servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you
from your wicked ways."
D6 Peter contrasts the difference between God’s standards and
desires with human standards and desires: 1 Peter 4:1-4 WEL So
just as Christ has suffered in the flesh for us, equip yourselves in
the same way with the same attitude, for he who has suffered in the
flesh wants nothing to do with sin, 2 So that he should no longer
live the rest of [his] life in the flesh [yielding] to human lusts
but to the will of God. 3 For in times gone by, it may have satisfied
us to have done the will of the Gentiles [non-Christians], when we
led a life of sexual promiscuity, evil desires, drunkenness,
carousings, drinking parties, and depraved idolatries. 4 They think
it strange in that you don’t rush into the same excessive,
unrestrained actions, [and so] start cursing you.
B2 God’s attributes (For a rather complete list see here)
B3 God’s worldview
C1 Worldview is a particular philosophy of life or conception of
the world. (Source is Bing via Oxford Dictionary).
C2 God’s worldview answers the question, “What is truth?”
C3 It is the broad set/categories of rules/standards, see Exodus
20:1-17.
C4 The summary statement: Mark 12:28-31 NIV One of the teachers of
the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given
them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments,
which is the most important?" 29 "The most important one,"
answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the
Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31
The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no
commandment greater than these.
C5 As seen in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).
C6 Compare Psalm 104.
Note His intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, ability, creativity,
authority, beauty, etc.
B4 God’s lifestyle
C1 As seen in the life of Jesus, His life, how He dealt with friends
and enemies, and in many situations.
C2 Consider Psalm
1.
C3 Psalm 24:3-4 NIV Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who
may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure
heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
C4 Micah 6:8 NLT No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
B5 God’s rules
C1 The Old Testament has ~613 laws.
C2 The New Testament has >1,000 rules. For example, James
3.
B6 God’s government
C1 Administrative
D2 God condemns the dictator: 3 John 1:10-11 NIV So when I come, I
will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense
about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other
believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of
the church. 11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is
good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what
is evil has not seen God.
D3 Compare: Luke 7:8 NIV For I myself am a man under authority,
with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that
one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he
does it."
C2 Judicial
D1 God:
E1 Compare Psalm
82.
E2 1 Corinthians 4:5 NIV Therefore judge nothing before the
appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light
what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.
At that time each will receive their praise from God.
D2 Others: for example, Isaiah 10:1 NLT What sorrow awaits the
unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws.
B7 God’s design (everything done in wisdom, skill, love, and
holiness)
C1 Isaiah 45:18 BBE For this is the word of the Lord who made the
heavens; he is God; the maker and designer of the earth; who made it
not to be a waste, but as a living-place for man: I am the Lord, and
there is no other.
C2 Psalm 19:1 NLT For the choir director: A psalm of David. The
heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his
craftsmanship.
C3 Studying beauty, the theology of beauty.
D1 Here is a starting place behaps: Beauty
D2 Or here: Beauty
B8 God’s work ethic
C1 On call 24/7/365: John 5:17 NLT But Jesus replied, "My
Father is always working, and so am I."
C2 Supplies need (providence): Isaiah 55:10-11 NLT The rain and
snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the
earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry. 11 It is the same with my word. I send it
out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it
to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
C3 Position of authority: Psalm 22:28 NET For the LORD is king and
rules over the nations.
C4 Principle of rest: Genesis 2:2 NLT On the seventh day God had
finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.
B9 God’s religion
C1 No one else is god: Isaiah 45:21 NET Tell me! Present the
evidence! Let them consult with one another! Who predicted this in
the past? Who announced it beforehand? Was it not I, the LORD? I have
no peer, there is no God but me, a God who vindicates and delivers;
there is none but me.
C2 Holiness and righteousness: Proverbs 21:3 NET To do
righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than
sacrifice.
C3 Provides salvation: Acts 4:12 NET And there is salvation in no
one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people
by which we must be saved.
A
few thoughts to start our study and thinking about God’s ways. It
is a lifetime of study.
We
are weak; He is strong. He gives His grace to help us accomplish and
understand His ways.
2
Corinthians 12:9 NIV But he said to me, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so
that Christ's power may rest on me.
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