In Eric Bechler's sermon on the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689, he emphasizes the monotheistic belief that God is the only living and true God, infinite in essence and perfection. The sermon explores God's attributes, such as immutability, omnipresence, and incomprehensibility, highlighting biblical references to support these characteristics. It contrasts monotheism with polytheism, underscoring the Jewish and Christian belief in one God. The sermon also discusses God's justice, mercy, and love, illustrating how these attributes are manifested in Scripture. Bechler encourages reflection on God's attributes, asserting that such contemplation deepens worship and love for God.

Okay, our reading from the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689 comes now from chapter two of God and the Holy Trinity, paragraph one. The Lord our God is but one only living in true God, whose subsistence is in and of himself, infinite in being and perfection, whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, who is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, Almighty, every way infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will for his own glory. Most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and withal most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all sin and who will by no means clear the guilty. Today we transition from the study of the Holy Scriptures to theology proper, which is the true study of God Himself or the doctrine of God. Our confession addresses this in three parts, the attributes of God, the self-sufficiency of God, and the Holy Trinity.

Our focus today is on the attributes of God, which is a huge topic. Many books have been written on this topic and the men of the church studied A.W. Pink's book on the attributes of God a number of years ago and that was really worthy endeavor. It's an excellent book to read and meditate on especially if you've never done such an exercise. Today we will go through the various attributes that our confession raises touching on Bible verses associated with each of the attributes so that we can confirm that what is stated here in the confession is properly supported by God's Word rather than just man's words.

Historically, you can find many cultures that held to polytheism in which there are many gods. Egypt is an example of this. In contrast, the Jews and the Christians hold to monotheism. This is belief in only one God, which is where our confession begins. The Lord our God is but one only.

And Scripture tells us this in the Shema, here, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6, 4, and 5. There are many other passages as well that there is but one God. I'll read a few.

2nd Samuel 7 22, wherefore thou art great, O Lord God, for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee. 1st Corinthians 8 4, as concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols we know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is none other God but one first Corinthians 8 6 but to us there is but one God, the Father of whom all things are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things, and we by him." Next, the confession qualifies this position further, that the Lord our God is but one only living and true God. He is not a stone or precious metal statue. He's not an abstract or impersonal force. He is not a philosophical concept.

He's real. He is alive. In fact, he is the source of all life. Jeremiah describes God, but the Lord is the true God. He is the living God and an everlasting King, Jeremiah 10.

Paul also uses this description in his letter to the Thessalonians, how you turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 1st Thessalonians 1.9. Dr. Sproul comments, The apostle Paul tells us in Romans, there is an evil tendency in the human heart to exchange the truth of God for a lie and serve and worship the creature rather than the creator. Romans 1.25. There is only one true God.

All other gods are false pretenders and idols and to worship another God incurs God's wrath. Next we read God's subsistence is in and of himself infinite in being and perfection. So far the Naamathite answers Job, can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than heaven.

What can you do? Deeper than Sheol, What can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea." Job 11, 7 through 9. Solomon in his prayer of dedication for the temple declares, but will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you.

How much less this house which I have built." 1 Kings 8 27. God is infinite which also means He's omnipresent. He is everywhere. He's without bounds, without boundaries, And there is no place that God's being does not permeate. If you think about it, the universe can only have one infinite being.

If there was a second, there would be boundaries between them, thus making them finite at some level. Philosophically, that's not possible. There can only be one infinite being, and that being is God. And He is perfect. He cannot become more perfect or less perfect.

He is perfect in his entire being, perfect in every respect. He cannot fail and there's nothing lacking in him. We can declare this of God, but it is difficult if not impossible for us to understand it fully. We are finite beings and it's beyond us to comprehend God or His essence fully. Our confession states God's essence cannot be comprehended by any but himself.

Again we find in Job, indeed these are the mere edges of his ways and how small a whisper we hear of him, but the thunder of his power who can understand? Paul expresses this incomprehensibility in his letters to the Romans and Corinthians. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways, past finding out. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counselor?" Romans 11, 33 and 34.

For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of a man? For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him. Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God." 1 Corinthians 2, 11. God is also a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions. John writes, God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

John 424. He is a most pure spirit. His purity is without defect, perfect, and infinitely pure. We cannot see God unless he reveals himself through some physical medium. He doesn't have a body.

He is immaterial and spiritual. Thus he is invisible. Paul uses this description with regards to Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation. Colossians 1.15.

And now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever amen first timothy 1 17 when we look at ourselves at our bodies their complexity is great. We have many parts, we have hands, heads, feet, mind, heart, etc. All visible and apparent. God doesn't have all this, He's without body or parts. No one has seen God at any time.

John 1 18. Take careful heed heed to yourselves for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire. Deuteronomy 4 15. God is also without passions. This means that God is not subject to human passions.

Dr. Sproul explains, He does not experience mood swings or become depressed. Not that He has no cares, Yet scripture plainly teaches that God has an emotive side. He takes delight in things. He loves.

He regards us with affection. God is not an abstract force, but a personal being. Paul, in writing to Timothy, further describes God, who alone has immortality dwelling in unapproachable light, who no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. First Timothy 6.18.

Barnes notes on the Bible explains, the word immortality here properly means exemption from death and seems to mean that God in His own nature enjoys a perfect and certain exemption from death. Creatures have immortality only as they derive it from Him, and of course are dependent on Him for it. He has it by His very nature. It is one of the essential attributes of His being that he will always exist and that death cannot reach him. The light where God dwells is so brilliant and dazzling that mortal eyes could not endure it.

This is a very common representation of the dwelling place of God. It is unapproachable in our current state. Our confession continues with the Lord is immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, every way, infinite, most holy, most wise, most free, and most absolute. God is immutable. Immutable means without change.

We read in Malachi, for I am the Lord, I change not. Malachi 3 6 and James writes, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1, 17. God and his attributes never change. They never cease.

He is immutable. And God is immense. Jeremiah writes, Do not I fill heaven and earth, sayeth the Lord. Jeremiah 23, 24. Solomon declared that the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee in first Kings eight, 27.

We easily think of immense as describing how large something is. An aircraft carrier, the Grand Canyon, the ocean are examples of immense things. But in describing God, we don't mean he's big when we say he's immense. We mean that he's everywhere. He is everywhere and at all times, which of course means he's omnipresent.

God is eternal. The psalmist declares, before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Psalm 90 verse 2. God has no beginning and no end and God is incomprehensible. Again the psalmist declares, great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable.

Psalm 14 3. Solomon explains, He hath made everything beautiful in his time. Also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3.11. And Isaiah writes, for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts Isaiah 55 8 through 9 God is almighty and in every way infinite.

We find these descriptions throughout scripture from Genesis to Revelation. In Genesis 17, 1, I am the almighty God. In Revelation 1, 8, I am the Alpha and the Omega says the Lord God who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. And day and night they never stop saying, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. Revelation 4.8.

God is most holy. We read Hannah's prayer. There is none holy like the Lord. There is none besides you. There is no rock like our God.

For Samuel 2.2. From Isaiah, And one cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. Isaiah 6, 3. God is most wise.

Paul describes God in this way, to God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever, amen. Romans 16 27. And now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever, amen. 1st Timothy 1 17. God is most free.

God is not a slave to anyone nor anything. He is sovereign. But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Psalm 115, verse 3.

God is most absolute. God said unto Moses, I am that I am, Exodus 3.14. We also read in Job, but he is in one mind, and who can turn him? What his soul desireth, even that he doeth, Job 23.13. God is also working all things according to his counsel of his own immutable and most righteous will and for his own glory.

Daniel tells us, he doeth according to his will. Daniel 4.35. Paul tells us, God works all things after the counsel of his own will. Ephesians 1.11. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose, Romans 8-28.

From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11 36. And Habakkuk tells us the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

In Habakkuk 2 14. The Lord our God is most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin. We read from 1st John 4, 8. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. From Exodus 34, 6, and 7, and the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, the Lord the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.

The Lord our God is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Jeremiah tells us, you shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29 13. From the author of Hebrews, without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11 6.

At the same time, the Lord our God is perfectly just and terrifying in his judgments. He hates all sin and will certainly not clear the guilty. What does scripture say? From Nehemiah 9, 32 and 33, now therefore our God, the great, the mighty, and awesome God who keeps covenant and mercy, do not let all the trouble seem small before you that has come upon us. However, you are just in all that has befallen us, for you have dealt faithfully, but we have done wickedly.

For Malachi 4.1, for behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble. In the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." The psalmist tells us the Lord hates the wicked, Psalm 11 5, that the boastful Shall not stand in your sight. You hate all the workers of iniquity You shall destroy those who speak falsehood the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man from from Nahum 1 3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. And finally, from Exodus 34, seven, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation. Well, praise God that our God is the one and only true God, true living God.

Our God hears our prayers. We're not praying to a statue. He intervenes in our lives constantly and consistently. You just have to open your eyes and see his work. We are His people.

We are the sheep of His pasture. God protects us as an under eagles wings God chastises us because He loves us and wants to restore us He is ever patient and loving He is eternal from everlasting to everlasting. He is the Alpha and Omega, He is almighty. And a day is coming where every knee shall bow before the Lord. We cannot comprehend all the attributes of God, but we should never consider the character of God to be too deep for us to contemplate or think about.

In fact, the more we reflect on His attributes, the more we are moved to adore and worship him. Let us not be neglectful. Let us pursue the first and greatest commandment to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and with all our minds and all our strength. And I would encourage you this week to take some time to reflect on and to meditate on the attributes of God. Amen.