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The GRACE of God .............................................. (Rom. 5:15).
The GOODNESS and SEVERITY of God ................. (Rom. 11:22).
The WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE of God ................ (Rom. 11:33).
The MERCIES of God ........................................... (Rom. 12:1).
The KINGDOM of Christ and of God .................... (Eph. 5:5).
The KINGDOM of God ......................................... (Col. 4:11).
While it is not claimed that this list is complete, it is fairly representative. Obviously such expressions as `The
fear of God' cannot be listed here, as the fear is felt by man. Again, such terms as `The Son of God' come under a
special category, as also do `heirs of God' and similar references. One or two principles seem to be made evident by
this collation of references.
(1) The epistle to the Romans stands out as a basic epistle, for while some of the references could have been
taken from other epistles, no other contains within itself so great a number.
(2) The philosophical approach to the being and nature of God is entirely absent. All is in the realm of the
manifest and relative; what God is in Himself, and considered independently of the conditions of time and
space, is not discussed. This is a word that all who seek to hold a form of sound words that do not go beyond
the Divine pattern will acknowledge.
(3) In nearly every case the things said to be `of God' are those which relate to His moral government, either in
judgment or in mercy, in wrath or in grace.
Theology has often stepped beyond these bounds, and sometimes by reason of the pressure of attack and
criticism, men, in the construction of a Creed, have put out their hands to stay the ark of God, and while silencing
one objector have but raised up a legion of new opponents. Happily our quest demands no such attitude. We feel no
responsibility to supplement what the apostle has revealed, being sure that, had any such addition been necessary, it
would have been included in the pattern and not left for uninspired followers to amend and enlarge.
Of necessity every item listed in these pages has a context, and the lists given will be of little value unless such
contexts are examined and the references seen in their scriptural setting. In some instances this will be done as we
follow the pattern before us, but neither time, space nor ability will permit us to attempt a tithe of what should be
done to make these truths personal and experimental. In all these studies, therefore, the true Berean spirit is
enjoined; first of all to receive gladly whatever may be put forward in the word of ministry, and then to search the
Word itself to see whether the things stated are so.
We perceive that references to `God', as such, are comparatively simple. As he goes through the lists in this
chapter, no reader will be conscious of any strain on his understanding. But when we come to the teaching of the
apostle on the Person of Christ the case is different. As Matthew has revealed, `No man recogniseth the Father, save
the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him', but concerning `The Son' he says, `No man recogniseth
the Son, but the Father', and significantly omits any revelation by the Father concerning the Son, thus suggesting
that the mystery of God is Christ, and that the mystery of godliness is God manifest in the flesh. To this wondrous
theme we now address ourselves with mingled feelings, conscious of the sublimity of the subject, the august nature
of the Person, the frailty of the seeker, and yet the all-sufficiency of grace.
CHAPTER 4
God Manifest
We have been obliged to divide our study of the deity of Christ into two main sections. Here in chapter 4 we
propose to deal with the subject under the heading `God manifest', and in chapter 5 under the heading `God manifest
in the flesh'. As our study will prove, the distinction is of vital importance.