As we continue to work our way through the Shorter Catechism, our text this evening will be found in John chapter 4 and verse 24, the words of the Savior to the woman from Samaria. God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The title for the sermon tonight is, What is God? And that's taken from the Shorter Catechism. Question four, what is God? And the answer that's given to us is God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. In his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. And the Savior here really gives us the answer to the question, what is God? He says to the woman, God is a spirit. And therefore, we want to look at this, this evening, that we might have a greater understanding and a greater reverence and a greater love and awe for the God who has revealed himself to us in the Word of God and in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. As we're making our way through the Catechism, we have discovered our purpose, man's chief end, is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. And the next two questions, two and three, will tell us how we are to do that in a way that God has laid down for us in his word. Notice that the question, for instance, does not, or the answer, I should say, when Jesus says, God is a spirit, it does not say God is spirit. It says God is a spirit. It does not say God is spirit. And you may well wonder, why does Jesus not say that? Well, there's at least one reason. because he is not the only spirit. He is a spirit, but he's not the only spirit. Angels are spirits. For instance, the book of Hebrews tells us, Paul writing to the Jewish Christians there, talking about the angels and the problem that Paul was highlighting there was that the Jews were inclined to reverence and revere the angels. And Paul is telling them that the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the ultimate creator of the angels. And Paul is telling them that the angels are not to be reverenced, they're not to be worshipped, for Christ is way above them. And he says in verse 14 of chapter 1, concerning the angels, are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Therefore, the angels have a role in securing the salvation of Christ's people. They are ministering spirits, and an invisible armory is round about us, but Christ is way above them. So the angels are spirits, and our souls, or spirits if you like, They are spirits. So that's why he does not say God is spirit, because he is not the only spirit, but he is absolutely unique. And this is what we want to discover this evening as we look at this question, what is God? What is a spirit, you may well ask? It's a good question. Well, a spirit is a being that can reason and think. Someone who is intelligent and personal. But God is all of these, but he's somewhat slightly different also. He is God in three persons, which the catechism will address on another occasion. So that's what a spirit is, a person, a personality that can reason, that can think, who is intelligent, but God alone is absolutely unique in the sense that he is three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. and God is self-sufficient. He's not a creature. He is a creator. And all creatures are dependent upon him. He is life. He has life. He gives life. He is alone, self-sufficient. He does not need creation. He does not need mankind. He is totally self-sufficient and happy in of himself. And he is infinite. All other spirits are finite. Now, what does infinite mean? Well, he's no bounds. He's unbounded. He's unlimited. You cannot confine God. He is absolutely infinite. Well, the Catechism would teach us that God is a spirit, and this would also lead us to realize that God does not have a body. We have a soul, or spirit if you like, it's in our bodies. You cannot see your soul, you cannot see your spirit. The body's there, you can see it, but God does not have a body. Therefore, he cannot be seen, and he cannot be touched, impossible. And when it says that in the Bible where people say they have seen God, it is in the Old Testament, it is a pre-incarnate son of God that they saw. They could never see the Father, never, impossible. He is a spirit. He cannot be seen and he cannot be touched. But you might well say that the Bible speaks of God having bodily parts. Let me quote a couple of texts to support this, where the Bible speaks of God in human terms, if you like. I'm thinking of the time in Joshua. My machine has just frozen. I don't think it has anything to do with the coal, but it's frozen. Anyway, the Bible quite often talks about God as having eyes or hands or a mouth as such, but that's just to help us. It's just to help and to accommodate to our understanding. It's to reveal that God is a God who works, a God who is active. And when it talks about this, it is revealing to us that God is one who is alive and working. And it's to help us to understand that God himself does not have a body like we have. That would be absolutely impossible. And here we have in the Catechism, it's telling us about God. God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. Infinite again is reminding us about the fact that he cannot be contained, he is boundless. He alone is eternal. It is true to say that when angels have been created and when man is created, he is in one sense eternal. Man has a soul that will live forever. But it's only eternal because God has determined it to be eternal. But God is eternal because God is God and that he has no beginning. We have a beginning. The angels, they all have a beginning too. And they are eternal only because God has determined that they will be eternal. But God is eternal of necessity. He had no beginning. And it also reminds us that God is unchangeable. And we delight in the fact that the God with whom we deal with is one who is absolutely unchangeable. Again, if you would go to the Bible, you would notice that it talks about God repenting. We could think about that and we'll come across it when we come to the flood. Before the flood, it talks about God having repented that he had made man. Now, to repent would suggest to us a change. God has made the universe, he's made the world, he has put the animals and the insects, the birds and the beasts all on the earth, and he's made mankind. But now he says, I'm regretting it, I repent. Does that not suggest then that God is changing? It does not. It does not. What is indicated there is, because of man's behavior, God has to deal with him differently. If mankind maintained his innocency and holiness, God would not have to deal with him differently. But because God is holy, he must deal with mankind according to mankind's behavior. It's mankind that has changed. It is not God. God is always holy, and he must deal with his rational creatures according to their behavior. It is because mankind has changed that God, in his holiness, which cannot change, must deal with mankind. in accordance with his holiness and therefore God is unchangeable. We think of that text and we very often quote it from Malachi chapter 3 verse 6. I am the Lord, I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." And that text was given in the context of the time of Malachi when many of the people of God were quite happy to change their vows or to break their vows they had made with their women, with their wives. But God is reminding them that he's a God who does not change. He's a great covenant-keeping God. And that's why they would not be destroyed, because they may well sin against God, and they may well rebel against God, but God has entered into a covenant with his people, and because he's a covenant-keeping God who will not change, they shall not be destroyed. Nevertheless, he might well deal with them accordingly. So God is a spirit. infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being. And this is a wonderful comfort for God's people, for the people of God. His word does not change. His promises do not change. He has made many, many promises to his people. We often quote it and we rely upon it. It brings great comfort to us. He will not leave us nor forsake us. We might not feel the warmth of his love, but God cannot change. And the love that he's had for his people had no beginning and it will have no end. Although you might not notice it, you might not feel it. It's like the sun always shines. But sometimes we don't see it and we don't feel it because of the clouds. And that's the way with God. God has one who will not change and cannot change. And this is a great source of encouragement for us to continue in the Christian life and in the Christian faith, because the great God of heaven is one who cannot and will not change. And therefore, as we said, his promises, but also his threatenings and his judgments The warnings that he gives in the word of God will come to pass. We don't know when, but they will, because God does not change. Now, there are three things there that describe God. God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. They are called his attributes or his perfections, and they reveal something of the characteristics of God. Infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. And as I said, these are attributes. They help us to understand and to grasp something of the wonder and the splendor of the God that we worship and adore. Now, these attributes are called incommunicable attributes. What does that mean? Well, as we go on, we will understand, but these attributes belong and are only found in God himself. God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. They belong to the Godhead, and he does not share them with the creatures, and they are unique to him. And he has these perfections absolutely, absolutely, Perfect, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. But then the Catechism goes on to list six other things. In His wisdom, power, justice, holiness, goodness, and truth. And all of these are other attributes, again, outlining and describing the God of heaven. Now, these attributes are called communicable attributes. Why? Well, it's very simple. Why? Because these attributes, the six that are outlined, they can be found in us, in humans. What are they? Wisdom, justice, holiness, goodness, truth. These things can be found in human beings. God has them in perfection. We only have them to a certain level. We do not have them in perfection. God has wisdom. God is a wise God. We see that. We see it in creation. And indeed, the more that you look at creation, the more that you study it, the more that you know about it, and it's indeed, it is a very, very profitable subject to look at creation, everything in creation, from a biblical perspective, recognizing that God is the creator. The more you look at it, the more you will understand how great a God we serve and worship because it reveals something of his glory and you see something of his his wisdom in it how everything seems to fit together and the more we know of it the more it should cause us indeed to worship him and we see his wisdom day after day as we look at his creation again providence What does providence teach us? Providence teaches us something of the wisdom of God, how he is working out his plan and his purpose, how it's unfolding before us day after day, how he is ordering and directing all things according to the counsel of his own will, and how he is using his people and how he's using all creatures unbelievers, it doesn't matter. He's using all of them ultimately to further and to advance his cause and his kingdom. And this requires wonderful divine wisdom, and the Lord has it in perfection. Now wisdom is more than simply knowledge. Many people can have knowledge, but wisdom in their proper perspective to work out your plan and your purpose. And the Lord has that wisdom in perfection. And of course, you see wisdom in the great plan of redemption. The Lord brought this plan into being in eternity. in eternity, before creation, before the fall, before anything, God had a plan and a purpose, and it bore fruit in time, and it is bearing fruit even today, until the end of time, when Christ will come in the power of his, in the glory of his Father, of himself, and his holy angels. But the great plan of redemption It reveals the wisdom of God. How indeed could God pardon sinners? How could he justify the ungodly? This is what he has done, whereby all his perfections are honored, whereby his great love, his great grace, his great mercy is clearly revealed in the cross. but also his wrath, his hatred, his righteousness, and his holiness, and his determination to deal with sin is all seen there clearly for us. The wisdom of God is fully revealed to us. And therefore, this is the God that we are to trust. And when times may well be difficult, when as a congregation or a denomination or as an individual. You might have trying times. You might wonder what's going on. But you can always rest upon the wisdom of God. He knows exactly what he is doing. He has wisdom. Talks about power. He is omnipotent. He's not bound. We've heard much in the last few days about a man who has power. Well, he has power, but he's got limited power for a limited time. But that does not describe God. God is all-powerful all of the time. Is that therefore not a cause for us to bow before him and to humble ourselves before him? Times may well not be easy, but are we not to exercise faith? Are we not to look to this wise God, this all wise, all powerful God who has not in any sense surrendered in any way He has always been all-wise and all-powerful, and he's not going to change. And therefore, he is worthy of our worship and our adoration. God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. In his wisdom, power, and so on, as we find in the catechism there, it's outlining to us something of the wonder and the splendor of God, that we are to look to him, we are to trust him, we are to follow him, we are to rely upon him, and we are to serve him. For this is the great God of our Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the God that the scriptures so wonderfully testify to us about, in order that we might, first of all, put our faith and trust upon him, and then that we would follow him. Come what may, that we would look to him at all times, for he is a great and a glorious spirit. infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. In his wisdom, power, justice, yes, he's a God of justice. We seem to be crying out today for justice. We look for justice and we don't seem to find it. Well, God is a God of justice. And one day there shall be that great day of justice when all mankind shall stand before God in Christ and give account. And that day will be an awesome day when God will have his day with mankind and wrongs will be put right. Justice shall be administered. God's divine, perfect justice shall be administered. Now for the believer, of course, we look to the Lord Jesus Christ because there on the cross we see again the justice of God. How can we possibly see justice there? Well, God punished Christ in our room and in our place. And as we will never tire to say, if God is just and if he has punished Christ in our room and place, then he cannot demand payment twice. That would be against his justice. And therefore we rest upon him who was condemned in our room and in our place. But what is a comfort to the Christian is a warning to the unbeliever. God will not go slack. God is a God of justice, a God of holiness, and he will not in any sense pardon the impenitent, the unbeliever, those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ. Because he's a God of justice, he will make sure that Our perfect divine justice on that day will be seen and will be displayed. Well, this is the God of the Bible. It's not the God of our imagination, and this is the one we are to worship. God is a spirit, as our text tells us, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. It's not in special buildings. The day was going to come when Jerusalem, the temple there, would be destroyed. But the true worshipers would worship the Father in spirit and in truth. They would be worshipers who would have their hearts right through what Jesus Christ has done. And they would live a life of faith, worshiping this great God, this one who is. spirit. So what is God? God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Amen. And may God be pleased to bless his word to us. Let us pray together.