God…knoweth all things
William MacDonald teaches that God's omniscience means He perfectly knows all things, offering believers warning, comfort, encouragement, and awe-inspiring wonder.
In this sermon, William MacDonald explores the profound truth of God's omniscience, emphasizing that God perfectly knows all things without learning or forgetting. Drawing from key Scriptures like Psalm 139 and Matthew 10, he reveals the practical implications of God's knowledge for believers, including warning, comfort, and encouragement. MacDonald also highlights the wonder of divine knowledge, including God's gracious ability to forget forgiven sins. This teaching invites listeners to trust in God's perfect wisdom and care.
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“God…knoweth all things.” (1 John 3:20)
The omniscience of God means that He has perfect knowledge of everything. He has never learned and can never learn.
One of the great passages on the subject is Psalm 139:1-6, where David wrote: “O Lord, thou has searched me and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.”
In Psalm 147:4, we learn that God counts the number of the stars and calls them all by name. The wonder of this increases when Sir James Jeans tells us that “the total number of stars in the universe is probably something like the total number of grains of sand on all the sea shores of the world.”
Our Lord reminded His disciples that not a sparrow falls to the ground unnoticed by our Father. And in the same passage He said that the very hairs of our head are all numbered (Matt. 10:29, 30).
It is clear then that “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13), causing us to join with Paul in saying “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Rom. 11:33).
The omniscience of God is filled with practical meaning for every one of us. There is warning. God sees everything we do. We can’t keep anything secret from Him.
There is comfort. He knows what we are going through. As Job said, “He knoweth the way that I take” (Job 23:10). He counts our tossings and numbers our tears in His bottle (Psa. 56:8 RSV).
There is encouragement. He knew all about us and yet He saved us anyway. He knows what we feel in worship and prayer but cannot express.
There is wonder. Although God is omniscient, yet He can forget the sins He has forgiven. As David Seamands said, “I don’t know how divine omniscience can forget but it does.”
Sermon Outline
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I. The Nature of God's Omniscience
- God has perfect knowledge of all things
- He never learns or forgets in the human sense
- Scriptural evidence from Psalms and Matthew
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II. Biblical Illustrations of God's Knowledge
- Psalm 139 describes God's intimate knowledge of us
- God counts stars and knows every sparrow's fall
- Hebrews and Romans emphasize God's unsearchable wisdom
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III. Practical Implications of God's Omniscience
- Warning: nothing is hidden from God
- Comfort: God understands our struggles and pain
- Encouragement: God knows us fully and still saves us
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IV. The Wonder of Divine Knowledge
- God’s omniscience includes His ability to forgive and forget
- Human limitations cannot grasp God's knowledge fully
- Encouragement to trust in God's perfect wisdom
Key Quotes
“The omniscience of God means that He has perfect knowledge of everything. He has never learned and can never learn.” — William MacDonald
“Not a sparrow falls to the ground unnoticed by our Father. And the very hairs of our head are all numbered.” — William MacDonald
“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” — William MacDonald
Application Points
- Live with the awareness that God sees all your actions and thoughts, encouraging integrity.
- Find comfort in knowing God understands your struggles and counts your tears.
- Trust in God's perfect knowledge and grace, especially in moments of doubt or fear.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that God is omniscient?
It means God has perfect and complete knowledge of everything, past, present, and future.
How does God's omniscience affect believers?
It offers believers comfort, warning, encouragement, and awe because God knows all their circumstances and thoughts.
Can God forget sins He has forgiven?
Yes, the sermon highlights that although God is omniscient, He can forget forgiven sins, demonstrating His grace.
Why is God's knowledge described as 'unsearchable'?
Because God's wisdom and judgments are beyond human understanding and cannot be fully comprehended.
How does Scripture illustrate God's knowledge of individuals?
Scripture shows God knows our actions, thoughts, and even the number of hairs on our head, emphasizing His intimate knowledge.