I’ve heard Christians ask, “There’s so much about God, where do I begin to disciple a new convert? What book of the Bible should they read first? What scriptures should they learn first? How do I get them into the Bible without overwhelming them?” Most likely, it’s probably best to start with the axioms of God.
You may remember from your high school math class that an axiom is a statement of truth that does not require a proof. The dictionary definition is, “a statement or proposition that is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true.” There are a set of axioms about God every Christian needs to know, for everything in the Bible and everything about your life are predicated on these axioms of God.
The “good news” of Jesus Christ rests on top of these axioms about God. Steven Lawson in his article on Divine Sovereignty does a great job with listing these fundamental truths. Here’s what he wrote:
From its opening verse, the Bible asserts in no uncertain terms that God is and that God reigns. In other words, He is God—not merely in name, but in full reality. God does as He pleases, when He pleases, where He pleases, how He pleases, and with whom He pleases in saving undeserving sinners. All other doctrines of the Christian faith must be brought into alignment with this keystone truth.
Divine Sovereignty from Steven Lawson Jul 06, 2018 Category: Articles
Let me bullet-point Steven Lawson’s statement and back these axioms up with Scriptures from the Bible.
God is – Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
God reigns, not merely in name, but in full reality – Psalms 103:19, “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.”
God does as He pleases – Philippians 2:13 (ESV), “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
God does when He pleases – Romans 5:6, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”.
God does how He pleases – Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV), “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
God does with whom He pleases – Jeremiah 1:5 (ESV), “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
In saving undeserving sinners – Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
All other doctrines of the Christian faith should align with these keystone truths.
These self-evident truths need to be ingrained within us, so we have God’s most fundamental truths at hand to measure and decide, with the help of the Holy Spirit, what is of God and what is a lie.