Quotations about God

{17:26} He made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the surface of the earth, having determined appointed seasons, and the boundaries of their dwellings,

{17:27} that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

{17:28} 'For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'

The Acts of the Apostles 17:26-28

If you say, “Show me your God,” I will say to you, “Show me what kind of person you are, and I will show you my God.” Show me then whether the eyes of your mind can see, and the ears of your heart hear.

It is like this. Those who can see with the eyes of their bodies are aware of what is happening in this life on earth. They get to know things that are different from each other. They distinguish light and darkness, black and white, ugliness and beauty, elegance and inelegance, proportion and lack of proportion, excess and defect. The same is true of the sounds we hear: high or low or pleasant. So it is with the ears of our heart and the eyes of our mind in their capacity to hear or see God.

God is seen by those who have the capacity to see him, provided that they keep the eyes of their mind open. All have eyes, but some have eyes that are shrouded in darkness, unable to see the light of the sun. Because the blind cannot see it, it does not follow that the sun does not shine. The blind must trace the cause back to themselves and their eyes. In the same way, you have eyes in your mind that are shrouded in darkness because of your sins and evil deeds.

A person’s soul should be clean, like a mirror reflecting light. If there is rust on the mirror his face cannot be seen in it. In the same way, no one who has sin within him can see God.

But if you will you can be healed. Hand yourself over to the doctor, and he will open the eyes of your mind and heart. Who is to be the doctor? It is God, who heals and gives life through his Word and wisdom. Through his Word and wisdom he created the universe, for by his Word the heavens were established, and by his Spirit all their array. His wisdom is supreme. God by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding he arranged the heavens, by his knowledge the depths broke forth and the clouds poured out the dew.

If you understand this, and live in purity and holiness and justice, you may see God. But, before all, faith and the fear of God must take the first place in your heart, and then you will understand all this. When you have laid aside mortality and been clothed in immortality, then you will see God according to your merits. God raises up your flesh to immortality along with your soul, and then, once made immortal, you will see the immortal One, if you believe in him now.

From the book addressed to Autolycus by Saint Theophilus of Antioch, bishop.

God is everywhere in his immensity, and everywhere close at hand. As he says of himself: I am a God close at hand, not a God far off. The God we seek is not one who dwells at a distance from us, for we have him present with us, if only we are worthy. He dwells in us as the soul in the body, if only we are sound members of his, if we are dead to sin. Then in very truth he dwells in us, the one who said: I will dwell in them and walk among them. If we are worthy of his presence with us, then in truth we are made alive by him as his living members. As the Apostle says: In him we live and move and have our being.

From an instruction by Saint Columban, abbot.

The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of living water, welling up into eternal life. This is a new kind of water, a living, leaping water, welling up for those who are worthy. But why did Christ call the grace of the Spirit water? Because all things are dependent on water; plants and animals have their origin in water. Water comes down from heaven as rain, and although it is always the same in itself, it produces many different effects, one in the palm tree, another in the vine, and so on throughout the whole of creation. It does not come down, now as one thing, now as another, but while remaining essentially the same, it adapts itself to the needs of every creature that receives it.

In the same way the Holy Spirit, whose nature is always the same, simple and indivisible, apportions grace to each man as he wills. Like a dry tree which puts forth shoots when watered, the soul bears the fruit of holiness when repentance has made it worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. Although the Spirit never changes, the effects of this action, by the will of God and in the name of Christ, are both many and marvelous. The Spirit makes one man a teacher of divine truth, inspires another to prophesy, gives another the power of casting out devils, enables another to interpret holy Scripture. The Spirit strengthens one man’s self-control, shows another how to help the poor, teaches another to fast and lead a life of asceticism, makes another oblivious to the needs of the body, trains another for martyrdom. His action is different in different people, but the Spirit himself is always the same. In each person, Scripture says, the Spirit reveals his presence in a particular way for the common good.

The Spirit comes gently and makes himself known by his fragrance. He is not felt as a burden, for he is light, very light. Rays of light and knowledge stream before him as he approaches. The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and protector to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console. The Spirit comes to enlighten the mind first of the one who receives him, and then, through him, the minds of others as well.

As light strikes the eyes of a man who comes out of darkness into the sunshine and enables him to see clearly things he could not discern before, so light floods the soul of the man counted worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit and enables him to see things beyond the range of human vision, things hitherto undreamed of.

From a catechetical instruction by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop

Lowliness is assured by majesty, weakness by power, mortality by eternity. To pay the debt of our sinful state, a nature that was incapable of suffering was joined to one that could suffer. Thus, in keeping with the healing that we needed, one and the same mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, was able to die in one nature, and unable to die in the other.

He who is true God was therefore born in the complete and perfect nature of a true man, whole in his own nature, whole in ours. By our nature we mean what the Creator had fashioned in us from the beginning, and took to himself in order to restore it.

For in the Savior there was no trace of what the deceiver introduced and man, being misled, allowed to enter. It does not follow that because he submitted to sharing in our human weakness he therefore shared in our sins.

He took the nature of a servant without stain of sin, enlarging our humanity without diminishing his divinity. He emptied himself; though invisible he made himself visible, though Creator and Lord of all things he chose to be one of us mortal men. Yet this was the condescension of compassion, not the loss of omnipotence. So he who in the nature of God had created man, became in the nature of a servant, man himself.

Thus the Son of God enters this lowly world. He comes down from the throne of heaven, yet does not separate himself from the Father’s glory. He is born in a new condition, by a new birth.

He was born in a new condition, for, invisible in his own nature, he became visible in ours. Beyond our grasp, he chose to come within our grasp. Existing before time began, he began to exist at a moment in time. Lord of the universe, he hid his infinite glory and took the nature of a servant. Incapable of suffering as God, he did not refuse to be a man, capable of suffering. Immortal, he chose to be subject to the laws of death.

He who is true God is also true man. There is no falsehood in this unity as long as the lowliness of man and the pre-eminence of God coexist in mutual relationship.

As God does not change by his condescension, so man is not swallowed up by being exalted. Each nature exercises its own activity, in communion with the other. The Word does what is proper to the Word, the flesh fulfils what is proper to the flesh.

One nature is resplendent with miracles, the other falls victim to injuries. As the Word does not lose equality with the Father’s glory, so the flesh does not leave behind the nature of our race.

One and the same person — this must be said over and over again — is truly the Son of God and truly the son of man. He is God in virtue of the fact that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He is man in virtue of the fact that the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.

From a letter by Saint Leo the Great, pope.

Behold, to Yahweh your God belongs heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth, with all that is therein.

Deuteronomy 10:14

Say not, I sinned, and what happened to me?
For the Lord is longsuffering.
Concerning atonement, be not without fear,
To add sin upon sins:
And say not, His compassion is great;
He will be pacified for the multitude of my sins:
For mercy and wrath are with him,
And his indignation will rest upon sinners.
Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord;
And put not off from day to day:
For suddenly will the wrath of the Lord come forth;
And you will perish in the time of vengeance.

The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach 5:4-7

1 For truly all men by nature * were but vain who had no perception of God,
And from the good things that are seen they gained not power to know him that is,
Neither by giving heed to the works did they recognize the architect;

2 But either fire, or wind, or swift air,
Or † circling stars, or raging water, or ‡ luminaries of heaven,
They thought to be gods that rule the world.

3 And if it was through delight in their beauty that they took them to be gods,
Let them know how much better than these is their Sovereign Lord;
For the first author of beauty created them:

4 But if it was through astonishment at their power and § influence,
Let them understand from them how much more powerful is he that formed them;

5 For from the ** greatness of the beauty †† even of created things
‡‡ In like proportion §§ does man form the image of their first maker.

6 But yet for these *** men there is but small blame,
For they too perhaps do but go astray
While they are seeking God and desiring to find him.

7 For ††† living among his works they make diligent search,
And they ‡‡‡ yield themselves up to sight, because the things that they look upon are beautiful.

8 But again even they are not to be excused.

9 For if they had power to know so much,
That they should be able to explore §§§ the course of things,
How is it that they did not sooner find the Sovereign Lord of these his works?

The Wisdom of Solomon 13:1-9

{8:12} And now who are you to have tempted God this day, and to stand among the children of men instead of God?

{8:13} And now test the Lord Almighty, but you will never know anything.

{8:14} For you cannot find the depth of the heart of man, neither can you perceive the things which he thinks; so then how can you search out God, who has made all these things, and know his mind or comprehend his purpose? No, my brethren, do not provoke the Lord our God to anger.

{8:15} "For if he will not help us within these five days, he has power to defend us when he will, even every day, or to destroy us before our enemies.

{8:16} Do not bind the plans of the Lord our God; for God is not like man as if he could be threatened; neither is he like the son of man so that he would be wavering.

{8:17} Therefore let us wait for salvation from him and call upon him to help us, and he will hear our voice, if it pleases him.

The Book of Judith 8:12-17

{16:7} But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Don't look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for I see not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart."

The First Book of Samuel 16:7

{145:14} Yahweh upholds all who fall, and raises up all those who are bowed down.
{145:15} The eyes of all wait for you. You give them their food in due season.
{145:16} You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
{145:17} Yahweh is righteous in all his ways, and gracious in all his works.

The Psalms 145:14-17

{4:16} God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.

John's First Letter 4:16

{13:8} Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The Letter to the Hebrews 13:8

{1:21} For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
{1:22} But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don't know what I will choose.
{1:23} But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
{1:24} Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.

Paul's Letter to the Philippians 1:21-24

...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth...

Paul's Letter to the Philippians 2:10

I and the Father are one.

The Good News According to John 10:30

Who show loving kindness to thousands, and recompense the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them; the great, the mighty God, Yahweh of Armies is his name; great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open on all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

Jeremiah 32:18-19

...for victory in battle stands not in the multitude of an army; but strength is from heaven.

The First Book of the Maccabees 3:19

You shall remember all the way which Yahweh your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, to prove you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or not.

He humbled you, and allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you didn't know, neither did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh.

Your clothing didn't grow old on you, neither did your foot swell, these forty years.

You shall consider in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so Yahweh your God chastens you.

You shall keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

Deuteronomy 8:2-6

Don't tell God how big your problem is; tell your problem how big your God is!

Author unknown

Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy habitation, even to heaven.

The Second Book of Chronicles 30:27

It is a great honor, a great glory to serve You and to despise all things for Your sake. They who give themselves gladly to Your most holy service will possess great grace. They who cast aside all carnal delights for Your love will find the most sweet consolation of the Holy Ghost. They who enter upon the narrow way for Your name and cast aside all worldly care will attain great freedom of mind.

O sweet and joyful service of God, which makes man truly free and holy! O sacred state of religious bondage which makes man equal to the angels, pleasing to God, terrible to the demons, and worthy of the commendation of all the faithful! O service to be embraced and always desired, in which the highest good is offered and joy is won which shall remain forever!

Thomas à Kempis "The Imitation Of Christ"

Hence you ought not to attribute any good to yourself or ascribe virtue to any man, but give all to God without Whom man has nothing.

Thomas à Kempis "The Imitation Of Christ"

For although I am unworthy of any benefits, yet Your nobility and infinite goodness never cease to do good even for those who are ungrateful and far from You.

Thomas à Kempis "The Imitation Of Christ"

Can any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? says Yahweh. Don't I fill heaven and earth? says Yahweh.

Jeremiah 23:24

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