Chapter Fourteen - The Attributes and Nature of God
No man can see God and live (Exodus 33:20). No man has seen God at any time (John 1:18). Men have "seen" God partially at various times when He has appeared in various forms (see Exodus 24:9-11; 33:17-34:7; Isaiah 6:5). In every instance when God manifested Himself visibly to men, there is only a partial revelation of His glory, for man could no more look upon the full display of God's splendor than one can look directly into the sun. Even in the coming of our Lord, who manifested the Father to men (see John 1:18; 14:8-9; Hebrews 1:1-3), the full revelation of His glory was "veiled" with only an occasional glimpse of that glory, such as at His transfiguration (see Matthew 17:1-8).
We are among those who have not "seen" our Lord (John 20:29; 1 Peter 1:8). Our grasp of the nature of God as revealed in Jesus Christ must be limited to what the Scriptures teach concerning His teaching, ministry, and character. In other words, we can "see" and know God through the Scriptures as they reveal His character to us.
Men believe in the kind of God they wish to believe in and reject the kind of God they dislike. They seems to place little emphasis on the description of God found in the Holy Scriptures. I certainly do not agree with the views unbelievers hold of God. But even more distressing is the shallow, inaccurate view of God held by professing Christians. We need to radically revise our thinking about God. The purpose of this series (chapters 14-16) is to explore the excellencies of God, to realign our thinking about God with those divine characteristics revealed in the Scriptures. This chapter concerns the nature of God, with special reference to His essence and attributes. It is divided into four major areas:
We will demonstrate the importance of studying the attributes of God;
We will examine the nature of God;
We will examine the non-moral attributes of God; and
We will examine the moral attributes of God.
1. THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
Some people think that the study of God's character is a matter for preachers and theologians only. Does such a study really have any practical value? J. I. Packer raises this very question and promptly answers it:
"Why need anyone take time off today for the kind of study you propose? The questioner clearly assumes that a study of the nature and character of God will be unpractical and irrelevant for life. In fact, however, it is the most practical project anyone can engage in. Knowing about God is crucially important for the living of our lives . . . Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfold[ed] as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul" (J.I. Packer, Knowing God, Part II, InterVarsity Press, 20th Anniversary Edition, 1993).
The study of the attributes of God can impact the life of the Christian in the following ways:
It is the basis and standard for all human morality.
Failure to think rightly about God is the sin of idolatry, and it leads to countless other sins.
It is our calling and destiny, our future hope, our great privilege and blessing, and thus it should be our great ambition.
It is the basis for our enjoyment of God and our spiritual growth.
It is foundational to our faith and hope.
It enhances our worship.
It enhances our prayer life.
It enhances our witness.
It enhances and enriches our study of the Scriptures.
When we focus on the attributes of God, we begin to view life from a new perspective—from God's perspective.
1.1 It is the basis and standard for all human morality
The final verse of Judges reads:
"In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25).
One might think the solution to this dilemma was a human king, but it was not. The kind of "king" Israel wanted was in effect an idol. They wanted a king whom they could see, a man who would go before them into battle. They wanted a king like all the other nations (see Deuteronomy 17:14-17). When the people approached Samuel and demanded to have a king, God indicated they really were rejecting Him as their king:
And they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations." But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them" (1 Samuel 8:5-7).
Thus when the Israelites demanded a human king, they were rejecting God as their king. When the Book of Judges informs us the Israelites had no king, it means the nation did not acknowledge and serve God as their King (Exodus 15:18; Psalm 10:16; 29:10). And it is without God as King that men set the standard for their own conduct; every man "does what is right in his own eyes."
God gave the Law to the nation Israel after He became their "King" at the exodus (Exodus 15:18). He demonstrated His power and sovereignty, even over Pharaoh. And as Israel's "King," God set down the constitution for the kingdom He was setting out to establish. The form of the Mosaic Covenant, as has been observed by scholars, was the same as other treaties of that day between kings (or suzerains) over their subjects (or vassals). God was the standard of morality, and God therefore set the standard for the conduct of His people. The laws God set down at Mount Sinai were those which proceeded from His own character. God said to His people, "Be ye holy, for I am Holy" (Leviticus 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7; see 1 Peter 1:16).
Is it any wonder "every man does what is right in his own eyes" today? Is it so difficult to explain why our culture rejects and abhors the thought of moral absolutes? Do we wonder why the church has become so wishy-washy about morality? The Bible tells us why. We have ceased to ponder and appreciate the moral perfection of God. And once our view of the holiness of God is diminished, our moral values decline proportionately. A study of the character of God will establish and undergird morality.
1.2 Failure to think rightly about God is the sin of idolatry, and it leads to countless other sins
Wrong thoughts about God were the root of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3, the character of God is first demeaned by Satan. By Satan's devious question and answer tactics, God is portrayed as a liar ("Has God said ...?" verse 1), ("You surely shall not die!" verse 4). Based upon the assumption that God was less than He first seemed to be (and was!), Eve acted independently of God, and she and her husband thus disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit.
Thinking wrongly of God is idolatry and is demeaning to Him because it always views God as being other (and less) than He is. But this idolatrous evil of thinking wrongly of God is also the root of many other evils. Thinking wrongly about God leads to sin. An inadequate view of God is at the root of many sins.
1.3 It is our calling and destiny, our future hope, our great privilege and blessing, and thus it should be our great ambition.
"Thus says the LORD, 'Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches' (Jeremiah 9:23)."
"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12)."
"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death (Philippians 3:10)."
"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is (1 John 3:2)."
"For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; [and] that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19)."
1.4 It is the basis for our enjoyment of God and our spiritual growth
A personal relationship with God requires that we know God personally, as a Person. The attributes of God are descriptions of the character of God, and it is through the knowledge of His characteristics that we come to intimately know and enjoy God as a Person.
By faith in Jesus Christ, we have been saved so "we might become partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). We have become a part of the church, the body of Christ, which is growing up "to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). By "seeing Him as He is" we become like Him (1 John 3:2); knowing God's character is therefore the basis for our own transformation into His likeness.
1.5 It is foundational to our faith and hope
Knowing the character of God assures us that He can and will do all that He purposes and promises. Faith in God is trusting in God, and His attributes are the basis for that trust because He is able and willing to do all that He has promised.
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23)."
"And without faith it is impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)."
"Therefore, let those also who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right (1 Peter 4:19)."
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9)."
1.6 It enhances our worship
We worship God for who He is. The attributes of God are a description of who He is. When God is worshipped in the Bible, He is worshipped in response to His attributes. He is worshipped as the eternal One:
"And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, [is] THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME" (Revelation 4:8).
Especially in the Psalms we find the worship of God linked to an acknowledgment of His attributes:
"I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High" (Psalms 7:17).
"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting" (Psalms 107:1).
1.7 It enhances our prayer life
Knowing God's character not only instructs us about what we should pray for—that which is in accord with His character—but it also assures us God is able and willing to answer our prayers. We do not pray to just anyone; we pray to Him who hears our prayers and is willing and able to answer them. Once again, in the Book of Psalms we see the petitions of men linked to the attributes of God.
"(For the choir director; for flute accompaniment. A Psalm of David.) Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my groaning. Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to Thee do I pray. In the morning, O LORD, Thou wilt hear my voice; In the morning I will order [my prayer] to Thee and [eagerly] watch. For Thou art not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with Thee. The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes; Thou dost hate all who do iniquity" (Psalms 5:1-5).
1.8 It enhances our witness
Men can only be saved when they come to recognize they are lost, and they will see their sin only when they begin to recognize God as the One who is holy and righteous and just. Paul's conversion is a dramatic illustration of this recognition of human depravity in the light of God's glory (see Acts 9:1-22).
Our principle task is not the winning of souls, but the demonstration and promotion of God's glory:
"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
"But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR [God's] OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY" (1 Peter 2:9-10).
The attributes of God are both His characteristics and His "excellencies." His nature and character are His excellence, His perfection, His glory. Knowing God's excellence is the starting point for practicing and proclaiming it among men. In so doing, some will be saved, but God will be glorified whether or not men are saved. The elect will be saved to the glory of God (Romans 9:23), and the lost will glorify God in the day of His visitation (1 Peter 2:11-12).
1.9 It enhances and enriches our study of the Scriptures
The Scriptures are the primary source for our instruction concerning God's attributes. As we seek to learn the character of God, we will soon discover that we have a new outlook on the Scriptures. Even those texts we may have considered boring come to life as we begin to see God's character described therein. Imagine coming to the place where, like David, we could pray these words concerning the Old Testament law:
"I will meditate on Thy precepts, And regard Thy ways. I shall delight in Thy statutes; I shall not forget Thy word. Deal bountifully with Thy servant, That I may live and keep Thy word. Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Thy law" (Psalms 119:15-18).
"O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psalms 119:97).
Seemingly obscure and difficult to understand portions of the Bible come to life when we look to them for insight into the character of God. Prophetic texts (like the Book of Revelation) have much to tell us about God's character. Perhaps we spend too much time and effort trying to solve mysteries we were not intended to comprehend (see Deuteronomy 29:29) rather than focusing on the character of God, which is often quite clearly portrayed in highly symbolic or obscure texts. When we come to the Scriptures to learn what God is like, we shall not be disappointed.
1.10 When we focus on the attributes of God, we begin to view life from a new perspective—from God's perspective
Nothing will more radically change the way we look at life and our circumstances. In Psalm 73, Asaph confesses that when he began to view his life from God's perspective he saw things in an entirely different light. When our desire is to know God, to know His nature and character, then we welcome those circumstances which facilitate a more intimate acquaintance with God. And so the apostle Paul tells us that he welcomes suffering when it facilitates knowing God:
"More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from [the] Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which [comes] from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Philippians 3:8-10).
A desire to know God intimately by the knowledge of His character puts our service into perspective and protects us from what some call "burn out." Think of the account of Mary and Martha in the Gospel of Luke:
"Now as they were traveling along, He entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord' word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up [to Him,] and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.' But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but [only] a few things are necessary, really [only] one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her'" (Luke 10:38-42).
Mary chose the "one thing," the "better thing," to worship and adore the Lord, sitting at His feet, delighting in all that He is. Martha chose a lesser thing and became embittered that Mary was not working with her. When knowing God becomes our priority, serving Him becomes an outworking of our devotion, not a hindrance to it.
2. THE NATURE OF GOD
The nature of God includes:
Spirit;
Invisible;
Alive;
Personality;
Intellect;
Emotions
Will
Self-Existence;
Immensity; and
Eternity.
2.1 Spirit (Immaterial and Incorporeal)
When theologians describe God they make a distinction between His essential being, or nature, and His attributes. By "essential being" they mean that God is spirit and personality. Man is spirit and personality and body as well. One of the major errors of man-made religion has been the assumption that deity must have a physical appearance; hence the many forms of idols which are worshipped.
2.1.1 God can be worshiped anywhere
In John 4:24 Jesus teaches that "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The Samaritan woman thought of God as a local being who must be worshiped in some particular place. Jesus corrected her by implying that God can be worshiped anywhere.
The reason God specified a particular place in the Old Testament was to maintain control over the purity of His worship, especially the sacrifical system and priesthood. A centralized place of worship is no longer necessary since Jesus fulfilled the need for sacrifices in His death, and the need for a priesthood in His ascension to intercede for us. The practical significance is that if God is spirit, He must be worshiped "in spirit and truth"; that is, in an inward, genuine way as opposed to superficial ritual which merely involves ritualistic actions.
2.1.2 God has not appeared in visible form
The spiritual nature of God is implied by 1 John 4:12 which asserts that, since He is spirit, God has not appeared in visible form (a burning bush, a pillar of fire), but one was only viewing a finite manifestation of God, not God Himself.
2.1.3 Making any visual representation of God is idolatry
Jesus said, "A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have" (Luke 24:39). If God is spirit, He is immaterial and incorporeal. Thus, the second commandment (Exodus 20:4-5) forbids making any image or visual representation of God, is based on the incorporeal nature of God, for this world severely restrict and even pervert the true worship He deserves "in spirit." There are numerous commands against idolatry (Leviticus 26:1; Deuteronomy 16:22).
An idol would imply, to some at least, that God is finite in some respects, or encompassed by the material object. Isaiah 40:18-24 expresses the preposterous nature of idols that men craft to represent God. "To whom then will you liken God? ... As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, a goldsmith plates it with gold ... Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the vault of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers ..."
2.1.4 Symbolic representations to express God's powers and activities
But what about the expressions that represent God as having bodily parts:
hands (Isaiah 65:2; Hebrews 1:10);
feet (Genesis 3:8; Psalm 8:6);
eyes (1 Kings 8:29; 2 Chronicles 16:9); and
ears (Nehemiah 1:6; Psalm 34:15)?
They are anthropomorphic and symbolic representations which serve to make God real and to express His various interests, powers and activities. Man differs in that he has finite spirit, which is able to dwell in a material body (1 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). God is infinite spirit and as such is non-corporeal (Acts 7:48f).
2.2 Invisible
2.2.1 No man has seen God at any time
The Israelites "did not see any form" when the Lord appeared to them in Horeb, and, therefore, they were prohibited from making any image of Him (Deuteronomy 4:15-19). God told Moses that no man could see Him and live (Exodus 33:20). John says, "No man has seen God at any time" (John 1:18). Paul calls Him "the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15; cf. Romans 1:20; 1 Timothy 1:17) and declares that no man has seen Him or can see Him (1 Timothy 6:16). Certain Scriptures, however, indicate that the redeemed will some day see Him (Psalm 17:15; Matthew 5:8; Hebrews 12:14; Revelation 22:4).
2.2.2 Men say the reflection and glory of God
But how about the Scriptures that say men saw God, such as Genesis 32:30; Exodus 3:6; 24:9f; Numbers 12:6-8; Deuteronomy 34:10; and Isaiah 6:1? When one sees His face in a mirror, He in a sense sees Himself; yet, in another sense, He does not literally see Himself. So men saw the reflection of God's glory, but they did not see His essence (Hebrews 1:3). Then, too, spirit can be manifested in visible form (John 1:32; Hebrews 1:7).
When Moses saw the "back" of God (Exodus 33:23), it was in response to His request to see the glory of the Lord (v. 18). Rather than interpreting this as literally and visibly seeing God, which in the context is said to be impossible (v. 20), it is better to understand this as seeing the after-effects, or as Driver says, "the afterglow" of God (Driver, The Book of Exodus, p. 363).
2.2.3 Angels are manifestations of deity in visible form
Angels are manifestations of deity in visible form. Jacob said, after he had wrestled with the man, "I have seen God face to face" (Genesis 32:30). "The angel of the Lord" was a visible manifestation of deity (Genesis 16:7-14; 18:13-33; 22:11-18; Exodus 3:2-5; Judges 6:11-23; 1 Kings 19:5-7; 2 Kings 19:35). It is to be noted that in certain of these passages "the angel of the Lord" is identified as "the Lord" (cf. Genesis 16:11; with v. 13; Exodus 3:2 with v. 4; Judges 6:12 with v. 16).
2.3 Alive
The idea of spirit excludes not only the idea of material substance, but also that of inanimate substance. It implies that God is alive. He is, therefore, called the "living" God (Joshua 3:10; 1 Samuel 17:26; Psalm 84:2; Matthew 16:16; 1 Timothy 3:15; Revelation 7:2). Life implies feeling, power, and activity. God has all these (Psalm 115:3). He is also the source and support of all life:
plant;
animal;
human;
spiritual; and
eternal (Psalm 36:9; John 5:26).
The living God is often contrasted with dead idols (Psalm 115:3-9; Acts 14:15; 1 Thessalonians 1:9). Our God is alive; He sees, hears, and loves. The idols of the heathen are dead, incapable of seeing, hearing, and loving.
2.4 Personality
Man is created in the image of God and that man has personality imply that God, to an infinite degree, possesses personality. It may be true that the statement "God is a person" is theologically dangerous, because to many people the word "person" connotes an individual, finite human being. It is therefore better to say, "God has personality," or "God is personal."
2.4.1 Self-consciousness and self-determination
Hegel and the idealistic philosophers are wrong in representing God as an impersonal spirit, for the very idea of spirit implies personality. The only way of determining what spirit is like, apart from the Scriptures, is by analogy with the human spirit. Since the human spirit is personal, the Divine Spirit must be personal as well, for otherwise He is of a lower order of being than man. In man, personality and corporeity are united in one individual for the period of this life. At death this relationship is severed; the body goes over into corruption, but the personality survives. At the resurrection the personality is again embodied and the normal constitution of man is restored. But in God there is personality without corporeity. What then is the essence of personality? Self-consciousness and self-determination.
Self-consciousness is more than consciousness. As a conscious being, man at times has feelings and appetites which he does not relate to himself. He thinks spontaneously, but does not think of what he thinks. The brute probably has some degree of consciousness. But as a self-conscious being, man relates his feelings, appetites, and thoughts to himself. Likewise, self-determination is more than determination. The beast has determination, but it is mechanical. Man has the feeling of freedom and makes his choices from within, in view of motives and ends. The Scripture writers ascribe both self-consciousness (Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 45:5; 1 Corinthians 2:10) and self-determination (Job 23:13; Romans 9:11; Ephesians 1:9, 11; Hebrews 6:17) to God. He is a being who can say "I" and "me" (Exodus 20:2f) and can respond when addressed as "you" (Psalm 90:1ff). He is said to be the Creator (Acts 14:15), upholder (Nehemiah 9:6), ruler (Psalm 75:7; Daniel 4:32), and sustainer (Psalm 104:27-30; Matthew 6:26-30) of all things.
2.4.2 Characteristics of personality
Scripture also represents God as possessing the characteristics of personality:
intellect (Genesis 18:19; Exodus 3:7; Acts 15:18);
sensibility (Genesis 6:6; Psalm 103:8-14; John 3:16);
volition (Genesis 3:15; Psalm 115:3; John 6:38);
speaking (Genesis 1:3);
seeing (Genesis 11:5);
hearing (Psalm 94:9);
grieving (Genesis 6:6);
repenting (Genesis 6:6);
being angry (Deuteronomy 1:37);
jealous (Exodus 20:5); and
compassionate (Psalm 111:4).
2.5 Intellect
Isaiah 40:13-14 attributes intellect to God: "Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?" Isaiah 55:8-9 declares, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts ... For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are ... My thoughts [higher] than your thoughts." 1 John 3:20 states that God "knows all things."
2.6 Emotions
The prophetic books in the Old Testament express to us the whole range of God's emotions for His people: a broken heart over their disobedience, and a longing for their devotion (Hosea 11), astonishment over their disloyalty (Jeremiah 2:10-13; 5:30-31), and a hatred of their idolatrous and hypocritical practices (Isaiah 1:12-15). Emotions such as anger (Numbers 11:1) are attributed to God. "God is love," the apostle John says (1 John 4:8). Deuteronomy 28:63 informs us that God delights over His people, and Deuteronomy 5:9 says He has a jealous concern for them.
2.7 Will
Scripture refers to three ways in which the will of God is exerted:
His decretive will which involves the "decree" or eternal plan of God. "Surely just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand" (Isaiah 14:24);
His preceptive will which is set forth in His commandments in Scripture such as the Ten Commandments (Eoxdus 20:1-18), or Scripture as a whole; and
His permissive will which allows for men to disregard the preceptive will (to sin). "And in the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways" (Acts 14:16).
2.8 Self-Existence
While man's ground of existence is outside of himself, God's existence is not dependent upon anything outside of himself. As Thomas Aquinas said, "He is the first cause; Himself uncaused." His self-existence is implied in His affirmation, "I am who I am" (Exodus 3:14; cf. the "I am" of Christ's teaching concerning Himself, John 8:58, and Isaiah 41:4; Revelation 1:8), and as is usually held, in the name "Jehovah" (Exodus 6:3). Yet God's self-existence is not grounded in His will, but in His nature. He exists by the necessity of His nature as the uncaused being.
2.9 Immensity
God is infinite in relation to space. He is not limited or circumscribed by space; on the contrary, all finite space is dependent upon Him. He is, in fact, above space. Scripture clearly teaches God's immensity (1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chronicles 2:6; Psalm 113:4-6; 139:7f; Isaiah 66:1; Jeremiah 23:24; Acts 17:24-28). Due to the spirituality of His nature and our inability to think in spaceless terms, this is a difficult doctrine to apprehend. However, this much is clear: God is both immanent and transcendent, and He is everywhere present in essence as well as in knowledge and power. Whenever and wherever it is present, spiritual substance, like the soul, is a complete whole at every point.
2.10 Eternity
2.10.1 God had no beginning and will never have an end
God is the uncaused cause of all things; He always has been and always will be; He had no beginning and will never have an end. The eternity of God is implied by the name Yahweh (usually translated "LORD," or "Jehovah" in an English Bible). Yahweh means "I am who I am," and comes from the Hebrew verb "to be." In Exodus 3:14 God calls Himself "I am who I am," which can just as correctly be translated, "I was who I was, I will be who I will be." This same idea is revealed to us in Revelation 1:8 where God calls Himself the one "who is and who was and who is to come" (Revelation 1:8).
God is sometimes referred to as the "Everlasting God" (Genesis 21:33). The Hebrew word translated "everlasting" has a range of meaning all the way from the distant past or future eternity depending on its context. Here in Genesis 21:33 the meaning is clearly "eternal" when applied to God.
2.10.2 God is infinite in relation to time
God is also infinite in relation to time. He is without beginning or end, he is free from all succession of time, and He is the cause of time. That He is without beginning or end may be inferred from the doctrine of His self-existence; He who exists by reason of His nature rather than His volition, must always have existed and must continue to exist forever. That God is eternal is abundantly taught in Scripture. He is called "the Everlasting God" (Genesis 21:33). The Psalmist say, "From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God" (Psalm 90:2) and "Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end" (Psalm 102:27). Isaiah represents God as "the high and exalted One Who lives forever" (Isaiah 57:15). Paul says that God "alone possesses immortality" (1 Timothy 6:16; cf. Habakkuk 1:12).
Time is, as commonly understood, duration measured by succession, but God is free from all succession of time. God has a simultaneous possession of His total duration. Eternity for God is one now, one eternal present. "He possesses the whole of His existence in one indivisible present. In Scripture this is referred to as "the day of eternity" (2 Peter 3:18) and "today" (Psalm 2:7; cf. 2 Peter 3:8). But one must not suppose that time has no objective reality for God, but rather that He sees the past and the future as vividly as He sees the present. A person may view a procession from the top of a high tower, where he can see the whole procession at one glance, or he may view it from the street corner, where only one part can be seen at a time. God sees the whole as one unit, although He is aware of the sequence in the procession.
2.10.3 God is the cause of time
He is also the cause of time (Hebrews 1:2; 11:3). The reference to God in Isaiah 9:6 may be translated "Father of Eternity." Both time and space are among "all things" which "came into being through Him" (John 1:3). Time will some day merge into eternity (1 Corinthians 15:28). However, for the creature eternity will not be successionless existence, for every finite mind must think, feel and act in time.
3. THE NON-MORAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
The attributes of God are the qualities that inhere in the substance and constitute an analytical and closer description of it. They are descriptions of the particular ways in which the divine nature exists and operates. It is the summation of God's attributes that explains to us who God is in relationship to His universe, and most importantly, in relationship to man.
The non-moral attributes are those necessary predicates of the divine essence that do not involve moral qualities, these are:
Omnipresent;
Omnipotent;
Omniscient;
Infinite; and
Immutable.
3.1 God Is Omnipresent
3.1.1 Definition
These first three attributes are compound words using the Latin prefix omni, meaning "all." Thus omnipresent means "present everywhere at once." To be omnipresent is to penetrate and fill the entire universe with one's presence at all times.
3.1.2 God is present in all His creation, but in no manner limited by it
God is present in all His creation, but in no manner limited by it. Whereas immensity emphasizes the transcendance of God in that He transcends all space and is not subject to the limitations of space, omnipresence has special reference to His presence within the universe (1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 139:7-10; Isaiah 66:1; Jeremiah 23:23f; Acts 7:48f; 17:24f; Romans 10:6-8). It must be remembered that the omnipresence of God is not a necessary part of His being, but is a free act of His will. If God should will to destroy the universe, His omnipresence would cease, but He himself would not cease to be. Pantheism binds God to the universe, but God is transcendent and not subject to it.
3.1.3 God is present everywhere in His total being
God is present everywhere in His total being; He is not localized in heaven and merely "potentially" present elsewhere; omnipresence is a distinct reality from the indwelling God via the Holy Spirit in every believer; the difference is between presence and union. In the case of union, God works in and through us to accomplish His purpose. To illustrate: God is "in us," not merely as water in a bucket, but as a vital element of the bucket itself. Or, to put it another way, there is a difference in being in a store and being part of the management.
3.1.4 The doctrine of the omnipresence of God is both comforting and subduing
The doctrine of the omnipresence of God is both comforting and subduing. It is a source of comfort to the believer, for God, the ever-present one, is always available to help us (Deuteronomy 4:7; Psalm 46:1; 145:18; Matthew 28:20). It is a source of warning and restraint to the believer. No matter how much he may try, the sinner cannot escape from God. Neither distance nor darkness hides from Him (Psalm 139:7-10). "There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:13). This consciousness often checks the sinner in his evil ways and leads him to seek God. "Thou art a God who sees" (Genesis 16:13) becomes both a warning and a comfort to the child of God (Psalm 139:17f).
3.1.5 Biblical evidence
One of the most striking passages of the Bible says, "Where can I go from Thy Spirit? Or where can I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Thy hand will lead me, and Thy right hand will lay hold of me" (Psalm 139:7-10).
3.2 God Is Omnipotent
3.2.1 Definition
Omnipotence is the power to do all things which can be done. God is all-powerful, that His power is unlimited, that God has the ability to do whatever He pleases with or without secondary means (directly or indirectly), but what He pleases is always in harmony with God's perfections, nature, and Person. God can do everything that is in harmony with His perfections.
3.2.2 Can God create something too heavy for Him to lift?
One would see the absurdity of asking, "Can God create something too heavy for Him to lift?," if one realized that God is a purposeful being. God will not do things which are absurd or self-contradictory, such as make a material spirit, a sensitive stone, a square circle, or a wrong to be right. These are not objects of power and so denote no limitation of God's omnipotence.
Omnipotence does not imply the exercise of all His power. He has power over His power. Though His power is limitless, it is always under the control of His holy and wise will. God can do all He wishes to do, but He will not do all He could do. All things with God are possible; God can do anything, but He will only do what His infinite wisdom, holiness, and love dictate. Sin is imperfection and it would be contradictory to say that the perfect One could be imperfect. To say that the perfect One cannot be imperfect, is not really putting a limitation of God.
Omnipotence includes the power of self-limitation. God has limited Himself to some extent by giving free will to His rational creatures. That is why He did not keep sin out of the universe by a display of His power and why He does not save anyone by force.
God will not use His omnipotence to do something contrary to His other attributes, His own holy character or nature:
Though God can do all things, in His absolute truthfulness He cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18).
God's omnipotence is always under the control of His will. He "works all things after the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11).
God's omnipotence can be self-limited such as in the incarnation of Jesus Christ "who emptied Himself" of divine privileges (Philippians 2:7).
God will not annihilate Himself because He is eternal and immutable (Genesis 21:33; Malachi 3:6).
God will not go back on His Word because He is faithful (2 Timothy 2:13).
God will not look with favor on iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13).
God will not tempt or be tempted to sin (James 1:13).
3.2.3 God's omnipotence may be divided into two areas: absolute power and ordained power
God's omnipotence may be divided into two areas:
absolute power; and
ordained power.
Absolute power is God's power or ability to do what He will or may not do, but is possible for Him to do, "power to do all things" (Mark 10:27). It also means that God may work directly without secondary causes. Creation, miracles, immediate revelation, inspiration and regeneration are manifestations of His absolute power. Matthew 26:53 give an illustration of this.
"Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?"
Ordained power is the power exercised to do what He has decreed to do, that which His will and wisdom has directed and ordered. The works of providence would be illustrations of ordinate power whereby God uses second causes. Matthew 26:54 give an illustration of this.
"How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?"
God has the absolute power to perform any miracle in a person's life if He so chooses, but because of His wisdom, love, and purposes, He may choose not to do so. In the above illustration regarding the Savior, God could have easily destroyed Christ's enemies and delivered Him from the Cross, but in the wisdom and mercy of God, it was His will for Christ, His Son, to die on the Cross for the sin of the world to provide us with eternal life and fulfill the hope and promises of Scripture.
Whereas man needs matter or material to work with, God needs nothing. He can create out of nothing by the exercise of His will as He did in Genesis one, or He can create out of something as He did when He created man from the dust of the earth (cf. Hebrews 11:3; 1:3). God needs no blueprint to work from, no time to work in, and no instruments to work with. However, in connection with this, it is important to remember that God has chosen to use secondary causes or means. As Hebrews 11:3 asserts, creation was accomplished without means other than the voice of God, but our Salvation was accomplished through the instrumentation of the God-Man Savior's death on the Cross. Indeed, even the crucifixion was accomplished by human means.
Acts 2:23 this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
To the Christian the omnipotence of God is a source of great comfort and hope, but to the unbeliever so mighty a God is ever a warning and a source of fear (1 Peter 4:17; 2 Peter 3:10f; Revelation 19:15). Even the demons shudder (James 2:19), for they know that God has power over them (Matthew 8:29). Some day even the strongest and greatest will seek to hide from Him (Revelation 6:15-17; cf. Isaiah 2:10-21), and every knee will bow at the name of Jesus (Philippians 2:10).
3.2.4 Biblical evidence
The omnipotence of God is seen throughout Scripture:
God calls Himself "God Almighty" (Genesis 17:1).
Jesus taught that "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).
An omnipotent Creator (Genesis 1:1-3; Psalm 33:6-9).
An omnipotent Sustainer (Colossians 1:17b; Hebrews 1:3).
An omnipotent Commander (Exodus 9:3-6, 23-26, 33; Psalm 107:25-29; Jonah 1:17; 4:6-8; Daniel 3:22-28).
The declaration of God's omnipotence (Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2; Numbers 11:23; Revelation 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 19:6).
Read also Psalm 68:14; 91:1-2; 115:3; 2 Corinthians 6:18.
3.3 God Is Omniscient
3.3.1 Definition
God is infinite in knowledge. He knows Himself and all other things perfectly from all eternity, whether they be actual or merely possible, whether they be past, present or future. He knows things immediately, exhaustively and truly. God's knowledge is within Himself, not the result of observation. God's knowledge is simultaneous, not progressive. In other words, He is not gaining knowledge;
3.3.2 Foreknowledge and foreordination are not the same
Foreknowledge, which is related to omniscience, is knowing in advance what is certain to occur, both good and evil. As Acts 2:23 puts it, Jesus was "delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God ..." For God, to "foreknow" evil is not to cause it, but to make it certain to occur by permission.
3.3.3 Evidences of design in creation prove God's omniscience
Evidences of design in creation and of intelligence in man prove God's omniscience. These evidences are found in the animate world, the inanimate world, and in the relation between these two worlds. They find their highest expression in the intelligence of man. The omnipresence of God further proves His omniscience (Psalm 139:1-10; Proverbs 15:3; Jeremiah 23:23-25). Scripture declares that God's understanding is infinite (Isaiah 46:10), that nothing is hidden from Him (Psalm 147:5; Hebrews 4:13), and that even the hairs on our head are numbered (Matthew 10:30).
3.3.4 God's knowledge is not limited by time
C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity, p. 146-149) wrote:
A lot of people feel that "I can believe in God all right, but what I cannot swallow is the idea of Him attending to several hundred million human beings who are all addressing Him at the same moment."
Now, the first thing to notice is that the whole sting of it comes in the words at the same moment. Most of us can image God attending to any number of applicants if only they came one by one and He had an endless time to do it in. So what really at the back of this difficulty is the idea of God having to fit too many things into one moment of time.
Well that is of course what happens to us. Our life comes to us moment by moment. One moment disappears before the next comes along. That is what Time is like. We tend to assume that the whole universe and God Himself are always moving on from past to future just as we do. Certainly God is not in Time. His life does not consist of moments following one another. If a million people are praying to Him at ten-thirty tonight, He need not listen to them all in that one little snippet which we call ten-thirty. He has all eternity in which to listen to the split second of prayer put up by a pilot as his plane crashes in flames.
That is difficult, I know. Let me try to give an example to illustrate this point, not the same, but a bit like it. Suppose I am writing a novel. I write, "Mary laid down her work; next moment came a knock at the door!" For Mary who has to live in the imaginery time of my story there is no interval between putting down the work and hearing the knock. But I, who am Mary's maker, do not live in that imaginary time at all. Between writing the first half of that sentence and the second, I might sit down for three hours and think steadily about Mary. I could think about Mary as if she were the only character in the book and for as long as I pleased, and the hours I spent in doing so would not appear in Mary's time (the time inside the story) at all.
This is not a perfect illustration, of course. But it may give just a glimpse of what I believe to be the truth. God is not hurried along in the Time-stream of this universe any more than an author is hurried along in the imaginary time of his own novel. He has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. He does not have to deal with us in the mass.
The way in which my illustration breaks down is this. In it the author gets out of one Time-series (that of the novel) only by going into another Time-series (the real one). But God does not live in a Time-series at all.
If you picture Time as a straight line along which we have to travel, then you must picture God as the whole page on which the line is drawn. We come to the parts of the line one by one: we have to leave A behind before we get to B, and cannot reach C until we leave B behind. God, from above or outside or all round, contains the whole line, and sees it all.
If God knows all of our future actions then it would seem as though they are fixed, settled, and unalterable. If nothing can happen apart from God's knowledge then the very fact that He knows it will happen makes it certain to happen. Where then is human freedom? For example, if God knows that I am going to cut my grass tomorrow then I am certainly going to cut it, am I not? But suppose I don't want to cut my grass tomorrow! Do I have a choice?
The Bible teaches that God created us with volition. We make choices every day. We even have the privilege of choosing to obey God or disobey Him (cf. Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15). So we certainly have the ability to act contrary to what God knows we will do. But we won't, because if we did, then that new act would have been the one known from eternity past.
This point is also difficult to understand. The difficulty comes from thinking that God is progressing along the Time-line like us: the only difference being that He can see ahead and we cannot. God is outside and above the Time-line. What we call "tomorrow" is visible to Him in just the same way as what we call "today." All the days are "Now" for Him. He does not remember you doing things yesterday; He simply sees you doing them: because, though you have lost yesterday, He has not. You never supposed that your actions at this moment were any less free because God knows what you are doing. Well, He knows your tomorrow's actions in just the same way - because He is already in tomorrow and can simply watch you. In a sense, He does not know your action till you have done it: but then the moment at which you have done it is already "Now" for Him.
3.3.6 The scope of God's knowledge is infinite
The scope of God's knowledge is infinite:
He knows Himself perfectly. No created being has complete and perfect knowledge of himself.
The Father, the Son, and the Spirit know each other perfectly. They alone have such knowledge of each other. Jesus said, "No one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him" (Matthew 11:27). Paul wrote, "The thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:11; cf. Romans 8:27).
God knows things actually existing. This includes inanimate creation (Psalm 147:4), brute creation (Matthew 20:29), men and all their works (Psalm 33:13-15; Proverbs 5:21), men's thoughts and hearts (Psalm 139:1-4; Proverbs 15:3), and men's burdens and wants (Exodus 3:7; Matthew 6:8, 32).
He knows all things possible. He knew that Keilah would betray David to Saul if David remained in that vicinity (1 Samuel 23:11f). Jesus knew that Tyre and Sidon would have repented had they seen the miracles that were done in Bethsaida and Chorazin (Matthew 11:21). He also knew that Sodom and Gomorrah would have been spared had they seen the works that were done in Capernaum (Matthew 11:23f; cf. Isaiah 48:18). Certain idealists deny a distinction between knowledge and power, holding that knowledge and thought always mean the exertion of creative power. According to them, God creates by thinking and knowing. But the possession of a faculty and the exercise of it are two different things. Thus, God has knowledge of the possible as well as the actual. Omniscience should not be confused with causation. Foreknowledge and foreordination are not necessarily the same.
God knows the future. From man's standpoint God's knowledge of the future is foreknowledge, but from God's standpoint it is not, since He knows all things by one simultaneous intuition. He foreknew the future in general (Isaiah 46:9f; Daniel 2, 7; Matthew 24, 25; Acts 15:18), the evil course that Israel would take (Deuteronomy 31:20f), the rise of Cyrus (Isaiah 44:26-45:7), the coming of Christ (Micah 5:2), and His crucifixion at the hands of wicked men (Acts 2:23; 3:18). Two things must be noted at this point: (a) The knowledge of the future is not itself causative. Free actions do not take place because they are foreseen, but they are foreseen because they will take place. (b) Just because something morally evil has been predicted this prediction does not remove human responsibility from the perpetrator (Matthew 18:7; John 13:27; Acts 2:23; cf. the hardening of Pharaoh's heart, Exodus 4:21).
Wisdom is the intelligence of God displayed in the choice of the highest ends and of the fittest means for the accomplishment of those ends. Though God sincerely seeks to promote the happiness of His creatures and to perfect the saints in holiness, neither of these is the highest possible end. The end is His own glory. All His works in creation (Psalm 19:1-6; Proverbs 3:19), preservation (Nehemiah 9:6; Revelation 4:11), providence (Psalm 33:10f; Daniel 4:35; Ephesians 1:11), and redemption (1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:10f) have this end in view.
3.3.7 Biblical evidence
Isaiah 46:9-10 contains a clear statement of God's omniscience: "I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done." There is nothing that is hidden from God, nothing that He does not know about us as His creatures (Psalm 139:1-4; Hebrews 4:13).
3.4 God Is Infinite
3.4.1 Definition
God has no limits or bounds. He is not limited by, nor confined to, the universe.
3.4.2 Biblical evidence
In 1 Kings 8:27 Solomon says, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven [lit., "heaven of heavens"] cannot contain Thee, how much less this house which I have built!" Solomon's temple was more of a memorial to God than a dwelling place for Him.
The question arises, Is the universe infinite? Evidently not, for God is greater than the universe. Several qualifications need to be made about God's relationship to the universe:
God is not in the universe as its sum total (pantheism), but He is distinct from it and greater than it.
Even space is finite, but God passes beyond all phenomena of the universe and is the basis or ground of all being.
Infinity should bring God closer to us, not take Him further away, for He is the God both of the minute things as well as the boundless.
Infinity characterizes all the rest of God's attributes.
3.5 God Is Immutable
3.5.1 Definition
To be immutable is be never-changing. God is unchangeable in His essence, attributes, consciousness and will. God is immutable, but this does not mean that He is static; He is neither moving nor stationary. In His personality God relates in a living, dynamic way to His creatures, but in His essence He never changes.
Occasionally God is described as changing His mind, or "repenting" in dealing with mankind. However, God knows through His omniscience every thing man will do. When a person repents and God relents of the promised punishment, the change of relationship does not affect God's unchanging moral character; it is not as though God "changed His mind" in the human sense.
3.5.2 God cannot change to the better or the worse
All change must be to the better or the worse, but God cannot change to the better, since He is absolutely perfect; neither can He change to the worse, for the same reason. He is exalted above all causes and above even the possibility of change. He can never be wiser, more holy, more just, more merciful, more truthful, nor less so. Nor do His plans and purposes change.
The immutability of God is due to the simplicity of His essence. Man has a soul and a body, two substances, immaterial and material. God is one; He does not change. God's immutability is due also to His necessary being and self-existence. That which exists uncaused, by the necessity of its nature, must exist as it does. It is due also to His absolute perfection. Neither improvement nor deterioration is possible. Any change in His attributes would make Him less than God; any change in His purposes and plans would make Him less wise, good, and holy.
3.5.3 There is no variation with God
Scripture declares that there is no variation with God (James 1:17). He does not change with regard to His:
character (Psalm 102:26f; Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 1:12);
power (Romans 4:20f);
plans and purposes (Psalm 33:11; Isaiah 46:10);
promises (1 Kings 8:56; 2 Corinthians 1:20);
love and mercy (Psalm 103:17); and
justice (Genesis 18:25; Isaiah 28:17).
3.5.4 God is active and enters into relationships with changing men
Immutability is not to be confused with immobility. God is active and enters into relationships with changing men. In these relationships it is necessary for an unchangeable God to change in His dealings with changing men in order to remain unchangeable in His character and purposes. God deals differently with men before Salvation than after (Proverbs 11:20; 12:12; 1 Peter 3:12). The God who cannot repent (Numbers 23:19), repents (i.e. His dealings with man change) when man changes from evil to good, or good to evil (Genesis 6:6; Exodus 32:14; Jeremiah 18:7-11; Joel 2:13; Jonah 3:10).
God's immutability consists in His always doing the right and in adapting the treatment of His creatures to the variations in their character and conduct. His threats are sometimes conditional in nature, as when He threatened to destroy Israel (Exodus 32:9-14) and Nineveh (Jonah 1:2; 3:4, 10).
3.5.6 Biblical evidence
God Himself claims in Malachi 3:6, "I, the Lord, do not change." Referring to His goodness and faithfulness, James 1:17 tells us that in God "there is no variation, or shifting shadow." Perhaps broader, and including God's total being, are the sentiments of Psalm 102:25-26: "Of old Thou didst found the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thy hands. Even they will perish, but Thou dost endure ... Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end."
4. THE MORAL ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
The moral attributes are those necessary predicates of the divine essence that involve moral qualities, these are:
Truth;
Good;
Holy; and
Righteousness.
4.1 God Is Truth
4.1.1 Definition
Charles Hodge sets forth four propositions concerning the meaning of truth:
truth is that which is real. God is really God and man-made deities are false;
truth is that which completely conforms to the idea of what it claims to be. God is everything which His self-revelation - Scripture - says He is;
truth is that which in reality corresponds to what it manifests itself to be. God is everything His acts in human history imply Him to be; and
truth is that which can be depended upon. God is faithful to His promises.
4.1.2 God is the source of all truth
God is truth. His knowledge, declarations and representations eternally conform to reality. The truth of God is not only the foundation of all religion, but also of all knowledge. God is true God in that He is genuine God as well as truthful God. He is the source of all truth. The conviction that the senses do not deceive, that consciousness is trustworthy, that things are what they appear to be, and that existence is not merely a dream, rests ultimately upon the truth of God. In other words, we live in a world that is true. Many ask with Pilate, "What is truth?" (John 18:38). Ultimate truth or reality is God.
4.1.3 Both man's nature and the Scriptures teach that God is true
Both man's nature and the Scriptures teach that God is true. One is forced to believe that natural law has a personal lawmaker. Both the regularity of the laws of nature and their evident purposefulness testify to an intelligent author. Jesus affirmed that God is "the only true God" (John 17:3). John wrote, "We are in Him who is true" (1 John 5:20; cf. Jeremiah 10:10; John 3:33; Romans 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 3:7; 6:10). In His relationship to the creature, the truth of God is known as His veracity and faithfulness. His veracity relates to what He reveals of Himself and to what He says. His revelations of Himself in nature, consciousness, and Scripture are true and trustworthy (Psalm 31:5; Hebrews 6:17f). His faithfulness leads Him to fulfill all His promises, whether expressed in words or implied in the constitution He has given us (Deuteronomy 7:9; Isaiah 25:1). That God is faithful to:
Himself (2 Timothy 2:13);
His Word (Hebrews 11:11); and
His people (1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Thessalonians 3:3).
It is an abiding source of encouragement and strength for the believer. In Joshua we read these amazing words, "Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass" (Joshua 21:45).
4.1.4 How is the veracity (i.e. truthfulness) of God to be reconciled with the apparent non-performance of some of His threats?
The promises and threats of God are always literally fulfilled if they are absolute; but if conditional, their fulfillment is dependent upon the obedience or repentance of the persons involved. The condition may be expressed or implied, and there is no breach in God's faithfulness if, because of disobedience and impenitence or obedience and penitence on the part of man, God does not carry out His promises (Jonah 3, 4).
4.1.5 Are the invitations and exhortations to sinners, who will ultimately be lost, sincere?
Since the invitations are made on practical conditions and there is no obstacle to their acceptance, except man's unwillingness, one cannot question God's sincerity in extending them. God knew beforehand that Israel would refuse to enter Canaan from Kadesh-barnea, but that did not keep Him from sincerely urging His people to do so (Deuteronomy 1:19-33). Thus, the veracity and faithfulness of God remain unimpeached.
4.1.6 Biblical evidence
2 Samuel 7:28 says, "Thou art God, and Thy words are truth." Psalm 31:5 states, "Thou hast ransomed one, O Lord, God of truth [or faithfulness]," John 1:14 calls Jesus Christ "the only begotten from the Father, full of [fully controlled and characterized by] grace and truth."
4.2 God Is Good
4.2.1 Definition
Goodness is the attitude of God toward His creatures in which He seeks their good or welfare. It should not be confused with moral goodness (which we will study under the attribute of holiness). In the larger sense of the term, the goodness of God includes all the qualities that answer to the conception of an ideal personage; that is, it includes such qualities as God's:
holiness;
righteousness;
truth;
love;
benevolence;
mercy; and
grace.
It is probably in this broad sense that Jesus said to the young ruler, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone" (Mark 10:18). In the narrower sense, however, the term is limited to the last four qualities named.
4.2.2 The love of God
God's love is that perfection of the divine nature by which God is eternally moved to communicate Himself. It is not a mere emotional impulse, but a rational and voluntary affection, having its ground in truth and holiness and its exercise in free choice. This is not to deny feeling, for true love necessarily involves feeling. If there is no feeling in God, then there is no love in God. The fact that God grieves over the sins of His people implies that He loves His people (Isaiah 63:9f; Ephesians 4:30). God's love finds its primary objects in the several persons of the trinity. Thus, the universe and man are not necessary to the exercise of God's love.
The Scriptures frequently testify to the love of God. They speak of Him as "the God of love" (2 Corinthians 13:11) and declare Him to be "love" (1 John 4:8, 16). It is His nature to love. He initiates love (1 John 4:10). He is unlike the gods of the heathen, who hate and are angry, and the god of the philosopher, who is cold and indifferent. The Father loves the Son (Matthew 3:17), and the Son loves the Father (John 14:31). God loves:
the world (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4);
His ancient people Israel (Deuteronomy 7:6-8, 13; Jeremiah 31:3);
His true children (John 14:23);
righteousness (Psalm 11:7); and
justice (Isaiah 61:8).
The assurance of God's love is a source of comfort to the believer (Romans 8:35-39). A loving God is not unfeeling toward His own.
4.2.3 The benevolence of God
Because of His goodness, God deals bountifully, tenderly, and kindly with all His creatures. "The Lord is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works ... The eyes of all look to Thee, and Thou dost give them their food in due time. Thou dost open Thy hand, and dost satisfy the desire of every living thing" (Psalm 145:9, 15f). Creation is God's handiwork and declared to be very good (Genesis 1:31). God cannot hate what He has made (Job 10:3; 14:15). The benevolence of God is manifested in His concern for the welfare of the creature and is suited to the creature's needs and capacities (Job 38:41; Psalm 104:21; 145:15; Matthew 6:26). His benevolence is not restricted to believers, "for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45; cf. Acts 14:17).
4.2.4 The mercy of God
God's mercy is His goodness manifested towards those who are in misery or distress. Compassion, pity and lovingkindness are other terms in Scripture that denote practically the same thing. Mercy is an eternal, necessary quality in God as an all-perfect being, but the exercise of it in a given case is optional. To deny the freeness of mercy is to annihilate it, for if it is a matter of debt, then it is no longer mercy. God is "rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2:4), "is full of compassion and is merciful" (James 5:11), and has "great mercy" (1 Peter 1:3). He is said to be merciful:
toward Israel (Psalm 102:13);
the Gentiles (Romans 11:30f);
all that fear Him (Psalm 103:17; Luke 1:50); and
seek His Salvation (Isaiah 55:7).
The term is often used in salutations and benedictions (Galatians 6:16; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Timothy 1:2; 2 John 3; Jude 2).
4.2.5 The grace of God
The grace of God is God's goodness manifested toward the ill-deserving. Grace has respect to sinful man as guilty, while mercy has respect to him as miserable and pitiful. Scripture speaks of the "glory of His grace" (Ephesians 1:6), "surpassing riches of His grace" (Ephesians 2:7; cf. 1:7), "manifold grace" (1 Peter 4:10), and "true grace" (1 Peter 5:12).
The exercise of grace, like that of mercy, is optional with God. He must be holy in all His actions. He may or may not show grace to a guilty sinner. The Scriptures show that the grace of God is manifested toward the natural man in:
His forbearance and long-suffering delay of the punishment of sin (Exodus 34:6; Romans 2:4; 3:25; 9:22; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 3:9, 15);
distribution of gifts and talents among men;
showering men with blessings instead of immediate judgment (Hebrews 6:7);
provision of Salvation (1 John 2:2);
the Word of God (Hosea 8:12);
the convicting work of the Spirit (John 16:8-11);
the influence of God's people (Matthew 5:13f); and
prevenient grace, that is, common grace (Titus 2:11).
Scripture also shows that His grace is uniquely manifested towards those who are His chosen ones in their:
election and foreordination (Ephesians 1:4-6);
redemption (Ephesians 1:7f);
salvation (Acts 18:27; Ephesians 2:7f);
sanctification (Romans 5:21; Titus 2:11f);
perseverance (2 Corinthians 12:9);
service (Romans 12:6; 1 Peter 4:10f); and
glorification (1 Peter 1:13).
This is God's special grace. Like mercy, this term is also often used in salutations and benedictions (1 Corinthians 1:3; 16:23; Ephesians 1:2; Philemon 25; Revelation 1:4; 22:21).
4.2.6 Biblical evidence
The goodness of God is supremely seen in His plan of redemption which stretches from Genesis to Revelation. The psalmist expresses his reaction, "How great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee ..." (Psalm 31:19). This goodness extends to the ungodly in giving them time to repent (2 Peter 3:9). To these Paul says, "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" (Romans 2:4). Speaking more generally, Matthew 5:45 bears witness to the universal goodness of God toward all of mankind, "for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
4.3 God Is Holy
4.3.1 Definition
Holiness is the purity of God; His separation from, and hatred of all evil. To clarify, God's holiness is the cause of His justice and righteousness. Justice and righteousness are the ways in which God acts as a result of His holiness. Specifically, justice means that God deals with men fairly. It is His holiness that requires Him to punish sin or bring wrath upon those who do not conform to His perfection. Out of God's holiness comes the doctrine of just retribution (punishment).
4.3.2 God is absolutely separate from all His creatures and all moral evil and sin
God is absolutely separate from and exalted above all His creatures, and He is equally separate from all moral evil and sin. In the first sense, His holiness is not really an attribute that is coordinate with the other attributes, but is rather coextensive with them all. It denotes the perfection of God in all that He is. In the second sense, it is viewed as the eternal conformity of His being and His will. In God purity of being is before purity of willing or doing. God does not will the good because it is good, nor is the good good because God wills it; if such were the case, there would be a good above God or the good would be arbitrary and changeable. Instead, God's will is the expression of His nature, which is holy.
4.3.3 Holiness occupies the foremost rank among the attributes of God
Holiness occupies the foremost rank among the attributes of God. It is the attribute by which God wanted to be especially known in Old Testament times (Leviticus 11:44f; Joshua 24:19; 1 Samuel 6:20; Psalm 22:3; Isaiah 40:25; Ezekiel 39:7; Habakkuk 1:12). It is emphasized by the bounds set about Mt. Sinai when God came down upon it (Exodus 19:12-15), the division of the tabernacle and temple into the holy and most holy places (Exodus 26:33; 1 Kings 6:16, 19), the prescribed offerings that must be brought if an Israelite would approach God (Leviticus 1-7), the special priesthood to mediate between God and the people (Leviticus 8-10), the many laws about impurity (Leviticus 11-15), the feasts of Israel (Leviticus 23), and the special position of Israel in Palestine (Numbers 23:9; Deuteronomy 33:28f). The Lord is called "the Holy One" some thirty times in Isaiah alone (cf. the use of "holy" with regard to the Son, Acts 3:14, and the Spirit, Ephesians 4:30).
In the New Testament, holiness is ascribed to God with less frequency than in the Old, but it is not wanting (John 17:11; Hebrews 12:10; 1 Peter 1:15f). John declares, "God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). The angels round about the throne call out antiphonally, "Holy, Holy, Holy" (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). Because of the fundamental character of this attribute, the holiness of God, rather than the love, the power, or the will of God, should be given first place. Holiness is the regulative principle of all three of them, for His throne is established on the basis of His holiness.
4.3.4 Three important things
Three important things should be learned from the fact that God is holy:
There is a chasm between God and the sinner (Isaiah 59:1f; Habakkuk 1:13). Not only is the sinner estranged from God, but God is estranged from the sinner. Before sin came, man and God had fellowship with each other; now that fellowship is broken and impossible.
Man must approach God through the merits of another if he is to approach Him at all. Man neither possesses nor is able to acquire the sinlessness which is necessary for access to God. But Christ has made such access possible (Romans 5:2; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 10:19f). In God's holiness lies the reason for the atonement; what His holiness demanded, His love provided (Romans 5:6-8; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Peter 3:18).
We should approach God "with reverence and awe" (Hebrews 12:28). A correct view of the holiness of God leads to a proper view of the sinful self (Psalm 66:18; 1 John 1:5-7). Job (40:3-5), Isaiah (6:5-7) and Peter (Luke 5:8) are striking examples of the relation between the two. Humiliation, contrition, and confession flow from a scriptural view of God's holiness.
4.3.5 Biblical evidence
The Psalmist calls us to worship God on the basis of His holiness: "For holy is the Lord our God" (Psalm 99:9). And Isaiah witnessed the angels worshiping God: "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts ..." (Isaiah 6:3). The threefold reference to God's holiness is the Hebrew way of intensifying a statement of quality by repeating it three times. In other words, God is supremely and perfectly holy.
4.4 God is Righteousness and Justice
4.4.1 Definition
The righteousness and justice of God is that aspect of God's holiness which is seen in His treatment of the creature. God has instituted a moral government in the world, imposed just laws upon the creatures, and attached sanctions thereto. Because of the latter, He executes His laws through the bestowal of rewards and punishments. The distribution of rewards is called remunerative justice (Deuteronomy 7:9-13; 2 Chronicles 6:15; Psalm 58:11; Matthew 25:21; Romans 2:7; Hebrews 11:26). Remunerative justice is based on divine love, not strict merit. The infliction of punishment is called punitive justice. It is the expression of divine wrath (Genesis 2:17; Exodus 34:7; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 1:32; 2:8f; 2 Thessalonians 1:8).
4.4.2 Justice demands punishment of the sinner
God cannot make a law, establish a penalty, and then not follow through if the law is disobeyed. When the law is violated, punishment must be meted out, either personally or vicariously. In other words, justice demands punishment of the sinner, but it may also accept the vicarious sacrifice of another, as in the case of Christ (Isaiah 53:6; Mark 10:45; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24). The righteousness of God is revealed in:
His punishing the wicked (Revelation 16:5-7);
vindicating His people from evildoers (Psalm 129:1ff);
forgiving the penitent of their sin (1 John 1:9);
keeping promises made to His children (Nehemiah 9:7ff); and
rewarding the faithful (Hebrews 6:10).
Some may suggest that the infliction of punishment is primarily for reformation or rehabilitation, but the chief end of punishment is the maintenance of justice. Punishment may serve a secondary purpose of reformation or deterrence (1 Timothy 5:20).
4.4.3 God's righteousness is an encouragement to the believer
God's righteousness is an encouragement to the believer in that:
he knows that God judges righteously (Acts 17:31);
he is secure in the righteousness of Christ (John 17:24; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21); and
the righteous things he has done will not go unnoticed (Proverbs 19:17; Hebrews 6:10; Revelation 19:8).
4.4.4 Biblical evidence
The righteousness and justice of God are ascribed to God (2 Chronicles 12:6; Ezra 9:15; Nehemiah 9:33; Isaiah 45:21; Daniel 9:14; John 17:25; 2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 16:5). Abraham ponders, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" (Genesis 18:25). The Psalmist declares that "Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of Thy throne" (Psalm 89:14; 97:2).
The attributes of God are illustrated in the following diagram:
4.5 Conclusion - our God is incomprehensible
Truly, our God is incomprehensible! Paul cries out, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! ... For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:33; 36). In the presence of deity, the child of God falls down and worships. Omniscience is not ignorant; God knows. Love is not indifferent; He cares. Omnipotence is not powerless; He acts.
5. REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER STUDY
Lectures in Systematic Theology, Chapter VIII, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1992 Edition, by Henry C. Thiessen.
Knowing God, Part II (Chapters 7 to 17), InterVarsity Press, 20th Anniversary Edition, 1993, by J.I. Packer.
Mere Christianity, Book IV, p.146-149, A Touchstone Book, Macmillan Inc., 1996 Edition, by C.S. Lewis.