God

Introduction

Why are God's attributes important to know?

There are several reasons why we should seek to better understand God.

1. Jesus said that eternal life was “knowing God” (John 17:3).
2. We are commanded to discern between false gods and the True God  (Mt. 7:15; 1 Tim. 4:1; 1 Jn. 4:1; Phil. 1:7; Jude 3).
3. Many, if not all, theological truths depend on the nature of God.
4. What we believe about God has practical consequences for daily life, for we tend toward our concept of the ultimate.
5. Finally, to worship what is less than ultimate is idolatry.

How do we discover God's attributes?

All we know of God comes from His revelation - either general (through creation) or special (through Scripture). Through general revelation we can learn many things about God (Ps. 19:1; Mt. 5:45; Rom. 1:20), but these things are not enough to reveal all the attributes of the God of the Bible. Nature by itself leads to Theism at best, but idolatry at worst. Special Revelation (Scripture) reveals more of God’s mysteries (e.g., the Trinity and Incarnation are known only by special revelation).

How can limited human language describe God?

We can use both positive, negative, literal, and metaphorical language when speaking of God’s attributes. Positive language describes attributes that without necessary limit to their perfection (goodness, power, truth, being, etc.). Negative language describes necessarily imperfect attributes by negating them (in-finity, im-mutable, e-ternal, etc.). Once all finitude and imperfection is removed from a statement what is left is what is actually true.

God’s Attributes

Necessary Self Existence

God simply exists. He cannot not-be. He does not have existence, He is existence. God has no potential to not exist. Contingent things (with the potential to be or not be) exist. Contingent things are caused to be by another, for potentials cannot actualize themselves. Anything whose essence (what it is) differs from its existence (that it is) must be caused to exist by another. But there cannot be an infinite series of these causes. So there must be a first cause. What has no cause (being the first cause) has no potential to exist that could be made actual by another. A being with no potential cannot change or else it would cease to be (for there is no part to change, and if the whole changes it really is destroyed and re-created). Therefore God is total existence with no potential to go out of existence. God is creator of all things (Gen. 1:1; Isa. 42; Col. 1:17; Jn. 1:3; Heb. 2:10; Rev. 4:11). God is self-existent (Ex. 3:14; Jn. 8:58).

Holiness

God is totally set apart not only from all creation, but also all evil. He is completely set apart from creation and privation. Holiness is that which separates God from everything else. A transcendent being must be holy by nature. An infinite being cannot be like any other. Only one being can be perfect. God is holy as a class of one, there is no other in His class for comparison. Scripture is replete with references to God as being holy: (Ex. 15:11; Lev. 11:44, 21:8; Josh 24:19; 1 Sam. 2:2; Ps. 99:9; Isa. 5:19; Mk. 1:24; Lk. 1:35; Jn. 6:69; Rev. 4:8). The word is used well over 600 times in reference to God and His ways.

Aseity

God is entirely self-sufficient. He is not dependent upon any other thing for his existence, nor can He be affected by anything other than Himself. Because God is creator, he existed before everything else. Thus, He cannot have been made who he is by any creature and is thus independent of everything else (Ps. 90:2; Jn. 1:1-3; Acts 17:23-25) .

Sovereignty

God is in complete control of the entire universe. No event, whether dependant upon human free will or not, is outside of God’s will. Nothing can stop God’s purposes (Job 42:2; Ps. 115:3; Isa. 14:24-27). He is sovereign over humans, angels, and demons (Dan. 2,7; Col. 1:15-16; Eph. 1:21). Even human free choices are under His sovereignty (Jn. 6:44; Eph. 1:4-11; Rom. 8:29-30; 9:16-22). It might seem that if humans are free then God is not in sovereign control of them, but the Bible records that this is in fact the case. In Jn. 10:17-18 Jesus said no one could take his life unless He freely gave it, yet in Acts 2:23 we are told that His death was the result of God’s plan and human free will. The Bible affirms both, as in Mt. 23:37 where Christ laments over Jerusalem’s choice to deny His will. As creator God causes all things - even secondary causers (us). As our cause, God causes what we (effects) freely choose to do. God knows infallibly and decrees from eternity our choices as well as that they will be made freely. As the primary cause of all things - even of free choice - he knows all effects perfectly, including free acts. But the fact that these acts are determined by God does not diminish their freedom, for God determined that they would be free acts. This is a mystery, but it is not a contradiction.

Perfection

God is complete, lacking nothing, without blemish, whole, without privation or want. God is complete in every way, lacking no good thing. God does not have parts and so cannot have some perfection and not all. (Dt. 32:4;  Ps. 18:30; Isa. 25:1; Mt. 5:48; Rom 12:2; Js. 1:17).

Simplicity

God not only has no division, but is also indivisible - for what has no parts cannot be divided into those parts. God not only has unity, He is unity. Further, as there is no division in God’s nature, there can also be no potential - which is a limit, that would preclude His infinity. Only a being without parts (simple) can be infinite for parts cannot be added together to infinity. Further, for God to have parts one part would have to be separate from each other (or they would be the same part). If the parts were separate something outside of them would have to unite them. This could not go on to infinity, so the first cause must not have parts to unite. God is one (Dt. 6:4; Isa. 42; Mk. 12:29).

Triunity

God is one in essence (one “what”) and three in person (three “who's”). God is plurality within unity. There is one “it,” and three “I’s.” There is one object, and three subjects. There is distinction in God without division. The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit are each persons, are each fully God, but are not each other. There are not three gods (polytheism), nor is there only one person who is God simply acting in three different roles (modalism). The Trinity is a revealed mystery, and as such cannot be proven from philosophy. Philosophy does, however, determine how the revelation of the doctrine is understood. There is only one God (Dt. 6:4; Isa. 44:6; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:5). There are three persons that are each called God: the Father (Jn. 6:27; Rom. 1:7; Gal. 1:1), the Son (Mk. 2:5; 14:61-65; Jn. 1:1-5; 8:58; 10:11; Col 1:15-17; Heb. 1:1-15; Rev. 1:17), and the Holy Spirit (Gen 1:2 (cf. Isa. 44:6; Isa 63:7-9; Ps. 139:7; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb 9:14). Further, each of the above named are separate persons (Ps. 45:6, 110:1; Isa 63:7-10; Zech 1:12; Mt. 3:16-17, 28:19; Lk. 23:46; 2 Cor. 13:14). 

Infinity / Immensity

That which exists without limits is not-finite or infinite. This is in distinction to a potential infinite which is a never ending series (like the number of points on a line). An actual infinite is not a series or number of anything, for a series can always be added to and that which is infinite cannot be added to nor subtracted from. All that is created is necessarily finite, but the first cause (God) is uncreated pure being which is unlimited. That which is beyond the finite (created) world must, by definition be infinite and the Bible states that God is beyond creation (1 Kings 8:27; Job 11:7-9; Isa 66:1-2; Col 1:17).

Immateriality

God is spirit as opposed to physical /  material. God is not composed of matter (limited energy) nor any other finite substance. As such He also cannot be measured. Whatever is not material is not spatial. A body is an extension in space. By nature an extension in space must have a limit and God is without limits. Extension in space requires space and God created space. The material universe was created by God Who must then be immaterial. Further, material by nature is made up of parts and God has no parts. Further, since God is infinite it would take an infinite amount of space to hold His infinite body which is a contradiction. God is invisible and spirit (i.e. non-body) - (Jn. 4:24 cf. Lk. 24:39; Rom. 1:20; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17). This is why no material thing was ever to be used to represent God (Ex. 20:4).

Immortality

Creatures that only have life must be given it by another, and an effect must preexist within a cause - so life must be in God. Whatever God “has” He is, and so God is life. Since God possess no potential for change in what He is, He cannot die. God cannot lose life, for He was not given life - He is life. He is imperishable and incorruptible. God cannot die, he cannot cease to be. A simple being cannot die because what is uncomposed cannot decompose - it cannot separate (which is what is meant by death). (Num. 14:28; Josh. 3:10; Psa. 42:2; Dan. 6:26;  Jn. 6:57; Acts 14:15; 1 Tim. 4:10). God is the giver of life (Gen 1:21; Dt. 32:39; Jn. 4:10-11, 11:25-26). God is immortal (1 Tim. 1:17; Rom. 1:23; 1 Cor. 9:25).

Eternality

God is completely outside time. He is not bound by it nor effected by it. He has no past, present, or future. God’s “present” is non-temporal. Time began with space, at creation. If time was created by God then God cannot be subject to it. Additionally, if God were in time he would have to had passed through an infinite series of moments which is impossible. Time is a measurement of change - which God cannot do. Finally, to be in time is to be material and in space - neither of which is true of God. God existed before all things, including time (Jn. 1:3, 17:5; Eph. 1:4; Col. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:9).

Immutability

God cannot change in His nature. He cannot pass through states.  For anything to change there must be a part that changes and a part that stays the same, but God has no parts. For God to change would be for Him to cease to exist. Further, to change there must be a before and an after in time, but God is not in time. God is also perfect, lacking nothing - to change would be to lose something possessed  or add something missing - neither of which could happen to or come from a perfect being. God never changes (Ps. 102:26; Heb 1:8; James 1:17), although His relation to changeable creatures changes as they change (Gen. 6:6; Ex. 32:14; Jon. 3:10). That is, God cannot change but His effects in time as seen from man’s point of view (which is unquestionably changing) appear to change. Statements indicating that God changes His mind (Jer 26:13) or repents (Jon. 3:10) are true metaphorically (concerning the effects of God's will from man’s vantage point). God cannot both be able to change and not be able to change in the same sense, and it makes no sense to say he really can change but in some cases cannot.

Impassibility 

God cannot undergo suffering or passion, nor can He be moved by anything outside Himself. God’s disposition is not the result of anything outside Himself because He cannot be acted upon. As the cause of all things God cannot become the effect of anything. God has no potential to be actualized by another. God lacks nothing (1 Chr. 29:14; Ps. 24:1, 50:10-12, ) and man cannot benefit Him (Job 22:2-3; Acts 17:25; Rom. 11:35-36), nor hurt Him (Job 35:6-7). Suffering, for example, involves a lack, but God lacks nothing. Whatever passes through states passes through time, but God is not in time and therefore cannot change.  God also does not have a body which is required for emotions / feelings. This does not mean, though, that God is not love. Love is an act of the will in God and not an emotional state as in man. Other emotions predicated of God generally fall under the same sort of explanation.

Omnipotence

Power is the ability to effect change, and God has unlimited power. There can be no greater change than to bring forth something out of nothing, therefore creation requires an all powerful being. God can do whatever is possible to be done. If God has no limits (potential) then His power must be unlimited.  Words meaning all-powerful are ascribed to God (Job 11:7-11, 37:23; 2 Cor. 6:18; Rev. 4:8).  Note that omnipotence is not the ability to do anything, it is the ability to do any possible thing. He cannot do that which is actually impossible - for example, God cannot act in a way that would violate His own nature (Heb. 6:18; 2 Tim. 2:13; Titus 1:2). Mt. 19:26 says that with God all things are possible, but this is contrasting human ability with God’s. God cannot do what is not actually possible to be done, like creating a contradiction (a two sided triangle or a married bachelor). Further, God could not limit His power, for that would entail a lessening of infinite power, but infinity cannot be added to nor subtracted from.

Omniscience

God knows all things. This includes all events at any point in time as well as thing s that do not exist but could. Being outside time, God does not really “fore-know” anything. He simply eternally knows all things. God is infinite and His knowledge is identical to himself so it is therefore infinite as well. Further, all that exists preexisted in God Who knows Himself perfectly and thus knows all effects of His causing. God has no limits in His being so His knowledge cannot be limited (Ps. 147:5; Job 36:4 & 37:16; Ps. 139:2-4; Heb. 4:13; Rom. 11:33). Because God knows all things he always knows the best way to accomplish anything, which is wisdom. God is infinite and His knowledge is identical to himself and it is therefore infinite - this entails infinite wisdom as well. If an infinite God is wise then He is infinitely wise. God is wise (Job 12:13; Rom. 16:27; Ps. 104:24; Prov. 2:6; James 1:5).

Omnipresence, Transcendence, Immanence

God is related to His creation in such a way that He is everywhere fully present. There is not a part of God here and part there, for God is simple. As creator, God is not limited by His creation (e.g., space), and a non-spatial being has no “where” to be. However, an infinite being cannot be absent from any point in or out of space. Hence, He is everywhere. Scripture reveals God’s omnipresence in several places (1 Kgs. 8:27; Ps. 139:7-10; Jer. 23:23; Acts 17:27-28). Immanence differs from omnipresence in that God is not only present to all creation , he is within creation as its cause, though not part of it. God is very near to us. As an infinite Being, God must be present in some sense both within and without all creation, for if this were not so He would be limited. Scripture affirms God’s immanence in creation: (Ps. 139:7-10; Jer. 23:23; Acts 17:27-28). God is both above, beyond, and more than all creation. He is not part of it in any way. God is the cause of all creation and thus cannot be part of it. Also, the finite cannot contain nor limit the infinite, and God is infinite. God is sovereign over all and thus cannot be part of all. Scripture repeatedly affirms God’s transcendence over creation (Gen. 1:1; Job 11:7; Isa. 40:12; 55:8-9; Eph. 4:6; Col. 1:17; Rev. 5:13). Note that spiritual separation from God does not entail separation from His omnipresent being, but it can be seen relationally. The relational aspect of God’s presence will be very different from those in Heaven. In Heaven the saved will be present to God’s love and mercy while the unsaved in Hell will forever face His wrath and judgment. In Heaven God’s presence will be a cause of infinite joy, while His presence to sinners in Hell will mean infinite torment.

Righteousness 

Righteousness means to be just. God not only is absolutely fair in all His judgments, He is the ultimate standard for judging anything fair. God is both infinitely moral and good, therefore He must be the greatest moral goodness, and as such, perfectly righteous. Many verses describe God as righteous (Ps. 89:14; Zeph. 3:5; 2 Cor. 9:9; Heb. 1:8; 2 Tim. 4:8).

Omnibenevolence

God wills the good for all His creatures and always acts toward their best interest. As such God never acts in an unreliable manner, can be trusted in all things and will always be truthful and dependable. God cannot be “part” anything, thus if He is good at all He must be all good, all loving, all truthful. Whatever God “has” He is, thus He does not have the truth - He is the truth, He does not have love, He is love. All of these things he must be in an infinite way - thus there is no lack to his truthfulness (He cannot lie), no lack to His love (He cannot be “particular”). God’s truth and goodness and love are stressed throughout the writings of Scripture (Dt. 32:4; Num 23:19; 1 Sam. 15:29; Jn. 14:6, 15:26; Heb 6:18. Isa 6:18; Jer. 31:3; Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:5-8, 8:35-39; Eph. 2:4-5; 1 Jn. 3:1/16, 4:7-10).

Jealousy

Jealousy as such is not a sin, but usually creatures are jealous over what does not rightly belong to them to begin with. In God’s case it refers to His holy zeal over His supremacy, protective commitment to his people, and his exclusive claim to obedience (Deut. 4:24; 5:9). In other words, God is "jealous for" His creation, not "jealous of" His creation (which is envy - a sin). God is unique and supreme due to His nature. A being such as this, and only this, is due worship and ultimate devotion (Ex. 34:14; Dt. 32:16; 1 Kgs. 14:22; Zech. 8:2; Ps. 24:1; 78:58; 1 Cor. 10:19-22 ).

Mercy

God’s mercy means that He is compassionate, loving, pitying, and forgiving. God’s mercy flows from His love and goodness. He is infinitely merciful for He is an infinite Being and if he is merciful at all he must be wholly merciful. The Bible both tells and shows that God is merciful:  (Num. 14:18-19; Neh. 13:22; Dt. 7:9; Mic. 7:18; Jn. 6:37; Rom. 11:30-32; Eph. 2:4; Jas. 2:13).

Wrath

God’s wrath is described as burning anger, fury, rage - it refers to God’s disposition toward evil. God’s infinite holiness is such that it cannot be infected by even the slightest degree of evil or sin. His perfect righteousness and justice demand punishment for evil  (Ex. 22:24; Job 19:11; Ps. 2:5, 90:7; Jer. 10:10;  Hab. 1:13; 2 Chr. 36:16; Eze. 21:31; Amos 1:11; Jn. 3:36; Eph. 2:3; Heb. 3:11; 1 Thess. 2:16). This is not to be confused with the loss of control that is implied by creaturely wrath, nor with the creature's causing of a change to anger from a state of peace.

Ineffability

God is, in a sense, indescribable. Our language and knowledge comes from creation and thus there is an infinite gap between what we know and say and what God actually is. This does not mean that true things cannot be said of God (for that would be self-defeating), only that our descriptions of God are always by way of analogy to creation and should not be confused with literal descriptions that are exactly as they would be if referring to creatures (Ps. 50:21; Isa. 55:8-9).

Conclusion

Ineffability was listed last for the reason that it should always be kept in mind when discussing God's attributes. God is, as Wholly Other, always beyond our intellectual reach. This is referred to as God's Mystery. Theologians sometimes mistake God's mystery to be embraced and better explained for problems to be attacked and finally solved. In the end, while we can and do make true statements about God we must realize that the ideas in our minds are not in one-to-one correspondence with God's actual nature (the way in which, say, the word "ice" is in direct correspondence to extra-mental ice in the mind of one who has experienced ice). Thus, all our theology ends in mystery (1 Cor. 13:12). This does not mean theology is irrelevant, contradictory, or false - only limited. When dealing with ulitimate reality this is, of course, exactly as one should expect.