The Person and Attributes of God

The Person and Attributes of God

 

     Learning about God and His character helps us understand the fundamental nature of reality. Scripture reveals God is the absolute standard for what is right. Apart from God and His Word, we have no absolute standard for right and wrong and are left with arbitrary laws based on manufactured or borrowed values. Atheism is the predominate belief system that stands in opposition to God. Atheism is the belief there is no God. For the atheist, mankind is nothing more than a molecular accident in a material universe where everything is the product of matter, motion, time and chance. For the atheist, there is no rational reason for a person to exist and no given purpose for his life. His thoughts, feelings, morals and actions are simply electrochemical impulses that occur in the body and brain, and when a person dies, those impulses cease. Right and wrong as well as good and evil become arbitrary. Without God and Scripture to guide and give man purpose, man’s uniqueness is lost in the universe, as he is ultimately of no greater value than what he paints on the canvass or studies under the microscope. Biblical thinkers know this to be true; because if there is no God and man is not unique (as the Bible teaches), then he is of no greater value than the tree, the rock, or the worm on a hook.  If there is no God, then man is a zero. When he dies, his biological life is consumed by the material universe from which he came. Consider this view of death by the atheist John Updike:

• "Without warning, David was visited by an exact vision of death: a long hole in the ground, no wider than your body, down which you were drawn while the white faces above recede. You try to reach them but your arms are pinned. Shovels pour dirt in your face. There you will be forever, in an upright position, blind and silent, and in time no one will remember you, and you will never be called by any angel. As strata of rock shift, your fingers elongate, and your teeth are distended sideways in a great underground grimace indistinguishable from a strip of chalk. And the earth tumbles on, and the sun expires, an unaltering darkness reigns where once there were stars."[1]

     Most who hold to atheism desire to operate independently of any authority outside of themselves, especially God’s authority set forth in Scripture. These assign no serious thought of God to their discussions, plans, or projects, but seek to use His resources independently of His wishes. But these same persons become trapped in their own system when their individual sense of good and evil, right and wrong, clashes with another person who holds to opposing moral standards. Having rejected God and moral absolutes, they have no objective final standard by which to measure values and behavior, to declare anything good or bad. These can go about their daily affairs as long as the pressures of life are not too great; however, if they’re ever confronted with vicious evil that disrupts their lives, they’ll naturally seek a mechanism to control it, lest it destroy them (I’m speaking about the atheist who desires law and order rather than anarchy and chaos). If they continue to reject God, they’ll likely turn to a totalitarian government they hope is strong enough to deal with the depravity of reckless people; but in so doing, they’ll trade freedom and prosperity for slavery and the illusion of equality. A society that acknowledges God and operates in accordance with His moral laws will tend to produce a virtuous people that can enjoy freedom and prosperity; but this must start with God.

 

God Exists as Trinity

 

     Scripture opens with the statement, “In the beginning God” (Gen 1:1a). The Bible does not seek to prove the existence of God, but simply acknowledges His being. Those who are positive to divine truth accept this statement. Furthermore, the Bible reveals God exists as a Trinity (or Triunity). In the Bible we learn that there is one God (Deut 6:4), who exists as three Persons (Gen 1:26; Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; 1 Pet 1:2). All three members of the Godhead are co-equal, co-infinite, and co-eternal, possessing the same nature and attributes (Deut 6:4; Isa 44:6-8; John 10:30; 14:9).[2] The Trinity consists of God the Father (Gal 1:1; Eph 6:23; Phil 2:11), God the Son (Isa 7:14; 9:6; John 1:1, 8:58; 20:28; Col 2:9; Heb 1:8), and God the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor 2:11-12; 2 Cor 13:14). The Bible reveals God has specific attributes that describe who He is and explain why He thinks and acts in certain ways. What we know of God’s attributes comes to us only by divine revelation, and these attributes belong to all the members of the Trinity, who are worthy of all praise and service.

• "The various perfections of God are not component parts of God. Each describes His total being. Love, for example, is not a part of God’s nature; God in His total being is love. Although God may display one quality or another at a given time, no quality is independent of or preeminent over any of the others. Whenever God displays His wrath, He is still love. When He shows His love, He does not abandon His holiness. God is more than the sum total of His perfections. When we have listed all the attributes we can glean from revelation, we have not fully described God. This stems from His incomprehensibility. Even if we could say we had a complete list of all God’s perfections, we could not fathom their meaning, for finite man cannot comprehend the infinite God."^[3]

     When studying the attributes of God, the student of Scripture should never seek to understand them separately from God, as though an attribute of God may exist apart from Him. More so, the attributes of God are as infinite as God Himself, and to try to understand them fully is not within the scope of our ability. A detailed understanding of God’s attributes prevents the believer from developing an incomplete or faulty view of God, in which he/she sees Him only in part. For example, a solitary view of God as righteous can lead a Christian to legalistic behavior, whereas a singular understanding of God as loving or gracious can lead to licentiousness. A thorough biblical understanding of God will prove healthy for the Christian who seeks to reflect His character. The biblical revelation of God has practical application for the growing Christian, for as the believer advances in spiritual maturity, he/she will take on the characteristics of God, though only a few of those characteristics may be visible to others at any given moment, depending on the situation. The major attributes of God as revealed in Scripture are as follows:

1. Living – God is living and is the source of all life. He is personal, thoughtful, emotive, volitional and active. “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psa 42:2a). “My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psa 84:2). “But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King” (Jer 10:10a). “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (Matt 16:16).
2. Self-Existent (aseity) – God’s existence depends on nothing outside of Himself. “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’” (Exo 3:14a). John writes “In Him was life” (John 1:4), and He “has life in Himself” (John 5:26).
3. Holy– God is positively righteous and separate from all that is sinful. “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:44a). “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His holy hill, for holy is the LORD our God” (Psa 99:9).
4. Spirit – The nature of God’s being is spirit, not material. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39).
5. Sovereign– God acts freely as He pleases, always as He pleases, and only as He pleases. “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Psa 115:3). “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan 4:35; cf. Isa 46:9-11; Acts 17:24-28).
6. Immutable– God’s essential nature does not change. “Even they will perish, but You endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end.” (Psa 102:26-27). “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Mal 3:6).
7. Eternal– God has always existed, does exist, and forever will exist. “The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut 33:27). “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever” (1 Tim 1:17).
8. Infinite – God exists in space, but is also beyond space, infinite in being. ‘“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!” (1 Ki 8:27). “Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? declares the LORD” (Jer 23:24).
9. All-knowing– God knows all things, being infinite in knowledge. “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all” (Psa 139:1-4). “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt 6:31-33)
10. All-present– God is equally and fully everywhere present. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.” (Psa 139:7-10).‘“Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ declares the LORD.” (Jer 23:24)
11. All-powerful– God is able to accomplish all He desires. “Then Job answered the LORD and said, ‘I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted’” (Job 42:2). “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.” (Isa 40:28).
12. Righteous– God’s righteousness is that intrinsic moral perfection, from which He commands all things in heaven and earth, and declares as good that which conforms to His righteousness and as evil that which deviates. “For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face” (Psa 11:7). “Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments” (Psa 119:137).
13. Just– God’s justice is the outworking of His righteousness in which He justifies or condemns, blesses or curses, that which does or does not conform to His character. “The LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, and He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity” (Psa 9:7-8). “The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether” (Psa 19:9b).
14. True – God is genuine, in contrast to false idols. “But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King” (Jer 10:10a). “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (Joh 17:3).
15. Truthful – God is truthful. His knowledge and declarations define reality and help us make sense of what is. “Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant” (2 Sam 7:28). “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (Joh 17:17).
16. Loving– God desires our best, and He gives for our benefit. “The LORD appeared to him [Israel] from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness’” (Jer 31:3). “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).
17. Good – The Lord is good and He is the ultimate source of all that is good. “The LORD is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works” (Psa 145:9). “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him” (Nah 1:7). “For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations” (Psa 100:5). “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (Jam 1:17).
18. Faithful– God is reliable in all He says and does, always keeping His word. “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deut 7:9). “This I recall to my mind; therefore, I have hope. The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam 3:21-23).
19. Merciful – God is compassionate and kind toward others. “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth” (Psa 86:15). “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5).
20. Gracious– God treats us better than we deserve. “He has made His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate” (Psa 111:4). “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is compassionate.” (Psa 116:5).

 

[1] John Updike, Pigeon Feathers (New York, NY, Random House Publishers, 1975), 17.

[2] The use of the Hebrew numeral אֶחָד echad reveals, in some contexts, the idea of a complex one (cf. Gen 2:24; Ezra 3:1; Ezek 37:17).

^[3] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 39–40.