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The Attributes of God

The Attributes of God. What is an Attribute?. “ The essence of anything, simply put, equals its being (substance) plus its attributes …The Attributes of God are essential Characteristics of the divine being. Without these qualities God would not be what He is – God. ”

jerome-grimes
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The Attributes of God

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  1. The Attributes of God

  2. What is an Attribute? • “The essence of anything, simply put, equals its being (substance) plus its attributes …The Attributes of God are essential Characteristics of the divine being. Without these qualities God would not be what He is – God.” • “The Attributes are inseparable from the being or essence of God…The Attributes are qualities of the entire Godhead...[They are] permanent qualities, intrinsic, essential and inherent dimensions of His very nature.”“The attributes...should not be confused with properties. ” • “The various perfections (attributes) are not component parts of God. Each describes His total being.”

  3. The Attributes as Essential According to Q. 4, Westminster Catechism: “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.” InfiniteEternalUnchangeable Being Wisdom Power Holiness Justice Goodness Truth

  4. The Classifications of Attributes • Communicable/Incommunicable • Does Man possess a similar attribute? • EX: Justice vs. Omnipresence 2. Moral/Non-Moral • Does the attribute fit into the categories of good and evil? • EX: Holiness v. Immutability 3. Transitive/Intransitive • Does the attribute act upon an object? • EX: Love vs. Divine Oneness • Absolute/Relative • Is the attribute manifested in relation to something else? • EX: Infinity vs. Eternality

  5. The Problem with Classifications • There is no standard pairing. • The pairings do not correspond with one another. • The main distinction is this: • Some attributes are inherent within God’s own nature, and some exist in relation to creation. • Deusin se and Deus pro nobis • Biblical revelation is primarily concerned with Deus pro nobis.

  6. “Before the mountains were born, or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.” Ps. 90:2 The Attributes of God Time: Eternality • God is Infinite with respect to: “But Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end.” Ps. 102:27

  7. “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.” Ps. 139:7-10 The Attributes of God Place: Omnipresence • God is Infinite with respect to:

  8. “He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.” Ps. 147:4 The Attributes of God Knowledge: Omniscience • God is Infinite with respect to:

  9. The Area around our Sun 260,000 stars

  10. The Milky Way Galaxy 200 billion stars

  11. The Local Group of Galaxies 700 billion stars

  12. The Virgo Supercluster 500,000 billion stars

  13. The Visible Universe 2,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000 stars…and God knows them all by name!

  14. “He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.” Ps. 147:4 The Attributes of God Knowledge: Omniscience • God is Infinite with respect to: “O give thanks to the Lord…to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever.” Ps. 136:1, 5

  15. The Attributes of God Power: Omnipotence • God is Infinite with respect to: “Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.” Ps. 115:3 “When Abram was 95 years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘I am God Almighty.’” Gen. 17:1 “For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God.” 2 Cor. 13:4

  16. The Attributes of God • God is Immutable. • God is unchanging in His being and character. • This does not mean He never ordains change! • “For I, the Lord, do not change…” Mal. 3:6 • “….but Thou art the same, and Thy years have no end.” Ps. 102:27 • “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.” James 1:17

  17. The Attributes of God • God is Holy. • Moral Purity: He is not tainted by evil. • “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy… For I am the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, to be your God; thus you shall be holy for I am holy.” Lev. 11:44-45 • Awe-Inspiring Sinlessness: He is not like us. • And one [angel] called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory. And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:3-5

  18. The Attributes of God “A just balance and scales belong to the Lord; All the weights of the bag are His concern.” Prov. 16:10 4. God is Righteous and Just. “The LORD is righteous” 2 Chronicles 12:6 (also Ezra 9:15; Ps. 11:7) “Peter said: ‘Imost certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.’” Acts 10:34-35 “For God shows no partiality.” Romans 2:11

  19. The Attributes of God • God is True. • What God reveals is never false. • God always remains faithful to His promises. • “Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.” Ps. 31:5 • “Great is Thy faithfulness” Lamentations 3:23 • “…in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago…” Titus 1:2 • “…in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us.” Heb. 6:18

  20. The Attributes of God 6. God is Merciful, Compassionate, Gracious God feels compassion for the helpless and needy. He responds, giving favor and love to his children. “The Lord is merciful and gracious; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” Ps. 103:8 “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.” Heb. 4:16

  21. The Attributes of God 7. God is Loving. God seeks the highest good of humans at His own infinite cost. The focal point of divine love is the death of Christ on our behalf. • “For God so loved the world that He gave his only-begotten Son…” John 3:16 • “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. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to bethe propitiation for our sins.” I Jn 4:7-10

  22. The Attributes of God 8. God is Wrathful. God’s holy, righteous nature is offended by sin. • “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God…for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” Eph. 5:5-6 • “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” Rom 1:18

  23. The Attributes of God 9. God is Sovereign. • God’s sovereignty refers to His right to rule over all things. • This includes the destinies of nations and individuals, and the natural world. • Nothing ever happens that God has not willed or allowed.

  24. “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens; and His sovereignty rules over all.” Ps. 103:19 “The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad. Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne …The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples have seen His glory.” Ps. 97:1-2, 6 “The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty. The Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength; indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. Thy throne is established from of old; Thou art from everlasting.” Ps. 93:1

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