Scripture affirms Gods wisdom in several places: Christ is the wisdom of God to those who are called (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30), even though the cross is foolishness to those who reject it and think themselves to be wise in this world (1 Corinthians 1:1820). Immutability God's nature does not change in any way. He knows our works and deeds (Psalms 33:13-15). But Gods glory also describes the bright light that surrounds his presence. Before examining God's attributes as revealed in Scripture, two points are important. And when those things fail to bring us satisfaction, we must decide to humble ourselves and turn our gaze back to the only one who is worthy of glory. For example, Scripture tells us that God cant lie: Additionally, James says, God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one (James 1:13). Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord - Jeremiah 23:23-24, To be omnipresent is to be in all places, at all times. If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 10:20; 2 Cor. Thus, God cannot lie, sin, deny himself, or be tempted with evil. Gods wrath is His utter intolerance of whatever degrades and destroys.. IMMUTABLE: God is perfect in that He never changes nor can He change with respect to His being, attributes, purpose, or promises; excluding process theology, Mormon doctrine of eternal progression. 8:35-39)!, For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. John 5:26, As limited humans, we have incredible needs, which left unfulfilled, result in death. Gods ability and creative power (Jeremiah 32:17). The Natural (Non-Moral) Attributes of God. God loves all that is right and good, for rightness and goodness conforms to his moral character. And He never sleeps or slumbers, He's aware every moment of every day, exactly what we're up against. In one sense, Gods glory isnt an attribute, but the superlative honor that everything in the universe should give to God (Isaiah 43:7, Romans 3:23, John 17:5). It means more than he is simply fair. Jesus tells us, You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). This ought to be a source of incredible joy for believers. God asks Job, Who has given to me, that I should repay him? Not do what He says He will do (2 Corinthians 1:20, Numbers 23:19). Jehovah or Yahweh is the most intensely sacred name to Jewish scribes and many will not even pronounce the name. He can sneeze and erase existence. 1:8, 17; 2:8; 3:14; 21:6; 22:13), No God before or after Yahweh (Isa. When He plans something, it will come to be. God is not like a thin substance spread out over all the earth. God himself is the God of peace (Romans 15:33, 16:20, Philippians 4:9). God, however, has never once been in need of anything. Everything weve done in secret He is aware of. God will have justice for sin, either from Christs atoning death or, for those who will not accept it, eternal wrath in hell. Malachi 3:6 says, For I am the Lord, I change not. This verse refutes Joseph Smiths doctrine of eternal progression. 4:35, 39; Psa. When Moses asked God, "Who shall I tell Pharaoh has sent me?" Theology truly matters. 4:4; Phil. now therefore let me alone, that my, Remember and do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to, He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but. If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 107:8; 118:1; Nahum 1:7; Mark 10:18; Rom. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Our ability to exercise will and make choices is one of the most significant marks of God-likeness in our existence. Elihu says that God is the one who is perfect in knowledge (Job 37:16), and John says that God knows everything (1 John 3:20). Creation, the Bible, and the Word made flesh . Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite (Psalms 147:5). We never have to worry about drying up his never-ending well of goodness, peace, mercy and grace. There was no right on the sinner's part, to the saving mercy of the Most High God. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Malachi 3:6. 45:21; Zeph. In the New Testament, and especially in Pauls letters, the entire Christian life can be seen as a result of Gods continuous offering of grace.As with most of the Gods attributes that we are to imitate, patience requires a moment-by-moment trust in God to fulfill his promises and purposes in our lives at his chosen time. False ________ literally means "all-knowing" Omniscience A person can know God better by studying the attributes ascribed to Him throughout Scripture. And yet none of those words is adequate to describe the awesome holiness of our God. As with Gods other perfect attributes, Christians find it easier to affirm the goodness of God when things are going well. We know we can share in these attributes to a degree since God commands us to be holy and loving like He is ( Lev.11:44, 45 ; 1 Thess. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good (Proverbs 15:3). This article first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 44, number 2 (2021). Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God that was due to our sin, in order that we might be saved (Romans 3:2526). OMNISCIENT: God is perfect in that He knows all things, including events before they happen. We imitate Gods blessedness when we find delight and happiness in things that please God. False All world religions really worship the same god, just in different ways. False The names and titles given to God in Scripture reveal what he is like. Every wrathful judgment in the history of the world has been a holy act of preservation. The knowledge is comprehensive and it includes moral factor. Omnipotence comes from two Latin words. In light of Gods other attributes of goodness, mercy, love and grace, there are some who might, in error, say that God is too kind to punish the ungodly. - Colossians 1:17, Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure Psalm 147:5. 103:8-9; Rom. He is the same God always, and everything he says or does is fully consistent with all his attributes. Here are 15 attributes of God, what they mean and why they matter: "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." They get justice. The Omnipresence of God God's omnipresence may be defined as, "God does not have size or . When God called his people out of Egypt and brought them to himself and commanded them to obey his voice, then he said, You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:46). For example: God made us to reflect his glory. The attributes of God are the inherent characteristics closely associated with or belonging to Him. While we must say that God has made all creation so that each part of it reflects something of his own character, we must also affirm that to picture God as existing or being like anything else in creation is misleading and dishonors who he is. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. 139:7-10; Jer. PERSONAL: God, as the author of personhood in the created universe, cannot be less than personal Himself; thus He experiences relationships with other persons, or self-conscious beings. (2 Tim. Copyright 2020 HarperCollins Publishers. Do what is self contradictory. When were thankful for the specific abilities, preferences, and other characteristics with which God has created us as individuals, we imitate his blessedness. Or where shall I flee from your presence? 3:6; Rom. His common grace is a gift to all of mankind. Mercies of God 4. Pauls statement might be more explicitly translated, who continually brings about everything in the universe according to the counsel of his will.. It is the reason that everyone Christian or non-Christian - enjoys the blessings of life, provision and abundance. But were also made in his image (Genesis 1:2628), so in other ways, God shares his attributes with us. Note that God may be more than personal, indeed, His infinite nature suggests that He must be. His presence is always with us. Only one God (Deut. 2:5; James 2:19), All other gods are only so-called, (1 Cor. John can say that God is light (1 John 1:5) and then a little later say also that God is love (1 John 4:8). O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good (Psalm 106:1). David says, for example, I am in great distress; let us fall into the hand of the Lord for his mercy is great . Daniel brings to bear Gods sovereignty perhaps better than any other writer. As a holy God, there are things that he only possesses. Really, we should say that communicable attributes are the ones that are somewhat shared with us. False Hes called the Holy One of Israel (Psalm 71:22, 78:41, 89:18; Isaiah 1:4, 5:19, 24). This is an online-exclusive from theChristian Research Journal. On the left are listed various attributes of God. His promises do not change. Human rulers cant oppose Gods will, for the kings heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will (Proverbs 21:1). 102:25-27; I John 2:15-17), Implied by doctrine of creation (Gen. 1:1; Isa. 8:28) These attributes are possessed by three sacred personalities, identified in the New Testament as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). He knows our needs and desires (Matthew 6:8 and 32-33), We stand naked before Him. He knows our way, and is with us always. His love is personal. When God declared his name to Moses, he proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Exodus 34:6). Some of Gods incommunicable attributes include his: Some of Gods communicable attributes include his: This breakdown seems pretty straightforward, but while it can be helpful, it isnt perfect. 1:11-12; James 1:17; Heb. No voice would be raised to celebrate the mercy of which none felt the need. Exploring the attributes of God helps us prepare for evangelism, learn church doctrine, and most importantly, understand who God is. The holiness of God, the wrath of God, and the health of the creation are inseparably united. God is spirit (John 4:24), he has no physical form. Gods grace, or his favor toward those who deserve no favor but only punishment, is always freely given. In the space provided in the left column, place the letter of the lesson which applies to that attribute. When we talk about the attributes of God, we are trying to answer questions like, Who is God, What is God like,and What kind of God is he? Indeed, when we see wisdom like this, we realize just how much our limited, finite wisdom compares with the limitless, infinite wisdom of God. The word holiness refers to His separateness, His otherness, the fact that He is unlike any other being. 10:6-7; Micah 7:18), Analogical language necessary to describe God (Ezek. A wise person uses his heart, soul and mind together with skill and competence. GOOD: God is morally excellent, and does only good (Gen. 1:31; Deut. This means that we cannot define these moral qualities without It belongs to him alone and its the outward expression of his excellence. 7:22; 1 Chr. "The goodness of God endureth continually" (Ps. There is therefore only one God, who is called Yahweh in the Old Testament, and who reveals Himself in the persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the New Testament; thus excluding polytheism, tritheism (belief in three gods), and subordinationism (in which Christ is a lesser god subordinate to the Almighty God). God's natural and moral attributes are the inherent characteristics that are closely associated with or belonging to Him. His holiness, righteousness, goodness, love, mercy, grace, and faithfulness. . No one is good but God alone (Luke 18:19). The attributes of God are the inherent characteristics closely associated with or belonging to God. God says, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy (Exodus 33:19). saith the Lord. God is called the Almighty (2 Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 1:8), a Greek term (, The angel Gabriel says to Mary, With God nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37), In Titus 1:2 he is called (literally) the unlying God or the God who never lies.. The Attributes of God refers to the character traits of God as they are revealed to us in the Scriptures. 1.f2.n3.j4.a5.g6.r7.b8.p9.m10.k11.c12.i13.e14.l15.d16.h17.o18.s19.q. 66:1; Acts 7:48-49), Present everywhere (Psa. Since a thousand years is a figure of speech, one day lasts forever in Gods mind. In this study we will be discussing God's non-moral attributes. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 3:10-11). You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:3738). 1. Whither shall I go from your Spirit?Or whither shall I flee from your presence?If I ascend to heaven, you are there!If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!If I take the wings of the morningand dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,even there your hand shall lead me,and your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:710. If you are trying to hide or run from God, give up. God does not change. How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! Romans 11:33. He is tenderhearted and of quick sympathy, and His unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. The 4 non-moral attributes of God: Omnipresence, Omniscience, Omnipotence, and Immutability. We imitate this communicable attribute of God, first by loving God in return, and second by loving others in imitation of the way God loves them. 4:16; 7:1), Satan, idols, and the belly are all false gods (Psa. 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