What follows is a poor attempt at listing and defining God's most prominent attributes as stated or implied in Scripture. No task is too big for Him. As with all attributes, we can only begin to comprehend God’s love in light of his other attributes. But even the wisest man on earth would never come close to being as wise as God. God is love and this loves shines through eternity through the greatest act of love in the history of all eternity. God’s love is active, drawing us to himself. Hebrews 6:18 puts it like this: “God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.”, In his devotional Forward, Ron Moore puts it like this: “God's attribute of omnipotence means that God is able to do all that He desires to do. Since we cannot fully comprehend God completely, we can know what He is like through the verses in the Bible that reveal those attributes. Non-communicable attributes are true of God and God alone. And his faithfulness pours out from his love, so we can trust Paul’s word that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”, Of course, we don’t always understand or see how his plan is faithful. Tozer in his classic book on the attributes of God, The Knowledge of the Holy. 66:1; Acts 7:48-49), Present everywhere (Psa. 13. The first hint of the Trinity is in Genesis 1:26 which relates God saying, "Let us make man in our image", indicating that God is a plurality. 23:24; Acts 17:28), Unchangeable (Psa. 2 1. ), God gives Himself a name (Yahweh), and says “I am” (Exod. 1:1-2; etc. 23:23-24; of Christ, Eph. What are the attributes of God? 2. of Answer Save. 4. A truly wise person is someone who understands all the facts and makes the best decisions. That means He is all-powerful, almighty or infinite in power. 5:4-6; 99:5; Isa. 2:5; 11:22; Heb. He is inexhaustibly, actively compassionate. In fact, Paul says that God is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20).”, “Although such power might seem frightful, remember that God is good. Within God’s one undivided being there is an “unfolding” into three interpersonal relationships such that there are three Persons. “Through the work of Christ in atonement, justice is not violated but satisfied when God spares a sinner.” His mercy is does not forbid him to exercise his justice, nor does his justice forbid him to exercise his mercy. This is the basis of our confidence in Him.”, The fact that God is infinitely, unchangingly faithful means that he never forgets anything, never fails to do anything he has set out to do, never changes his mind or takes back a promise. The word holiness refers to His separateness, His otherness, the fact that He is unlike any other being. 41:22-23; 42:9; 44:7), God is not a man (Num. Trinity: Though the actual word is not used in the Bible, the truth of God revealing Himself in three persons is included. 42:5), God is near, so He can be known (Deut. 14. The Character of God(iTunes U video), by Erik Thoennesat Biola University I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” - Isaiah 46:9-10, God is omniscient, which means he knows everything. 10. It sees the end from the beginning, so there can be no need to guess or conjecture. - Romans 9:15-16, As noted above, God’s mercy is inseparable from his justness. Without Christ taking the place for us and dying for our sins, we would all fall short of God’s holy standard. 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? Interestingly, when we look at the attributes of God, we find they are all unchangeably perfect, so there is no practical difference in their importance—at least not to God. 11:25-27), GOOD: God is morally excellent, and does only good (Gen. 1:31; Deut. Anonymous . That means He is all-powerful, almighty or infinite in power. notes in his article on the subject of God’s goodness, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 7. They are His distinguishing features that only He possesses. Were there no guilt in the world, no pain and no tears, God would yet be infinitely merciful; but His mercy might well remain hidden in His heart, unknown to the created universe. 1.f   2.n   3.j   4.a   5.g   6.r   7.b   8.p   9.m   10.k   11.c   12.i   13.e   14.l   15.d   16.h   17.o   18.s   19.q. “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious” (Exodus 33:19). 33:6; 102:25; John 1:3; Rom. Jehovah or Yahweh is the most intensely sacred name to Jewish scribes and many will not even pronounce the name. As with God’s other perfect attributes, Christians find it easier to affirm the goodness of God when things are going well. Inevitably, man will try to find glory in other things, or to try and make himself an object of glory. These characteristics are: - God is omnipotent. Grace of God. What are God’s attributes? Yet, it is important to understand that for God “to be” in a place is not the same way we are in a place. “He exists on a plane wholly distinguishable from the one readily available to the five senses.”. See main page: Classification of the attributes of God God's attributes Depending on how you look at God's attributes, they can comprise a list of varying lengths. God loves us fiercely, but His justice is as concrete as His love. Psalm 90:2; 1 Tim. (2 Tim. His purposes are unfailing, his promises unassailable. 103:8-9; Rom. 8:2-3), God can only be known as the Son reveals Him (John 1:18; Matt. That God is holy means he is endlessly, always perfect. Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? By His nature He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes holy pleasure in the happiness of His people.”. He doesn’t love humanity in some vague sense, he loves humans. Unchangeableness (he never changes, but we do) 3. There was no right on the sinner's part, to the saving mercy of the Most High God. It is the reason that everyone – Christian or non-Christian - enjoys the blessings of life, provision and abundance. God as the Greatest Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109), in two works, the Monologion and the Proslogion (1077–78), developed the idea of God as the most perfect being, as a way of developing a systematic understanding of the godhead. Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. Debbie McDaniel writes this about the omniscience of God, “He can be everywhere, at the same time. And how comforting and wonderful this is for man to dwell on! Self-sufficient as He is, He wants our love and will not be satisfied till He gets it. Goodness of God can be divided into the following. You know so many people have all kinds of ideas about God. God will have justice for sin, either from Christ’s atoning death or, for those who will not accept it, eternal wrath in hell. 6. 4:5-6; 1 Tim. God’s love never fails. In the Old Testament often the plural form of the Hebrew word Godis used when speaking about Him (Elohim). 32:9-14; Psa. Sam Storms writes this about the good news of God’s unchanging nature: “What all this means, very simply, is that God is dependable! Christianity Today writer Patrick Mabilog writes this about the difference. (e.g., Gen. 1:3, 26; Heb. There is neither any beginning nor any end to it. – Psalm 145:8, If mercy is not getting what we do deserve (damnation), grace is getting what we don’t deserve (eternal life). The love of God is eternal, sovereign, unchanging, and infinite. 1:23; 4:10; Col. 3:11), Nothing too difficult (Gen. 18:14; Jer. 2:5; James 2:19), All other “gods” are only “so-called,” (1 Cor. It was, it is and shall always remain. I told him about my three favorite “O” words to describe God. 14:9; 1 Cor. We never have to worry about “drying up” his never-ending well of goodness, peace, mercy and grace. To be the true God He must have neither beginning nor end. Proud member 3:20; Eph. One of God's primary attributes is that of Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1). John MacArthur writes this about God’s holiness: “Of all the attributes of God, holiness is the one that most uniquely describes Him and in reality is a summation of all His other attributes. If I ascend to heaven, you are there! What are His basic attributes? These three characteristics of God’s nature are often mentioned together, especially in the Old Testament God's known attributes Eternal God exists forever, meaning he has no beginning or end (cf. While all of humanity benefits from common grace, only those who profess believe and put their faith in Christ receive saving grace. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. His Word of Promise is sure. What do the rest get? 1:11-12; James 1:17; Heb. How to Have a Civil Discussion about Abortion, Why Do I Call Myself Good? 1:13-16), God cannot be comprehended as He really is (1 Cor. 139:7-10; Acts 17:28; of Christ, Matt. Each of them points us to seeing God correctly: as good, gracious, and reliable. 31:3; John 3:16; Heb. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Not only does it speak of God's strength, but also it speaks of the sovereignty of God and the goodness of God. Our amazing God is capable of doing anything — as long as it does not violate any of His other attributes. His radiance and beauty emanate from all that his is and all that he does. 3:21), Unlimited by time (Psa. Nevertheless, he is with us, the fullness of his presence is all around us. God's decisions are always in line with His character, and He has all the power to do whatever He decides to do.”, “Scripture is clear that God is strong and mighty (Psalm 24:8). 4:4; Phil. Infinite. See main page: Sovereignty of God See also Knowability of God God Trinity Resources Stephen Charnock & William Symington, The Existence And Attributes Of God … When Moses asked God, "Who shall I tell Pharaoh has sent me?" So his faithfulness cannot be understood apart from his immutability, the fact that he never changes. In our limited understanding and finite minds, God’s faithfulness might look a lot like abandonment. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, the penalty for our sins was paid and we were imputed (credited) with Christ’s righteousness. I want to spend some time on the word G-O-D in that verse. 41:4; 44:6; 48:12; Rev. It is not based on how good you are or what you do to please Him. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. In order to describe God's attributes, or characteristics, theologians use three important terms: omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. God is actually so good that He is the source of goodness; He alone is the rule and measure of what we truly know to be good. So come, let us understand some of the main attributes of God… Eternal The Soul is an eternal element. Preface “ACQUAINT NOW THYSELF WITH HIM, AND BE AT PEACE: thereby good shall come unto thee” (Job 22:21). Now THYSELF with Him, and the goodness of God, however, from a human viewpoint, Lord... You an email with steps on how good you are there what is (... 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