ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

Colossians 1:16 - 19

When we talk about the attributes of God, we are trying to answer a question like, who is God, what is God like, and what kind of God is he? An attribute of God is something true about him. While fully comprehending who God is, is impossible for us, God does make himself known in a variety of ways, and through what he reveals about himself in his Word and his creation, we can begin to comprehend who He is.

Because of God’s self-revelation in Scripture, we can know some things about his incomprehensible glory. As we learn more about God’s character, we are better able to worship him in truth and relate to him in love. The answers to every problem and issue of life for both time and eternity are resolved through a correct understanding of God. 

The more we discern someone’s qualities, the better we know that person, and thus our friendship can deepen. Similarly, the more we come to know God’s qualities, the better we will know what he is like, and thus our friendship can deepen. This is essential and it is the foundation to an intimate walk with God by which we can learn to personally relate to who and what He is.

CATEGORIES OF GOD’S ATTRIBUTES

Some of God’s attributes are “incommunicable” (qualities possessed by God alone) and others are “communicable” (qualities that both God and we possess, though only He possesses them perfectly).

1. Primary attributes are God’s intrinsic non-transferable attributes which are not personal or moral, God’s glory, infinity, eternity, self-existence, simplicity, and independence.

2. Relative attributes are those non-transferable attributes that are true of God in relation to the created order. God is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, transcendent, immanent, and sovereign in relation to the universe.

3. Personal attributes are those that are essential for personhood. God has shared with us to an extent His aliveness, His personality, His freedom, and His spirituality.

4. Moral attributes are those attributes that have to do with the rightness of God’s character and actions. 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; I Thess. 4:7). Besides love and holiness, moral attributes include mercy, grace, faithfulness, patience, righteousness, and justice.

GOD IS INFINITE: HE IS SELF-EXISTING, WITHOUT ORIGIN

"And he is before all things, and in him, all things hold together." (Colossians 1:17)

“Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure” (Psalm 147:5)

The fact that God is self-existent that he was created by nothing and has always existed forever is perhaps one of the hardest attributes of God for us to understand. To admit that there is One who lies beyond us, who exists outside of all our categories, who will not appear before the bar of our reason, nor submit to our curious inquiries, requires a great deal of humility, more than most of us possess, so we save face by thinking God down to our level, or at least down to where we can manage Him.

The name Jehovah is used some 6,800 times in the Bible. It is the personal covenant name of God. In the King James Version of the Bible, its translated Lord God. Not only does it speak of God's strength, but also His sovereignty and His goodness. The root of this name means "self-existing," one who never came into being, and one who always will be. When Moses asked God, "Who shall I tell Pharaoh has sent me?" God said, "I AM THAT I AM." Jehovah or Yahweh is the most intensely sacred name to Jewish scribes and many will not even pronounce the name. When possible, they use another name.”

GOD IS IMMUTABLE: HE NEVER CHANGES

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” (Malachi 3:6)

God does not change. Who he is never changes. His attributes are the same from before the beginning of time into eternity. His character never changes; he never gets “better” or “worse.” His plans do not change. His promises do not change.

What this means is that God is dependable! Our trust in him is, therefore, a confident trust, for we know that he will not, indeed cannot, change. His purposes are unfailing, his promises unassailable. It is because the God who promised us eternal life is immutable that we may rest assured that nothing, not trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword shall separate us from His love. It is because Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever that neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, not even powers, height, depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39)!

GOD IS SELF-SUFFICIENT: HE HAS NO NEEDS

“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. God, however, has never once required anything. God is perfectly complete within his own being.

The self-sufficiency of God means he “possesses infinite riches of being, wisdom, goodness, and power in and of himself (Gen 17:1; John 5:26; Eph 3:16). Because God is self-sufficient, we can go to him to satisfy all our needs. We never have to worry about “drying up” his never-ending well of goodness, peace, mercy, and grace. “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” (Ephesians 3:20)

GOD IS OMNIPOTENT: HE IS ALL-POWERFUL

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalm 33:6)

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. If he comes along and confines you in prison and convenes a court, who can oppose him? Surely he recognizes deceivers; and when he sees evil, does he not take note?”(Job 11:7-11)

Omnipotent means to have unlimited power (omni = all; potent = powerful). God is able and powerful to do anything he wills without any effort on his part.

It’s important to note the “anything he wills” part of that statement because God cannot do anything that is contradictory or contrary to his nature. 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.”

God's attribute of omnipotence means that God is able to do all that He desires to do. When He plans something, it will come to be. If He purposes something, it will happen. Nothing can prevent His plan. When His hand is stretched out to do something, no one can turn it back. Omnipotence comes from two Latin words. Omni means "all," and potent means "powerful." God's decisions are always in line with His character, and He has all the power to do whatever He decides to do.

God's Word is clear that He is strong and mighty (Psalm 24:8). Nothing is too hard for Him to do (Genesis 18:14; Jeremiah 32:17, 27; Luke 1:37). Often God is called "Almighty," describing Him as the One who possesses all power and authority (II Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 1:8). 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. He can do anything according to His infinite ability, but will do only those things that are consistent with Himself. That’s why He can’t lie, tolerate sin, or save impenitent sinners.

GOD IS OMNISCIENT: HE IS ALL-KNOWING                                       

“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. 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. He can be everywhere, at the same time. He's aware every moment of every day, exactly what we're up against. He knows our way, and is with us always. There's no place on this earth we can go that He doesn't see and know of.

God perfectly knows Himself and, being the source and author of all things, it follows that He knows all that can be known. And this He knows instantly and with a fullness of perfection that includes every possible item of knowledge concerning everything that exists or could have existed anywhere in the universe at any time in the past or that may exist in the centuries or ages yet unborn.

Because God is all-knowing, we can trust that he knows everything we’re going through today and everything we will go through tomorrow. When we meditate on this truth, especially in light of his other attributes of goodness and love, it makes it easier to trust him with all we have going on in our lives.

GOD IS OMNIPRESENT: HE IS ALWAYS EVERYWHERE

“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.” (Psalm 139:7-10)

“Am I a God at hand,’ declares the Lord, ‘and not a God afar off? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the Lord. ‘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. It is important to understand that for God “to be” in a place is not the same way we are in a place. God’s being is altogether different from physical matter. He exists on a plane wholly distinguishable from the one readily available to the five senses.

Nonetheless, he is with us, the fullness of his presence is all around us. “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where 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 morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139)

This ought to comfort us when we struggle with loneliness and deep sorrow. In a very real way, God is always near us. The knowledge that we are never alone calms us and speaks peace to our hearts.

GOD IS WISE: HE IS FULL OF PERFECT, UNCHANGING WISDOM

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Romans 11:33)

Wisdom is more than just head knowledge and intelligence. A truly wise person is someone who understands all the facts and makes the best decisions. A wise person uses his heart and mind together with skill and competence. But even the wisest man on earth would never come close to being as wise as God. God is infinitely wise, consistently wise, and perfectly wise. 

Wisdom, among other things, is the ability to devise perfect ends and to achieve those ends by the most perfect means. It sees the end from the beginning, so there can be no need to guess or conjecture. Wisdom sees everything in focus, each in proper relation to all, and is thus able to work toward predestined goals with flawless precision.

When we see wisdom like this, we realize just how much our limited, finite wisdom compares with the limitless, infinite wisdom of God. And how comforting and wonderful this is for man to dwell on! The fact that God can never be wiser means he is always doing the wisest thing in our lives. No plan we could make for our lives could be better than the plan he has already crafted and is carrying out for us. We might not understand his ways today, but we can trust that because God is infinitely wise, he truly is working all things out in the best possible way.

GOD IS FAITHFUL: HE IS INFINITELY, UNCHANGINGLY TRUE

“O, taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8)

The goodness of God “disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of goodwill toward men. He is tenderhearted and of quick sympathy and His unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By His nature, He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes pleasure in the happiness of His people.

Just like his other attributes, God’s goodness exists within his immutability, and infinite nature, so that he is unchangingly, always good. His mercy flows from his goodness.

Many find it easier to affirm the goodness of God when things are going well. When things in their life are bad, that’s when we begin to question God’s goodness towards us.

When the Psalmist writes “O, taste and see that the Lord is good,” (Psalm 34) he is inviting us not just to believe that God is good but to experience God’s goodness. The psalmist affirms his experience of God’s goodness from a place of suffering. In verse 19, he makes the remarkable announcement, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” Even with a good God, who is sovereign over everything and has the power to do whatever he likes, good people still suffer. “but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Evil happens, but “none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned” (34:22).

GOD IS JUST: HE IS INFINITELY, UNCHANGEABLY RIGHT AND PERFECT IN ALL HE DOES

"He is the Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.” – Duet 32:4

What does it mean that God is just? It means more than he is simply fair. It means he always does what is right and good for all men. Likewise, although this is hard for many to accept, his sentencing of evil, unrepentant sinners to hell is also right and good. 

How then can a just God justify the unjust? Through the work of Christ in the atonement (justification and redemption), justice is not violated but satisfied when God spares a sinner. His mercy does not forbid him to exercise his justice, nor does his justice forbid him to exercise his mercy. He is both fully merciful and fully just.  

In light of God’s 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. But to believe this means that we do not understand his infinite, unchanging justice. God will have justice for sin, either from Christ’s atoning death or, for those who will not accept it, eternal wrath in hell.

GOD IS MERCIFUL: HE IS INFINITELY, UNCHANGEABLY COMPASSIONATE AND KIND

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy." (Romans 9:15-16)

God’s mercy is inseparable from his justness. He is infinitely, unchangeably, unfailingly merciful – forgiving, lovingly kind toward us. He is inexhaustibly, actively compassionate. His mercy is also undeserved by us.

Without the mercy of God, we would have no hope of (heaven). Because of our disobedient hearts, we deserve death. “For all have sinned and fall short glory of God,” and, “the wages of sin is death.” But because of mercy, we don’t get what we deserve. Instead, because of the mercy of God, we get life through Christ.

GOD IS GRACIOUS:  GOD IS INFINITELY INCLINED TO SPARE THE GUILTY

"The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness." (Psalm 145:8)

If mercy is not getting what we do deserve (damnation), grace is getting what we don’t deserve (eternal life). Because grace is a part of who God is and not just an action he bestows, it means we can trust that grace is eternal. His grace is something we do not earn or lose (“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…” Eph. 2:8). His grace is also sovereign. “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious” (Exodus 33:19).

When talking about the grace of God, theologians will often differentiate between God’s common grace and his saving grace. His common grace is a gift to all of mankind. It is the reason that everyone – Christian or non-Christian - enjoys the blessings of life, provision, and abundance (Matthew 5:45).

While all of humanity benefits from common grace, only those who profess, believe, and put their faith in Christ receive saving grace. This is what results in our sanctification and our glorification of God, that we might live for him and enjoy him for all eternity.

GOD IS LOVING: GOD INFINITELY, UNCHANGINGLY LOVES US

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (I John 4:7-8)

As with all attributes, we can only begin to comprehend God’s love in light of his other attributes. The love of God is eternal, sovereign, unchanging, and infinite.

Self-sufficient as God is, He wants our love and will not be satisfied till He gets it. Free as He is, He has let His heart be bound to us forever. God’s love is active, drawing us to him. His love is personal. He doesn’t love humanity in some vague sense, he loves humans. He loves you and me. And his love for us knows no beginning and no end.

GOD IS HOLY: HE IS INFINITELY, UNCHANGINGLY PERFECT

“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord Almighty” (Revelation 4:8)

The word holy means sacred, set apart, revered, or devine. And yet none of those words is adequate to describe the awesome holiness of God. 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. The word holiness refers to His separateness, His otherness, the fact that He is unlike any other being. It indicates His complete and infinite perfection. Holiness is the attribute of God that binds all the others together.

That God is holy means he is endlessly, always perfect. And his standard for us is perfection as well. “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect,” (Matthew 5:48). That’s why we need Christ. Without Christ taking the place for us and dying for our sins, we would all fall short of God’s holy standard.

GOD IS GLORIOUS: HE IS INFINITELY BEAUTIFUL AND GREAT

“His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power.” (Habakkuk 3:4)

The glory of God is of course, inseparable from his other attributes, so God is eternally, infinitely, unchangingly glorious. His radiance and beauty emanate from all that he is and all that he does. Isaiah 43:7 says that man was created by God for his glory. So our whole existence and purpose are to glorify Him, as we are created in his image and do the good work he has prepared for us to do. Inevitably, man will try to find glory in other things or to try and make himself an object of glory. 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.

The facts are the foundation, but the goal is fellowship with God as we learn about Him, His plan, purposes, principles, and promises. It is this that builds faith, gives peace, comfort, courage, joy, and the energy to deal with life.

It is so easy to dwell on qualities like his mercy and forget that he is also a jealous God. It is easy for us to remember that he is our friend and forget that he is also our Sovereign King. Our God must be respected as everything to us, not just one aspect.