Opening Question: 

What other characteristics of God that come to mind?

 

God – Day 2

Most people all over the world believe in some form of god or higher power.  Some people believe in a single Supreme Being, the Head over all things.  We have all been created by this God, and yet so many people wonder what He is like and want to know more about his character. 

 

What changed in knowing more about God from yesterday’s lesson?

Yesterday we began to look at God’s characteristics, today we will finish by exploring his unique attributes and the triune.

God’s Unique Attributes.

 

These attributes are those qualities that make Him God – these are non-transferable qualities of God. Mankind cannot claim to possess any of these. This IS the difference between the Creator and the Creation.

 

 1.  God is Eternal.

He has no beginning nor end. He exists period. In contrast, man has a beginning: physical birth.

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.’-Psalms 90:2 

You can also find more details in these verses: I Tim.6:15-16; I Tim. 1:17; Romans. 11:33-36

 

2.   God is Present Everywhere (Omnipresent).

We as mankind are limited by the time-space world we live in now.

 Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. -Psalms 139:7-10

 

God exists beyond all spatial limitations. He is imminent and transcendent. Immanence means His entire essence is always present everywhere, in nature and in history, in all affairs of mankind. (Jeremiah 23:23-24; Acts 17:27-28)

Transcendence means He is independent of the created universe so that no particular place exclusively contains Him. (Ps.113:5-6; Isa.55:8-9; John 8:23).

Immanence and transcendence exist in balance, so that ‘the whole earth is full of His glory’ (Isa.6:3b). His whole being is present in every point in the entire universe, while at the same time He is ‘holy’ and ‘lofty and exalted’ infinitely beyond the universe. He pervades the universe while at the same time He is free to be in a specific location. (Deut.4:10; Gen.18:1; John 1;14; John 14:20). Omnipresence assures that no believer will be alone, ever.

 

3. God is All-Knowing (Omniscient).

Nothing is hidden from God. In contrast, our knowledge is finite while His knowledge is infinite.

…for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts… ”  I Chron. 28:9 

Psalms 94:11 ‘The LORD knows the thoughts of man…’ and Isaiah 40:28 ‘…The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.’

 

4. God is Unchangeable (Immutable).

Hence, He is reliable. He is not moody, unlike man. He is absolutely stable. God’s sovereign decisions, His omniscience, His holiness, all His characteristics are eternally the same and of equal stature. His Word and His Works are unalterable.

Malachi 3:6 ‘I the LORD do not change…’

James 1:17 ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.’

Hebrews 13:8 ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever…’

 

5.  God is All-Powerful (Omnipotent).

To lack this, He could not be God. We as mankind have limited power, very limited power in relation to God’s.

Power is demonstrated by speaking and bringing things into being. Man makes things out of existing material; God creates out of nothing. The things that He creates are good and perfect.  Gen. 1:3

 

Psalms 33:9 ‘For He spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.’

 

6.  God is Sovereign.

We can carry only limited delegated authority, while God carries absolute authority.

II Samuel 7:22 ‘”How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.’ Also read, II Samuel 7:28 and Psalms 140:7.

 

7.  God’s Moral Attributes

We were made in God’s image means we were made to reflect these moral qualities. These are transferable qualities which we too can share.

• God is Holy – and He wants us to be Holy. (I Peter 1:16, Rev 4:8)
• God is Righteous – (Ps. 116:5; Ezra 9:15; Ps. 145:17)
• God is Merciful – (Ps. 103:8; Deut. 4:31; Ps. 86:15)
• God is Love – (I John 4:8-16; John 3:16; John 16:27)
• God is Faithful – (I Cor. 1:9; II Tim. 2:13; Deut. 7:9)
• God is Perfect – (Matthew 5:48)
• God is Gracious – (Exodus 34:6; Psalms 103:8)
• God is Just – (Deut. 32:4; Psalms 19:9; I John 1:9)
• God is Wrath – (Rom. 1:18)
• God is also:
  • Upright – (Psalms 25:8)
  • Glorious – (Exodus 15:11)               
  • Patient – (Num. 14:18)
  • Compassionate – (Ps.103:8)            
  • Good – (Psalms 34:8)
  • Incorruptible – (Rom. 1:23)              
  • Great – (II Chron. 2:5)
  • Light – (Isaiah 60:19)                       
  • Loyal – (II Tim. 2:13)
  • Immortal – (I Tim. 1:17)                   
  • Kind – (Acts 14:17)
  • Jealous – (Joshua 24:19)                 
  • True – (Jeremiah 10:10)

 

God is Triune.

God is one but exhibits Himself in three persons: God-the Father; God-the Son (Jesus Christ); God-the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost).

Deut. 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.’

II Corinthian 13:14 ‘May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Other references include Matthew 28:19 and Genesis 1:26.

One general example is like thinking about water: revealed in 3 forms, ice, liquid, and vapor, yet it is water. Another is like the sunlight: having a spectrum of infra-red (warmth), visible white light (light), and ultra-violet rays (heat).

All the three persons of the Godhead are co-equal, co-existent and co-powerful. Only in function, the Son submits to the Father, while the Holy Spirit submits both to the Father and the Son.

No form or shape can depict the glory of God, and humanly impossible to understand. Any attempt to do so would be an insult to Him. The three are one and cannot be divided.  We must use earthly analogies to somewhat comprehend this nature of God, and trust in the human descriptions.

 

Conclusion.

Our only response is to believe in this magnificent and powerful God. And then acknowledge that He is worthy of praise, worship and adoration. So love Him, serve Him, fear Him, and obey Him.

 

Debriefing Questions.

1. Can an idol really capture the glory of God? If not, then what should be your attitude towards idols? What actions will you take?
2. From various attributes of God that you have learned, which one appealed to you the most?  How is it relevant to your life?  Why?
3. In the light of this lesson, are you challenged to review or change your view of God that you had before?