[attributes, simple list page]
In many casual conversations about "god", I have often overheard comments such as, "The god I would believe in wouldn't allow mean things to happen to good people!"...as if you can choose among "gods". What an amazingly simpleton notion such a person must have of "his/her god" (it was not until 1992 that it was shown to me [Dr. Paul Ferris' notes loaned to me by Claude Sandidge] that God had many attributes...I had not bothered to think of it on my own). Yet many such people have college or advanced educational degrees.
One can't conceive of that same modern American saying,
"The president I would believe in wouldn't lie to the American people!"...[as if to deny the existence of Bill Clinton]. People claiming to be atheists
challenge and debate with friends and neighbors about "god"...why
would they even bother if they were truly and finally convinced that God did not
exist? Is the "debate" their "cry for help"...their hope
that someone can help them to gain insight...the evidence that God is drawing
them toward Himself?
Perfection is...as to any facet of anything...that state of being or performance, which can not be improved upon. Integrity...at it's highest, most perfect level...is perfection in the balance and blend of one's attributes so that one's faculties and attributes are producing the same person 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. The Bible records some of God's actions among a people during a continuous 3500-5000 years in order that we may know what He is like, His attributes being listed below (with synthesis elsewhere).
But please keep in mind that, you can't judge what such a being must or should be like or ought to be like. God is who He is. In fact, God Himself says in summary as to how He is, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9) Proverbs 14:12..."There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Again stated for the second time in Proverbs 16:25..."There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."
Therefore, another faith mystery is why God does not just bring all humans to heaven. It seems right that He should because He said that He did not want any to be lost. [or, do all go to heaven?] He didn't even save Jesus from the torture of the Cross. Yet the episode of the Cross was the coronation event, the enthronement, the 1st step of the King, Jesus, beginning His Kingdom for & of the future!
There is no comparable record for any other entity held up by any group or culture as a "god", such deficiency being one of the strongest points of evidence against there being any other god or gods.
Don't stay in the spiritual dead-end trap of trying to
discuss or intellectualize what God is like; could a worm fathom what a human is
like? God has already revealed Himself in
the Bible. Read it for yourself. God delivered this information so that you might
know Him accurately!
| experiences
JOY, as He created us for His GLORIFICATION and GOOD
PLEASURE...God "enjoys" praise, glorification, and worship
(Revelation 4:11 KJV). He reflects His "joy" most obviously in the
person of His aspect as Jesus (Luke 10:21 NIV; Hebrews 12:2 NIV) and in the
Holy Spirit (Romans 14:7). |
| is
LIFE and the ultimate source of all life (Exodus 3:14; Jeremiah
10:10; John 5:26). This being so, He is the ultimate CREATOR..."the
uncaused cause, the uncaused being." |
| is
the SUSTAINER of all creation (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17). In
contrast to His creation, the creator never experiences a loss of energy.
And He imparts energy into His creation as one of the basic factors behind
His sustaining of all that He created. |
| is
TRUTH, representing agreement and consistency with all that is
represented by God himself (John 14:6 and 17:3); and, therefore, He is GENUINE...real
and true (Jeremiah 10:5-10; John 17:3). And, His "truth" is
unchanging (Isaiah 40:8; Psalms 119:89, 152). |
| as
a "being," God alone is IMMORTAL (I Timothy 6:16) and
eternal (John 1:1-18); whereas, only the souls or spirits of other beings are immortal and
eternal. |
| is
perfectly and completely HOLY
(Leviticus 19:1-2; I Peter 1:16), PURE, and RIGHTEOUS..."righteousness"
being holiness as applied to relationships [God's law and His actions are
exactly right] (Psalms 19:7-9; Jeremiah 9:24). |
And, though an
unchanging God, He unchangeably varies His relationship with mankind over
the eons. As wetness is intrinsic to water, holiness is intrinsic to God.
Holiness is His most distinctive attribute! He cannot overlook the sinfulness of
the tiniest unholy or unrighteous act..."white lies" cannot be
overlooked and ignored by Him. As
pastor
Tony Evans points out, scripture does not recite an attribute of God 3 times
(extreme emphasis) except as to holiness: Isaiah 6:3, "Holy, Holy, Holy is
the Lord of hosts."
As Oswald Chambers
put it so succinctly about 100 years ago, "The purity which God demands
[Matthew 5:20] is impossible unless I can be remade within, and that is what
Jesus has undertaken to do by His Redemption."
In that God's most distinctive attribute is "holiness", then it is impossible that any human could not be offending God by sinning. He requires absolute perfection in anyone who would stand before Him hoping for eternity with Him in Heaven, yet He is GRACE & LOVE personified. How arrogant that any human could feel qualified to represent themselves alone & in their own right regarding eternity (while actually being the offending party) before a holy, almighty God!
The only acceptable mediator
is one on a par (Christianity uniquely
[check it
out] makes this provision) with the almighty & perfect God on
high...Himself as His only son
who came to dwell amongst us as a man, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. (Job
9:32-34; John 14:6; Hebrews 10:11-14; Hebrews 7:26; 1 Timothy 2:5-6) "We
can access God only on the coattails of the one Man who has the right to enter
into His presence." "God does business with us by doing business with
Christ. To stand in the presence of God without representation would be like
standing a hundred yards from the sun; God's holiness would liquefy us."
(Lutzer, 2000)
| is
the perfect embodiment and being of INTEGRITY [note all of the other
attributes, and note citations about immutability]. |
| possesses an awesome GLORY (Exodus 33:18 & 21-23; and II Corinthians 3:7) which few have been allowed to witness. |
| is PERSONAL...relates personally, having self-cognizance, will, intellect, and self-determination (Genesis 3; Exodus 3:14). |
| CARES about people/humans & this may be the basis of universal attempts at "moral law" in all societies (so, this is not a "deism" God). |
| is
perfect LOVE (Psalms 86:5 & 103:17; Ephesians 2:4-5; I John 4:8,
10). This love as described by Paul (I Cor. 13:4-7) is perfect &
in effect through all ages & times in His creation & all periods
ever mentioned in Scripture, past or yet to come. There are, so to speak, "two sides to the coin": on one side
is love and on the other is judgment/justice/wrath. God abounds in love
(Jonah 4:2-3) that is perfect, dependable, & consistent. |
| is fully/always and perfectly PURPOSEFUL (Psalms 33:10-11; Proverbs 19:21). He has a plan for everything, and for each of us humans (Jeremiah 29:11 and Ephesians 2:10). Mankind, however, has been saddled with "free will". So, you might defy and go against His plan...until you die. Or you may chose to align with God and invite the working out of His plan for you. His plan for His Church is, likewise, perfectly arranged (I Corinthians 12:18). |
| is
perfectly BENEVOLENT and prefers
bestowing benevolence on His creation (Deuteronomy 7:7-8; John 3:16...the
first and highest truth). |
| filled
with [and delivering of] MERCY...is as merciful as He wills (Exodus
3: 7 and 17; Psalms 103:13; Matthew 9:36). In His perfect sense of mercy, He
sent a savior...an advocate...to mankind. And He dispenses as His perfect
evaluation allows...most liberally through Jesus. |
| possesses
a perfect sense and state of GRACE (Exodus 34:6; Jonah 4:2-3; Ephesians 1:5-8;
Titus 2:11). And in His perfect grace, He sent a savior...an advocate...to
mankind. |
| is a GOOD God...as by benevolence, mercy, and grace [see above] Exodus 33:19; Psalms 145:9). |
| has
the fundamental attribute of INFINITY...without boundary,
termination, or finitude (I Kings 8:27; Psalms 145:3; Acts 17:24). |
| has
the fundamental attribute of ETERNITY...free from succession of time
(Genesis 21:33; Psalms 90:2; John 1:1-18). [and so it is with Jesus...John 1:1] |
| has
the fundamental attribute of FREEDOM/INDEPENDENCE from any control by
His creation or any other power (Psalms 115:3); He is illimitable. |
| possesses
perfection in all factors of DISPENSING of anything (such as grace,
love, deliverance, and wrath). |
| possesses
perfection in TIMING of anything. |
| possesses
perfection in EXECUTION of anything. |
| is
perfectly TRUSTWORTHY...in actually being love and goodness, with
perfect integrity...always speaking the truth (I Samuel 15:29; John
17:17,19; Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2). You can absolutely trust in the fact
that He will stand by His WORD...the Bible and its warnings, commands, and
assurances. |
| is
perfectly FAITHFUL...we can have full faith in Him...absolutely
depend on what He says. He keeps His promises (Numbers 23:19; Psalms 89:2; I
Thessalonians 5:24). |
| possesses
COMPASSION (Lamentations 3:32; Jonah 4:2-3) and is open to giving perfect FORGIVENESS,
especially [even guaranteed] through Jesus. God's perfect balance of
attributes will not allow forgiveness without the application of the rules
of justice (see "justice", below) which require atonement. |
| is
ultimately SOVEREIGN...the very top ruler (Ephesians 1). He does
whatever He pleases (Psalms 135:6-7), and He allows whatever He pleases. No
entity can over-rule Him. He works so that ALL things work for the good of
those who love Him (Romans 8:28). |
| perfectly,
totally, and supremely POWERFUL...OMNIPOTENT (almighty) (Genesis
17:1; Judges 5:3; Isaiah 17:6; Matt. 19:26; Rev. 19:6). [and so it is with
Jesus...Matthew 28:18] [see Yahweh, Elohim...His "names" and their significance] He is in control of it all. As Martin Luther said, "Even the devil is God's devil." |
| possessing
of complete and perfectly accurate OMNISCIENCE [all knowing] (Psalms
139:1-4 and 147:4-5; Matt. 11:21). [and so it is with Jesus...John 16:30] |
1.
possesses complete and perfectly accurate KNOWLEDGE...in no way
limited. He knows our decisions before we make them and knows, therefore, the
future exhaustively and infallibly.
2.
possesses perfect DISCERNMENT of all there is; you can't con or
fake Him out.
3.
able to SEE all; nothing can be hidden from Him.
4.
able to HEAR all: our joy, our anger, our cursing, and our
prayers; and, on hearing, He is arousable.
| is
OMNIPRESENT...everywhere at all times; He is the PRESENT God...He is
here at all times (Psalms 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:23-24). However, though
"present" at all times, He is careful as to when and whether to
manifest His presence. [and so it is with Jesus...Matthew 18:20 and
28:20] |
| possesses
perfect skill at being REDEMPTIVE of (and giving RESTORATION, HEALING, and REGENERATION
to) His children and His creation. |
| is
perfectly and completely PERSISTENT...He will complete what He
starts (Psalms 86:15; Romans 2:4 and 9:22; Philippians 1:6). Because mankind
is saddled with "free will," this does not mean that God will
necessarily "complete what He starts" to the exact same end-point
whether you are in line with Him or determined against Him. The completion
will take place; but the fullness, richness, breadth and depth, and joy of
the completion of what He started will vary. |
| possesses
and executes perfect WISDOM, having total divine knowledge and
divinely perfect thinking skills (Psalms 104:24; Romans 11:33; I Corinthians
1:24; Revelations 7:12). |
| possesses
the only full and perfect source and sense of JUSTICE and JUDGMENT.
Requires justice [see vengeance, below; consider "Hell" and it
being defined as a state of eternal separation from God] (Acts 10:34-35;
Romans 2:11). Depending on the situation, justice may not be satisfied
without atonement, the greatest atonement being the Cross of Calvary (which
must be claimed by being a Jesus believer). |
| is
IMMUTABLE...all in such supernatural perfection and in such perfect
balance and integrity that He can not change (is unchanging...Malachi 3:6-7)
and is the same in eons past, in the present, and in the future...we can
depend upon it (Psalms 102:27; James 1:17). God does not grow older, wiser,
or more mature. As Rev. Billy Graham has said, "The message of the
Gospel never changes...and for good reason: God never changes and neither
does our basic spiritual need nor His answer to that need." |
| thus,
He is CONSISTENT and perfectly so. |
| He is PARTICULAR in some instances, as with the directions to bring down the wall of Jericho. |
| is
INSCRUTABLE as to His will, timing, and answers to prayer. As such,
He is MYSTERIOUS. Though we are promised greater wisdom and insight
through His Word (the Bible), there is no hope whatsoever of fathoming the
mind of God...He doesn't think like humans think (Isaiah 55:8). If part of
His plan was/is to allow genocide (such as the 6 million Jews killed in the
holocaust) or disasters, such are reminders that this is a God to fear! His
ways are unfathomable (Romans 11:33). John Wesley said, "Bring me a
worm who can understand a man, and I will bring you a man who can understand
the triune God." |
| yet
He is DISCERNIBLE to a certain extent, though never fully so...He is
always to be much of a mystery. We learn The Truth of God from His written Word
(the scripture...the entire Bible...Psalms 119:89, 152) and The Word in
living form, Jesus, and all that was recorded about Him in the New Testament
of the Bible. |
| is
the source of SALVATION...therefore He IS salvation,
guaranteeing salvation to the Jesus believer
(Acts
4:12). |
| is
a JEALOUS God...especially as to a person's interest in idols or
other "gods" (Deuteronomy 6:10-15; Exodus 20:4). |
| God
can GRIEVE (Genesis 6:6-7; I Samuel 15; II Samuel 24:16) and SUFFER,
not because He is caught unawares or does so involuntarily. God wills it so;
and in some instances, it actually pleased Him to grieve/suffer (Isaiah
53:10; Ephesians 5:2)! As some have said, "A God who cannot suffer is a
God who cannot love." |
| can
be VENGEANCE (avenger; revenge; retribution) SERVING...the
great flood of Noah (Genesis 7 and 8), the wiping out of Sodom and Gomorrah
(Genesis 19), especially as to lives, groups or peoples recklessly or
defiantly practicing lives filled with what He hates or
detests.
There are at least 33 citations in The Word of God (the Bible) as to His
vengeance. [see Isaiah 34:8 "For the Lord has a day of
vengeance."] [see Deuteronomy 32:35 vengeance is not to be served by
his children, but by God, Himself: "Vengeance is mine, and
retribution..."]. The Lord, Himself, will avenge the sexual sin one man
commits against another (I Thessalonians 4:6); and He will avenge those who
suffer and are afflicted because of the Gospel and bring retribution on the afflicters
(II Thessalonians 1:6-8). His vengeance can even include capital punishment
for disobedience (Joshua 7:12 & 7:25)!! Amazingly, God may find pleasure
in delivering His severe judgments (Deuteronomy 28:63)! |
| can
be DISMISSIVE and will ALLOW, in man's state of "free
will", people to hurt (NEGATIVE OUTCOMES) themselves even to the point
of a decision (whether defiantly active or simply due to procrastination
over actually making a decision) of eternal separation from God
("Hell") (God..."gave them over..." Romans 1:24-32). |
| is
perfectly, expertly DECISIVE. There are only a few instances in the
Bible in which God has regretted His move or been persuaded (decisive
but persuadable) by someone to change His mind (Genesis 6:6-7
and 32:9-14; Exodus 32:11-14 & 31-32; Deuteronomy 9:14-29; Numbers 22:12, then 22:20; I Samuel 15;
Jonah 3:1-10). Though decisive, He will relent as He sees fit (Jonah
4:2-3). While His decisiveness may seem arbitrary to the human mind, I
AM that I AM is over all of His creation; and, with an array of totally
perfect attributes in perfect balance, He will do what He decides to do! No
human has the mental capacity to understand...to fathom...His ways. |
Driven by the sins
of mankind to the point of desiring total condemnation of the human race, God
himself changed His own mind through The Son, Jesus, whose compassion caused
God to want, rather, to manifest His propitious (full of "grace")
aspect of His nature. So, God as The Son caused Jesus to be among His chosen
people as a propitiation (a sacrifice bringing forth grace) which allowed
God to change His position of condemnation of humanity to a position of
atonement through Jesus (making Jesus, thereby, the Door or the Way to eternal
salvation..."Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
world)!" [John 1:29]).
| God
is MAJESTIC |
| though
omniscient and decisive, He is AROUSABLE. Many times in the Old
Testament we read where God finally responded to the groanings and prayers
of the Israelites...especially noteworthy being the response after 400 years
of slavery in Egypt. The "parable of the persistent widow" (Luke
18:1-8) indicates God being arousable to provision of justice in behalf of
those, "...who cry out to Him day and night?" And, on becoming
aroused, He acts (II Chronicles 20:9)! But, though arousable and
persuadable, God cannot be conned or manipulated by people. He responds to
earnest, honest, and totally sincere prayers; and, as noted in the sad case
of Jephthah (Judges 11:29-40), we had better be careful of any vows we
attach to our prayers (I doubt that vows ever represent anything other than
an effort at manipulation). And, there is at least one instance in the Bible
in which God was incited (therefore God is, but rarely, INCITABLE) by
Satan to allow harm to Job, the most upright and righteous man on earth (Job
2:3)! |
| is
perfectly and fully SUFFICIENT to meet all our needs (Philippians
4:19). |
| is
JUST and demands JUSTICE and is willing to be ANGRY and
WRATHFUL, and PUNISHING...if need be (Romans 1:18..."The
wrath of God is being revealed...". John 3:36, "Whoever
believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not
see life, for God's wrath remains on him). When the Israelites wanted a king
as with other nations, in His anger, God gave them one and in His wrath,
took him away (Hosea 13:11). But He is slow to becoming angry
(Jonah 4:2-3). When the 12 Jewish spies were
sent by Moses to check out the Promised Land, they returned and 10 gave a
bad report and set off widespread grumbling within the people (Numbers
13:31-33) and God struck them dead (Numbers 14:36-37). AND, God declared
that none of that generation, except Joshua and Caleb (out of over 1.5
million people) would enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:20-25)...they
would wander 40 years until that unbelieving generation died out! God's judgments
are unsearchable (Romans 11:33). God can be ever so severe in His JUDGMENTS,
and you can 100% bank on the fact that He will render His judgment...in the
end...on each and every human: the Jesus believers have been judged
"righteous through Jesus" and will be rewarded at "the judgment
seat of Christ" (Matthew 16:27 plus Revelation 20:4); and, on the
non-believers throughout history at "the great white throne judgment"
(Revelation 20:11)! Can you imagine the insult to God of a modern person
standing at the base of Mt. Sinai, engulfed in billows of smoke and fire
(Exodus 19) saying, "I will come to God on my own terms! We can all
come in our own way!" How confident would you be in facing a felony DUI
charge before a judge without your legal advocate, your lawyer? How
confident can any human be in representing himself before God on judgment
day without the only qualified spiritual advocate in the universe, Jesus
[the Christ...check Him out] of Nazareth?
This Jesus is the mediator of God's New Covenant with "man", is
king of the New Kingdom, and is head of the Church universal and each local
church. Believe in Him and be saved (for both eternity and for the duration
of this life on earth)...join a body of believers (a church) NOW!! |
NOTE: In addition to the inspiration indirectly from Professor Paul Ferris,
the 145 page manual, Charts of Christian Theology and Doctrine by H. Wayne
House, was a helpful resource [1992 Zondervan Publishing House].
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[posted June 1998; latest addition 2 October
2010]