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God reveals Himself not only in His names,
but also in His attributes, that is, in the perfections of the divine
Being. It is customary to distinguish between incommunicable and communicable
attributes. Of the former there are no traces in the creature; of the
latter there are.
1. The Incommunicable Attributes.
These emphasize the absolute distinction
between God and the creature, and include the following:
a. The independence or self-existence
of God.
This means that God has the ground of
His existence in Himself, and unlike man, does not depend on anything
outside of Himself. He is independent in His Being, in His virtues and
actions, and causes all His creatures to depend on Him. The idea is embodied
in the name Jehovah and finds expression in the following passages,
Ps. 33:11; "The counsel of Jehovah
standeth fast for ever, The thoughts of his heart to all generations.
(Psalms 33:11)"
115:3; "But our God is in the
heavens: He hath done whatsoever he pleased. (Psalms 115:3)"
Isa. 40:18 ff.;
Dan. 4:35; "And all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will
in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none
can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? (Daniel 4:35)"
John 5:26; "For as the Father
hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in
himself: (John 5:26)"
Rom. 11:33-36; "33 O the depth
of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable
are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! 34 For who hath known
the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 or who hath
first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For
of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him [be] the
glory for ever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36)
Acts 17:25; "neither is he served
by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself giveth
to all life, and breath, and all things; (Acts 17:25)"
Rev. 4:11. "Worthy art thou, our
Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for
thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were
created. (Revelation 4:11)"
b. The immutability of God.
Scripture teaches that God is unchangeable.
He is forever the same in His divine Being and perfections, and also in
His purposes and promises,
Num. 23:19; "God is not a man,
that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath
he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make
it good? (Numbers 23:19)"
Ps 33:11; "The counsel of Jehovah
standeth fast for ever, The thoughts of his heart to all generations.
(Psalms 33:11)"
102:27; "But thou art the same,
And thy years shall have no end. (Psalms 102:27)"
Mal. 3:6; "For I, Jehovah, change
not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6)"
Heb. 6:17; "Wherein God, being
minded to show more abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability
of his counsel, interposed with an oath; (Hebrews 6:17)"
Jas. 1:17. "Every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.
(James 1:17)"
This does not mean, however, that there
is no movement in God. The Bible speaks of Him as coming and going, hiding
and revealing Himself. He is also said to repent, but this is evidently
only a human way of speaking of God,
Ex. 32:14; "And Jehovah repented
of the evil which he said he would do unto his people. (Exodus 32:14)"
Jonah 3:10, "And God saw their
works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil
which he said he would do unto them; and he did it not. (Jonah 3:10)"
and really indicates a change in man's
relation to God.
c. The infinity of God.
This means that God is not subject. to
limitations. We can speak of His infinity in more than one sense. Viewed
in relation to His being, it may be called His absolute perfection. He
is unlimited in His knowledge and wisdom, in His goodness and love, in
His righteousness and holiness,
Job 11:7-10; "7 Canst thou by
searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
8 It is high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than Sheol; What canst
thou know? 9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, And broader
than the sea. 10 If he pass through, and shut up, And all unto judgment,
then who can hinder him? (Job 11)"
Ps. 145:3. "Great is Jehovah,
and greatly to be praised; And his greatness is unsearchable. (Psalms
145:3)"
Seen in relation to time, it is called
His eternity. While this is usually represented in Scripture as endless
duration,
Ps. 90:2; "Before the mountains
were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. (Psalms 90:2)"
102:12, "But thou, O Jehovah,
wilt abide for ever; And thy memorial [name] unto all generations. (Psalms
102:12)"
it really means that He is above time
and therefore not subject to its limitations. For Him there is only an
eternal present, and no past or future. Viewed with reference to space,
it is called His immensity. He is everywhere present, dwells in all His
creatures, filling every point of space, but is in no way bounded by space,
I Kings 8:27; "But will God in
very deed dwell on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens
cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded! (1
Kings 8:27)"
Ps. 139:7-10; "7 Whither shall
I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If
I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: If I make my bed in Sheol, behold,
thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the
uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, And
thy right hand shall hold me. (Psalms 139:7-10)
Isa. 66;1; "Thus saith Jehovah,
Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what manner of house
will ye build unto me? and what place shall be my rest? (Isaiah 66:1)"
Jer. 23:23, 24; "23 Am I a God
at hand, saith Jehovah, and not a God afar off? 24 Can any hide himself
in secret places so that I shall not see him? saith Jehovah. Do not I
fill heaven and earth? saith Jehovah. (Jeremiah 23:23-24)
Acts 17:27, 28. "27 that they
should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though
he is not far from each one of us: 28 for in him we live, and move, and
have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are
also his offspring. (Acts 17:27-28)
d. The simplicity of God.
By ascribing simplicity to God we mean
that He is not composed of various parts, such as the body and soul in
man, and for that very reason is not subject to division. The three persons
in the Godhead are not so many parts of which the divine essence is composed.
The whole being of God belongs to each one of the Persons. Hence we can
also say that God and His attributes are one, and that He is life, light,
love, righteousness, truth, and so on.
2. The Communicable Attributes.
These are the attributes of which we find
some resemblance in man. It should be borne in mind, however, that what
we see in man is only a finite (limited) and imperfect likeness of that
which is infinite (unlimited) and perfect in God. Here we have:
a. The knowledge of God.
This is that perfection of God whereby
He, in a manner all His own, knows Himself and all things possible and
actual. God has this knowledge in Himself, and does not obtain it from
without. It is always complete and always present in His mind. And because
it is all-comprehensive, it is called omniscience. He knows all things,
past, present and future, and not only the things that have real existence,
but also those which are merely possible.
I Kings 8:29; "that thine eyes
may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof
thou hast said, My name shall be there; to hearken unto the prayer which
thy servant shall pray toward this place. (1 Kings 8:29)"
Ps. 139:1-16;
Isa. 46:10; "declaring the end
from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not [yet] done;
saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure; (Isaiah
46:10)"
Ezek. 11:5; "And the Spirit of
Jehovah fell upon me, and he said unto me, Speak, Thus saith Jehovah:
Thus have ye said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come
into your mind. (Ezekiel 11:5)"
Acts 15:18; "Saith the Lord, who
maketh these things known from of old. (Acts 15:18)"
John 21:17; "He saith unto him
the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest
all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed
my sheep. (John 21:17)"
Heb. 4:13. "And there is no creature
that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and laid open
before the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13)"
b. The wisdom of God.
God's wisdom is an aspect of His knowledge.
It is the virtue of God which manifest itself in the selection of worthy
ends and in the choice of the best means for the realization of those
ends. The final end to which He makes all things subservient is His own
glory.
Rom. 11:33; "O the depth of the
riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are
his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! (Romans 11:33)"
I Cor. 2:7; "but we speak God's
wisdom in a mystery, [even] the [wisdom] that hath been hidden, which
God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory: (1 Corinthians 2:7)"
Eph. 1:6, 12, 14; "6 to the praise
of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:...12
to the end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who had
before hoped in Christ:... 14 which is an earnest of our inheritance,
unto the redemption of [God's] own possession, unto the praise of his
glory. (Ephesians 1:6,12,14)"
Col. 1:16. "for in him were all
things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and
things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things have been created through him, and unto him; (Colossians 1:16)"
c. The goodness of God.
God is good, that is, perfectly holy.
in Himself. But this is not the goodness we have in mind here. In this
connection we refer to the divine goodness that reveals itself in doing
well unto others. It is that perfection which prompts Him to deal kindly
and bounteously with all His creatures The Bible refers to it repeatedly,
Ps. 36:6; "Thy righteousness is
like the mountains of God; Thy judgments are a great deep: O Jehovah,
thou preservest man and beast. (Psalms 36:6)"
104:21; "The young lions roar
after their prey, And seek their food from God. (Psalms 104:21)"
145:8, 9, 16; "8 Jehovah is gracious,
and merciful; Slow to anger, and of great lovingkindness. 9 Jehovah is
good to all; And his tender mercies are over all his works. 16 Thou openest
thy hand, And satisfiest the desire of every living thing. (Psalms 145:8-9,16)"
Matt. 5:45; "that ye may be sons
of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the
evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. (Matthew
5:45)"
Acts 14:17. "And yet He left not
himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven
rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.
(Acts 14:17)"
d. The love of God.
This is often called the most central
attribute of God, but it is doubtful whether it should be regarded as
more central than the other perfections of God. In virtue of it He delights
in His own perfections and in man as the reflection of His image. It may
be considered from various points of view. The unmerited love of God which
reveals itself in pardoning sin is called His GRACE,
Eph. 1:6, 7; "6 to the praise
of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:
7 in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of
our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, (Ephesians 1:6-7)"
2:7-9; "7 that in the ages to
come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward
us in Christ Jesus: 8 for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; 9 not of works, that
no man should glory. (Ephesians 2:7-9)"
Tit. 2:11. "For the grace of God
hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, (Titus 2:11)"
That love relieving the misery of those
who are bearing the consequences of sin is known as His mercy or tender
compassion,
Luke 1:64, 72, 78; "64 And his
mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue [loosed], and he spake, blessing
God. ... 72 To show mercy towards, our fathers, And to remember his holy
covenant;... 78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, Whereby the dayspring
from on high shall visit us, (Luke 1:64,72,78)"
Rom. 15:9; "and that the Gentiles
might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, Therefore will I give
praise unto thee among the Gentiles, And sing unto thy name. (Romans 15:9)"
9:16, 18; "16 So then it is not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy.
...18 So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will be hardeneth.
(Romans 9:16,18)"
Eph. 2:4. "but God, being rich
in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (Ephesians 2:4)"
And when it bears with the sinner who
does not heed the instructions and warnings of God it is named His longsuffering
or forbearance,
Rom. 2:4; "Or despisest thou the
riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4)"
9:22; "What if God, willing to
show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering
vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction: (Romans 9:22)"
I Pet. 3:20; "that aforetime were
disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah,
while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were
saved through water: (1 Peter 3:20)"
II Pet. 3:15. "And account that
the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother
Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; (2 Peter
3:15)"
e. The holiness of God.
God's holiness is first of all that divine
perfection by which He is absolutely distinct from all His creatures,
and exalted above them in infinite majesty.
Ex. 15:11; "Who is like unto thee,
O Jehovah, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, Fearful
in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)"
Isa. 57:15. "For thus saith the
high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell
in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble
spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of
the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15)"
But it denotes in the second place that
He is free from all moral impurity or sin, and is therefore morally perfect.
In the presence of the holy God man is deeply conscious of his sin,
Job 34:10; "Therefore hearken
unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that he should do
wickedness, And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. (Job
34:10)"
Isa. 6:5; "Then said I, Woe is
me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in
the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King,
Jehovah of hosts. (Isaiah 6:5)"
Hab. 1:13. "Thou that art of purer
eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not look on perverseness, wherefore
lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy peace
when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous than he;
(Habakkuk 1:13)"
f. The righteousness of God.
The righteousness of God is that perfection
by which He maintains Himself as the Holy One over against every violation
of His holiness. In virtue of it He maintains a moral government in the
world and imposes a just law on man, rewarding obedience and punishing
disobedience,
Ps. 99:4; "The king's strength
also loveth justice; Thou dost establish equity; Thou executest justice
and righteousness in Jacob. (Psalms 99:4)"
Isa. 33:22; "For Jehovah is our
judge, Jehovah is our lawgiver, Jehovah is our king; he will save us.
(Isaiah 33:22)"
Rom, 1:32. "who, knowing the ordinance
of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only
do the same, but also consent with them that practise them. (Romans 1:32)"
The justice of God which manifests itself
in the giving of rewards is called His remunerative justice; and that
which reveals itself in meting out punishment is known as His retributive
justice. The former is really an expression of His love, and the latter
of His wrath.
g. The veracity of God.
This is that perfection of God in virtue
of which He is true in His inner being, in His revelation, and in His
relation to His people. He is the true God over against the idols, knows
things as they really are, and is faithful in the fulfillment of His promises.
From the last point of view this attribute is also called God's faithfulness.
Num. 23:19; "God is not a man,
that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath
he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make
it good? (Numbers 23:19)"
I Cor. 1:9; "God is faithful,
through whom ye were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ
our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:9)"
II Tim. 2:13; "if we are faithless,
he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)"
Heb. 10:23. "let us hold fast
the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that
promised: (Hebrews 10:23)"
h. The sovereignty of God.
This may be considered from two different
points of view, namely, His sovereign will, and His sovereign power. The
will of God is represented in Scripture as the final cause of all things,
Eph. 1:11; "in whom also we were
made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of
him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will; (Ephesians 1:11)"
Rev. 4:11. "Worthy art thou,
our Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power:
for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and
were created. (Revelation 4:11)"
On the basis of Deut. 29:29 it is customary
to distinguish between the secret and the revealed will of God. The former
is the will of God's decree, which is hidden in God and can be known only
from its effects, and the latter is the will of His precept, which is
revealed in the law and in the gospel. God's will respecting His creatures
is absolutely free,
"The secret things belong unto
Jehovah our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to
our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy
29:29)"
Job 11:10; "If he pass through,
and shut up, And all unto judgment, then who can hinder him? (Job 11:10)"
33:13; "Why dost thou strive against
him, For that he giveth not account of any of his matters? (Job 33:13)"
Ps. 115:3; "But our God is in
the heavens: He hath done whatsoever he pleased. (Psalms 115:3)"
Prov. 21:1; "The king's heart
is in the hand of Jehovah as the watercourses: He turneth it whithersoever
he will. (Proverbs 21:1)"
Matt. 20:15; "Is it not lawful
for me to do what I will with mine own? or is thine eye evil, because
I am good? (Matthew 20:15)"
Rom. 9:15-18; "15 For he saith
to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy. 17 For the scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I
might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad
in all the earth. 18 So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he
will be hardeneth. (Romans 9:15-18)"
Rev. 4:11. "Worthy art thou, our
Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for
thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were
created. (Revelation 4:11)"
The sinful deeds of man are also under
the control of His sovereign will,
Gen. 50:20; "And as for you, ye
meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as
it is this day, to save much people alive. (Genesis 50:20)"
Acts 2:23. "him, being delivered
up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand
of lawless men did crucify and slay: (Acts 2:23)"
The power to execute His will is called
his omnipotence. That God is omnipotent does not mean that He can do everything.
The Bible teaches us that there are some things which God cannot do. He
cannot lie, sin, deny Himself,
Num. 23:19; "God is not a man,
that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath
he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make
it good? (Numbers 23:19)"
I Sam. 15:29; "And also the Strength
of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should
repent. (1 Samuel 15:29)"
II Tim. 2:13; "if we are faithless,
he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)"
Heb. 6:18; "that by two immutable
things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have a strong
encouragement, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before
us: (Hebrews 6:18)"
Jas. 1:13, 17. "13 Let no man
say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted
with evil, and he himself tempteth no man: ...17 Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with
whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning. (James
1:13,17)"
It does mean that He can, by the mere
exercise of His will, bring to pass whatsoever He has decided to accomplish,
and that, if He so desired, He could do even more than that,
Gen. 18:14; "Is anything too hard
for Jehovah? At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season
cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son. (Genesis 18:14)"
Jer. 32:27; "Behold, I am Jehovah,
the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27)"
Zech. 8:6; "Thus saith Jehovah
of hosts: If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people
in those days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith Jehovah
of hosts. (Zechariah 8:6)"
Matt. 3:9; "and think not to say
within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you,
that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. (Matthew
3:9)"
26:53. "Or thinkest thou that
I cannot beseech my Father, and he shall even now send me more than twelve
legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53)"
To memorize. Passages to prove God's:
a. Incommunicable attributes:
Independence.
John 5:26. "For as the Father hath
life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself.
Immutability.
Mal. 3:6. "For I, Jehovah, change not;
therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed."
James 1:17. "Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with
whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning."
Eternity.
Ps. 90:2. "Before the mountains were
brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even
from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God."
Ps. 102:27. "But Thou art the same,
and Thy years have no end."
Omnipresence.
Ps. 139:7-10. "Whither shall I go from
Thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up
into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in Sheol, behold Thou art
there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost
parts of the sea; even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand
shall hold me."
Jer. 23:23, 24. "Am I a God at hand,
saith Jehovah, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret
places so that I shall not see him' saith Jehovah. Do I not fill heaven
and earth? saith Jehovah?"
b. Communicable attributes:
Omniscience.
John 21:17b. "And he said unto Him,
Yea, Lord, Thou knowest all things', Thou knowest that I love Thee."
Heb. 4:13. "And there is no creature
that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and laid open
before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."
Wisdom,
Ps. 104:24. "O Jehovah, how manifold
are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all."
Dan. 2:20, 21b. "Blessed be the name
of God for ever and ever; for wisdom and might are His.... He giveth wisdom
unto the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding."
Goodness.
Ps. 86:5. "For Thou, Lord, art good,
and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness unto all them that
call upon Thee."
Ps. 118:29 "O give thanks unto the
Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness endureth forever."
Love.
John 3:16. "God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should
not perish, but have eternal life."
I John 4:8. "He that loveth not knoweth
not God; for God is love."
Grace.
Neh. 9:17b. "But Thou art a God ready
to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness."
Rom. 3:24. "Being justified freely
by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
Mercy.
Rom. 9:18. "So then He hath mercy on
whom He will and whom He will He hardeneth."
Eph. 2:4, 5. "But God, being rich in
mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead
through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ."
Longsuffering or forbearance.
Num. 14:18. "Jehovah is slow to anger,
and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression."
Rom. 2:4. "Or despisest thou the riches
of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the
goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"
Holiness.
Ex. 15:11. "Who is like unto Thee,
O Jehovah, among the gods? Who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness,
fearful in praises, doing wonders?"
Isa. 6:3b. "Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah
of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory."
Righteousness or justice.
Ps. 89:14. "Righteousness and justice
are the foundation of Thy throne."
Ps. 145:17. "Jehovah is righteous in
all His ways, and gracious in all His works."
I Pet. 1:17. "And if ye call on Him
as Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to each man's
work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear."
Veracity or faithfulness.
Num. 23:19. "God is not a man, that
He should lie, neither the son of man, that He should repent. Hath He
said, and will He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and will He not make it
good?"
II Tim. 2:13. "If we are faithless,
he abideth faithful; for He cannot deny Himself."
Sovereignty.
Eph. 1:11. "In whom also we were made
a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of Him who
worketh all things after the council of His will."
Rev. 4:11. "Worthy art Thou, our Lord
and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power; for Thou
didst create all things, and because of Thy will they were, and were created."
Secret and revealed will.
Deut. 29:29. "The secret things belong
unto Jehovah our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us
and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."
Omnipotence.
Job 42:2. "I know that Thou canst do
everything."
Matt. 19:26. "With God all things are
possible."
Luke 1:37. "For with God nothing shall
be impossible." (AV)
For Further Study:
a. Give instances in which the Bible identifies
God and His attributes,
Jer. 23:6; "In his days Judah
shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby
he shall be called: Jehovah our righteousness. (Jeremiah 23:6)"
Heb. 12:29; "for our God is a
consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29)"
I John 1:5; "And this is the message
which we have heard from him and announce unto you, that God is light,
and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)"
4:16. "And we know and have believed
the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love
abideth in God, and God abideth in him. (1 John 4:16)"
b. How can God be just and gracious to
the sinner at the same time,
Zech. 9:9; "Rejoice greatly, O
daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh
unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an
ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass. (Zechariah 9:9)"
Rom. 3:24-26. "24 being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25
whom God set forth [to be] a propitiation, through faith, in his blood,
to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done
aforetime, in the forbearance of God; 26 for the showing, [I say], of
his righteousness at this present season: that he might himself be just,
and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:24-26)"
c. Prove from Scripture that God's foreknowledge
includes conditional events.
I Sam. 23:10-13; "10 Then said
David, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, thy servant hath surely heard that
Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will
the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as
thy servant hath heard? O Jehovah, the God of Israel, I beseech thee,
tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down. 12 Then said David,
Will the men of Keilah deliver up to me and my men into the hand of Saul?
And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up. 13 Then David and his men,
who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went
whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped
from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth. (1 Samuel 23:10-13)"
II Kings 13:19; "And the man of
God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or
six times: then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it,
whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice. (2 Kings 13:19)"
Ps. 81:13-15; "13 Oh that my people
would hearken unto me, That Israel would walk in my ways! 14 I would soon
subdue their enemies, And turn my hand against their adversaries. 15 The
haters of Jehovah should submit themselves unto him: But their time should
endure for ever. (Psalms 81:13-15)"
48:18;
Jer. 38:17-20; "17 Then said Jeremiah
unto Zedekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel:
If thou wilt go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul
shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt
live, and thy house. 18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's
princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans,
and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their
hand. 19 And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the
Jews that are fallen away to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into
their hand, and they mock me. 20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver
thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of Jehovah, in that which I speak
unto thee: so it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live. (Jeremiah
38:17-20)"
Ezek. 3:6; "not to many peoples
of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words thou canst not
understand. Surely, if I sent thee to them, they would hearken unto thee.
(Ezekiel 3:6)"
Matt. 11:21. "Woe unto thee, Chorazin!
woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre
and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in
sackcloth and ashes. (Matthew 11:21)"
Questions for Review
1. How do we divide the attributes of
God?
2. Which belong to each one of these classes?
3. What is the independence of God?
4. What is His immutability?
5. How can we explain the fact that the
Bible apparently ascribes change to God?
6. What is God's eternity and immensity
or omnipresence?
7. What is the simplicity of God, and
how can we prove it?
8. What is the nature and extent of God's
knowledge?
9. How is His wisdom related to His knowledge?
10. What is the goodness of God? Are any
other names used for it?
11. Should we speak of love as more central
in God than His other attributes?
12. How do we distinguish God's grace,
mercy, and longsuffering?
13. What is the holiness of God?
14. In what does God reveal His righteousness?
15. What is included in the veracity of
God?
16. What distinction do we apply to the
will of God?
17. Do the secret and the revealed will
of God ever conflict?
18. Does God's omnipotence imply that
He can do everything?
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