_|_ | C O P | N E T The Attributes of God ===================== Introduction ============ God's attributes fill the Bible with its two testaments. These can be thought of as belonging to two groups: absolute attributes pertaining to God alone, and relative attributes which are absolute and infinite in God and relative in man. The relative attributes differ in kind and magnitude in God and man. They are extremely holy, pure and perfect, and infinitely great and deep in God, but are partial, temporary or imperfect in man. Man can only share them because God created us in His own image and likeness. I. Absolute Attributes ====================== Unity ----- + "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." (Deuteronomy 6:4) + "That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else." (Kings 8:50) + "And Jesus answered him, The first of all commandments is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." (Mark 12:29) + "And this is life eternal, that they may know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3) Eternity -------- + "And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation." (Daniel 4:34) + "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8) Spirituality ------------ + "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24) Self-Existence -------------- + "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." (Acts 17:24,25) + "For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things." (Romans 11:36) Omnipresence ------------ + "Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" (Psalm 139:7) + "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord." (Jeremiah 23:24) + "That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us." (Acts 17:27) Omnipotence (Almighty of unlimited authority) ----------- + "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26) + "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of many thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." (Revelation 19:6) Immutability and unchangeability -------------------------------- + "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear." (Isaiah 59:1) + "For I am the Lord, I change not." (Malachi 3:6) + "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8) + "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17) Omniscience (having infinite awareness, understanding and science) ----------- + "Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite." (Psalm 147:5) + "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." (Proverbs 15:3) + "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world." (Acts 15:18) Foreknowledge ------------- + "Behold, the old things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them." (Isaiah 42:9) + "I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them; and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them." (Isaiah 48:5) Incomparability --------------- + "To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?" (Isaiah 46:5) + "Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?" (Lamentations 3:37) II. Relative Attributes ======================= God is Love ----------- + "He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love." (I John 4:8) + "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (I John 4:16) Wisdom ------ + "With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding." (Job 12:13) + "To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." (Jude 25) + "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) Knowledge of actions -------------------- + "For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?" (Job 14:16) + "For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings." (Job 34:21) + "And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face." (Hosea 7:2) Knowledge of thoughts --------------------- + "Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; thou understandest my thought afar off." (Psalm 139:2) + "All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits." (Proverbs 16:2) Irresistibility --------------- + "Behold, I have received a commandment to bless and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it." (Numbers 23:20) + "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) Greatness --------- + "Honour and majesty are before him: strength and power are in his sanctuary." (Psalm 96:6) + "All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity." (Isaiah 40:17) Power ----- + "He sendeth forth his commandments upon the earth: his word runneth very swiftly." (Psalm 147:15) + "Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned." (Revelation 11:17) Holiness -------- + "Ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." (Leviticus 11:45) + "And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 5:16) Justice ------- + "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgement: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." (Deuteronomy 32:4) + "And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgements." (Revelation 16:7) Goodness -------- + "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." (Psalm 86:5) + "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." (Mark 10:18) Mercy and compassion -------------------- + "Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and and with him plenteous redemption." (Psalm 130:7) + "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy." (Psalm 145:8) Longsuffering ------------- + "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." (Psalm 103:10) + "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) Conclusion ========== We cannot consider God's attributes individually: His mercy is mingled with His Justice, His power is as infinite as His knowledge, His irresistibility is only equal to His longsuffering. This is why King David took refuge in God's justice asking for forgiveness, saying "What is man but dust and ashes." The Lord knows the weakness of our human nature, and the strength of our enemy. We can take refuge in His justice, and call upon His mercy and goodness, as weak beings faced with a strong enemy, moving like a lion roaring for a victim. This is why, O Lord, we seek Your protection. We say to Your justice: "If You, O Lord, are a counter of sins, then who shall stand? Do not enter in judgement with Your servant, for before You no one shall be justified. The price of sin has been paid in full on the Cross of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. We appeal to Your justice and ask You to fulfil Your promises." Saint Gregory the theologian sums it up in his liturgy: "We worship Thee, and glorify Thee, the One, Only, True God, the Lover of mankind; the Unutterable, the Invisible, the Infinite; without beginning, Everlasting, Timeless, Limitless, Immeasurable, Unchangeable, Creator of all, Savior of everyone; Who forgives our sins, Who redeems our life from corruption, Who crowns us with mercies and compassions. Thou art He Whom the angels praise, and the archangels worship. Thou art He Whom the Principalities bless, and unto Whom the Dominions cry. Thou art He Whose glory the Authorities declare. Thou art He unto Whom the Thrones send up the honor. Thousands of thousands stand before Thee, and ten thousands times ten thousands offer Thee service. Thou art He Whom the invisible bless, and the visible worship. They all do according to Thy word, O our Master."