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God's attributes are qualities of His character or perfections of His nature. They show us who
God is, what He is like, His nature, His personal perfections. Sometimes the Bible refers to this
as His name. His name identifies who He is and what He is like as opposed to an idol. The Bible
also refers to this as God's glory. This is the revelation and honor of all God's attributes.
Someone said that "attributes" is not a very good word to express the character of God because it
implies that the perfections of God's nature are parts of the Divine essence. God does not have
parts. He cannot be divided. We must understand that in God there is a unity, a oneness, of
attribute and essence. The whole essence of God is in each and every attribute. This is very
difficult to understand, but it is very important for us to understand.
Attributes are not persons. God exists as Father, Son, and Spirit - three Persons in one undivided
essence. Attributes are modes either of relation or the operation of the essence of Deity. Some of
God's attributes are within Himself - for example: infinite, simplicity, immutability. Some of
God's attributes are as He acts outside of Himself - for example: omnipotent, omniscient, faithful.
We can divide God's attributes into two categories:
B. We are going to study God attributes, especially as they are revealed in the salvation of sinners
by Jesus Christ! All of God's perfections come together and are revealed, honored, and magnified
in the highest in the Person and redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. -- 2
Corinthians 4:6
God's attributes are His glory, and His glory is revealed in its fullest in Christ who is the
brightness of God's glory (Hebrews 1:3). God's attributes are revealed to sinners savingly when
we see how God can be just to justify the ungodly based on the righteousness of Christ. We see
that the main issue in salvation is the glory of God (the revelation and honor of all His attributes).
The main issue in the glory of God is the righteousness of Christ (the merit of His obedience and
death that enables God to be both a just God and a Savior). God's glory, then, is directly related
to the atonement which Christ made on behalf of God's elect. In this study we are going to see
how that in order to have right views of God's character, we must have right views of Christ and
the atonement He made for sinners.
Isaiah 45:20-22 -- Here we have an absolute and unconditional promise from a sovereign,
powerful, merciful, and gracious God. This is a promise of eternal salvation based on the fact that
God is faithful to save sinners based on His free, unmerited favor. This is revealed in His purpose
to save sinners, to justify the ungodly, conditioned, not on the sinner, but on a God-sent
Substitute. The only Substitute sent of God is God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone is
able to satisfy God's law and justice on their behalf. Sinners, active idolaters, are commanded to
believe God's promise of salvation conditioned on Christ alone, and to repent of ever thinking that
anything but His righteousness could ever recommend us unto God.
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent. -- John 17:3
In order to be saved, sinners must look to God the Father as sending God the Son to fulfill all the
conditions of our salvation, to establish a righteousness whereby He can be just to justify the
ungodly. In order to be saved, sinners must look to Christ as the One sent the Father and who has
fulfilled all conditions and established that righteousness which insures the eternal salvation of all
whom He represented. Isaiah spoke of the Father sending the Son to save a people through His
redemptive work of establishing a righteousness (Isaiah 45:23-25). This is a promise from God in
which He has engaged every attribute of His character, His glory, to fulfill. It is so sure and
certain that God will fulfill it, that we can assure everyone who hears God's Gospel that God will
save them based on the righteousness of Christ freely imputed and received by faith.
C. All of God's attributes are revealed to lead sinners to this great truth. Everything that God
reveals in His Word is revealed ultimately to glorify Him as both a just God and a Savior, and to
lead sinners to believe on Him as the God who justifies the ungodly based upon the righteousness
of Christ. The Gospel reveals how every attribute of God's character is revealed, honored and
magnified in that salvation based on the righteousness of Christ. The first thing revealed in God's
Word, after the Fall of man, was the promise of salvation conditioned on Christ (Gen. 3:15).
Everything revealed about God from then on is revealed to encourage sinners (active idolaters) to
believe that promise and repent from idolatry and dead works. None of it is revealed to
discourage or frighten sinners away, or to promote legal repentance.
I. WHAT IS GOD LIKE?
There is an old fable about six men blind from birth who lived in India. One day they decided to
visit a nearby palace. When they arrived, there was an elephant standing in the courtyard. The
first blind man touched the side of the elephant and said, "An elephant is like a wall." The second
blind man touched the trunk and said, "An elephant is like a snake." The third blind man touched
the tusk and said, "An elephant is like a spear." The fourth blind man touched the leg and said,
"An elephant is like a tree." The fifth blind man touched the ear and said, "An elephant is like a
fan." The sixth blind man touched the tail and said, "An elephant is like a rope." Because each
one only touched part of the elephant, they could not agree on what an elephant is really like.
Bringing this analogy into the spiritual realm, this is why many people have misconceptions about
what God is really like. Believing the wrong things about God is a serious matter because it is
idolatry. Idolatry is more than bowing down to a stone figure or worshiping in a pagan temple.
According to the Bible, idolatry is thinking anything about God that isn't true.
DEFINITION: Idolatry is attributing unto God attributes of character that do not belong to Him,
or failing to attribute unto God attributes of character that do belong unto Him.
Idolatry is born out of ignorance of God (Isaiah 45:20; Hosea 4:6; Acts 17:23). All false
doctrines and false ways can ultimately be traced to wrong thoughts of God. One reason men by
nature are ignorant of God is because man's search for knowledge of God always begins with
himself rather than with God's revelation of Himself. Thus, man humanizes God.
Thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thyself. -- Psalms 50:21
We must be careful not to think of God in our own terms or entertain thoughts that are unworthy
of Him. Even the Bible presents truths about God in human language, not to humanize or
misrepresent God, but to accommodate our limited, human understanding. There is no way that
the finite human mind can fully comprehend infinite Deity. Therefore, there are some things about
God that must be expressed in human terms so that we might have some degree of knowledge
concerning these things.
In the Bible, we read of God's arm, God's eyes, etc. God has neither arms nor eyes. God is
Spirit. God's arm is an expression that reveals something of His omnipotence (all-powerful).
God's eyes is an expression that reveals something of His omniscience (all-knowing and
all-seeing). The Bible speaks down to us, but it also "encourages us to reach beyond our
limitations and think exalted thoughts about God."
II. CAN GOD BE KNOWN?
Just as wrong views of God lie at the foundation of idolatry and all false doctrines, false practices,
and false ways, right views of the God lie at the foundation of all genuine and vital godliness and
worship. It should, then, be our chief aim to seek after the knowledge of God. Without the true
knowledge of God, or knowledge of the true and living God, in His nature and attributes, we can
neither seek Him, nor believe and trust in Him, nor worship Him, nor serve Him aright.
With this in mind, can God be known? Yes. The Bible is full of commandments for men to seek
knowledge of the true and living God, to trust in God, and to worship God. Read Romans
10:13-17 and Hebrews 11:6. God can be known but not completely. We are responsible for the
things God has revealed of Himself.
III. HOW CAN GOD BE KNOWN?
How can we determine what God is like? There are many wrong ways that men use. Oneway is
by negation. This is to acknowledge all the imperfections seen in creatures and identify God as
the opposite. For example, we are finite, corporeal, and mortal. Therefore, God must infinite,
spirit, and eternal. Another way is by imminence. This is to acknowledge what is relatively good
in creatures and attribute this unto God in the highest perfection. For example, we may see
aspects of wisdom, love, and power in men. Therefore, God is perfect wisdom, perfect love, and
unlimited powerful. Another way is cause and effect. This is to reason that if there is a creation,
there must have been a creator. If man has various forms of government, then there must be a
supreme governor. Through all these methods we can find out some things that are true about
God, but they all have a serious flaw. They all begin with man and reason from man toGod. This
ultimately leads men to humanize God. These methods are all subjective and rely upon what men
can see and reason naturally. It is impossible to know the God adequately using these methods.
Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? --
Job 11:7
This is not saying that we cannot know God. It is saying that we will never come to a saving
knowledge of God using the scientific method or by mere human reasoning. Again, we can find
out some truths about God in these ways, but not unto perfection, and certainly not the God of
redemption.
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like? --
Isaiah 46:5
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. --
Isaiah 55:8
The only right way to know God is by HIS DIVINE SELF-REVELATION. This is contained in
the Scriptures, the Bible, God's revealed Word. The Bible is God's revelation of objective truth
concerning Himself, concerning the state and condition of man, and concerning God's way of
salvation. Read Psalm 19.
The Scriptures contain primarily God's revelation of Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ. If we
want to know God in an intimate, saving way, not only as our Creator, our Governor, our
Provider, but also as our Redeemer and our Father, we must look for the perfect revelation of
Himself in Jesus Christ. Refer back to Matthew 11:27 and John 17:3.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...And the
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. -- John 1:1,14
"Word" here is logos from which we derive our English word "logic." Christ is the living Word of
God, the Revealer of God, the Logic of God.
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the
Father, He hath declared Him. -- John 1:18
Read John 14:6-11. And consider -
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. -- 2
Corinthians 4:6
The light of nature may reveal something of God's wisdom, power, goodness, and majesty. The
light of conscience may reveal something of God's standard of truth and justice. But only the light
of the Scriptures can reveal the God of redemption. Only the Scriptures reveal how God can be
both a just God and a Savior and show how every attribute of God's character is honored and
magnified in salvation by Christ. Jesus Christ is the GODMAN. He has manifested God
perfectly. He is God the Son incarnate, God in human form.
IV. GOD'S ATTRIBUTES INDIVISIBLE
As we've already stated, God's attributes are not parts of the Divine essence. God does not have parts. He cannot be divided. This is God's incommunicable attribute of simplicity.
We must understand that in God there is a unity, a oneness, of attribute and essence. The whole
essence of God is in each and every attribute. We can distinguish each attribute for the purposes
of study, but we cannot divide them from God. This is very difficult to understand, but it is very
important for us to understand. It shows us two vital things that should always guide our
thoughts about God:
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with
evil, neither tempteth he any man. -- James 1:13
God cannot be tempted with evil because God is holy.
Every good gift and 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
God cannot change because God is immutable.
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began. -- Titus
1:2
God cannot lie because God is truth.
Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to
fail. -- Psalm 89:33
God cannot fail because God is faithful. He is wise enough and omniscient to foresee every
obstacle that would hinder His promises. He is powerful enough to remove those obstacles and
provide all the means necessary to accomplish the promises.
He can never be anything less than any one of these attributes, and if it could ever happen, God
would cease to be God. For example, whenever God acts in any capacity, He must be holy. He
can never be anything less than holy. The same holds true for His faithfulness, His immutability,
His justice, His love, and all His attributes.
For example, when God saves a sinner, He must be just in doing so. He cannot express His love
at the expense of His holiness and justice. He must be both a just God as well as a Savior. This is
why God the Father sent God the Son into the world to be the Savior of sinners. God is holy and
God is love. In salvation conditioned on Christ, God's love provided what His holiness
demanded.
When God sends a sinner to hell, He must be just in doing so. God sends sinners to hell because
sin deserves eternal death, and God's holiness and justice demand that the soul that sins must
surely die. This is why sinners who reject Christ and insist on salvation conditioned on themselves
must spend eternity in hell. They have no savior, no substitute, no righteousness. God cannot be
just and holy in their salvation because their ground of salvation denies God's holiness and justice.
This holds true for any who seek salvation based on anything other than the imputed
righteousness of Christ.
The fact that God is just in sending sinners to hell does not deny His love. God is sovereign, and
His love is manifested in His sending Christ to fulfill all the conditions of salvation for all who
believe. God does not love those who end up in hell. They see nothing but God's just wrath
against sin. But this does not cancel God's love which He shows towards all who are in Christ
Jesus and who will spend eternity with Him.
Some today want to ignore or deny expressions of God's wrath in the Bible and acknowledge only
God's love. They do not see the glory of God in all things, especially in redemption by Christ.
They do not see that the greatest expression of both God's love and God's holy and just wrath
against sin is the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ. God in His infinite, unconditional
love sent His Son to experience all the wrath God must justly exact against sin for all His people.
Most today who claim to be Christian do not understand how God can be just and holy and yet in
mercy and love justify sinners. They deny God's holiness and justice thinking that they honor His
love and mercy. What they do not know is that they really deny God Himself. This is idolatry.
Religion today presents a God who is not sovereign, nor immutable, nor faithful to His promise or
threats, nor just in His dealings with men. As stated before, they fashion unto themselves a god
who is like themselves. The main way that most deny God is in their view of salvation and the
ground of salvation. Most believe that God loves everyone, that He promises and is trying to
save everyone, and that He sent Christ to die for everyone without exception. Think about this.
The death of Christ was an atonement for sin. This means that when Christ died for His people,
He paid the price of God's law and justice for their sins. He established a righteousness for them.
Just as sin, according to God's holiness and justice, demands eternal death, righteousness,
according to God's holiness and justice, demands eternal life -
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto
eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. -- Romans 5:21
What does it say about God's justice if God sends sinners to hell for whom Christ has already paid
their debt? God's justice cannot demand payment twice. That would be injustice. People say,
"But sinners must believe; they must receive what Christ has done." It is true sinners must
believe, but they must believe that Christ has already paid the debt, that His righteousness
demands their salvation and final glory according to God's holy law and justice. Sinners must
believe that God is just and faithful to save them based on the righteousness of Christ. Sinners are
forbidden to believe that their faith makes the difference between heaven and hell. Sinners are
forbidden to believe that even one for whom Christ died could perish eternally. To believe such is
to deny God's justice, and, therefore, to deny every attribute of God's character. To believe such
is to deny Christ and cast shame and reproach upon both His Person and His righteousness. One
cannot deny God's justice without denying God's love as well as every attribute.
