Lesson 2: Attributes of God

(1) The student will be able to explain:

• Why a person’s concept of God is so important.

• How the fact that God is Creator makes him distinct from all else.

• Attributes of God: what it means that he is personal, spirit, eternal, Trinity, all-powerful, present everywhere, unchanging, all-knowing, holy, righteous, and loving.

• How each attribute of God is significant for our relationship with him.

• A biblical view of the sovereignty of God.

• A statement of Christian beliefs about God.

(2) The student will avoid the error of misunderstanding the importance of forms of worship.

► Read Isaiah 40 together. Discuss what this passage tells us about God.

► Why does it matter whether or not a person has the right concept of God?

Who is God? A. W. Tozer showed the importance of this question when he said, “I believe there is scarcely an error in doctrine or a failure in applying Christian ethics that cannot be traced finally to imperfect and ignoble [dishonorable] thoughts of God”.[1] Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that a problem with the Samaritans' worship was that they did not know whom they worshipped. Any person’s most important characteristic is his concept of God. A person’s concept of God is the foundation of his religion. There can be no more serious error than to be wrong about what God is like.

Comparisons are inadequate to completely describe God, for he is infinitely beyond and above us. Not even the Bible gives us a formal definition of God, but everywhere it describes his being and his power. Genesis tells us how God made the heavens and the earth; the plants; the sun, the moon, and the stars; and animal life; and finally human beings. The first lesson of scripture is very clear: God is the Creator of all that exists. Thus, he is distinct from all else that exists, for he is not part of his creation.

Throughout the Bible are many other statements about God. Theologians have carefully summarized the biblical data in lists of God's attributes. We can never master these with our imperfect understanding. However, a reverent study of God’s attributes is a valuable spiritual exercise. Thus, we consider the following statements about God. They are based on his revelation of himself in the Bible, and for that reason we know that they are true.

What we will cover is not a complete list of God’s attributes, but the ones that are most important for us to know.

► What attributes of God can you list?

God is Personal

This means that he is a real, living person with intellect, feelings, and will.[1] He is not the sum of the laws of nature or an impersonal force like electricity or gravity. He creates, acts, knows, wills, plans, and speaks.

► What difference would it make to us if God were not personal?

The fact that he is personal makes it possible for us to have a relationship with him. If he were not personal, we could not pray to him. If he were not personal it would not be possible for him to be pleased or displeased.

God is a Spirit

“God is Spirit; and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

The fact that he is spirit provides the basis for our spiritual communion with him and our worship of him. Prayer and worship do not depend on material objects, specific physical positions, a scheduled program, or a building. Those things may help us focus our attention in worship, but worship does not depend on them.

The fact that God is spirit is one reason that he forbade us making any physical image of him. (Read Exodus 20:4-6.) As spirit, God is invisible to us (1 Timothy 1:17) except when he chooses to take a visible form. (Read Genesis 18:1; Isaiah 6:1.) Because our perception of God is limited, even when he appears in a visible form, it is true to say that nobody has fully seen God (Exodus 33:20; John 1:18; John 6:46).

God is Eternal

There was never a time when God did not exist, and there will never be a time when he will not exist; God has no beginning and no end. God revealed himself by the name, I AM WHO I AM (Exodus 3:14). He is described by John as the one who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8). From everlasting to everlasting, he is God (Psalm 90:2). Some religions have myths about when their gods were born, but the true God is eternal.

God is a Trinity

The Bible says there is one God yet refers to three distinct persons as God. There is only one God, but in his nature there are three persons. Though we cannot fully understand the Trinity, it is not illogical, for we are not saying that there are both three and one of the same thing. There is one God, existing as three persons. Because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit possess together all the attributes of deity, each of them may properly be called God and be worshipped as God. (More will be said about the Trinity in the next lesson.)

God is All-Powerful

He is able to do whatever he wishes. “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). He has no limits except that he never acts contrary to his holy nature and always carries out what he has promised to do. Nothing is difficult or challenging for God. “The Lord our God the Almighty reigns” (Revelation 19:6).

► What difference does it make to us to know that God is all-powerful?

This is encouraging, for we know that in the midst of our struggles, he is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). Even if things seem out of control, we know that God’s great plan will be fulfilled. We can pray in confidence that God is able to intervene in any situation.

God is Present Everywhere

[2]There is no place where he is not, and nothing happens that he does not see. “Thus says the Lord, heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (Isaiah 66:1). He is the God of the universe, and his power is not limited to any region. “Can a man hide himself in secret places, so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24). This assures us that God knows our situations and our problems. It also tells us that no one can ever hide from God, or sin where he cannot see. All things are naked and exposed to his eyes. (Read Hebrews 4:13.)

God is Unchanging

There was never a time when he became God, and he will never cease to be God. (Read James 1:17.) There are religions that believe that God is in a process of development, but the Bible tells us that in his being and nature, and in his attributes and purposes, God never changes. (Read Malachi 3:6.) He always loves what is right, and he always hates what is wrong. The Eternal God who revealed himself as the I AM to Moses is the I AM of today. He is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. He is always the same, and his years will have no end (Psalm 102:27).

God is All-Knowing

“His understanding is beyond measure” (Psalm 147:5). There is no process of learning for God, for he knows everything. God has never learned anything from anyone, and there is nobody that can advise him. (Read Isaiah 40:13-14.) God knows the future and therefore is never surprised or unprepared for anything that happens (Psalm 139:4).

► What difference does it make to us to know that God is all-knowing?

Related to the knowledge of God is the wisdom of God, shown in creation and especially in the plan of salvation. (Read Psalm 104:24; Romans 11:33.) Because He knows and under­stands everything, He always knows the right thing to do. The will of God is always best for us because God understands every situation completely and knows what the results of every action will be.

God is Holy

God has described himself primarily as holy. The prophet Isaiah repeatedly referred to God as “The Holy One of Israel.” The angels cry “Holy, Holy, Holy” before him continually (Revelation 4:8, Isaiah 6:3). The holiness of God was the theme of worship: “Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!” (Psalm 99:3). He is the absolute standard of all moral perfection. His actions are marked by the presence of all goodness and by the absence of all evil and can never be otherwise. God’s holiness shows that man is not fit to serve and worship without first being transformed by grace. (Read Isaiah 6:5.) God desires that we be holy like himself. “But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

God is Righteous

God’s actions are always right. His actions flow from his holy nature. (Read Deuteronomy 32:4.) His own nature is the standard of what is right. He always keeps his word and never tells a lie (Numbers 23:19; 2 Samuel 7:28).

► Why does it matter to us that God is righteous?

His righteousness is the basis of his law, which is the perfect standard of our duties to him and to others. He administers his law justly, rewarding those who obey it and punishing those who break it. This comforts those who are suffering and oppressed, but it also warns us that no one will ever get away with doing wrong. “The rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:9). He will repay each person according to his deeds (Romans 2:6). “We will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Romans 14:10).

God is Love

This attribute is absolutely important. Imagine what a fearsome thing it would be for God to be all-powerful and all-knowing if he did not love us! What would it be like if he were holy and righteous, but did not love us? Along with his absolute power and holiness, God loves us. (Read Romans 5:8.) God blesses his creation in general (Genesis 1:22, 28). He especially blesses humanity with the good things of life, and he designed the world as a place where people can live in joy.[3] For those who love and serve him, he turns every detail of life into a blessing (Romans 8:28). His grace, mercy, patience, and peace bless us because of his love. (Read Exodus 34:6; Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 2:4-5.)

[4]“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). In spite of our sin and rebellion, he reaches out to us in mercy, inviting us to come to him through Jesus, whom he has provided as the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2). At the cross God shows us his heart, which overflows with love and pity for us. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). God loves all people, without being influenced by their ethnicity, natural abilities, or earthly status, and offers forgive­ness to all. (Read Romans 2:11; James 2:1-5.) Therefore, God wants us to love all people and be willing to forgive any who do us wrong. Love and forgiveness are marks of the children of God. (Read Matthew 5:43-45.)

[5]God made us in his image. Though we are finite and he is infinite, we are more like him than anything else in his creation. He designed us so that we can know him, worship him, and love him. He has made us for himself, and as Augustine reminds us, we shall never be at rest until we find our rest in him. In contrast to God, everything earthly is unimportant, and only he is worthy of our complete devotion. It is impossible to find lasting satisfaction anywhere but in God. By his grace we can be redeemed and made able to worship him above all things, trust in him as our Heavenly Father, and do his will in every area of our lives.

Note to class leader: A member of the class could explain this section.

God has both absolute power and absolute authority. As ruler of the universe, he is able to accomplish whatever he chooses (Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:5-6).

He does all things according to his own will, not needing to submit to anyone else (Ephesians 1:11). Whatever he decides to do will certainly happen, for there is no one who can stop him and no situation that can make it impossible for him. (Read Isaiah 46:9-11.) He controls the actions of earthly rulers whenever he wants (Genesis 50:20; Acts 4:27-28).

But God has given people the ability to make choices. They can choose among things that are good, but they can also choose between good and evil. They can choose to obey God or to disobey him. The very first people he created made a choice to sin. Every person since then has made choices, and though some have made some good choices, all have also sinned.

If God is the Lord over all, how does he accomplish his will in a world where billions of creatures are making choices of their own?

It is the will of God that his creatures make real choices. That means that he will not make all of their choices for them. It also means that there must be real consequences to what they do; otherwise, they would not be making real choices. If God somehow controlled the results of a person’s actions so that no evil could result, then he would be taking from that person the possibility of choosing evil.

The justice of God is true justice because he will be judging people for their voluntary actions. (Read Revelation 20:12-13.) If God controlled all actions, it would not make sense for him to give punishments and rewards.

God desires that people choose what is right, but most of all he desires that they make real choices. That is why the world is as it is. The world is a complicated mixture of the good things from God, the results of good human actions, the results of bad human actions, and the good that God brings even from bad human actions.

We see God’s priorities in the plan of salvation. He offers salvation to all and desires that all be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4). He gives each person the power to respond to the gospel but does not force the response. That’s why invitations and persuasion are used throughout scripture.[1] God offers people a choice and describes to them the consequences.

We preach the gospel in full confidence that every person can be saved. Our mission is to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in persuading people to submit to God. (Read 2 Corinthians 5:11.)

► Read the statement of beliefs together at least two times.

There is one God, who created the universe and is Lord of all. He is an eternal, unchanging Spirit. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere. He is absolutely holy in his character and righteous in all that he does. He blesses his creation and loves every person, offering forgiveness and relation­ship with himself.

(1) Passage Assignment: Each student will be assigned one of the passages listed below. Before the next class session, you should read the passage and write a paragraph about what it says about the subject of this lesson.

• Psalm 139:1-4
• Proverbs 9:10
• Isaiah 46
• Revelation 4:9-11

(2) Test: You will begin the next class with a test over Lesson 2. Study the test questions carefully in preparation.

(3) Teaching Assignment: Remember to schedule and report your out-of-class teaching times.

(1) What is a person’s most important characteristic?

(2) What is the first lesson of scripture?

(3) Name the attribute of God that matches each statement:

• We cannot describe what God looks like.

• God has always existed.

• God has intellect, feelings, and will.

• God is always the same.

• God can do whatever he chooses.

• God sees everything.

• God sent his Son so we could have mercy.

• God has three persons in his nature.

• God has absolute moral perfection.

• God never learns anything.

• God's actions are always fair and just.