Reformed Theology: 13: God's Attributes

Welcome back to the Basics of the Reformed Faith series. Today's topic is God's Attributes. Much indeed can be known about God from creation. We know that God is eternal, all-powerful and good, Romans chapter 1 verse 20.

Yet whatever we learn about God through nature, called general revelation, will always be limited by the very nature of revelation through finite created things. In addition, such revelation is inevitably corrupted by human sinfulness, Romans chapter 1 verses 21 through 25.

Therefore, whatever sinful people learn about God through nature will be grossly distorted and ironically ends up serving as the basis for all forms of false religion and idolatry, a theme developed by the Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 1 verses 18 through 32.

General Revelation and the Distortion of Sin

John Calvin was absolutely right when he spoke of the minds of sinful men and women as idol factories. Since sinful human curiosity often leads finite men and women to speculate about God's hidden essence, it is important to remind ourselves that God condescends to reveal himself to us in his Word, in other words the Scripture, and in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

In the Word of God, we find a number of divine attributes or perfections ascribed to God. So rather than speculate about God's hidden essence, we must worship and serve the God who reveals himself to us through his Word.

Christian theologians have long struggled to explain how it is that certain of these divine perfections belong to God alone, while others are also ascribed to humanity, since we are created in God's image.

The former attributes are most often identified as incommunicable attributes, because these particular attributes cannot be communicated by God to his creatures, precisely because we are finite creatures.

The latter are called communicable attributes, because they are in fact communicated to humanity, though in finite measure due to creaturely limitations and only by analogy. As we take up these divine attributes, we must keep in mind that these are perfections which God alone possesses in all their fullness, and they reveal a great deal to us about God's divine being.

Incommunicable Attributes and Divine Simplicity

When we speak of God's incommunicable attributes, we may think of things such as divine simplicity. God is an infinite spirit and not the sum of different parts. John chapter 4 verse 24. Because God is simple, his attributes can be said to be identical with his being.

God is also self-existent, a seity. He is in no sense dependent upon anything outside himself for his existence, his glory, or his purposes. We can also speak of God as eternal. He alone is without beginning or end.

God now is, God always was, and God will forever be. One way Christians have spoken of a number of these attributes is to use the way of negation. That is, since we are finite and sinful creatures who depend upon God's revelation of himself to truly know anything about him, it is much easier and safer for us to say what God is not, rather than struggle to state what an infinite and eternal God truly is.

These are attributes with which every Christian is familiar. God is said to be immortal because he, unlike us, is not mortal. This is but another way to say that God is eternal. He does not live or die as we do.

He is life itself. We may also speak of God as invisible because he, unlike us, is pure spirit and not visible to the human eye. But this also means that God fills all creation with his perfections. We speak of God as immutable because he does not change as to his essence and as to his purposes.

And then we may speak of God as impassible. Unlike his creatures, God is independent from the world he has made, and his divine essence is not subject to external influences like suffering or passions.

God's Love, Omniscience, Omnipotence, and Omnipresence

Although the persons of the Godhead are indeed affected by the actions of his creatures. Take, for example, the fact that we know that God loves us because his son Jesus suffered and died for our sins.

1 John chapter 4 verse 10. The so-called communicable attributes are important to mention as well. These perfections include those attributes which begin with the prefix omni, to distinguish the way in which we as creatures possess these attributes from the absolute fullness in which God possesses them.

These include omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, as well as other attributes designated without the omni prefix, such as goodness, love, mercy, holiness, righteousness, and jealousy. Although our knowledge is finite and limited because we are finite and limited creatures, God is said to be omniscient.

He knows all things. Although we exercise creaturely power and freedom, God alone is properly said to be all-powerful and therefore sovereign over all things. Although we occupy both time and space, God transcends all such spatial and temporal limitations.

He alone is omnipresent. Men and women can demonstrate goodness, love, mercy, etc. as a reflection of being created in the image of God, a God who possesses these same attributes without limit or measure, unlike the way these attributes are manifest in us.

Worshiping God as He Has Revealed Himself

Since this is how God has revealed himself to us in his word, it is vital that we not speculate about these divine perfections, nor attempt to ignore them when they expose our creaturely limitations. Rather, we worship and adore the God who reveals himself through such wonderful perfections.

Let's review. Whatever we learn about God through nature, general revelation will always be limited by the very nature of finite created things. General revelation is inevitably corrupted because of human sinfulness.

Rather than speculate about God's hidden essence, we must worship and serve the God who reveals himself to us through his word. Incommunicable attributes cannot be communicated or shared by both God and his creatures, precisely because we are finite creatures.

Communicable attributes are those that are in fact communicated or shared with God and humanity in finite measure. We sometimes speak of God's attributes by way of negation, what God is not. God is not subject to external influences, like suffering or passions.

We can demonstrate goodness, love, mercy, etc., as a reflection of being created in the image of God, who is goodness, love, mercy, etc. Well friends, thanks again for joining us. We look forward to seeing you in the next lesson.