The Attributes of God Lesson 1

1 Peter 2:9 (The NET Bible) 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Definition: The perfections which are predicted of the Divine Being in Scripture, are vividly exercised by Him in His works of creation, providence, and redemption. Thought: I think it might be demonstrated that almost every heresy that has afflicted the church through the years has arisen from believing about God, things that are not true, or from over-emphasizing certain true things so as to obscure other things equally true. To magnify any attribute to the exclusion of another is to head straight for one of the dismal swamps of theology: and yet we are all tempted to do just that. (Tozer, A.W., Knowledge of the Holy, p. 85) I. Methods that have been used to determine the perfections of God. A. The Way of Causality By observing the effects in the world around us we attempt to reason their first cause. Arguing Gods existence through the Creation. Creation ----- Creator. Romans 1:18-20 (The NET Bible) 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, 19 because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. Examples: Cosmological Argument: (St. Thomas Aquinas) 1) Every effect has a cause 2) The world is an effect 3) Therefore, the world has a cause. Argument from Design: (Paley) 1. Every design has a designer 2. The Universe manifest design 3. Therefore, the universe has a designer Moral argument: (C.S. Lewis, I. Kant)

1) There are objective moral laws 2) Moral laws come from a moral law giver 3) Therefore, a Moral Law Giver exists B. The Way of Negation Remove from our idea of God all the imperfections seen in His creatures, as inconsistent with the idea of a Perfect Being, and ascribe to Him the opposite perfection. Thus, He is independent, infinite, immense, immortal, and incomprehensible. Example: Ontological Arguments: (Anselm, Descartes) (1) God is by definition an absolutely perfect being. (2) An absolutely perfect being cannot lack anything. (3) But a being that exists has something that a being that does not exist lacks--existence. (4) Therefore, an absolutely perfect being must exist. Second, (1) God is by definition a necessary being. (2) But a necessary being cannot not exist (otherwise, it would not be a necessary being). (3) Therefore, a necessary being necessarily exists. C. Way of Eminence We recognize in God the perfections we find in man and recognize that Gods perfections are more absolute. Starts from man and leads to God. D. Difficulties with the above approaches. 1. They ignore the self-revelation of God in Scripture. 2. They exalt the idea of the human discovery of God. 3. They either attempt to bring God down to a level equal to man or attempt to discover God through the study of man. In other words, they attempt to make God in the image of man. 4. We are left with the idea of a finite God. E. Gods self-revelation in Scripture the only proper way to obtain perfectly reliable knowledge of the divine attributes is by the study of Gods self-revelation in Scripture. Overview of What we will be studying: Attributes of God that are not shared with Man (In-communicable). Gods self-existence He exists in himself, nothing/no-one created Him. Gods self-sufficiency God is not dependent or in need of anything/anyone Gods immutability God doesnt change Gods infinity

o He is eternal o He is beyond special limitation Attributes God shares to some degree with his Creature (Communicable). Evidences of the personality of God Him, not It. God is Spirit Intellectual Attributes o Knowledge of God o Wisdom of God The Truthfulness of God The Faithfulness of God The Goodness of God The Love of God The Grace of God The Mercy of God The Holiness of God The Righteousness and Justice of God The Sovereignty of God