Prayer Service 5-21-25 The Attributes of God: Introduction

To help condition our hearts and minds for prayer:

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Pray (if enough men present)

General Needs:

Erica, Brooke, and Babies

Terry Ray Adams: Stage 3 Colon Cancer

Willis Whitaker: Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Julie (Monroe) Orr: Breast Cancer

Junior Garland: Brain Tumor

Layce’s Cousin, Crystal: Aggressive Spinal Cancer

Hope, Michael Carroll, Allen, Iva Lee, Leonard and Sue Waldroup

Andrew and Children

Others?

Young People:

Faith and Fear of the Lord

Strength to resist temptation to youthful pride and lusts

Help to honor the Lord in relationships

Growth in Grace and Love

An increase of zeal for the Lord and his kingdom

Guidance for the future

What Else?

The Lord’s Help and Blessing upon “our” church.

-New Series for the Summer:

The Attributes of God

We’ll start with some definitions:

From Augustus Strong:

Systematic Theology I. Definition of the Term Attributes

The attributes of God are those distinguishing characteristics of the divine nature which are inseparable from the idea of God and which constitute the basis and ground for his various manifestations to his creatures.

Systematic Theology I. Definition of the Term Attributes

We call them attributes, because we are compelled to attribute them to God as

Here’s a simpler definition...

...from a man named Gerald Bray:

(We’ll use his introduction...

...as our guide for this evening)

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

God’s attributes are

If God is Holy (define)...

...then the only way for us to...

...know anything about him...

...is for him to condescend to reveal it.

Isaiah 55:9–10 ESV

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Even more plainly stated in:

1 Timothy 1:17 ESV

17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God...

He...

1 Timothy 6:16 ESV

16 ...dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see...

-So, we can never go up to Him...

...in order that we might learn who He is...

He has to come down to us!

He has to make Himself known!

-Thankfully, he has done that:

In Creation:

Genesis 1:1–3 ESV

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.... 3 And God said...

Psalm 19:1–2 ESV

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

Romans 1:20 ESV

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Most Clearly in Scripture;

Psalm 19:7–10 ESV

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.

See the imagery of revelation:

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God...

2 Peter 1:20–21 ESV

20 ...no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

MOST clearly in the Incarnation:

John 1:18 ESV

18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Hebrews 1:1–3 ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son... 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature...

Any Questions before we move on?

-Let’s read on.

More from Gerald Bray:

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

Describing the attributes (or characteristics or perfections) of God’s being is different from describing the attributes of any other being because God the Creator has a nature completely different from that of any of his creatures.

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

It is often easier to say what God is not than to say what he is.

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

Many of the attributes of God are therefore expressed as negatives. For example, God is im-mortal, in-visible, im-passible, im-mutable, in-finite and so on.

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

These words mean that by nature he cannot die, he cannot be seen, he cannot be made to suffer, he does not change, and he cannot be contained by creaturely reality.

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

All these characteristics distinguish him from his creatures but do not tell us exactly what it means for God to exist in the way he does.

But...

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

The Bible also describes God in positive terms.

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

Christian theology reflects this when we say that he is eternal, holy, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.

Here’s an important qualifier:

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

Each of God’s attributes

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

For example, to say that God is “all powerful” (omnipotent) does not mean that he can do anything, but that he is not constrained by something or someone greater than himself. God cannot deny his own nature, but he can exercise his sovereign will in whatever way he chooses.

Any Questions before we read on?

Structure of our study:

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

Theologians have classified God’s attributes in various ways, but these ways generally fall into two categories:

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

attributes that describe God

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

and attributes that describe God

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

The former are often called

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Attributes

and the latter

For Example:

Truth

Love

Mercy

Grace

Patience

Wisdom

Holiness (not absolute)

Can we reflect those to some degree?

What about? (On Screen)

Glory?

(His unique excellence)

Immutability?

(He can’t change)

Omnipotence?

(All power)

Omnipresence?

(His everywhere presence)

Self-Existence?

(Has no need)

Spirituality?

(His non-physical essential nature)

Unity?

(He is one, unique, and undivided)

Simplicity?

(Not made up of parts)

Infinity?

(Outside of time or space)

Can we share in those by degree?

Any questions?

-Here’s why this is so important:

Exodus 20:3–6 ESV

3 “You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

We must worship and serve God...

As he truly is!

In a manner that’s consistent with His nature.

To do that...

...we have to study his attributes.

And that knowledge...

...changes our understanding...

...of absolutely everything else!

Let’s close with this:

(A.W. Tozer—The Knowledge of the Holy)

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.

For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.

We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God. — A.W. Tozer

Any Questions?

-Lord Willing, next week...

...we’ll begin looking at...

His Incommunicable Attributes.