Attributes of God Part 2
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That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Matthew Henry, the Bible commentator said...
To know Him is more than merely to know a doctrine about Him. Believers are brought not only to redemption, but to the Redeemer Himself.
Turn to and read 2 Peter 1:1-9. Notice how many times, in this passage, Peter talks about the knowledge of God or the knowledge of Christ.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
An attribute of God is whatever God has in any way revealed as being true of Himself.
Last week we looked at both the transcendence and immanence of God.
Transcendence: God is above His creation.
Immanence: God is actively involved within His creation.
This week, we want to continue to look at God’s natural attributes. Those characteristics of God which are unique to Him and which cannot be the characteristics of man either now or in the future.
God is eternal.
God is eternal.
God has no beginning or ending.
And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God.
Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Ryrie’s Basic Theology A. Eternity
The attribute of eternity means that God exists endlessly.
Ryrie’s Basic Theology A. Eternity
His existence extends endlessly backward and forward (from our viewpoint of time) without any interruption or limitation caused by succession of events.
God created time. He is not limited by time. Therefore we, who are confined to the 24 hours on the clock, have a difficult time comprehending what it is not to be confined to time.
God dwells in eternity but time dwells in God.
Because God lives in an everlasting now, He has no past and no future.
God only has the eternal present!
[God] has already lived all our tomorrows as He has lived all our yesterdays.
This is such a mind-boggling truth that we may be tempted to think that there is no re-life, practical application of this truth.
Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Since God is eternal, He can be and continue forever to be the one safe home for His time-driven children.
Most of you remember that my father passed away last August. Since that time there have been times when, with tears in my eyes, I wished that my father was still alive so that I could go to him; so that I could talk with him. There have been many times over the past year when I have said, “I wish you were here so that I could ask you what I should do!”
Our heavenly Father, because He is eternal, will always be there. Not only that, but, knowing that we will not always be there for our children, we should point them to Jesus Christ Who will always be there fore them.
God is eternal.
God is infinite.
God is infinite.
God has no limits.
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite.
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Infinitude, of course, means limitless, and it is obviously impossible for a limited mind to grasp the Unlimited.
We see this in the fact that every “god” that mankind has created has some limitation.
So, how in the world, can we hope to benefit from something that we truly will never understand!?!?
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase,
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men,
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half-done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men, For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth and giveth and giveth again.
God is infinite.
God is immutable.
God is immutable.
God never changes.
God is not capable of nor susceptible to change.
Systematic Theology B. The Immutability of God
Even reason teaches us that no change is possible in God, since a change is either for better or for worse.
God is perfect; He is complete. Therefore there is no need for change nor the possibility of change.
For I am the Lord, I change not; Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Yesterday, today, forever, Jesus is the same,
All may change, but Jesus never—glory to His name!
Glory to His name! Glory to His name!
All may change, but Jesus never—glory to His name!
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
The immutability of God is among those attributes less difficult to understand...
The immutability of God may also be that attribute which gives us the most comfort.
What peace it brings to the Christian’s heart to realize that our Heavenly Father never differs from Himself.
God never changes. He will always love us. His ways will always be best. He will always answer those who call upon Him. He will always provide. God will never leave us nor forsake us. In fact, fill in the blank...
“God will always __________.”
Allow me to touch on this just briefly...
And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Some have charged that God, according to verses such as this does indeed change. However, God’s character never changes. Though He may change - “repent of” - His plan of working with individuals or nations. God consistently deals with individuals and nations on the basis of their response to Him.
When man’s response changes, then God changes His plan of working with that person or nation.
Although it seems that God has changed it is really we - or that nation - who have changed!
God’s Word never changes.
Ryrie’s Basic Theology D. Immutability
Immutability offers comfort and assurance that God’s promises will not fail
Because of that, we can always trust Him and His Word!
Stop for a moment and think of some of the great ways in which God worked in the Old Testament.
Turn to and read 1 Kings 18:36-38.
The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament! He is the God of 2019!
Aren’t you glad, though, that it is possible for us to change?
On July 2, 1991, I changed from a sinner to a saint!
We are never stuck. With God there is always the possibility of our change. In fact, it has been said, “God loves us just the way that we are but He refuses to leave us that way!” Indeed, God desires that we become more like His Son, Jesus Christ.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
God never changes but we can!