The Attributes of God

2.6.1 Overview

We teach that the word of God reveals the following perfections of God, namely self-existence, self-sufficiency, eternality, infinity, aseity, immutability, impassibility, impeccability, incorruptibility, incomprehensibility, mystery, sovereignty, providence, transcendence, immanence, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, omnibenevolence, grace, wrath, simplicity, creator, love, goodness, righteousness, justice, holiness, jealousy, mercy, unity, veracity, and mission. We understand that this list is an enumeration of attributes, but we are convicted these attributes are revealed from Scripture, however, we do not teach that God can be triaged into levels nor His attributes as to suggest that some attributes are more important than others. We teach that God is not partly this and partly that, that is God is not composed of parts. We teach that God is who He is and He is who He is so entirely. We do not compartmentalize God by isolating and separating one of His attributes independently from His other attributes.

We teach that to only focus on one of the attributes of God to the neglect of the other attributes concerning God is not rendering an accurate portrayal of the being of God, the glory of God, the work of God or the word of God.

We teach there is no dichotomy in God between His being, attributes, work, and word. We teach that all of God’s attributes are eternally invested with each other. We teach that all the attributes of God are unified, interconnected, integrated, interrelated, and interdependent (e.g. Isaiah 40:28; 57:15).

We DO NOT teach that the attributes of God are not found or based on man’s idea of God and therefore reasoned by someone else other than God.

On the other hand, we teach the attributes of God are understood as coming originally from God revealed to man from the word of God.

We DO NOT teach that the attributes of God are subjective properties that one person might distinguish as proper while another might not.

On the other hand, we teach that all the attributes of God are objectively characteristic of God and that God is absolutely perfect and unique and all must acknowledge and bow before the objective glory and majesty of God.

We teach that all the attributes of God testify to God’s greatness and goodness.

We teach that all the perfections of God are all each absolutely perfect.

We teach that the glory of God is the summation of all His attributes.