GOD'S ESSENCE AND ATTRIBUTES

By Gary Ray Branscome

THE DOCTRINE IN GENERAL

God has revealed Himself in Scripture as the only God, the Living God, the one who unlike all others exists from eternity supreme and perfect, “The God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, mighty and terrifying, who does not regard persons, or take bribes. // who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings… Who alone is immortal, dwelling in the light that no man can approach; whom no one has ever seen, or can see // He is before all things, and by Him all things have their existence.” (Deuteronomy 10:17, 1Timothy 6:15-16, Colossians 1:17). Therefore, even though the Bible sometimes uses the name god or gods in reference to false gods and authorities, it makes a distinction between the One True God and so-called gods. Making it clear that, “An idol has no real existence in the world, and that there is no God but one” (1Corinthians 8:4-6).

Furthermore, the names that God applies to Himself in Scripture are not mere titles, but a description of God Himself in terms of His fundamental nature, attributes and works. That is especially true of the name Jahweh or Jehovah, which has its origin in Scripture, and sets the God of the Bible apart from all others. That name shares its origin with the divine name “I Am” and can be translated as “He Who Is”. Through the words, “God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM: therefore you will say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you,” God reveals Himself as an eternal being (Exodus 3:14). Through the words, “God also said to Moses, Tell the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me unto you,” God reveals Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 3:15). And, the words, “I am Jahweh: that is my name: and I will not give my glory to anyone else, or my praise to graven images,” explain why the divine name Jahweh or Jehovah is never applied to any created thing (Isaiah 42:8).

When we describe a man, we might describe him according to his being (origin, looks), his accomplishments, or his attributes (kind, honest etc.). However, none of these things describe his essential core being. Accomplishments may be faked, looks and personality can change, and even one’s origin may be wrong since some people are never told that they were adopted. In contrast, Biblical descriptions of God’s origin (“I Am”), accomplishments, or attributes reveal His essential core being, things that will never change. As it is written, “I am the LORD, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6).

The words, “There is no other God besides me; a just God and a Savior,” tell us that God is just (Isaiah 45:21). The words, “The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy,” tell us that God is merciful (Numbers 14:18). And, the words, “God is not a man, that He should lie,” tell us that God is truthful (Numbers 23:19). Those are three of God’s attributes. However, when those attributes are ascribed to any man (when we say that someone is just, merciful or truthful etc.) the best we can find in man falls far short of perfection. It is not so imperfect that it is entirely unrelated to what God has revealed about Himself. In fact, the shortcomings we see in men help us to appreciate God all the more. Nevertheless, the attributes we ascribe to men are gifts of God not part of their essence, and may be lost. A person may cease to be just, a person may cease to be merciful, a person may cease to be truthful, a person may even cease to live, but God never changes.

In learning what God has revealed about Himself in Scripture it is important to adhere strictly to what the words say without letting the imagination run wild. The words, “What we now see is like a dim reflection on a glass; but then we will see face to face: now I know in part; but then I will know even as I am known,” remind us of our own ignorance, and the danger of assuming that we know more than what the Bible actually says (1Corinthians 13:12). For example: much harm has been done by those who twist what the Bible says about the goodness of God into an excuse to sin, or twist what the Bible says about God’s hatred of sin into a denial of the gospel. In short, we need to let Scripture define God’s attributes.