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> **Cross Reference:** #Gods_attributes, #divine_nature, #Christian_theology, #biblical_teaching
## Understanding God’s Attributes: A Unique Perspective
[[God’s attributes]] are the descriptions He has revealed about His [[nature]] and [[Character]]. These attributes are unlike those of any other being because [[God]] is wholly unique. The way we describe His attributes differs from how we talk about [[human characteristics]] because His [[essence]] is completely distinct from [[created beings]]. This distinctiveness makes it difficult to define who [[God]] is. Often, it’s easier to say what [[God]] is *not* than to fully describe what He *is*.
### Negative Attributes: What God is Not
Many of [[God’s attributes]] are expressed in negative terms—words like **immortal**, **invisible**, **impassible**, **immutable**, and **infinite**. These terms emphasize that [[God]]:
- Cannot die (**immortal**)
- Cannot be seen (**invisible**)
- Cannot be made to suffer (**impassible**)
- Does not change (**immutable**)
- Is not limited by time or space (**infinite**)
All these attributes set [[God]] apart from His creation and underscore His [[divine uniqueness]]. However, they do not tell us exactly what [[God]] is like in His [[essence]]; they just show how different He is from anything else we know.
### Positive Attributes: What God Is
While [[God’s negative attributes]] tell us what He is not, there are also positive descriptions of Him that help us understand His [[nature]]. For example, [[God]] is:
- **Eternal** – He has no beginning or end.
- **Holy** – He is completely pure and set apart.
- **Omniscient** – He knows all things.
- **Omnipotent** – He is all-powerful.
- **Omnipresent** – He is present everywhere.
Each of these attributes is unique to [[God]] and reveals a different aspect of His [[being]]. They must be understood together because no single attribute can capture the fullness of who He is.
> “Each of [[God’s attributes]] mutually qualify one another, so that they are never abstract or considered in isolation.”
For instance, to say that [[God]] is **all-powerful** (**omnipotent**) doesn’t mean that He can do *anything*, but rather that His [[power]] is not limited by anything or anyone greater than Himself. [[God]] cannot act against His own [[nature]] (e.g., He cannot lie or deny Himself), but He can exercise His will freely in accordance with His [[perfect nature]].
### Incommunicable vs. Communicable Attributes
Theologians often categorize [[God’s attributes]] into two types: **incommunicable** and **communicable**.
1. **Incommunicable Attributes**: These describe what [[God]] is in Himself and are unique to His [[being]]. They include attributes like **omnipresence** (God being everywhere) and **immutability** (God never changing). No creature can share these attributes because they are essential to [[God’s divine nature]].
2. **Communicable Attributes**: These are attributes that, in some form, can be reflected in [[God’s creation]], especially in humans. For example, [[God]] is **faithful** and **just**, and while humans can also exhibit faithfulness and justice, we do so imperfectly and in a limited way.
Though the two categories help us organize our thoughts about [[God]], it’s important to remember that all [[God’s attributes]] are uniquely His. Even those that have some reflection in [[creation]] are expressed infinitely and perfectly in [[God]].
### Human Reflection of God’s Attributes
Humans, as [[image-bearers of God]], reflect some of His [[attributes]], though in a limited way. For instance:
- **God’s Omniscience**: [[God]] knows all things infinitely. Humans, too, can gain knowledge and understanding, but our knowledge is always limited.
- **God’s Eternity**: [[God’s eternal life]] has no beginning or end, but He also gives [[eternal life]] to His children. Our [[eternal life]] has a starting point and is a gift from His grace.
These reflections remind us that while we bear the [[image of God]], we are fundamentally different from Him. Our attributes are finite, while His are infinite.
### Tension in Understanding God’s Attributes
Because some of [[God’s attributes]] are difficult for us to comprehend, they are often challenged or criticized, especially by modern theologians. For example, one debated attribute is **impassibility**, which means that [[God]], in His [[divine nature]], cannot suffer. Some argue that a [[God]] who cannot suffer cannot fully empathize with human pain and sorrow.
However, classical theologians have long taught that [[God’s impassibility]] does not mean He is unfeeling or distant. Rather, it shows that [[God]] is not overwhelmed by suffering as humans are. The issue is resolved in the [[Incarnation]], where the [[Son of God]], [[Jesus Christ]], took on [[human nature]]. In His humanity, Christ experienced pain, sorrow, and even death. But in His [[divine nature]], He remained impassible, unchanging, and sovereign.
> “Christian theology has always recognized that [[God’s attributes]] hold together not in our intellectual grasp of them, but in [[God]] himself.”
The complexity of understanding [[God’s attributes]] points us to the greatness and mystery of [[God]]. Our limited human minds can only grasp so much, and this should lead us to worship rather than frustration.
### Key Passages to Consider
The following verses provide a biblical basis for many of [[God’s attributes]]:
- **[John 1:18](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1.18&version={{AMP}})** – No one has seen God, but the [[Son]] has made Him known.
- **[1 Timothy 1:17](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Timothy+1.17&version={{AMP}})** – [[God]] is immortal, invisible, the only wise [[God]].
- **[Romans 1:20](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1.20&version={{AMP}})** – [[God’s invisible qualities]] have been clearly seen through [[creation]].
- **[Colossians 1:15](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1.15&version={{AMP}})** – [[Christ]] is the [[image of the invisible God]].
- **[Hebrews 11:27](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+11.27&version={{AMP}})** – [[God]] is invisible, yet Moses persevered as seeing Him who is unseen.
- **[James 1:17](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1.17&version={{AMP}})** – Every good and perfect gift comes from the unchanging Father.
- **[Hebrews 13:8](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13.8&version={{AMP}})** – [[Jesus Christ]] is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
- **[Hebrews 4:15](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+4.15&version={{AMP}})** – [[Jesus]] sympathizes with our weaknesses.
- **[Psalm 139:7](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139.7&version={{AMP}})** – There is no place we can go from [[God’s presence]].
- **[Isaiah 66:1](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+66.1&version={{AMP}})** – Heaven is [[God’s throne]] and the earth His footstool.
### Final Thoughts: Knowing God Through His Attributes
When we explore the [[attributes of God]], we are engaging with the heart of who He is. Although we may never fully comprehend His [[essence]], every attribute reveals something true and beautiful about Him. By studying these [[attributes]], we can deepen our relationship with Him and grow in our awe of His majesty.
Let the study of [[God’s attributes]] inspire worship, humility, and a greater desire to know Him as He has revealed Himself in Scripture.
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