At our Church, we have been studying Theology Proper. Now, don’t let that big word frighten you. It is just a fancy term for the study of God. This has sometimes been thought of as the specialty of egg-headed seminary scholars and ivory tower professors. Yet it is one of children’s most favourite questions. It is the most consequential topic any human being can ever inquire about. As has been rightly affirmed by many, everyone is a theologian, if not professionally, at least in some way, everyone has ideas about God, good or bad, right or wrong. Each of us has to come to terms with the reality of God.
So, Who is God?
A wise pastor of a bygone era, A.W. Tozer, said nailing down who God is can feel like climbing an impossible mountain. God isn’t just a super-sized human; He’s in a league of His own. He is the uncreated Creator. We, and everything else, are created. The puny little minds that we are cannot fully grasp the infinite and wholly other being that God is. Yet He desires that we know Him. To figure out who God is, we start with what we know, which leads us to ask: What is God like?
That’s where God’s attributes come in. Let’s be real: we can’t cover every single detail because God’s too big for that. God’s attributes can be classified into two categories: incommunicable and communicable attributes. These attributes in unison reveal His glory and shape our life and worship.
Incommunicable Attributes of God
Incommunicable attributes are the ones only God has—no one gets these! Here are a few:
Omnipotence: Unlimited Power
God’s omnipotence means He is all-powerful and can do anything He wants. His power has no limits! God’s wants, however, are according to His nature. When Sarah doubted God’s ability to give her a child, God asked in Genesis 18:14, “Is anything too hard for Me?” Spoiler alert: The answer is No!
Similarly, in Luke 1:37, the angel Gabriel makes it clear to Mary that nothing will be impossible with God. But skeptics have sometimes questioned: Can God make a rock so heavy that He couldn’t lift it? Such questions forget the fact that God is not the author of confusion but order. God doesn’t do contradictions.
Oh, and guess what? Only one omnipotent being can exist, as multiple omnipotent beings are a logical impossibility since they would limit each other.
Omnipresence: Everywhere, All the Time
God’s omnipresence refers to His presence everywhere. MacArthur and Mayhue put it like this: God “is perfectly present with Himself, transcending all limitation of space, and yet present with every point of space with all that He is”. Mind-boggling, right? He is not tied to one place like you and me. In Jeremiah 23:24, God asks: “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” Psalms 139:7-10 says you can’t escape Him. But He’s not split up; all of God is fully present everywhere, all the time.
Omniscience: Knows it All
Omniscience is God’s complete and absolute knowledge of everything knowable. God knows what is in your heart without anyone telling Him (1 Kings 8:39). No secret is hidden from him (Matt. 8:4). Erickson says this means we can trust everything God says. How awesome is it that God’s knowledge is 100% reliable?
Sovereignty: Absolutely in Charge
God is the King of the universe. A long dead despot, Nebuchadnezar learned it the hard way, as plenty more will too. Sovereignty defines God’s absolute control over His creation—kings, presidents, armies, nations, and even your decisions. You can name it all. Nothing happens unless He says so or allows it. Picture this: He could hit the “end world” button today if He wanted. In Isaiah 46:10 God says: “…My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose.” Paul compares Him to a potter who shapes the clay however He wants (Rom. 9:20-21). Emerson points out that God’s control is why the Bible, written by tons of imperfect people, still fits together perfectly.
Immutability: Never Changes
Immutability means God stays the same—His character, plans, and promises never change. In Malachi 3:6, He says, “I do not change,” promising to stick with Israel even when they sin. Balaam says the same in Numbers 23:19. Some Bible verses might look like God changes, but Macarthur and Mayhue explain that those are best understood as God revealing Himself in relation to man.
Self-Existence: Doesn’t Need Anyone
God doesn’t need you! He is self-existent. He exists all on His own; no one made Him or keeps Him going. He told Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exod. 3:14). Paul confirms that God doesn’t need anything from us (Acts 17:25). He didn’t create us because He was lonely—He wasn’t! He was totally fine on His own. But He made us to glorify Him by enjoying Him forever, as John Piper loves to say.
Transcendence: Way Beyond
Transcendence means God is way beyond anything we can ever know or imagine. And He isn’t just way beyond, He is wholly set apart from us. Isaiah says that as far as the heavens are above the earth, so are God’s ways and thoughts above man’s (Isaiah 55:9). Paul’s mind is blown away in Romans 11:33-34, awed by the unfathomability of God’s ways. God’s transcendence permeates all His attributes—His power, knowledge, goodness, holiness, you name it.
Next Week
I hope this explanation of God’s attributes has left your heart worshipping at His feet. If not, I’ve missed the mark. These incommunicable attributes—His limitless power, omnipresence, all-knowing mind, total control, unchangeability, independence, and transcendence—show us a God who’s unlike anything else. These are not cool facts to prove to others how much we know, they are a call to fear God, love Him, and worship Him with every part of our being. Come back next week for part two, where we’ll explore God’s communicable attributes—the qualities we can reflect, like love and goodness. Get ready to see how they shape our lives! What’s one attribute that’s got you worshipping? You can let me know.
References
Emerson, M. (2017). The story of scripture: An introduction to biblical theology. OBU Press.
Enns, P. (2005). The Moody handbook of theology (Rev. ed.). Moody Publishers.
Erickson, M. J. (2013). Christian theology (3rd ed.). Baker Academic.
MacArthur, J., & Mayhue, R. (Eds.). (2017). Biblical doctrine: A systematic summary of Bible truth. Crossway.
Piper, J. (2011).Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian hedonist (Rev. ed.). Multnomah Books.
Tozer, A. W. (1961). The knowledge of the Holy: The attributes of God: Their meaning in the Christian life. HarperOne.
