God’s Attributes as to Moral Beings—4

It’s unbelievable how much our God cares for and is concerned for us. Be eternally thankful for God’s grace, mercy, and love.

August’s Awakening, Day 31

            Grace. God supplies to those He loves with unmerited and undeserved favors, according to their need and His unconditional love for us.

 

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Exodus 34:6–7a NIV 

 

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. Ephesians 1:4–8a NIV

 

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. Titus 2:11 NIV

 

            Mercy and Goodness. God’s mercy is a tenderhearted and compassionate display toward the miserable and needy people He loves, and also His restraint toward fallen people as to what they truly deserve. His goodness is that which constitutes the character of God, shown by His benevolence, mercy, and grace.

 

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’ Exodus 3:7, 17 NIV 

 

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; Psalm 103:13 NIV

 

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36 NIV

 

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. Exodus 33:19 NIV   

 

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. Psalm 145:9 NIV

 

            Love and Benevolence. God seeks the highest good of humanity at His own infinite cost. Poured out at the Cross, His love is unconditional and for all people. His benevolence is displayed as His unselfish concern for the welfare of those He loves.

 

But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— Psalm 103:17 NIV

 

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4–5 NIV

 

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:8, 10 NIV

 

The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Deuteronomy 7:7–8 NIV

 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16–17 NIV   

 

            Grace, mercy, and love allow our holy God to have fellowship with sinful humanity. We have much to be thankful for and much to look forward to.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

God’s Attributes as to Moral Beings—3

These next attributes are the ones we can hold on to when the times get tough. God is always there for us, He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He will help us make it through.  

August’s Awakening, Day 30

            Faithfulness. God always proves Himself to be true and He keeps all His promises. God is trustworthy, reliable, and always has our best interest at heart.

 

God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19 NIV 

 

I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. Psalm 89:2 NIV   

 

The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 NIV   

 

            Genuineness. God is real and true, and although invisible, He makes Himself known in a myriad of ways. His desire is for us to be strongly connected to Him and basking in His presence.

 

No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who should not fear you, King of the nations? This is your due. Among all the wise leaders of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. Jeremiah 10:6–7, 10 NIV

 

            Freedom. God is independent of all His created beings—humanity, angels, and all creatures. He is not obligated to any of His created beings, nor responsible for, nor the caretaker of them. Yet He chooses to interact and commune intimately with humanity, especially, as we were created in His image, for His good purpose, and He desires to commune and be in relationship with us.

 

Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. Psalm 115:3 NIV   

 

            Life. God is life and is the ultimate and only source of all life. All are His. God created humanity as spirit beings that are unable to be extinguished, as nothing is more precious than life. We must choose before our last breath where we will spend eternity—choosing Christ and paradise, or rejecting Christ and residing forevermore in the lake of fire.

 

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 NIV

 

For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. John 5:26 NIV   

 

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. John 6:63 NIV

 

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:14 NIV 

 

            The world may let you down and family and friends may let you down, but God will always be there for you—no matter how far you may be from Him, no matter how far you may have strayed, no matter what you have done—God is faithful and true and all His promises are for you.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

God’s Attributes as to Moral Beings—2

Knowing God better is a wonderful thing. It strengthens and solidifies your relationship and draws you closer to Him.

August’s Awakening, Day 29

            Truth. God is truth and the source of all truth, in Him there are no lies, deceit, covertness, or error. There is total agreement and consistency with all that is represented by God Himself.

 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 NIV    

 

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3 NIV   

 

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17 NIV   

 

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NIV

 

            Sovereignty. God is the only supreme ruler and authority, subject to none, and independent of any authority outside of Himself.

 

That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. Ephesians 1:19b–21 NIV  

 

“How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 2 Samuel 7:22 NIV  

 

            Spirituality/Simplicity. As to spirituality, God is nonmaterial and is completely spirit in nature. As to simplicity, His spirit nature is unique, uncompounded, uncomplex, indivisible, not composed of any parts.

 

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 1:18; 4:24 NIV    

 

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17 NIV

 

which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15–16 NIV 

 

            Is your understanding of God increasing? Are you aware and in awe of all that He is? Are you drawing closer unto Him? Embrace all that God is.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

God’s Attributes as to Moral Beings

Our God is an interactive God who actively cares for us and wants the best for us. He is for us and with us in every way.   

August’s Awakening, Day 28

            Today we begin our discussion of the attributes of God as He relates to moral beings. There are fifteen attributes that we will look at over the next few days—impassibility, justice and righteousness, holiness, truth, sovereignty, spirituality/simplicity, faithfulness, genuineness, freedom, life, grace, mercy and goodness, love and benevolence, veracity, and persistence. These are the characteristics and nature of God through which He will primarily interact with us.

            Impassibility. God is incapable of suffering pain or harm and is not moved emotionally by any external stimulus. The characteristics that we as humans describe as emotions (such as love) are not emotions for God—they are inherent attributes. God is not swayed by such emotions, but simply acts and interacts according to the perfect harmony and balance of His attributes. Love is not a feeling or emotion for God, it is an innate attribute of His essence.

 

Who can fathom the Spirit of the Lord, or instruct the Lord as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:13–14, 28 NIV  

 

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:35–36 NIV  

 

            Justice and Righteousness. The justice of God is moral equity; He does not show favoritism, but always acts according to what is true and right. The righteousness of God is His holiness applied to all relationships. God’s Word, Law, and all His actions are exactly and precisely correct.

 

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Acts 10:34–35 NIV 

 

For God does not show favoritism. Romans 2:11 NIV 

 

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. Psalm 19:7–9 NIV  

 

but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:24 NIV   

 

            Holiness. God is righteous, perfect in every way, set apart and separated from all sin, evil, and darkness. There is no wrong within Him, nor the possibility of any wrongdoing or moral mistake.

 

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15–16 NIV 

 

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy. Leviticus 19:1–2 NIV 

 

            We will continue tomorrow with our study of the attributes of God as He relates to moral beings. This is the personal God that you should come to know very well.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

God’s Attributes as to Time and Space—3

Unfathomable, uncontainable, inexpressible—mere words can never fully describe the Lord our God.  

August’s Awakening, Day 27

            Supremacy. Our God is King of kings and Lord of Lords. There is none that compares nor ever will. Even Satan, with all the evil he has spread, is just a created angel, fallen. God and God alone reigns supreme.

 

David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 1 Chronicles 29:10–12, 14 NIV

 

and said: “Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 2 Chronicles 30:6 NIV 

 

            Transcendence/Ineffability. God is above and exceeds in everything beyond any possible limits. He is inexpressible in any and all human thought and language.

 

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. Job 11:7–9 NIV 

 

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:3 NIV 

 

            Immanence. Just as God is transcendent, above all and beyond all, He is also immanent—indwelling and permeating all of time and space. Incredible as that may seem, that’s why God is God.

 

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ Acts 17:27–28 NIV 

 

            Personality. Our God is a personal God who interacts with His creation and created beings. He has self-cognizance, will, intellect, and self-determination. Furthermore, each Person of the Godhead Trinity chooses to display certain prominent characteristics with differing emphasis. For instance, God the Father is our loving father, but also our righteous judge. Jesus Christ the Son is our Lord and Savior, shepherd, sacrificial lamb, and intercessor. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth and our counselor. Remember, our God is unique, a unity of One and a trinity of three Persons simultaneously.

 

God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. Exodus 3:14–15 NIV 

 

            Tomorrow we will begin the last section of attributes, those as God relates to moral beings.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

God’s Attributes as to Time and Space—2

A reverent awe and fear of the Lord brings one close to the throne room and the very presence of God.  

August’s Awakening, Day 26

            Immensity. God is not measurable in any way, limitless, with no bounds. He is nonspatial, being present at every point in space, but He is not part of space or limited to it. He transcends all space and time.

 

one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:6 NIV 

 

            Self-existence (Aseity). God exists in and of Himself, independent of anything else. He is an uncaused Being, He has no cause, He simply exists and is.

 

For from him and through him and for him are all things. Romans 11:36a NIV

 

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Hebrews 2:10 NIV 

 

            Perfection. God is the epitome of absolute perfection in every way. He is an infinitely perfect Being. His perfection also means that every attribute is not only perfect, but each is in perfect balance and harmony, such that one attribute is not superior or more manifest than any other attribute. He is perfection and perfection in harmonious balance.

 

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV

 

“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. 2 Samuel 22:31 NIV

 

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48 NIV 

 

            Solitary. God is solitary, unique, and stands alone in all His excellence. Nothing can compare to God and nothing ever will. He is a solitary, one-of-a-kind Being.

 

Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? Exodus 15:11 NIV  

 

            Tomorrow we will finish the attributes of God as He pertains to time and space.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

God’s Attributes as to Time and Space

God is amazing and awesome to experience. Beyond mere minds of mortals, He is unfathomable.

August’s Awakening, Day 25

            Today we will begin looking at the eleven attributes of God as He relates to time and space—light, unity and trinity, eternity, immensity, self-existence (aseity), perfection, solitary, supremacy, transcendence/ineffability, immanence, and personality.

            Light. The first thing God created was light, but God Himself is described as light, the Great Illuminator of all things, and within Him there is no darkness, just a purity as light.

 

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. John 1:4–5, 9 NIV   

 

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 NIV

 

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV  

 

            Unity and Trinity. God is a unity—one essence of being. God is also a trinity as three distinct persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. A difficult concept to comprehend, yet that is precisely what God is.

 

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Deuteronomy 6:4 NIV 

 

yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 1 Corinthians 8:6 NIV 

 

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16–17 NIV 

 

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19 NIV 

 

            Eternity. God is free from the succession of time. He is the creator of time, and hence not bound by time in any way. He is simultaneously cognizant of all facts, events, and details of what we call past, present, and future, yet He can also freely interact within time itself while still residing outside time’s boundaries and limitations. 

 

Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Eternal God. Genesis 21:33 NIV

 

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Psalm 90:2 NIV 

 

            Tomorrow we continue our study of the attributes of God. You should be gaining a greater knowledge and appreciation each day for who our awesome God is. 

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart

God’s Attributes as to Creation—2

Becoming intimately connected to God is all about knowing and embracing all that He is.  

August’s Awakening, Day 24

            Today we will finish our discussion of God’s attributes as He relates to His creation—immutability/constancy, infinity, and necessity/actuality.

            Immutability/Constancy. God is unchanging and unchangeable in His being. God was and is and will be, and being perfect in every way, there is no changing in any aspect of His essence. He does interact with humanity and is a personal God, but nothing about Him changes. This can be controversial as some Scriptures seem to indicate that God can or does change His mind. However, we must interpret Scripture appropriately according to the myriad of figures of speech used in the Bible, as in any language, and understand the meaning accordingly. We cannot imprint our human anthropomorphisms upon God and interpret Him as such. It is simply our human and linguistic way of describing the indescribable.

 

But you remain the same, and your years will never end. Psalm 102:27 NIV 

 

“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Malachi 3:6 NIV

 

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 NIV

 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 NIV 

 

            Infinity. God is without termination and finitude. He always was, is now, and always will be, without beginning or end, He simply is and without bounds. “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14).

 

“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 1 Kings 8:27 NIV  

 

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:3 NIV    

 

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. Acts 17:24 NIV

 

            Necessity/Actuality. God is a necessary Being whose nonexistence is impossible, and hence His existence is essential. He is not contingent on anything and hence must exist out of necessity. Pure actuality means the same—there is no possibility to not exist, nor possibility to change or be changed.

 

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. John 1:3 NIV

 

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16–17 NIV 

 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. Revelation 1:8, 17 NIV

 

            Tomorrow we will begin looking at the attributes of God as pertains to time and space itself.

Author Web Page Link

http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=renew-my-heart-o-god-daily-devotions-for-healing-your-heart