The Greatness of God Pt. 2

As we continue this week looking at more of God’s greatness attributes, we will continue to be in awe of who he is. While some of these attributes are hard to wrap our minds around, we should not let that discourage us from continuing this pursuit together. Let us continue together on this journey exploring who God is.

            First, God is immutable. That is merely a scholarly way of saying that God is unchangeable or, in other words, he cannot change. God cannot change his person, will, or purpose. “In the beginning, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing, you will change them, and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end” (Psalm 102:25-27). God does not and will not change. “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). Since God does not change, we must briefly deal with the issue of the passages that say that God regretted doing something or God changed his mind. “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled” (Genesis 6:5-6). Another example is later in Genesis 18 when Abraham pleads for Sodom. There are numerous other examples, and I’m sure you have some others in mind. However, instead of teaching us that God changes his mind quite often, it teaches us that God’s plan takes into account human action and response. Sometimes, God intends to act in some way because of the way man first acts.

            God is one and indivisible. He is the one and only God. This is seen clearly throughout scripture. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). God is one. There isn’t much to say concerning this attribute, so I will leave it there.

            God is spirit. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). He has no material form. This shows us the simplicity of God. He has no parts. As humans, we are complex. We have different systems within our bodies that must work dependent and independent of each other. We are material, and we are immaterial. We have a lot of different complexities. However, God is made up of one thing: spirit. Every attribute of God must be understood as qualified by every other attribute.

            God is invisible. “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 6:16). This seems apparent because we cannot see God. We can see different qualities of God through his working in our lives. We can see his image, which is Jesus Christ. However, we cannot see God. We will not be able to see him until we are in heaven.

            God is infinite. He is greater than space and time. Before space and time were created, God was there. It is from this attribute that we get the three “omni’s.” The first of the omni’s is God is omnipresent. God is present everywhere with his entire being at all times. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:7-10). He is everywhere all the time. God is omnipotent. He is all-powerful. “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17). This does not mean that God can do whatever he wants. Nor does it mean that he can do things that are contrary to his nature or anything that is not logically possible. God cannot sin. He cannot make one and one equal three. He cannot contradict himself. He must stay consistent with his nature; however, he can do things that seem impossible to us. God is omniscient. In other words, God knows all things. He knows the future, the present, and the past. He knows things that are actual and the things that are possible. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). God knows everything. While this is true, God does not know the things that cannot be known. For instance, God does not know how to make a square circle.

            God is glorious, beautiful, holy, and transcendent. God is morally holy. There is no sin in him. He is separate from his creation. “Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2). I could spend a while quoting scripture talking about these attributes. God is so glorious and holy that when we are ushered into his presence, we will be able to do nothing but drop to our knees and worship him. Just sitting here, I am in awe of who he is.

            This wraps up the greatness attributes of God. Next week, we will start looking at the goodness attributes of God. But isn’t God amazing? There is so much about God that is hard to understand. However, just beginning to try to understand who he is shows us how vast, great, and steadfast he is. As we grow together in learning more about who God is, we will continue to be amazed at who God is, and yet he saw us and desired a relationship with us. He desired it so much that he was willing to send his only son to come and die on the cross on our behalf.