God

Writing a definition for God is inherently difficult, and problematic. There are two main problems with each attempt to define God. The first problem is that we only know what He has revealed to us, so any definition will necessarily be incomplete. The second problem is that while we can use words to describe God, none of those words can help us actually understand Him. Still, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.

Please don’t bother complaining that I’ve missed something or that my descriptions are insufficient. This is undoubtedly true not only of my descriptions of God, but of any. Your sincere suggestions and honest conversation are always welcome.

Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109) famously wrote that God is “that than which nothing greater is conceivable.” If you can think of a way to make God better, you’ve improved your own definition of God. In that sense, God is ‘maximally perfect.’ That is, there can be no improvements to God Himself… He is the ultimate being. He’s not only intelligent, His intelligence could not be greater. He’s not only loving, His love could not be better. He’s not only powerful, He couldn’t possibly become more powerful. With every description of God’s attributes comes the idea that none of them could be improved.

God describes Himself in the Bible, so we have some information about His nature, His character, and so on. God’s revelation of Himself changed over time. Abraham’s understanding of God was not as complete as the apostle Peter’s understanding of God, for example. This is because God chose to continue revealing more about Himself throughout history. Here’s a very incomplete and simplified list of some of God’s attributes:

• God is Creator: The first verse of the Bible describes God as the creator of ‘the heavens and the earth.’ That’s a way of saying “everything.”
• God is Eternal: He has always existed and will always exist.
• God is Everywhere: He is omnipresent… He is not limited by time or space, and His attention is not limited.
• God is Gracious: He is kind, forgiving, and patient with us in spite of our selfishness and even our rebellion.
• God is Holy: The simple, technical definition of holy is ‘to be set apart.’ God is not like His creation, but is both distinct from it and unlike it.
• God is Immaterial: He is spirit, not flesh. The Father and Holy Spirit have no body, and the Son had no body until He became Jesus of Nazareth. The Son, being both God and man, still has a body.
• God is Intelligent: He is omniscient… He knows all things, including the future and all possible futures.
• God is Just: Many Bible verses express this idea, saying that God will do what is right, that God plays no favorites, and so on. God’s justice is also expressed in His commands for us to be just as well.
• God is Love: He does not simply act in loving ways, but is love itself. The Father, Son, and Spirit have loved one another eternally, as this is God’s nature.
• God is Merciful: He seeks our good, so He does not punish us as we deserve.
• God is Personal: He is not an impersonal force, nor is He the universe itself. Instead, God displays attributes of personhood by making decisions, taking action, and interacting with His creation.
• God is Powerful: He is omnipotent… there is no limit to God’s abilities. He is able to do whatever He decides to do.
• God is Righteous: He will always do what is right.
• God is Self-Sufficient: His existence requires nothing outside Himself.
• God is Sovereign: There is nothing outside His control, and He is not subject to anyone but Himself.
• God is Unchanging: This does not mean that God always does things the same way, but that His character never changes.
• God is Wise: His knowledge and foresight are unlimited, and His decisions are always perfect.

In addition to these traditional attributes, it might be useful to make another list:

• God is not human. He created humans, and we are like Him in some ways, but He is not human.
• God is not Jewish, nor is He a white European.
• God is not a man. God is not a woman, nor is He both.
• God is not mean. God is love. Loving parents discipline their children when they need it, and children often dislike discipline, but our immature response to God’s discipline does not make Him mean.
• God is not a vending machine, which gives you what you want when you provide the right input. He is a loving Father, who wants to give us good things, but that does not mean that we will always get our way. Sometimes what we want will harm us, and God denies us what we want. In addition, He calls on Christians to sacrifice for the benefit of others, so there are times when we don’t get what we want so others can get what they need.

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