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Attributes of God: Infinity

May 28, 2015 by Jason Leave a Comment

2InfinitySometimes in my haste to explain things I can occasionally omit some very helpful information. For example, as I have been discussing some of God’s incommunicable attributes I have neglected to talk about an important concept – infinity.

What does “infinity” mean? The answer you receive to that question really depends upon whom you chose to ask. Philosophers, scientists and theologians will all have slightly different and conflicting understandings of what infinity is. Although it might be difficult to define satisfactorily, we can know some things about it clearly and definitely.

Here is what we understand about infinity. It is not big, nor huge, nor extremely humongously enormous. It is ENDLESS and it is BOUNDLESS. It does not grow, increase or get larger. It is FULLY FORMED. It is also something completely foreign to our created existence. Apart from God, nothing is infinite. This is why it is difficult for us to wrap our minds around the concept of infinity.

So why take the time to establish an understanding about infinity? This is because we serve an infinite God (endless, boundless and fully formed). Since God is infinite relative to space he is said to be omnipresent (discussed here). Because he possesses both infinite knowledge and power he is said to be omniscient (discussed here) and omnipotent (discussed here). Seeing as he is infinite with respect to time he is said to be eternal (discussed here). Whatever God is (love, faithful, righteous, wise, etc), he is without limit and fully formed. This leads to two very important things we need to know about the infinity of God.

First off we need to know infinite does not mean all. This is a very important distinction, because it isn’t difficult to make the leap from saying, “God is infinite” to saying, “God is everything.” The first statement is correct; the second statement is incorrect. Not only is it wrong, but it is a known heresy called pantheism. The Bible makes a clear distinction between The Creator and his creation. To hold the position that God is everything destroys that distinction. So how can we understand God’s infinite nature and yet keep the Creature/Creator separation? Let me try and give you an analogy that might make things a bit clearer.

Imagine a sponge submerged deep into the center of the ocean. From the sponge’s perspective its whole world would consist of water. Not only would water completely surround the sponge, but it would completely saturate the sponge as well. There would not be any measurable space in or around the sponge devoid of water. We understand the sponge is not water, it is still distinctly a sponge, but water would be found in, around, and throughout the entire sponge.

Now think of all of creation as being that one little sponge, and God as a boundless ocean. There is not one single speck of space in the entire universe that is void of his presence and influence. Although God completely surrounds and saturates all of his creation, he is separate and distinct from his creation. Infinity does not mean all.

The second thing we need to know is that although God is infinite he is also personal. The finite (us) can not perceive or know the infinite (God) unless the infinite first interacts with, and makes itself know to, the finite. We know of God and his infinite nature simply because he has made himself known to us. He has revealed himself through his creation (Rom 1:19) and through his Word (Heb 1:1). In no greater way did the infinite make himself known than when he chose to take on the form of his creation and dwell among us (Heb 1:2). Now that is really cool.

More In The Series

1) Intro to the Attributes of God

2) Goodness of God

3) Omnipresence of God Part 1

4) Omnipresence of God Part 2

5) Omniscience of God

6) Omnipotence of God

7) Freedom of God

8) Eternality of God

Filed Under: Theology Tagged With: Attributes of God, Infinite

Attributes of God: Eternality

April 28, 2015 by Jason 2 Comments

Today feels like an Attributes of God kind of day. In fact, I think we could even step it up a notch and take on one more of God’s incommunicable attributes – his eternality. When we speak of his eternality we are talking about God’s relationship to time. You had better hold on tight, this may get a little bumpy.

So why did I feel it necessary to preface our conversation with a word of caution? Well, there are two very good reasons why this might be a difficult topic to cover. Let me start with the obvious issue – God alone is eternal (Psalm 90:2, Rev 1:8).

Everything except for God has a beginning (John 1:1-3, Col 1:6). Since God gave us a soul that can never die, we can imagine something that has no end. However, God is more than immortal, he is eternal. He has neither beginning nor ending, and alone is “uncaused”. This is very much beyond our experience and understanding.

The other issue we have is that time isn’t all that easy of a thing to explain. Saint Augustine said of time, “What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know.” That pretty much encapsulates the problem right there.

It is obvious we are creatures bound by time. We can neither escape its progress nor alter its course. Causes proceed effects, the past is different from the future, and we just tag along for the ride. In the absence of time would everything just happen simultaneously, or would nothing happen at all? It is impossible to image there could even be an instant when time did not exist. Come to think of it, I can’t even talk about time “before” time without using some of the many temporal words and phrases that litter our language. Add the fact God alone is eternal and we have ourselves a potentially difficult conversation ahead.

Now that we have established this is going to be a difficult concept, let’s define what we mean when we say God is eternal. In the same way, when speaking about his omnipresence, God is free from all limitations of space, so is he free from all limitations of time. Some would say that he exists above and apart from time. How is this possible? Well, God was before time, and he is the cause of time. Hence, he cannot be a part of time, though as creator he can and does relate to his creation in time.

So in a practical sense what does that mean? First off it means time does not change God. We change with every tick of the clock, but God does not (Mal 3:6, Heb 13:8). This should be encouraging, as God will not grow old, surly, impotent and forgetful with time. He is today as he was and will always be.

God’s freedom from all limitations of time also means he is equally present in every time and sees all time with equal clarity (Isaiah 46:10). A. W. Tozer explained it this way, “In God there is no was or will be, but a continuous and unbroken is. In Him history and prophecy are one and the same. “

The picture below may help you visualize what I am trying to explain. God is the creator of time and it dwells within him. He causes, affects, and controls it, and yet does so without time exerting any control on him. Although he exists above time he enters into time in order to interact with his creation. No more is this more pronounced than when the Son took on flesh and entered into time to die for our sins (Gal 4:4).

God-and-time

Here are some more scriptures related to God’s eternality:

Deut 33:27  The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms;

Psalm 93:2  Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.

Psalm 102:12  But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.

Isa 40:28  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

Isa 57:15  For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

Rom 1:20  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

1 Tim 1:17  To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

More In The Series

1) Intro to the Attributes of God

2) Goodness of God

3) Omnipresence of God Part 1

4) Omnipresence of God Part 2

5) Omniscience of God

6) Omnipotence of God

7) Freedom of God

9) Infinite God

Filed Under: Theology Tagged With: Attributes of God, Eternality, Eternity

Attributes of God: Omnipotence

May 1, 2013 by Jason Leave a Comment

 

The fourth attribute of God we will be exploring is His omnipotence, which means the topic of discussion is God’s power. Omnipotence is simply the highfalutin way of saying “all-powerful”.  Therefore, when we say God is omnipotent we are saying He is able to do anything He desires or wills to do.   No better verse encapsulates this concept than Psalm 115:3.  “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever pleases Him.”

When we speak of power we are referring to ones ability to act or produce an effect.  Just like God we have the ability to effect things according to our will.  I exercise my power each and every day.  If I am hungry I make a meal, if the grass is long I mow it, and if I don’t like what is on television I change the channel.  We do have power, but the power we exercise only exists within very narrow limits. Case in point we can’t control the weather, we can’t avoid taxes, and we can’t live forever.

In stark contrast to His creation, God is not restricted in His power.  If we were to remove all the limitations of power, as it exists in us, we would begin to have an idea of the omnipotence of God.  He is all-powerful and has unlimited authority and influence.  He is not bounded by resources (Heb 11:3), constrained by imagination (Eph 3:20), nor hemmed in by probability (Matt 19:26).  God made all things to serve Him (Psalm 119:91), nothing is too hard for Him (Jer 32:17), no one can stop His plans (Job 42:2), and He does whatever He pleases (Psalm 135:6).  In essence God can do anything He desires.

We could be satisfied and rest here, were it not for one important caveat.  Although I have made it sound like God can do absolutely anything, there are some things that God cannot do.  No I am not downgrading God so that He is no longer all-powerful.  What I am doing is making a distinction in what He WILL do.  God can do all things He desires or wills.  However, God will not desire to do something contrary to His nature and character (2 Tim 2:13).  Everything that God does, or doesn’t do, will be entirely consistent and in harmony with the entirety of His character and nature.  Although God’s power is infinite He exercises His power in light of who He is.

This knowledge of God’s omnipotence should both encourage and excite praises in His people.  Why is that?  Meditate for a moment on the fact that we are kept, sustained, protected, and strengthened by a God who is not limited in power.  In Him (the omnipotent God) we live and move and have our being.  In light of God’s absolute power and authority we can have the utmost confidence in His ability to keep all of His precious promises.  Finally, for all of you mere mortals out there, as you attempt to serve and obey Him realize that you can only do so in the strength that He (the omnipotent God) has given you.  Rest assured, He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6), and that you can take to the bank.  Here are some more verses on God’s omnipotence.

Psalm 33:6 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

Psalm 147:5  Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

Jer 10:12  It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

Jer 32:17  ‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

Jer 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?

Dan 4:35  All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

Luke 1:37  For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Rom 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Rev 1:8  “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

To Be Continued

More In The Series

1) Intro to the Attributes of God

2) Goodness of God

3) Omnipresence of God Part 1

4) Omnipresence of God Part 2

5) Omniscience of God

7) Freedom of God

8) Eternality of God

9) Infinite God

Filed Under: Theology Tagged With: Attributes of God, Omnipotence, power

Attributes of God: Omniscience

January 28, 2013 by Jason Leave a Comment

The third attribute of God we are going to discuss is his omniscience.  When we say God is omniscient we are saying He has a complete and unlimited knowledge, awareness, and understanding of absolutely everything.  Simply put, God knows all things.  I may have presented a fairly simplistic view of God’s all-comprehending knowledge, so allow me to try and unpack things a bit.

God’s omniscience very much follows from his omnipresence.  Wondering how the two are related?  Look at it this way, since God is equally present everywhere, all things are transacted in his presence.  In other words God knows all because He sees all (Prov 15:3).  However, God’s knowledge is not merely limited to his observation of the events that take place in his presence.  He also has perfect knowledge of the very thoughts and intents of all of his creation (Psalm 139:1-4, Prov 15:11, Ezek 11:5, Mark 2:6-8, Acts 1:24).  Sounds like a pretty complete knowledge.  Just wait, there is more.

The Bible also reveals that God possesses knowledge such that He knows all things ‘actual’ and all things ‘potential’.  Let me try and explain my last statement.  By virtue of God’s will and purpose, He knows exactly what He will allow and what He will affect.  This is why God not only knows what was and is, but everything that will be (Isa 42:9, Isa 46:9-10).  Since God knows everything that will happen and will exist He knows all that will actually be.  In addition, God alone understands what infinite power can effect, and therefore knows all things potential.  The Bible gives several examples where God reveals such knowledge when He shares what could happen or what would have happened (2 Kings 13:18-19, Matt 11:20-24).

So in essence there never was, and never will be a time when our thoughts and actions are beyond his comprehension and watchful eye.  Armed with this knowledge I suppose there are three responses one might have.  We can deny it, we can believe it while never allowing this knowledge to have any practical effect on our lives, or we can be comforted by it.  How can one find comfort in God’s omniscience?  Well, we already comfort ourselves in God’s display of love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8).  However, this takes on an even deeper meaning when we understand God knew each and every one of our sins and struggles before time began, and yet He still planned on sacrificing his Son for us.  Therefore, no matter the nature and severity of our sin we can be reassured that God wasn’t taken by surprise, and even in light of his knowledge of our sin, He loved us and chose to save us.  In that there is great comfort.  Here are some more scriptures that speak to the omniscience of God:

Job 37:16 “Do you know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge,”

 

Psalm 139:16  “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

 

Matt 6:8  “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

 

Matt 10:29-30  “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”

 

1 Cor 2:10-11  “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”

 

1 John 3:20  “for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.”

 

 To Be Continued

More In The Series

1) Intro to the Attributes of God

2) Goodness of God

3) Omnipresence of God Part 1

4) Omnipresence of God Part 2

6) Omnipotence of God

7) Freedom of God

8) Eternality of God

9) Infinite God

Filed Under: Theology Tagged With: Attributes of God, omniscience

Attributes of God: Omnipresence

December 11, 2012 by Jason Leave a Comment

The second attribute of God we are discussing is his omnipresence.  When we speak of God’s omnipresence (present everywhere at the same time) we are referring to the infinitude of his being, especially when viewed in relation to his creation.  Wayne Grudem, in his Systematic Theology textbook, defines the omnipresence of God as:

God does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being, yet God acts differently in different places.

In essence this means the limitations of space have no reference to God.  All of creation, whether material or spiritual, can be found somewhere.  Only God, in his entire being, is everywhere. In other words his essence, knowledge, and power are everywhere and equally present at all times.  Since this is a part of God’s nature which He does not share with his creation, it would be classified as an incommunicable attribute.

On account of the fact we are bounded by space, it becomes an almost impossible task to try and understand the omnipresence of God.  How can something exist without size or dimensions?  Just think of it, when there was no matter, material or space, He was.  When there was no “here”, “there” or “anywhere” God still existed.  Only at the point when God said, “Let there be” was there any place one could actually be.  If you think on it long enough you will likely end up in the fetal position rocking on the floor with your thumb in your mouth.

Even though God’s omnipresence may be difficult to comprehend, it is also one of the most comforting attributes of our God.  It is exceedingly encouraging and comforting when one understands that God is ever-present and interested in both the great and little things.  He is equally present with all his creatures, at all times, and in all places.  He is not far from any of us.  This truth alone should excite worship in all of us. Here are some scriptures that speak to the omnipresence of God:

Psalm 139:7-12  “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8  If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,10  even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12  even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.”

Prov 15:3   “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

Jer 23:23-24  “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? 24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.”

Acts 17:24  “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,”

Eph 1:23  “which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

There are a few potential challenges we will face as we establish our understanding of God’s omnipresence.  Next time we will continue our discussion on the omnipresence of God.

 To Be Continued

More In The Series

1) Intro to the Attributes of God

2) Goodness of God

4) Omnipresence of God Part 2

5) Omniscience of God

6) Omnipotence of God

7) Freedom of God

8) Eternality of God

9) Infinite God

Filed Under: Theology Tagged With: Attributes of God, Omnipresence

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