ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

Anthropomorphism - Which means “speaking of God in human terms” that are not to be taken literally. The bible often speaks of God in temporal terms, but this is from a human point of view.

Non-Moral Attributes – God’s nonmoral attributes are also called metaphysical attributes or literal attributes and are the framework into which the moral attributes fit. Nonmoral deals with what God is and what we are not.

Actuality, Pure – Means God’s Pure Existence. Pure Actuality is the attribute from which the other metaphysical attributes can be drawn logically, although they all have a biblical basis on their own. Is meant that which is in act or that which is (existence) with no possibility to not exist or to be anything other then it is (existence), pure and simple. Pure actuality has no potential of any kind, to say nothing of the potential to cease to exist. It is a pure act.

Aseity – Means literally means "of Oneself." Used of God, it denotes that God exist in of Himself, independent of anything else. God is self-existent.

Beauty – The essence of beauty is: that which is being perceived pleases. As applied to God, beauty is the essential attribute of goodness that produces in the beholder a sense of overwhelming pleasure and delight. “Beatific (Blessed) Vision” is the experience of seeing God face to face.

Eternality – Means non-temporality or timelessness. Classical theism affirms that God is above and beyond time. Again God has no past, present, or future; He simply has an enduring eternal present.

Immateriality – God is Spirit. God does not have any material parts. God is not composed of matter, nor is He corporeal (made of body).

Immensity – God is not measurable. God is not in space, time or matter, since He existed before the material space-time world, and brought it into existence.

Immortality – Means without death, never dies, imperishable, and incorruptible. God alone is immortality and all others who have it, have it as a gift from God.

Immutability - Means that God does not change or is unchanging because God is self-sufficient.

Impassibility – Means that God is not subject to passion or suffering from humans and their lifestyles. God does have feelings, but that His feelings cannot undergo changing feelings; that is, God cannot change. Man cannot change God or His mind. God does not need anything or anyone. All passion involves a desire for what is lacking. And sense God is perfect God lacks nothing. God will not be moved by our lives or lifestyle.

Ineffability – Means incapable of being expressed.

Infinity – Means God is literally limitless in His being. God is without boundaries. God is beyond the limits of the created universe. And Being infinite means that God is neither a series of moments nor is He capable of being added to them.

Life – Theologically, to speak of God as life is to say two basic things: God is alive, and He is the source of all other life.

Light – Means God is the Great Illuminator and or the Radiant One.

Majesty – Means God’s unsurpassed greatness, highest eminence, unparalleled exaltation, and unmatched glory.

Mercy – Mercy is an attribute of God, an infinite and inexhaustible energy within the divine nature which disposes God to be actively compassionate.

Necessity – A necessary Being is one whose nonexistence is impossible; that is, if a necessary Being exists, then He must exist necessarily. God is the beginning less Beginner.

Omnipotence – God is almighty or all-powerful. It means that God has unlimited power. Comes from the Hebrew word “Shaddai” which means self-sufficient or almighty.

Omnipresence – All of God is everywhere present at once. Not that God is in everything, but everywhere.

Omni-sapience or All Wisdom – Means God is all-wise. It is God’s unerring ability to choose the best means to the best ends.

Omniscience – Is the most debated in the church today. God knows everything and knows all future free acts of man, past, present and future. He knows the actual and the possible; only the impossible (the contradictory) is outside the knowledge of God. God does not have foreknowledge because God is already there. We use the word foreknowledge to describe the events of God.

Simplicity – Just means with out parts, for what has parts can come apart. Simple also means indivisible; that is, God is not capable of being divided. Also it means that God is absolutely one; Not only does He have unity, but He is absolute unity.

Sovereignty – Means that God rules the universe and that He is not ruled by anything or anyone. God is sovereign wither we choose (freewill) Him now or when we go into eternity and will bow our knees.

Trinity – Means that God is a trinity; that is there is not only one God (monotheism), but there are three persons in that one God (Trinitarian Monotheism). He is a plurality within unity. God has a plurality of persons and a unity of essence; God is three persons in one nature.

Unity – Literally means oneness. God is one Being, in contrast to many beings.

Wrath - Would offend, attack, or undo his holiness and love. Hence, God's anger and wrath must always be seen in relation to his maintaining and defending his attributes of love and holiness, as well as his righteousness and justice. The emotion or passion that moves God to this maintaining and defending is expressed

Moral Attributes – There are six basic moral attributes of God: Holiness, justice/righteousness, jealousy, perfection, truthfulness and goodness (love). These are essential to God’s nature. Moral deals with what ought to be.

Holiness – Theologically, God’s holiness means that He is totally and utterly set apart from all creation and evil.

Jealousy – Means to be desirous of, to be zealous about, to be excited to anger over, and to execute judgment because of.

Omni-Benevolence or All Goodness – Means God is all-lovingness. If love can be defined as “willing the good of its object or all good,” then love and goodness can be treated synonymously. Theologically, God’s Omni-benevolence refers to His infinite or unlimited goodness or love.

Perfection – A moral attribute. Means flawless or excellent.

Righteousness or Justice – Means to be just or right. Theologically, it refers to the intrinsic characteristic of God wherein He is absolutely just or right and is the ultimate standard of justice and rightness.

Truthfulness – Means firm, stable, faithful, reliable, correct. You must state that God does not have truth, but that God is all truth.