Introductory Thoughts

Is God in any way like man? Is man in any way like God? The answer is “yes” and “no.” Even in our glorified state we will not be deified. Yet, we were created in God’s image, and as such we share certain attributes with God. These attributes of God we call his “Communicable Attributes.”

Genesis 1:26-27     Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 9:6     Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.

Ephesians 5:1-3     Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

Ephesians 4:22-24     You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Colossians 3:9-10     Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

James 3:9     With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.

God is Holy

The Greek word is agios means set apart, consecrated, morally pure, or upright. Holiness is the adjective which describes God more than all other adjectives combined. One member of the Trinity is even called the Holy Spirit. It can have two meanings:

• The first is “holy” as in “other.” This is God’s incommunicable attribute.
• The second is “holy” as in righteous. This is God’s communicable attribute.

God is good; he is the definition and description of being morally pure. He does not submit to a standard of goodness; he is the standard.

God does good; he never does evil.

1 John 1:5     This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

1 Peter 1:15-16     But as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Like God, we are to be holy.

God is Jealous of his Glory

Adoration is only to be given to the One most worthy.

The three Members of the Godhead give honor and glory to one another. God adores God and is consumed with their mutual glorification.

Isaiah 42:8    I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

God would not have others worship that which is second-best for them. Like God, we are to be jealous of his glory.

God is Loving or Compassionate

God is relational and loves within the Trinity.

God is relational and loves those whom he has created in his image.

Exodus 34:6-7     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. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

John 3:16     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.

Romans 5:5-8     And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The primary Hebrew word used to describe the love of God is hesed.

The primary Greek words used to describe God’s love are agape and Phil.

1 Chronicles 16:34     Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his mercy endures forever.

Psalm 33:18     But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

Like God, we are to be loving.

God is Gracious

Like God, we are to be gracious.

God is Wise

God has knowledge, rationality, and a will. He always makes the best decision.

Like God, we are to be wise.

God is Truthful or Faithful

He never lies, and all his conversation is “oath-talk.”

Additionally, he always performs what he promises.

Like God, we are to be truthful and faithful.

God is Wrathful or Angry

Wrath is an attribute of God found in both testaments. It is a word that describes deep indignation.

It is not a moral defect or something unworthy of God. It is a desirable characteristic of one who is holy and loves righteousness and justice. It is an adjective for one who has an intense hatred for sin.

According to Ligon Duncan, there 20 words used to describe the wrath of God in the OT, and this attribute of God is mentione over 500 times.

Exodus 15:6-10     “Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy.  In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble.  By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood firm like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.  “The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’  But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.  “Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you– majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?  You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them.

Psalm 27:7-9     Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.  My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.  Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.

Jeremiah 10:10     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.

Matthew 3:12     “And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Romans 1:18-21     For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.  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.  For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Romans 3:5     But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)

Romans 5:9    Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

Romans 9:22    What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

Romans 12:19    Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,,” says the Lord.

Ephesians 5:6     Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Hebrews 12:28     Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

Revelation 14:9-10, 19     … If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb … And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God.  (15:ff; 16:1, 9; 19:15)

Like God, we are to be “angry and sin not.”

God is Just

God is both righteous and just. Because he loves goodness and hates evil, he cannot merely overlook the deeds of men. He always judges and acts accordingly.

Genesis 4:7     If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? …

Genesis 18:19     For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

Exodus 34:6-7     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. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

Jeremiah 17:10     “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”

Like God, we are to be just.

God is Patient or Longsuffering

God withholds punishment for  a time toward those who sin. He suspends the time of judgment.

Like God, we are to be patient and longsuffering.

God is Merciful

Exodus 34:6-7     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. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

Like God, we are to be merciful.